By Executive Director John Yoder

What kinds of momentum would you like to cultivate for your church in 2023?  There are 4 kinds of positive momentum experienced by American churches that minister together with immigrant churches.

1.      Kingdom growth.  Even if your church doesn't experience numerical growth, your immigrant partner church probably will. Immigrants are coming to faith in Christ at much faster rates than we native-born Americans.

2.      A fresh sense of purpose. I’ve worshipped with American churches that have aged to the point they no longer have any children's or youth ministries.  But because they walk alongside an immigrant church full of young couples, children, new people coming to faith and momentum, they have a renewed sense of purpose empowering them to proclaim, “We know why we’re here!”

3.      Greater retention of youth. Today's young people are growing up in a much more multicultural environment than their parents.  They are more likely to remain in a church that serves its community, and specifically that serves other ethnicities in its community. Those American denominations with the steepest rates of decline are over 90% monocultural.  By contrast, over half of the adherents of the Assemblies of God, which is 43% multiethnic, are under 35.

4.      Joy in answering Jesus’ prayer in John 17 “That they may all be one”. This includes both the heavenly joy of God's approval, as well as the earthly joy of fellowship with wonderful believers from around the world.

Would you like to experience this kind of momentum in 2023?  In order to equip ministry leaders to serve alongside immigrant churches, I’ve written a free quickly-readable 4-page Field Guide titled Jumpstarting Church Momentum.  Sharing this brief Field Guide with your leadership team is a great way to begin a conversation about rekindling church momentum as we begin 2023.

You can request a free copy of Jumpstarting Church Momentum at www.immigrantministryguide.com.