By Melanie Patterson
The North Jefferson News
A Mt. Olive church is taking a leap of faith by changing ... well, everything.
Church 29:11, located at the former Mt. Olive Church of God on Mt. Olive Road, is scrapping the traditional approach.
“We knew God was laying it on our hearts to start a new church,” said Pastor Rick Hand. “We found an opportunity with a church struggling at Mt. Olive Church of God.”
Hand said the congregation of about 20 people “asked me to come and bring my vision for a new church and let them be the seed of it.”
Hand has brought in a new worship style with contemporary music.
He is also overseeing changes in the building itself, including a remodeled sanctuary, restrooms and foyer.
“We’re doing everything with a contemporary look,” said Hand.
He said he doesn’t want to create a church that will draw worshippers from other churches. Rather, he wants to attract those who do not attend church at all.
Hand said that according to the Association of Religion Data Archives, there are 20,000 people in north Jefferson County who are not affiliated with a Christian church.
“The traditional church won’t be able to reach people who didn’t grow up with tradition,” said Hand. “It’s going to take something different.”
Hand said that traditional churches are great for the people who attend them, but that they are generally not attractive to those who do not go to church.
Church 29:11 is geared toward people in their 20s and 30s.
“That’s the generation that the church lost,” said Hand.
At his church, there is no such thing as putting on one’s Sunday best.
“We dress on Sundays like we do all week long because we don’t want people to feel like they can’t come if they don’t own coats and ties or if ladies don’t have a nice dress and heels,” Hand said.
Hand came from a traditional church background himself, but he said change does not bother him. He has faced many changes during his 25 years of serving in Christian ministry.
“I’ve had to continually adjust my ministry focus,” he said. “Even as a pastor, I’m continually taking myself to the new generation.
Hand, whose ministry roots are with youth, still relates strongly to young people and their need for change.
“Since the 1960s and 1970s, information growth in the world has been remarkable,” said Hand. “I was born in the ’60s, so I’m comfortable with change. My kids are not just comfortable with it, they expect it. If they have the same game system or cell phone they had two years ago, they’re out of date.”
A sign with the non-traditional church name is likely to catch peoples’ eye as they drive down Mt. Olive Road.
The name Church 29:11 refers to that chapter and verse in four books of the Bible: 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Psalms and Jeremiah.
The church’s tagline is, “We dare you to dream with us.”
Hand started at the church last summer, but is just now wrapping up renovations to the building.
“We’re remodeling our building and also remodeling our mindset to get away from the same-old, same-old,” Hand said.
Hand and his wife Dava have been married 29 years. They have two children: Brent, 26, a youth pastor at ChristWay Church and a graphic artist, and Kristen Stephenson, who is moving to Gardendale soon with her husband Bradley to help with Church 29:11. The Stephensons have a daughter, Brooklyn, 7 months old.
Church 29:11, located at 3001 Mt. Olive Road, will host preview services on April 5 at 11 a.m. and April 11 (a Saturday) at 6 p.m.
The church is taking a definitely different approach to Easter by dropping 5,000 eggs from a helicopter on April 4 at 10 a.m. The event will be in a field on Mt. Olive Road 1.5 miles west of Interstate 65.
For more information about the church, call 631-4525 or visit www.church2911.com.
