“Turnaround—Strategies for Growing the Small Congregation,” a workshop sponsored by the LaGrange District of the United Methodist Church, will be hosted by Fayetteville First United Methodist Church on Saturday, Aug. 21 from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Chairpersons and members of all committees, church governing board members, and pastors of any denomination are invited to attend.

Registration fee is $20 and includes lunch and workshop materials. Registration begins at 9 a.m.

Small churches include those which average less than 100 in attendance at their Sunday morning worship service.

The format for the seminar, which is being led by Dr. Ron Crandall of Asbury Theological Seminary, will be a mixture of lecture, question and answer sessions, idea sharing, handouts, and resource recommendations that have practical value for local church leaders.

Some of the topics to be discussed include: appreciating the uniqueness of the “small” church without perpetuating a no-growth attitude; cherishing longtime members and healthy church traditions without blocking positive change; building a strong spiritual focus without using methods that fit only larger-membership churches; and overcoming obstacles to outreach and growth without trying to change a small membership church into a large membership church.

For more information, contact Denise Wilson at the LaGrange District Office, 706-882-3343.

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