Their often upbeat messages of salvation and having a relationship with God, lively worship music, high-tech video and sound systems, small study groups and myriad opportunities for personal support and public-service outreach have helped attract people who never attended a church as well as those dissatisfied with past or present church experiences.
Evangelical in theology and mission, they have a firm belief in the authority and accuracy of the Bible, though the emphasis and applications can vary.
For the time being, the congregation will hold services at the downtown campus of Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Unable to find space in the Third Ward or elsewhere east of the Milwaukee River, the church is renting MATC's auditorium at 1036 N. 8th St. for Sunday services at 10 a.m.. Its goal, says Sonderman, is to serve people of all income levels and races, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to Walker's Point, and west to Marquette University.
From the upper floors of that building, they could have a good view of the spires of nearby Gesu Church on the Marquette campus, and of St. John's Cathedral on the other side of downtown. Whatever those parishes' evangelization efforts have been, they haven't made the front page of the paper. Here's Elmbrook Senior Pastor Mel Lawrenz on the topic.
Churches grow when the members have a widespread sense of participatory ownership without relying solely on the pastor, and when there is a clear message of Scripture-based truth and grace without Bible-thumping admonishment, he added.
We'll see how that works out in practice. On the other hand, if churches grow when there is a message of Redaktionsgeschichte, then things are looking up for my parish.
How does Elmbrook start these new congregations?
Elmbrook is committed to provide at least $100,000 for Metrobrook in its first year while the new church generates its own internal support, Lawrenz said.
A core group of about 85 people, most from Elmbrook, is helping to plan and run Metrobrook. Each made a one-year commitment of time and monetary donations. Many are in their 20s and 30s; Sonderman led the 20 Something ministry at Elmbrook.
Not much more than my parish once budgeted annually for "Outreach," redonating 5% of parish envelope income, mostly in response to mail solicitations for funds. The number of volunteers is fewer than my parish has on policy committees.
"I would love over the next 10 years to see anywhere from six to eight, maybe 10, churches planted in city center of Milwaukee," said [Pastor Brian] Sonderman, who introduces his wife, Mara, as a ministry partner. "One of the key verses for me is Acts 1:8, where Jesus gathers the disciples together after the Resurrection and gives them a commission to go and be witnesses through all of Jerusalem and Judea, to the ends of the Earth."
There are probably at least that many closed Catholic churches in the central city. Maybe he can make use of some of them.
The Church of the Eternal FeelGood moves into Downtown.
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