Starting an Apartment Ministry
A resource for Pastors, Churches, and Missional Leaders
Starting an Apartment Minsitry?
“Aslan is on the move … “
There is talk of a “great dechurching” and rumor has it that “40 million people have left the church” in America.[1] But perhaps it is more accurate to say we are facing a great de-local-churching, or 40 million people have stopped attending worship in a building on Sunday mornings.
We (Christian leaders as a group of which I am a part) have been saying for a long time that “the church is not the building, it is the people of God, wherever they may be.” And Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” That’s a pretty lofty claim, and yet, 2000 years of history have shown it to be fact.
While some, with good intent, will focus their efforts on trying to get people “back to church” (read: back into the building they used to go to on Sunday), it might be helpful to first ask, How is Jesus building His Church in our time, and how can we join with Him in what He is doing?
Small groups of Jesus followers have been incarnating the life of Jesus among the residents of multi-family communities for some time now. They are seeing many lives transformed and communities being changed for the better. One might even say the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. But here’s the thing about the Kingdom …
“The coming of the Kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the Kingdom of God is in your midst” (Jesus, quoted in Luke 17).
So the first thing I would say to anyone interested in apartment ministry is, “Why?” Why would you want to be involved in apartment ministry? What’s the goal or the purpose? What are you hoping to achieve?
“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Still with me? Okay, then let’s get started.
The "Chaplaincy" Concept
John and Sandra Golling
CBI Chaplaincy
This is the story of a pilgrim’s journey. It is part comedy, part drama, and part action and suspense. But more than all of these, it is an epic adventure and divine romance.
After 30 years of ministry in the local church, God has called us to cast a wider net and connect with Jesus followers from various community gatherings and diverse traditions from around our region.
In January of 2023, John Golling set out to develop an apartment chaplaincy ministry at Boulder Park Apartments in University Place, WA. While conducting research for this endeavor, he uncovered some disturbing facts about apartment ministry. Due to burnout, conflict, and unmet expectations of stakeholders, most apartment ministries last only TWO YEARS. He concluded that if the ministry was to be sustainable, then a new model would have to be developed. Designing and developing that new model became the focus of his doctoral work at Kairos University.
John went on to launch the Community Caring Resource Network and initiate the Chaplaincy Ministry at Boulder Park Apartments. In September of 2024, John completed his Doctorate of Ministry, presenting his research findings, strategy, and process of implementation as his final doctoral project.
If you would like to read more from John, you can visit his personal page called Thinking Out Laud.
Contents
Founding Documents
Research Data
One of the goals of academic research in ministry is to create sources of reliable data that may serve as valuable resources for those who may be interested in launching a similar ministry, or studying some aspect of this ministry. It is our intention to share as much as we can about this process, and be as open as possible for the benefit of those who come after us. At the same time, we have an obligation to handle carefully the stories that have been entrusted to us.
We have sought to follow the best practices, and maintain the highest standards of research ethics throughout this process. We are truly grateful to those who have shared their thoughts, stories, and very lives with us, and even allowed recorded interviews during the research process. All information given, and media stored has been recorded with the participants’ permission.
By accessing the research section of this website, you agree to use the information contained therein for research purposes only.
Click HERE for a summary of the research data collected during the course of this project.
Notes
[1] Davis, Jim, et al., The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? Zondervan, 2023.