First Sunday: congregating - new presbyterian congregation, Connor Prairie, Indiana - Column

Christian Century, August 24, 1994 by Carl R. Smith

Report after six months: This summer attendance at the new congregation averaged 150. The New Hope congregation continues to engage the attention of the presbytery. Charles Denison has been asked to give an update at every meeting of that body. He also speaks at other churches, at meetings of Presbyterian Men and before committees in other presbyteries. Neighboring Presbyterian congregations are pitching in with financial assistance for New Hope: one large church has given 15,000, another $2,000, and a third held a fund raiser that netted $1,000. When a small church a few miles away was disbanded, it asked that its communion ware and other furnishings go to the new church.

Denison and another new church pastor have a model for church planting in boomer territory. Denison says, "There are several kinds of new church developments - ethnic churches, re-development of older churches, immigrant churches. We think we have some ideas to contribute when new boomer congregations are considered. We are putting together a program for the national church."