Jim Harrell
No Room for Church Competition
Matt Thorton – Hub Coach Overseed connects pastors focused on revitalization with seasoned coaches from churches that have collaborative vision for advancing the kingdom of God. Our coaches seek and nurture partnerships across denominational lines. They share resources and learn from one another, firmly believing that the Church is one body with many members. We …
Churches Coaching Churches
The two churches denominationally belong to Converge. Shortly after Tom first arrived as Pastor at The Chapel, he invited someone from Converge to help the congregation develop a strategic plan to intentionally pursue certain values and healthy behaviors at the church. Eventually, he also asked Converge to help The Chapel launch their downtown church prototype …
Don McKinnon – Rebuilding Bridges
Pastor Don McKinnon understands that building bridges to the community takes tactical patience. He’s a replanter. A pastor who intentionally replants the seeds of the Gospel in a place where it once flourished. A year and a half ago, Don became the pastor of Legacy Church at First Baptist Church in Sutton, the fourth oldest …
Revitalization in Four Words
At a recent Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) roundtable for students considering church revitalization, Pastor Justin Frank framed his ministry story with four words: Invigorating, Infuriating, Clarifying, Humbling. Like many pastors “from away”, Justin first came to New England (from Oregon) to study at GCTS. It was in Massachusetts that he met and married Kellie, a …
George Ray – Overseed Hub Pastor (Retired)
At Overseed, we describe revitalization pastors as patient catalysts. Leaders who understand that building trusting relationships and revitalizing a church takes time and intentionality, especially in New England. George Ray was a great example of being a patient catalyst. For 35 years, George served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Evangelical Church of North Reading, MA. …
Discerning a Replant’s Starting Point
A common mistake seen among church replanters is their failure to do the hard work of discerning the starting point of their church. If the church replanter fails to grasp the starting point then their plans and ideas are often unhelpful and typically face resistance. The difficulty of determining the starting point is compounded by …
Is There a Grandparent Role in the Church?
On April 24, 2012, I became a grandparent for the first time. Prior to my grandson being born, I began asking other grandparents what it was like to be a grandparent. All I ever got was “it’s fun.” I replied, “but being a parent was fun, so what do you mean by it’s fun?” But …
Church Replanting – A Difficult Intersection
Church replanting is the intersection or the merging of two key ministry centers; a Chaplaincy and a Church Plant. The Chaplaincy focus consists of loving the people who are there. In most New England church plants, those who are there are elderly. They have worshipped at that church for much of their life with a …
What Is Church Replanting, New England Style?
Churches have been in need of revitalization since the New Testament church began because churches are made up of sinners who individually and collectively need to be sanctified. Typically, churches go through seasons of growth and decline. Unfortunately, some times the decline is not addressed and the decline continues. The attendance numbers decline, the mission …
