In the early 1940s people from the South, known as “southern progressives,” migrated to Detroit to find work with the auto companies, and they brought their Southern culture with them. Temple Baptist became the cultural hub for those people, fueling the church’s exponential growth over the next couple decades.

When the boom period of the car industry eventually faded, many workers returned to the South, but their children stayed in Detroit. The church that provided the parents a sense of community and connection became irrelevant to the younger generation who saw it as their “parents’ religion.”

When Powell arrived, the church had already lost 75 percent of its attendance and 90 percent of its members. “And the church elders were talking basically about when they were going to turn the lights out,” Powell says.

He affirms Jesus’ promise in Matthew 16:18 to build the church, but he believes too that people often want to put Jesus in a box with their traditions and personal comforts. “The truth can change the world when truth is understood, but for it to be understood you have to speak the language that people speak,” Powell says. (Read full article...)

Under Brad's leadership for the past 17 years, NorthRidge Church has transitioned from a dying church locked in a pattern of cultural irrelevance, to an exciting, contemporary church communicating God's Word to people from every generation.  After experiencing three decades of significant decline, NorthRidge has experienced a minimum of 20 percent growth annually for the past eight years.  Each week more than 12,700 attend worship services at the 79 acre campus located in Plymouth, Michigan. NorthRidge has been recognized as the Midwest's Fastest Growing Church by Outreach Magazine and listed as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Churches by The Church Report.

Change doesn’t happen when you announce it.  Change grows.  At Change Without Compromise it is our desire to help your church move from where it is to where God wants it to be.  Whether your church is a new plant or existing church, innovative or traditional, modern or emerging, growing or dying, you’re faced with the need to change in order to be and remain a healthy church.

This is fully supported by the book of Acts where from beginning to end the early church was all about change. And, as the body of Christ, it only makes sense in light of the fact that Jesus’ ministry was so directed towards change, we should be too. Change really is an essential element of a healthy church.

This conference will provide you with transferable, practical principles and applications to help you as a leader begin to navigate and transition your church to fulfill its God given potential.  After all the church truly is the hope of the world… when it’s working right.

Here’s the question…is your church working right?  For the church to be working right, someone has to help the church see what they’re doing against the backdrop of the church’s God-given purpose.  Will you be that person? 

Join us May 14-16, 2009 to bring about change... without compromise… we promise you it’s going to be HUGE!