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Louisville District ReStarts and New Initiatives - Beyond Boundaries

Written: 4/30/2009

Louisville District ReStarts and New Initiatives (“LDI” for short) has been moving beyond traditional boundaries of “church” since it began in June of 2007.  LDI is the connecting entity that joins several congregations, ministries, and initiatives.

What boundaries is LDI moving beyond?  Ethnicity, language, worship styles and days, and even buildings!

LDI can best be described as a loose organization of congregations, ministries, and initiatives tied together through multiple pastoral and administrative roles filled by Dr. John Wesley Slider, the LDI director. “At last count we had five ethnic groups, two languages with numerous accents, five buildings, and six worship services!” said Dr. Slider. “Fortunately, I work with several gifted laypersons and pastors.”

The Eben-Ezer NewStart worships on Sunday evenings at the Preston Highway facility. The lead pastor is Rev. Alfonso Rodriguez-Herrara. Dr. Slider assists the pastor in his administrative tasks. “When I first arrived, Rev. Rodriguez and I were alternating preaching duties with the assistance of translators. I realized immediately that this situation created confusion of leadership. We have gradually moved toward a “Spanish only” worship, and the congregation has begun to grow.”

The Preston Highway ReStart worships on Sunday morning and mid-day on Tuesdays.  Young-Nam Park preaches at the Sunday morning service and Dr. Slider leads worship on Tuesdays. Slider reports that “the Tuesday services are a very dynamic ministry for seniors.”

Wesley House Community Services is also located at the Preston Highway site. Dr. Slider is the primary connector between the director of Wesley House, Dr. Renee Campbell, and the Louisville District. “I suppose I am the ‘landlord’ for Wesley House,” says Slider.

West End Ministries (WEM) and CrossLife Community Church also are a part of the LDI umbrella. Rev. Elvyn Hamilton is the lead pastor for WEM. Rev. Kaalil Muhammad is the pastor for CrossLife. Dr. Slider assists these pastors with the details of the facility and administration.

“The Pleasure Ridge Park ReStart is the most ‘normal” of my responsibilities,” says Slider.  “This congregation functions like a typical church. The laypersons are tremendous.” Worship is on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.

One of the major boundaries that have been crossed by LDI is the boundaries created by the walls of church buildings. Virtual United Methodist Church is an initiative of LDI. Slider reports that this ministry has been developed to “create some corporate knowledge in our conference about delivering ‘church’ over the Internet. Someone needs to make the mistakes and gain experience in this area for the future.” VirtualUMC at present offers a worship experience on the Internet.

LDI also includes coordination of the Natural Church Development program and collection of demographic data for the Louisville District.

What is the future for LDI?  Dr. Slider expresses a vision for developing a worship and ministry for the homeless and an Urban Ministry Institute to prepare pastors and laypersons for ministries in urban settings among other things. “My son’s wife is from India, and the two of them worship on Sunday evenings with about 100 persons from India,” says Slider. “The group is not affiliated with any congregation or denomination, and I would like to see if the United Methodists can be involved.”

“The greatest boundary to ministry to all persons in our communities is our willingness to recognize where God is already at work.  God has a great imagination!  We simply need to let God imagine what ministry should be.”

John Slider, LDI Director
 

This news story is related to:
Louisville district