The Country Gospel Service

Finding Souls Hiding Under Cowboy Hats

Immanuel Lutheran Church in Easton California has chosen an unusual path to the hearts and lives of the unchurched in the central San Joaquin Valley. Each Sunday evening ILC sponsors Easton Country Gospel congregation; where the music is gospel, the style is country, and the message is the good news of Jesus Christ.

This evening congregation refers to itself as a multi-denominational congregation. Its members come from many different Christian churches and from no church background at all. No matter what their church background is, or whether they have no church background at all, they feel welcome there.

Membership in this congregation is by participation. Visitors are treated like new friends and everyone is a member.

It is the music that draws them. There is a huge fan base for country gospel music in the farming belt of central California and there is virtually no place where it is played. At Easton Country Gospel congregation, it is live, it is loved, and everyone can sing along.

All of the old favorites are sung, from "In The Garden" to "Standing On The Promises", and contemporary country gospel music is added in. Any Sunday evening can be found, 60 to 90 worshippers, wearing cowboy hats on top and high-heeled boots on their feet and classic cowboy gear in-between; singing and clapping along to the music that they love.

Immanuel Lutheran, a 118 year old congregation of Danish heritage, started this ministry in September of 2000 and it has already become a fixture in the community.

On any given Sunday evening, about 20% of the worshippers are from the morning congregation. They were in church that morning, but they love country gospel music and come for the music, for the fun and for the opportunity to welcome the unchurched into their church. Sometimes they come because they missed church in the morning and come to worship in the evening.

25% is made up of people that are members of other congregations in the area. They will stay members of their own churches but come to the C/G service for the love of the music.

Another 40% now consider themselves members of the C/G service. This is their church. They support it. They wouldn't miss it. They bring friends.

The final 15% are new comers. Some have been invited by any of the other members. It is easy, even for a Lutheran, to invite someone who loves country western music to a service that is centered around that music. Many are invited by attendees that are active members at other local churches.

The inviters have found that anyone that wears cowboy boots or a cowboy hat is pleased to hear that there is a place where country gospel music is played by a live band. Some come because of the radio adds.

The ministry is now 7 years old and we have learned many things.

1. It is a ministry for older folk. We suspect that the hour of the service dictates this. Youth rarely attend. If they come with their family, they quickly start coming to the morning service where all the activities for the youth and families are.

2. It is totally self-supporting (and it is expensive). Radio adds. Paid musicians. PA equipment. Projection equipment. Instruments. Bands to fill in.

3. There is constant turnover. People come for a while then we loose them.

4. New people come every week! The worship service needs to be focused on them!

5. People that come to the C/G service are not Danish. They don't get the ethnic jokes or language. Texas Pete they know; Ole Olesen they don't.

6. It has built up the morning congregation. When the folk find a need to do more in/with church, they drop down into the morning congregation. Many of the visitors to the C/G service come because they have realized a need for God in their lives. The C/G service is a not-threatening first step.

7. It is a huge time commitment for the pastor and the band. There are no "retired" cowboy pastors out there that can fill in and there is weekly practice and every Sunday performance.

8. This is the most exciting ministry that any of us have ever been associated with. Hands down.

Start up costs for the service were stiff. The computer, the projector and the screen for the PowerPoint style presentation alone cost @$12,000. Immanuel also spends $100.00 each week advertising the service on local country music radio stations. This may seem like a lot of money for a small rural congregation to spend, but every week there is at least one new comer that comes because of the radio adds.

Pastor Paul Demant, Immanuel's pastor of 24 years, says that this is the most exciting ministry of which he has ever been a part. Glenn Nielsen, a member of Immanuel for 65 years, and an every Sunday member of both services, says that this is the most important ministry that Immanuel has ever done. "Imagine," he says, "Every week we get to welcome people into our church that have never heard the message of Jesus! These are people that, no way, would ever feel comfortable in a traditional church. There is no other way that we could ever reach them!"

A typical service consists of singing together the old classic gospel hymns, led by the band. The band will also teach the congregation a couple of contemporary country gospel tunes. Pastor Demant gives a teaching style sermon. The congregation prays together, takes an offering and then enjoys fellowship.

The band is made up of members of Immanuel that are committed to telling the unchurched of Jesus and making them feel welcome from the moment that they park their car. Before every service the band is out in the parking lot welcoming the worshippers.
 

For more information contact Pastor Demant (pastordemant@sbcglobal.net) or 559-237-7909 or 5955 S. Elm Ave. Fresno, CA 93706).

"This is what I have been searching for for years!" is a common response by the first time worshippers and clearly it is what the congregation has been looking for as well.