Posted August 22, 2014 in Featured News

Gwynedd Square Presbyterian Church, like many congregations nowadays, was experiencing a quick drop in attendance. The reasons were varied, but the bottom line was it needed a boost in order to regain its vitality.

So, along with hiring the Rev. R.J. Leek in December, the Lansdale, PA, church added several other features to its traditional and contemporary worship services. And people have been taking notice.

One group of people who noticed was the Lansdale Award Program, which in August notified Gwynedd Square Presbyterian Church that it had earned the Best of Lansdale award in the “Places of Worship” category, the first time the church has received such an honor. The award “identifies organizations and companies that have achieved exceptional marketing success in the local community and business category.”

Best of Lansdale

Best of Lansdale

The announcement came as a total surprise to Leek and his congregation, which was up against roughly 50 other churches in the Lansdale area for the award, including a couple of “mega” churches.

“This came out of left field,” he said. “We didn’t expect it. We’re very excited about it. … Everybody’s really surprised. I think ‘shocked’ is the best way to put it. “It’s a wonderful honor. Unexpected. Looking forward to honoring that award through service and continue to do what we’re doing.”

What they’re doing is creating a new atmosphere at Gwynedd Square. A church that recently had an average total Sunday attendance of 250 but had dipped to below 100 prior to Leek’s arrival, the congregation has turned a complete 180 degrees.

“They went through a long period of trials and tribulations,” Leek said. “They lost an associate pastor, they lost their head of staff to sickness, they lost their choir director and that situation ruffled some feathers. There was a pretty big exodus from the congregation and people went to other churches and never came back. So before I arrived they went through some bumpy times.

“This has been a good year. When you get a head of staff, it provides continuity for a while. It’s been a good turnaround for them.”

And the congregation has not sat back and watched the changes come. The people have been receptive to the changes and have also taken a hands-on approach to turning around their ministry.

“The goals are to provide more leadership opportunity in the service for members of the congregation,” Leek said. “Congregation members rotate in writing, song choice, media elements and themes. The other goal is to attract a younger audience and at the same time respect the needs of those who are here already.”

When asked about specifics for the boost in attendance, Leek pointed to the sanctuary itself as a drawing card as well as some of the new worship elements like a sticks ministry that includes interpretive dance and drama for the youth.

Gwynedd Square Award 2014

Gwynedd Square Award 2014

“Part of it is the sanctuary, the way they designed it,” he said. “It’s very open, has large windows which, especially in the winter time, really brightens the sanctuary, so that helps with the overall atmosphere. “The church has a long history of outstanding music programs. Our previous choir director was very well accomplished. … We have a very strong music program. And I think just a good family atmosphere. The people are very relational, very open, very receptive.”

A prior renovation of the sanctuary was necessitated by the needs of the church and the community as a whole.

“The congregation had outgrown the original,” Leek recalled. “The music ministries also had grown to a point where they needed a bigger venue on Sunday morning. Part of the thought process was ‘If we build it, they will come.’ Initially, I do believe the church grew larger, adding the second service. I can’t say they were surprise; I believe growth was an expectation.”

Currently, Gwynedd Square Presbyterian Church averages about 140 people per Sunday, which includes roughly 35-40 who attend the contemporary service. Leek said the church had over 150 more attenders in the month of June, nearly double of what it had in the same time period the previous year. And in August, the increase in attendance is continuing to rise to the tune of 20-30 people per Sunday.

“The congregation had outgrown the original,” Leek recalled. “The music ministries also had grown to a point where they needed a bigger venue on Sunday morning. Part of the thought process was ‘If we build it, they will come.’ Initially, I do believe the church grew larger, adding the second service. I can’t say they were surprise; I believe growth was an expectation.”

Currently, Gwynedd Square Presbyterian Church averages about 140 people per Sunday, which includes roughly 35-40 who attend the contemporary service. Leek said the church had over 150 more attenders in the month of June, nearly double of what it had in the same time period the previous year. And in August, the increase in attendance is continuing to rise to the tune of 20-30 people per Sunday.

Best of Lansdale - Group Shot

Best of Lansdale – Group Shot

“Every Sunday we see new faces, which is great,” Leek said.

Despite the surge, Gwynedd Square Presbyterian Church is not planning to rest on its laurels. It has plans to hire a director of communications and a children’s minister and could be looking to add a worship leader/director for its contemporary service. The church is also revamping its Sunday School program and adding an extra Bible Study in the fall.

While no formal celebration is planned for the Best of Lansdale honor, Leek said it will probably be integrated into the church’s Sunday School kickoff day in early September. But the congregation is not waiting until September to get the word out about its award.

“At the moment they are working on various ways (to spread the word), such as mass mailings, with information on the church and talking about the award,” Leek said. “The church is heavily involved with mission in the community. My hope is that this award gives people more opportunity to talk about the church with friends and family.”

Leek is at the forefront of this movement, a guy whose presence in the pulpit coincides with the surge in numbers. But he was quick to deflect any of the limelight away from himself.

“I’ll let God take the credit.”