Match Guests With Five New Friends and a Starter Ministry Within Three Months

Substance Church in Roseville, Minn., matches guests with four to seven new friends and a starter ministry within three months of attending its church.

“We know that the No. 1 cause of spiritual transformation is how many Christian friends you’re doing life with at any given moment,” says Lead Pastor Peter Hass.

Substance Church’s assimilation process is called the Empowerment Track; counselors work with new congregants to learn more about them and find the best fit for them within the larger church family. Establishing early connections means these people are more likely to call the church home.

ONLINE: SubstanceChurch.com. Adapted from an article that appeared in the September/October 2011 issue of Outreach magazine.

James P. Long
James P. Longhttp://JamesPLong.com

James P. Long was formerly the editor of Outreach magazine and the author of a number of books, including Why Is God Silent When We Need Him the Most?

Clean Your Bookshelves and Your Soul

Don’t let the comfort of familiar pain prevent you from embracing the unknown discomfort of positive change.

How Can We Prepare to Trust God Through Trials We Don’t Understand?

None of us knows what 2026 will bring, but no doubt it will have its difficult moments as well as its wonderful ones. How can we wisely prepare our hearts and minds to trust God through trials when they come?

Is Revival Here Now?

When God chooses to blow the wind of his Spirit, we should be ready. How do we set the sails?