The Rev. Derf Bergman and Marilyn Turner (third and fourth from the left) accepted the One Matters Discipleship Award on behalf of Mission Valley United Methodist Church during the Yellowstone Annual Conference. Celebrating with them after the presentation are (from left) the Rev. David Burt, assistant to the bishop, Lauren Ward of Discipleship Ministries and Mountain Sky Area Bishop Elaine Stanovsky.
YELLOWSTONE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Rev. Derf Bergman and Marilyn Turner (third and fourth from the left) accepted the One Matters Discipleship Award on behalf of Mission Valley United Methodist Church during the Yellowstone Annual Conference. Celebrating with them after the presentation are (from left) the Rev. David Burt, assistant to the bishop, Lauren Ward of Discipleship Ministries and Mountain Sky Area Bishop Elaine Stanovsky.
YELLOWSTONE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
A large part of evangelism and disciple making at Mission Valley United Methodist Church involves members aggressively making sure visitors feel welcomed and wanted at the small church near St. Ignatius, Montana.
Mission Valley, an 11-year-old church formed from three dying and declining western Montana congregations, has been growing and vital from its beginning. More than 70 people now regularly attend.
Recently, as part of its effort to build on strengths, the church has emphasized keeping and incorporating guests.
“Visitors are important,” says the Rev. Derf Bergman. “We need to make sure we follow up with them afterward.
“We emphasize people inviting others to worship. Where do visitors come from? Some are new to the area and looking for a church, and it’s good to invite them. That’s where most evangelism happens – individual invitation. It’s not as complicated as we want to make it sometimes. It’s no different than inviting someone to dinner.”
Church members follow up with all visitors soon after their initial contact, and if they continue attending – and they usually do – Bergman invites them to a “Together in Christ” class. The class builds community among members, teaches prayer and devotional study and connects the new people to a “sponsor” who is a current member of the church.
The sponsors help ensure people don’t drop out in the process. He cites one woman who had dropped out for a while but her sponsor kept in touch with her, and now she’s back in worship regularly.
The class introduces participants to the disciple-making life of the church. Leaders make presentations about the church and about United Methodist history, polity and sacramental theology. Those who choose to join are asked for a financial commitment to the church.
Most of all, the “Together in Christ” classes teach discipleship as a lifestyle and ask for a renewal or a first-time commitment of faith in Jesus Christ, he says.
The active church life at Mission Valley includes many mission and local community outreach opportunities, such as preparing disaster relief cleaning buckets and health and school kits. Groups for youth ages 13-18, United Methodist Men and United Methodist Women regularly sponsor fun, educational and intergenerational activities.
Bergman says the $1,000 grant the church received with the One Matters award will go toward building up the youth ministry. When Mission Valley was formed from the other churches, one casualty was it lost its youth. He says the goal is to hang on to the elementary-age kids there now so there will be a solid youth ministry in a few years. The grant money will go toward computers, whiteboards and other equipment for Sunday school classrooms.
Bergman says the recognition and the award have brought a welcome lift to the congregation.
“We’re getting visits from different churches to look at our model, how this church was formed. Because we’re growing, it’s uplifting for the congregation to be asked, ‘What are you doing right that you can tell us about?’ It’s great for the congregation to have that good feeling of esteem and growth.”
Joey Butler is multimedia editor for Interpreter and Interpreter Digital.