When attendance fell to record lows during Covid at Trinity UMC in Warner Robins, Pastor Jeff Cook saw an opportunity to make drastic changes to the way the church had been operating. With only a few feathers ruffled, Pastor Jeff and his team committed to “doing worship differently” for just one month, an idea they called “Messy Mornings.” The casual Sunday morning affair started with a few families, some grits and a small worship team but it transformed rapidly. The “come as you are message resonated with young families, single mothers and many people anxious about stepping foot into a church. The bustling service is now a Warner Robins mainstay and has reached a wider audience than they ever imagined.
Angela Gilbert, the Director of Connection at Trinity, has watched the church evolve over the years. She recalled when Trinity brought in a group of consultants to help them better engage with their changing community. “We saw great local participation in summer camps and VBS programs but there was a disconnect when it came to Sunday mornings,” Gilbert recalled. And when the opportunity to do something differently presented itself almost exactly 10 years after the consultants offered their advice, the ministry team took action. Attendance surged from the Summer of 2021, when they were lucky to get 30-40 guests, to now regularly welcome 175+ each Sunday morning, a 20% increase from last year alone.
“It’s often unclear where breakfast ends and worship begins,” says Cook. But Messy Mornings is a lot more than just casual clothes and breakfast. “It’s kind of chaotic. We are building a new way of doing things. We have had to rapidly evolve the way we do ministry to meet our current context.” Each morning’s service depends on the participation of the congregation, elevating eager attendees into worship and music volunteers as quickly as they will allow it. “The lack of formality really leans into a community environment where people feel free to come in and be themselves.”
“The point is to be involved,” says Cook proudly. He knows getting people in the door is only the first step. Making someone feel comfortable, a part of, that is the real special sauce that makes Trinity UMC stand out. And it is clearly working. The congregation at Warner Robins welcomed 12 new members this April alone, many from non-traditional backgrounds with a wide variety of life experiences.
The Foundation plays a vital part in the mission work of our clients by managing their interest-bearing endowment funds which can support a church’s ministry in many ways. Trinity UMC’s endowment fund, created in 2014, will bolster the church’s future growth.
If your church would like to learn more about how to establish an endowment fund on behalf of your church or Methodist-related institution, please reach out to us at info@gumf.org or give us a call at 770-449-6726.
