Religion feature: New church plans to keep it simple

CNJ staff photo: Liliana Castillo Central Baptist Church is “planting” a new church, called The Vine Community Church, to appeal to those who prefer a progressive program over a traditional one.

The Central Baptist Church staff knows they aren’t the church for everyone. They also know that not everyone in Clovis has found a church they feel comfortable with.

So, they’re “planting” a new church with a new goal and target demographic.

Associate pastor Derek Osburn is heading up the new church, which is sponsored by Central, the Eastern Baptist Association and the New Mexico Baptist Association.

Osburn has worked at Central for 11 years. He began a Saturday night service called Connect, which focused on a more contemporary worship style and message.

“We realized that Saturday night isn’t church night, culturally. So we’re taking that service and putting it on Sunday morning,” he said.

Osburn said the staff at Central noticed that there was a certain style of church missing from the community.

“Every kind of church has a certain type of hook in the water. All we’re doing is providing a different hook,” Osburn said.

Osburn said the new church will be a simple church with only three programs. There will be weekend worship, with children’s activities during small group discipleship and serving through mission trips locally and nationally.

Osburn said the church, called The Vine Community Church, is looking for a space to rent for Sunday services only, at least for the time being.

Central Senior Pastor Alan McAlister said the new church is being created as the Bible said it should be.

“This is the way the New Testament revealed that new churches should be started in Acts chapter 13. Barnabas and Saul were sent out to go and plant churches,” he said.

“The church is here to try to reach people with the gospel. There are so many people that need to be reached. One church by itself and even all the churches in the community can’t reach them.”

McAlister said that not everyone identifies with a traditional church, like Central.

“This new church can probably reach people we can’t reach,” he said. “Together we think there is the ability to have a larger impact on our community. Our community is so diverse, instead of one church trying to be all, we think we’ll be more effective if we focus on a unique DNA.”