A new church is looking to more than just open its doors in Williamsburg, it’s eyeing the area as a place to ‘plant the gospel.’
GracePointe Church is looking to create a spiritual community in the area, and keep it growing by bringing young families into the fold, according to Pastor Bill Dumphy.
“What we don’t claim to be at GracePointe Church is the only game in town when it comes to healthy gospel-centered churches in Williamsburg,” Dumphy said in an interview. “We simply want to add to the gospel movement that’s happening.”
The “non-denominational” church is centered on several ideals, mainly the belief that a “vibrant” Christian community should focus on the word of God and the gospel, according to Dumphy.
Planting the gospel in Williamsburg
For Dumphy, the gospel is more than just a section of the good book. It’s the authentic message of Christianity that brings people together, but not in an institutionalized way.
When he and his wife lived in Florida, they discovered a group of people who came together out of a love for one another in the pursuit of salvation.
“We saw the people they treasured when they said they followed that treasure Jesus and they treasured one another,” Dumphy said. “It was this real honest-to-God community that was centered around Christ and the gospel. That was contagious. Authentic people who really believe, said what they believed, and lived it together.”
The power of the religious community in Florida stuck in his craw for years. The nature of that community uplifted him.
“I’m not talking crazy mystical things, just a spiritual strength,” Dumphy said.
Thirty families have already joined the church while it seeks a more permanent home, Dumphy said.
The church is currently operating out of parishioners’ homes, but Dumphy said the church would never be a building or an institution. Instead, Dumphy said, it’s about a “group of people coming together called the church.”
While the church and its message may seem new, it’s part of a larger evangelical Christian movement in the United States, according to College of William and Mary professor Annie Blazer.
National trend for ‘mini-mega churches’
Churches like GracePointe have been sprouting up across the United States since 2007, according to Blazer.
Evangelical churches have pivoted their focus to younger Christians.
“Younger evangelicals…are interested in a different kind of worship experience than their parents,” Blazer said.
The “mini-mega churches” approach ecclesiastical exercises differently by providing a level of “entertainment value,” music, and a belief that the Bible is the true word of God, according to Blazer.
Part of the effort to organize younger Christians into newer churches comes as established churches have experienced an aging problem. Fewer young families are going to church, Blazer said.
Diminishing numbers of parishioners is problematic for churches in general, according to Blazer.
If there aren’t enough believers for the number of churches in a given area then, only a handful of things can happen. Churches can downsize, merge, or outright close, Blazer said.
However, GracePointe is among the type of churches that could stand to benefit the most from targeting younger families and college students, according to Blazer.
Similar Evangelical churches “tend to do really well with young people, particularly young parents,” Blazer said.
Regardless of national trends, Dumphy is looking to bring the word of God to a tight-knit community right here.
“Not that we’re saying we’re the be-all-end-all of churches but we believe we’re going to plant the gospel in Williamsburg,” Dumphy said. “For us, the gospel is that Jesus carries you through the difficulties of life. Jesus empowers you to live through this life, that there’s more to it. And spreading that message is what we’re about.”
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