Full Speed Ahead

New Life’s Board (back row, L-R): Bob Sue, Brandon Saito, Reid Kawai, Pastor Arnold Doi, Warren Schuh (Front row: L-R): Pastor Dave Watanabe, Stacy Amano, Alice Lacy

Pastor Arnold Doi of New Life Christian Church (Glendale, CA) read Bobb Biehl’s Masterplanning and Stephen Macchia’s Becoming a Healthy Church, then contacted Macchia to ask for a coach. As a result, the church’s leadership is meeting regularly with Warren Schuh, who is helping them rethink staff and ministry structures. Changes are in the works.

New Life is combining its ministries, under a spiritual formation director, into six main areas: missions, communications, administration, spiritual formation, prayer and worship. As a first step, job descriptions are being developed and church members are being asked to step in — especially those who are natural trainers, managers and team builders.

“There’s an openness to change and a desire for growth and health,” says Doi. “Our people want to work in their areas of giftedness.”

As 2006 draws to a close, the laity is being updated; changes will be phased in next year. For example, youth and children’s ministries will be combined under the spiritual formation umbrella. Every month, the spiritual formation director will meet together and individually with the six ministry directors. The same “formula” will apply as ministry directors meet with ministry heads in their departments.

The YMCA campus where New Life currently meets

Doi said meeting at the YMCA offers the church flexibility for growth and a perfect location to reach their targeted community. “We’re not tied to a facility,” says Doi. “Perhaps we never will be.

“Right now, we’re praying for the six directors we seek,” he adds. “Then the church will be closer than ever to knowing what it should be and do, and where it should go. These have been my most exciting three years in ministry,” says Doi, who has pastored for over 30 years. From the sound of it, his leadership and congregation would have to agree. And now, it’s full speed ahead.