When we started the church in 2016, we were being obedient to what we believed God was leading us to do. We felt that if we would start the church, then God would bring the people. So with 12 people, we decided it was time.

In the beginning, the approach was casual. Many people in our society have an unfavorable view of the church. We wanted to be more of a faith community built on Jesus, friendship and a love for our city. Our approach was to meet with everyone and anyone that would meet with us. We hoped to form personal relationships with as many as possible. One month, we had 20+ coffee/dinner meetings. The church was growing steadily, but was still manageable.

Within the first year, the church had grown faster than expected. We knew we had to let go of some things and trust people to do their part. This was a little hard and sometimes still is. With family needs, school, meetings and church responsibilities, we realized that the current model was unsustainable. However, our home group leaders began to really help and community was being strengthened. We still needed to organize our church better.

We started with our children’s ministries. Those interested had to fill out an application and do a basic interview. In addition, they had to go through training. Because most of our people work and have different schedules, we introduced an online tool called TrainedUp. This involves watching several videos and answering follow-up questions. Once they completed training, they were added to the rotation.

Next, we began moving towards creating a team culture. We had a big vision night, complete with food, music, presentation and an invitation to get involved. This was followed by our first team night. Team nights are nights to bring everyone that serves together through food, games, and a short talk. We plan on doing this monthly. Our Missionary Associate, Rebekah Williams, has been a big asset in regards to fresh ideas and helping to implement new methods.

Of course, we still have room to grow, but we are excited about the future of Heart Prague!