Growing Community, Open Doors for Friendship

Most church planters make it their goal to open their doors to new neighbors, but this takes on a whole new meaning when you get over 100 of them at one time.

With a new townhouse community under construction right next door, members of Friendship Community CRC, in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, are excited about the opportunity to minister to their new neighbors, and they are partnering with Resonate Global Mission to do this.

“We have the potential to be a place where people find meaningful relationships right after having moved away from their support structure,” says Scott Van Voorst, the pastor at Friendship Community CRC. “We have had a handful of families and couples who have been among the first to move into that community visit us on Sunday mornings.”

True to its name, Friendship has already begun pursuing connections with some of these new neighbors.

One newcomer who has joined the Friendship community grew up in the Baptist church but hadn’t been in church for about 30 years. After meeting with Scott on a weekly basis, he decided to attend a service at Friendship. Since then, he’s been attending each Sunday morning and continuing to meet with Scott.

“He believes God wants him to be a part of a community, and he has sensed that our time together and getting here on Sunday morning has helped him grow closer to God,” says Scott.

Stories like these have encouraged Friendship to find ways to strengthen their ministry to new members. Friendship recently received a Strategic Equipment/Facilities grant from Resonate to start creating more and improved ministry spaces.

"The investment in improved ministry spaces is particularly important because Sergeant Bluff currently has limited venues for community involvement,” Scott explains. “We hope our church can be recognized as a place in Sergeant Bluff that has events worth coming to and we want the production quality of our events to match the passion we have for the community.”

As the townhouse community continues to expand and bring new people to Sergeant Bluff, Friendship is dedicated to being a welcoming place for any and all who step in their door.

“As more people move into the neighborhood, we hope to continue to develop the sense that we offer a safe place to ask questions and grow while also making a difference in the lives of people who live right around each other,” says Scott.