Prior to 2007, the landscape at Spring Valley Baptist Church, Columbia, was wilting. Pastor Robert Winburn, who has served 21 years at the church, watched as people were leaving, the church wasn’t growing, the church was aging, and leadership was frustrated.
“I remember reading Thom Rainer’s book, ‘Breakout Churches,’ and I prayed, ‘Lord, is that ever going to happen at Spring Valley?’?” Winburn said. “We had people who wanted contemporary worship, and we had families split between two Sunday school hours. The positive was our music ministry, and Rick McCollum, minister of music and worship, was carrying us.”
In February 2007, the church brought Phil Brannan on board as minister of discipleship. Allyson Kelly joined the staff as director of children; and retired Columbia-Metro director of missions John Platt joined Spring Valley as its associate pastor.
“When we brought the staff on board, it jelled, and we started talking about turning things around,” Winburn said. “We decided that our priorities would be Sunday morning, Wednesday night, and then Sunday night. Phil, who understood traditional Sunday school growth, began to look at our schedules and how it impacted staff. We made a decision to put a heavy emphasis on Sunday school and enlisting and training leadership for it.”
The church approved a decision to change its Sunday morning schedule, moving to a single Sunday school hour between two worship services – a traditional service at 9 a.m. and an adult contemporary service at 11 a.m. On Wednesdays, the church offers “life classes” for adults, choir, and traditional children’s mission activities such as Royal Ambassadors and Mission Friends. On Sunday evenings, the church offers short-term studies, using outside speakers and leaders and offering a simple meal.
“We really wanted to put our emphasis on making Sunday morning the best it could possibly be,” Brannan said. “Sunday morning is the best place to solidify the base of the church and receive new people.
“Through our Sunday school, we began to take time and pull everyone together for a singular focus,” Brannan said. “We’ve done Max Lucado’s 3:16 study, and now we are focusing on the theme, ‘A Place To Belong.’ When the church can see a thematic thread through the ministries of the church, it makes sense to people.”
Winburn said a good example is the church’s decision to focus on Rick Warren’s “40 Days of Purpose.” “We used the video study and people bought books,” Winburn said. “Out of that experience, we began to grow as a church and baptized 45 people.”
“Everything in the church is going to be strengthened by a strong Sunday school organization,” Winburn continued. “It’s going to have a positive impact on missions, ministry, and total church involvement.”
The current theme around “A Place To Belong,” Brannan said, has helped focus the church on connecting with everyone who comes to church. “We have turned our attention toward connecting with people. We use friendship evangelism twice each year to do it.”
Associate pastor John Platt said he began praying two years ago for five friends, and four of the five have now been baptized or joined the church. Winburn said three of the five on his card have now been baptized. “God works in people when you start praying for them and inviting them to church, and then the church is prepared to receive and love them.”
Brannan said Spring Valley has invested in “radical hospitality” through “welcome centers,” immediate contact with guests, and a new member and guest dinner with Winburn at the pastor’s house. “We want people to know Robert and the staff,” Brannan said.
McCollum, minister of music and worship, said, “Worship could have tripped us up; we went from blended services to services that were distinctively traditional and contemporary. Our church has embraced the change.” Spring Valley uses an interchangeable choir at both services, and the choir performs the same music at both services. At the traditional service, the choir sings with traditional accompaniment; at the contemporary service, the choir performs with a band or an ensemble. McCollum takes time to find choral music that can fit both services.
Winburn said he preaches the same sermon at both services, but “changes it a bit because the audience is different and I want to connect with each audience.”
To graphically communicate the seriousness of the change, Spring Valley also invested in a new design for its church logo and brand.
“We put the right staff together, and, as a church, we went into battle together,” Winburn said. “We put our focus on Sunday morning and we went after that 30- and 40-year-old with children. That began lowering the average age of our adults. We didn’t have a 20-year-old Sunday school class, and now we have one that is packed. And I’ve never had people praying for me, as the pastor, like I do now.” – SCBC