Renewing the Church by...Listening?

In February Zach visited Sunlight Community Church in Port St. Lucie (FL).  Sunlight connected with its community and grew as a congregation by opening a preschool inside its church.  The idea presented itself to Pastor Scott Vanderploeg when a local preschool asked to rent the church building after a hurricane damaged the school's facility.   By God's grace Scott and the other leaders of Sunlight listened to God and discerned the need (post-hurricane) for a preschool in the community. 

A major challenge confronts the church in North America today.  Many churches resemble islands in their communities with little or no connection to the neighborhoods.  Such congregations have remained the same while the communities have changed around them.  As the years pass, these churches slowly dwindle in vitality until it becomes abundantly clear that something must change or the church will close its doors.  What can be done? 
We believe that the solution to this problem is listening to God and listening to the community.  By listening to God we come to understand how our brokenness as a church had made us an island unto ourselves.  If we listen to our communities, we discern where the Holy Spirit is already at work in our neighborhoods and we can find ways to join in.  Nothing about the process of listening to God and community is easy.  Quite often it can be painful and slow.  But listening to God and community is the surest way for a church to be renewed.  When a church is obediently listening and doing the work of mission in its community, a new wave of vitality will wash over God's people in ways they cannot imagine.