Andrew Domino’s story in the latest edition of Encore Magazine follows the efforts to launch a new church in Kalamazoo.
Domino says members of the Christian Reformed Church and Reformed Church of America in the Kalamazoo area are working together to try to keep people in the pews, and bring in new parishioners.
Starting a new church is like starting a business. Domino says it requires market research to determine who is in your area and how you can bring them into church. Organizers of the Common Ground Church hope to hold their first official service in the fall. Right now they meet at the Fetzer Center at Western Michigan University. Domino says the services are very casual. “There’s no thees or thous or anything like that.”
Domino says the new church is also tech-friendly with many people following on a church app, rather than opening a book. Services are only 20 minutes long. Domino says church leaders want people to participate in discussions that follow the regular service. He says there are several discussion groups dealing with various topics.
Common Ground is drawing from five other churches in the area. But Domino says there is less competition than he expected. He says church leaders view it more as an invitation. “They want everybody to get to know God” Domino says.
Leaders of the Common Ground Church are still looking for a permanent location. But Domino says they drawing people to their services, and hope to grow this fall.