What can you do to reach your community after you’ve tried everything … and nothing seems to work? Get desperate, creative, and on your knees in prayer.
On October 30, 2017, Gethsemane member Matt Drinkard pulled me aside and asked, “Pastor, let’s have an Open Mic at the church.” “What’s that?” I asked.
After learning what Open Mic is (a live show at a coffeehouse, club, institution, or pub at which audience members who are amateur or professional performers are given the opportunity to perform onstage), I thought, “Why not?!” Then, when he said he wanted to do it the same weekend as our Women’s Advent By Candlelight, I initially balked. But, recalling my desperation and prayer for something—anything—that would open the doors of our church to the community, I said, “Go ahead, Matt. Let’s do it!”
And so he did. Initially Matt thought we should set up for 15-20 people in our small Fellowship Area. But, since the sanctuary would already be set up for the Women’s Advent by Candlelight on Friday night, we agreed it would be easier to just use the sanctuary to avoid additional setup.
We decided we would conduct Open Mic every first Saturday of the month, from 7-9 p.m. and charge $3.00. Sixty-seven people came the first night, including 8 of our members. Serving canned pop and food donated by area restaurants—Little Caesars Pizza, salad from a sandwich shop down the road, a meat/snack tray from a newly-opened diner—we were on our way.
To our joyful surprise, nearly every month our Open Mic crowds grew … even when we least expected it. Who could have guessed that our record attendance of 108 guests happened on a hot Fourth of July weekend?
On December 1, 2018, we celebrated the beginning of our third year of Open Mic. And we had thought it might only last a month or two!
Since starting Open Mic, Gethsemane will never be the same. God has used Open Mic to “tear down the walls” of our church to let the community in … and urge us to go out into the community. By God’s grace working in Open Mic, Gethsemane is a community church for—and in—the community.
The Open Mic Transformation
God has used Open Mic to transform our ministry more than any other program or strategy I’ve encountered. And for this traditional, gentrified, tired and struggling congregation, it was just what God ordered for us.
In what ways has our Open Mic transformed us? Here are some examples:
- The large and diverse number of visitors stretches Gethsemane to increase our openness to meet and welcome people, as they are, in our community.
- God is showing us exactly who is in our community by bringing them to our campus. As we get to know these people, we gain greater recognition of our community’s needs.
- As we learn more about our Open Mic-ers, we find ourselves responding by listening to them, praying for them and, most importantly, sharing the Gospel with them.
Hey, Open Mic, Meet The Pastor!
The Pastor plays a key role at Open Mic. In the first few months of Open Mic, I struggled with the question, “What should the pastor do at Open Mic?”
At first, I thought I should be invisible … or at least lay low. But as I began to say “Hi” to more and more people, I realized that this was the PERFECT opportunity to take the “first step” to transform my pastoral ministry. No longer was I just my church’s pastor; I was also becoming the community’s pastor.
And that changes EVERYTHING!!!
What does the Pastor of the Community do at Open Mic?
- Come relaxed, not “official.” Casual attire, please!
- Be prepared to meet and make new friends—and invite them to breakfast or lunch (our treat!)
- Listen, don’t talk. (Pastors, you talk WAY TOO MUCH!)
- Begin watercooler conversations whenever possible.
- Don’t hide that fact that you’re the pastor. But don’t put it in their face, either.
- Don’t get hung up on titles. Many of these people don’t get the “Pastor” thing … yet. They will. Be patient.
- Learn to listen, pray and support this wonderful community of friends through their health, family and life crises! (We prayed with five Open Mic’ers with cancer last month … one terminal!)
Open Mic Bears Fruit
There are wonderful signs of Jesus’ presence and working through our Open Mic.
After over two years of Open Mic, we are starting to see Open Mic friends worshiping with us and partnering with us at some of our six (and growing) off-site GoodLife senior living ministry sites.
Several Sundays ago, an Open Mic participant volunteered to play bass at one of our off-site worship services. After the service, she said two things. First she said, “Pastor Tom, I didn’t know Lutherans preach Jesus so much.” As she shared how much she enjoyed playing at our service, she had a big smile and said, “I think I’ve found God’s calling for me.”
That’s vintage Open Mic fruit. It’s the sweet spot of outreach. And, by God’s grace, it’s becoming increasingly abundant through Gethsemane’s Open Mic and GoodLife outreach.
Here are a few other examples of Open Mic fruit:
* An Open Mic attendee going through a difficult divorce has become a regular church attendee because of the friends he has made with our members at Open Mic. His relationship with Jesus has simply come alive!
* Several of our members find themselves praying privately for others as they share their needs. Jesus is there.
* I find myself sharing the Gospel of Jesus more in the past months than I have in any other time of my ministry. And so are our members! It’s no longer rare for our members to pray with, listen or witness to others at Open Mic. And, on a continually growing basis, the Gospel of Jesus is beginning to change lives before our very eyes … right on our campus!
* Attendees keep coming back and repeatedly say, “I’ve been to a lot of Open Mics, but this one is special. It’s the kindest, most hospitable group I’ve ever been in.”
Can God Use Open Mic For Your Ministry?
Perhaps. But whatever God’s plan is for your ministry, the most important thing is to be open and flexible to experiment and see what He does!
For more information on this and other key portions of Gethsemane’s GoodLife Community Outreach, please visit www.GoodLifePartnership.org or contact Pastor Tom Fischer at pastorgolf@gmail.com.
Photo courtesy of GoodLife Community Outreach.
