Pastor Christopher Moss, a NextStep participant, sought to lead his church to connect and engage their community as they rebranded their church.

In 2023, Pastor Moss guided his church through a metamorphosis in the aftermath of a church split. He was a participant in NextStep, a helpful resource from the South Carolina Baptist Convention specifically for pastors and church leaders. Through one-on-one coaching, ministers work to assess their current situation and develop a customized plan to guide their church in fulfilling its mission with the resources God has provided. Pastors can also join local NextStep small groups, allowing them to discuss real-world challenges in ministry with other leaders.

Moss credits the group of pastors he’s met through NextStep as firm support and a sounding board for him. “NextStep wasn’t the birthplace of our church’s relaunch, but our group discussions have been a great source of encouragement, accountability, and hope,” Moss added.

Creating Something New

The church sits on top of a rolling hill and looks over a lower field that’s rarely used. Moss began daydreaming about how the church’s property could be used to reach the community. “We wanted the community to know we were still alive! We wanted to invite people and other churches to come together and worship the Lord with us.”

Gathering a Community

Thus, Harvest Fest was born. Harvest Fest was held at Cross Hill Fellowship Church in Westminster, SC, as a concert event for the community. Local Christian music artists played their Southern Gospel, Contemporary, or Bluegrass sets while free hot dog plates and funnel cakes were served to the community. Over 150 people attended!

Not only did Harvest Fest provide an opportunity for the community to eat good food and listen to good music, but it also allowed Cross Hill Fellowship Church to give a platform to a local pregnancy resource center, Foothills Care Center. During the event, representatives from Foothills Care Center shared from the stage, and many in attendance gave cash donations to their ministry.

“Ultimately, we wanted to make much of the name of Jesus in our community. Our church has been through so much in recent years, but God brought us through the fire — unified and spiritually sound,” Moss celebrated. “Our community was able to see what God can do with broken churches.”