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Why Not a Campus in My Town?
By Scott Anderson, Executive Pastor
I get a lot of emails from people who are asking when Eagle Brook is coming to their town. It’s great to know that Eagle Brook is welcome and even wanted in places like Coon Rapids, Duluth, Brainerd, Cottage Grove and Stillwater, among other places. The truth is, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if we ended up in one or all of these places someday, but we’ve chosen two communities in particular at this time for some pretty specific reasons.
BLAINE: Blaine is a response to an urgent need. I know we talk about how our campuses are full, and sometimes people question that. But, if you go to Spring Lake Park now that fall has kicked in, you’ll find a real problem identifying a place to sit at almost any service on the weekend. We don’t believe in allowing churches to ‘mature’ to a point of being full. In fact, we think it’s dangerous, as people become comfortable rather than sensing the urgency of reaching people who are still unreached.
The Blaine campus, less than five miles away from Spring Lake Park, will peel off up to 400 people, allowing room for continued growth at both campuses. It will also draw some from Lino Lakes, which has its share of overcrowding issues, especially on Saturdays. The plan for this campus allows us to be up and running by Easter of next year with 800 additional seats to add to our toolbox for reaching people who are far from God. The location is perfect – just off 35W and 95th Avenue in Blaine, this already-constructed warehouse will be transformed in record time to release the pressure on current campuses and reach new neighborhoods.
WOODBURY: Woodbury is an approach to an opportunity. With over 500 families who come to Eagle Brook already from Woodbury and surrounding areas, we have the amazing opportunity to plant a church in a community that is much like the ones we already serve. Bob has had a heart for Woodbury as far back as I can remember (and I’ve been around a long time!), so it fits well with our dreams to extend our influence and reach people who respond to what we do, but are unlikely to become fully involved (in large numbers, anyway) in a church that’s a thirty minute drive or more away. We’ve found a property that just might do the trick, too! With the help of city staff, we’ve been directed to a 40 acre location in the northeastern corner of Woodbury that has all the elements we need to create a thriving Eagle Brook Campus. Compared to plans for Blaine, this location will be designed to be a campus much like our existing three sites, with room for future expansion if needed. Because of the ideal location and Eagle Brook awareness in the area, 1,500 seats is the smallest size we can justify – even that might be too small, but we have balance our desire to establish with the reality of resources. We’d like to be open in 2011 sometime.
If these two sites work as planned, in a few years we might be able to say that we ‘know how to do multi-site’ at Eagle Brook Church. Then, with two models of potential expansion available to us and a financial awareness of what it takes and how it works, I could see us more effectively expanding to your city! God’s timing on this thing has been the key. Many of us have learned the hard way that you don’t force his plans; but when he opens the doors, we’re gonna be ready!
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Woodbury has a lot of churches. While people may travel to Eagle Brook for services from Woodbury it’s not because there aren’t good churches nearby already. Rather than being redundant, using twice as many resources to re-create what’s already going on in Woodbury, why don’t you either; partner with existing churches that already have a foundation in the community or encourage your members to find a good local congregation where they can serve?
Starting yet another church that (in all likely-hood) will simply draw already churched people from their current homes seems pointless.
Patrick Doherty — December 2, 2009 @ 2:39 pm
Exactly, I agree with Patrick. It seems like a very odd location to ‘reach’ new Christians. I think that if this campaign was really serious about that goal, then the focus would be on the inner-city where people have needs outside of just deciding whether or not to go to church. Think of what $30 million could do for those folks. The fact that Eagle Brook’s justification for using expensive equipment is to “maintain relevance” within the community is just another way of saying that priority number one is making suburban people feel at home when they go to an expensive church. It’s sad to know that that’s more important than helping the needy. Eagle Brook could use a different perspective. Members should not just feel fine with throwing money at campaigns when they should be pushed to do something with their own hands. $30 million is way too much to take so lightly. Woodbury doesn’t need more churches, but it needs more Christians actually doing something to help the helpless.
David — December 3, 2009 @ 12:34 am
Money doesn’t help the helpless. PEOPLE help the helpless. Since you both agree that the christians in woodbury need to do more to help these people, then obviously the church they are going to isn’t influencing them enough in this way. I am confident that Eagle brook WILL make more people in Woodbury aware of the needs of others and will motive them to do good with both there money and time. Throwing 30 million into the city does jack crap if there isn’t anything there to sustain change. I think you both need to look at the bigger picture…
By the way, have either of you been to eaglebrook? Check it out sometime, it will change your life.
Ali — May 17, 2010 @ 8:26 pm