It all started a few years back...
Everyone has a story. We're no different.
Back in the Fall of 2006, Shelton FBC started a “strategic planning” process. One of the questions asked during this process was how to effectively reach the 20-30ish age group, knowing that maybe, our church and other churches struggle to effectively meet the needs of this demographic. One of the ideas proposed was to form an alternative worship service to FBC’s Sunday morning services.
In the Spring of 2008, Jeremy Cleveland, Len Williams, Mark Sawyer, Warren Heckert, Brandon Hesher, and James Dale started meeting and praying about how to reach this people group. We attended churches that were successfully ministering to this age and tried to learn from them. What we started to discover was that maybe it was not only an age difference, but a cultural difference as well. We discovered that this group is mostly, what we would call “unchurched”, meaning that they come in with very little Biblical or Christian understanding.
This committee led to a meeting in June of 2008, where well over 50 young people from various churches or no church background came to share their needs and desire for a church that they could call home.
In the Fall of 2008, the elders of FBC heard these voices and asked 16 people, made up of 8 married couples, to start planning how a service to meet these needs would look. The sixteen started meeting in August, and NightChurch is the result of many hours of planning and prayer. [view our official proposal here.]
NightChurch is an additional FBC church service that gathers at night. Our goal is to bring the same gospel that FBC brings each Sunday morning but present it in culturally accessible terms. This is similar to what the Latino Church does. It’s the same truth of Jesus but presented to a different culture and language.
At NightChurch we want to meet the needs of the fringe Christian. By this we mean people who grew up in a church and had some exposure to Jesus but for whatever reason abandoned this in their early adult life. We want to bring Jesus and freedom.
Our other target is the unchurched population in Shelton. We see this current generation as having very little correct Bible and Christian exposure. We need to present the truth in language they can understand, therefore removing any “stumbling blocks”, so we can to show them Jesus.
Most of all, we’re on a journey together through this life. Come walk with us as we seek to follow in the footsteps of the GOD-Man, Jesus.
Was that story above confusing to you?Here's a little flow chart that may help:
