“The only way to grow a church is to stay.”
This belief, deep in his core, kept Wayne Francis dedicated to ministry through the highs of community impact and the lows of personal depression.
Now, standing in front of a newly purchased CVS in White Plains where Wayne and his wife, Classy, lead “The Life Church New York”, Wayne shares his experience pastoring in an urban context.
According to Wayne, it’s not easy and the pace of his city is a “rotisserie” area – a slow cook. “It’s not add water and stir church growth”, he laughs, but the people they’ve seen impacted and the life transformation they’ve been a part of is what keeps them going.
In this episode of “Unscripted: Conversations with Dino”, you’ll hear more about:
- Keeping a positive attitude when you face stacking challenges
- Innovative ways to reach the community including “showers in dignity” and “breakfast with friends”
- Structuring church life around the pace of the city
- Merging with another church to combine forces and reach more people
- How the drive to keep autonomy can be ego-driven but partnership is healthy and apostolic
- Their most effective message series “out of the blues” focused on reducing shame and normalizing therapy in a community that is used to hiding mental struggles
- How the future looks collaborative
Plus, you’ll hear about Wayne’s secrets to avoiding controversy and keeping his joy (hint: it involves dancing). You won’t want to miss the first episode of UNSCRIPTED: Conversations with Dino Rizzo
