There has been much erosion in church activity in the last generation, and this has hit small and medium sized churches especially hard. At Robinwood Church, here in California, we lost at least ¼ of our membership during the Great Recession as our families moved away, seeking less expensive places to live. We had to do something about that--and with very little money available with which to do it! Our rent was eating away half of our offering, and we couldn’t generate the typical programs that draw people in from the outside.

We had been running the Alpha Course since day one, but in small congregations it can be hard to keep it going; kinda like running out of firewood for a campfire. Thus was born The BlackberryBush Course. We designed the course to solve the following problems (some are all of which your church may well share):

1. We needed to do something to backfill the spaces of those leaving the church.
2. We needed to do it on a small budget. (Running BlackberryBush costs your church about $7 a week).
3. We needed to combine discipleship for our members and evangelism/catechism for our new people. I’m the senior pastor and only very part time. We don’t have enough resources to run a separate ministry for both.
4. We needed something fresh. Something where even the most seasoned church member wouldn’t know where the teaching was going to land.
5. We needed something that was sustainable in a small church. Most courses tend to lose attendance over time. We developed a compounding attendance model that ensures that if you start with one or two tables on your first BlackberryBush semester, you can easily have three after a year and a half.
6. We wanted a course that would actually provide adult conversions and baptisms. We are doing baptisms this Sunday for adults who have come to faith in recent months. We’ve done over 30 since starting the course a couple of years ago.
7. We wanted something more culturally, ethnically, and generationally flexible. Especially in California.
8. We chose for the highest level of streaming video technology. If you have a tablet and a flat screen, you can run the Course.
9. We departed from all pedagogical (teaching children) models and instead enlisted experts to ensure the highest level of andragogical (adult) learning. Adults like to affect the outcome of a session. In keeping with this, there are no “leading questions” that try to get you to land in a certain place. We trust your group dynamics and the Holy Spirit to take care of that.

We succeeded, by the grace of God, and now would like to offer what we’ve found to you! We took the basic outline of Luther’s Large Catechism (Three major segments on God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and added a dash of CS Lewis, a dash of Wimber, a pinch of Stott, a puree of Morris and Larry, and voila, the Course was born. The course comes in 8-week segments. Currently there are three (God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). There will be more coming. Think of each 8-week series as an 8-week spiritual treasure hunt. It’s also flexible. Once you purchase a license, you can use the course anytime/anywhere in your ministry area at no extra cost. At any pace, for any purpose. Creative congregations are using the course as a library for:

• Home groups
• Small groups at church
• Youth discussions
• Evangelistic gatherings in restaurants and pubs
• Workplace evangelism

You can afford it ($7/week).

We will help you run it. This is nothing you have to figure out on your own. The Course is relational and so is the national movement. Let’s set aside some time to talk. Contact me at hbhous@gmail.com or call/text to 714 907 3835 to set up an appointment and we can help you get this running in your church in less that two weeks.

The benefits for your church will start right away!

• A place to which you can invite your new people and visitors.
• A fresh course for long time church members. Good for morale.
• Adult conversions and adult baptisms in increasing numbers.
• The Senior Pastor only has to bless it. Course can be run in a small church with about 1 and ½ volunteers.

One of the many wonderful blessings God has given us in the ARC are a large number of gifted and emotionally, relationally, and spiritually healthy young leaders. On September 7th, one of those young leaders was ordained. Brendon Fairley, an associate pastor at Bridgewood Community Church in Blaine, MN was set apart for leadership and service as an ordained pastor in the Alliance of Renewal Churches. The service that day was a wonderfully anointed time.


 Brendon’s father and uncle, Brian and Joel Fairley, both ordained pastors, were among those who spoke to Brendon as part of the service. After sharing personal words with Brendon and his wife, Shanna, they laid hands on him in prayer and placed his grandfather’s ministerial robe on his shoulders. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place. ARC Pastor Sean Kelly, a longtime mentor and friend to Brendon, shared the message, speaking from his heart to Brendon and to those gathered. I was honored to preside over the service and Bridgewood senior pastor, Mark Spencer, opened in prayer. ARC worship leaders Chris Barrett and Matt Schurr led a gifted team who invited us into worship and enjoyment of God’s presence during the day. The day was made especially meaningful as many members from Brendon’s previous church assignment at Penasquitos Lutheran Church in San Diego, CA made the trip to join the members of Bridgewood in celebrate his ordination.

Before the ordination Brendon had encouraged those of us leading the service to listen to anything Holy Spirit was impressing us to do or say and then to step out in faith in obedience. As a result, a prophetic word was spoken over Mark and Morgan, the two young youth pastors at Bridgewood whom Brendon has trained and mentored. This was a particular blessing for Mark Spencer as the senior pastor at Bridgewood who following the service said, “It was great to see Morgan and Mark get ministered to. They are integral to what's happening at Bridgewood. Furthermore I am believer in that when one part of the body is being recognized (i.e. Brendon) all the other parts better be ready to be impacted!” Of the service Mark also noted, “I was really touched by the Father's blessing from Brendon’s dad...what an incredible inheritance Brendon has!”

When asked what the day had been like for him, Brendon said, “I was overwhelmed, moved, and taken back by the loving encouragement from Sean. His message was dead on! I was emotionally destroyed by my dad's blessing over me; and by my uncle and dad passing my grandfather's mantle on to me. It was a life-changing moment. It is rare for a father to bless his son in the way my dad blessed me. That will surely be a moment I will never forget. Having my family there to celebrate with me in what Jesus is doing was something I'll never forget. The whole service has become a pivotal highlight of my life. Lastly I was overwhelmed and humbled by all of the love and encouragement of not only my friends and family, but of my Bridgewood family. What a wonderful church to be called to!”

Congratulations, Brendon! Your fellow pastors in the ARC rejoice with you and look forward to many years of being beside you as we seek to live on the radical edge with God, kicking at the darkness until it bleeds daylight!