ADVENTURE #4: VALLEY CHURCH (ALLENTOWN, PA)
Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Valley Church originally existed as Christian Life Community Church. Under Eric Miller’s leadership, the church transformed into Valley Church. Eric’s brother Craig served on staff at a large Assemblies of God church near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After leaving staff, Craig relocated to Allentown to work alongside his brother at Valley Church. When Craig relocated, a group of young adults decided to move as well. Quitting their jobs, they moved across the state to find new employment and serve as volunteers at Valley Church. While not technically a church plant, this variation of the Team Planting model demonstrates the commitment to community and mission, which affects the nature of the church. When asked about the change in dynamics, Eric notes that the contingent from Harrisburg brings servanthood and loyalty to the table—but to others it can appear to be Craig’s posse. The addition of Craig to the staff frees Eric from being solo pastor and having to have a hand in everything. Craig’s unstructured and creative nature balances Eric’s structured and academic personality. Their chemistry and complementary relationship creates a unique dynamic that others notice and appreciate.1
Sermon Evaluation
Content and Delivery
The feel of being a part of a community permeates Valley Church. The sermon continues this feeling of connectedness. As Eric begins to speak, his easy going but intense style captivates the audience and they hang on every spoken word. While using many contemporary examples, such as the Olympics and using Caller ID to screen calls, the text is addressed in depth. During the week we visited, the church was in the middle of the “Red” series, discussing the words and parables of Jesus. While the material was very familiar, the air of passion and creative use of examples maintained interest. Passages were explored in depth. Although the exegetical preparation beforehand was evidenced in the depth of the material, the sermon was delivered in an clear manner using familiar, understandable language. While not overly academic, the sermon engaged the mind as well as the heart. A clear voice, with hints of inflection showing concern and heartfelt emotion helped the sermon feel like one was listening to a friend over coffee.
Application and Effectiveness
The sermon series title, “Red”, successfully captured attention and focused the attention to the words of Jesus. Throughout the sermon, points for application were clear. Although a mostly younger crowd, the message is relevant for multiple audiences. The points were poignant and effective. From a Pentecostal perspective, the sermon appeared anointed and personally affected me.
Authenticity
The content of the message clearly affected the speaker. The heartfelt, passionate delivery served to draw in listeners. An appropriate amount of personal transparency gave the speaker an authentic voice to his congregation.
Multimedia and General Effectiveness
Valley Church primarily relies on images posted on the screen for its multimedia. The use of images enhances the message. While this satisfies visual learners, they provide outlines for people who learn in that way. The message served as an encouraging reminder to evaluate one’s life and be effective in the Kingdom of God by becoming like Jesus.
Interview Summary
Driving twenty or thirty minutes to attend a church is not a hindrance to the mobile population of the Lehigh Valley. Many people drive across the valley to attend the church. The facility in which Valley Church currently meets is in Catasaqua, an area in transition. As older families move out, younger, first-time buyers move in to Catasaqua. Valley Church’s demographic does not closely parallel the community, but is attracting people from the local community. As Valley Church establishes itself in the area, some younger families from the current neighborhood have become part of the church community.
Valley Church does not specifically target young adults. Rather, young adults are attracted to the church’s style of ministry. Eric and Craig both have a young adult mindset even though neither fits in that demographic any longer. As they and their ministry teams minister from who they are, this authenticity attracts young adults.
As newer young adults have entered into the community at Valley Church, they cite authenticity and vulnerability as reasons they stay. The staff and leaders invite others to journey through life together, making relationships the essential connecting point of the church. The church intentionally avoids a lot of programming, preferring to encourage natural interactions and friendships. Creating an environment in lobby where people are intentional about fostering and initiating relationships helps remove obstacles to community and retains those who crave authentic relationships. These relationships are further developed and maintained through small groups offered throughout the week.
Speakers
Eric preaches most of the time, with Craig preaching about once every two months. Although capable of leading worship, Eric prefers to operate in his stronger gifting, preaching. While Eric and Craig brainstorm ideas together and often “bounce things off one another”, Eric remains the main communicator.
Sermon Topics
When fresh out of Bible College, Eric began pastoring and did not start working on his sermon until Tuesday or Wednesday. Currently, he plans ahead. Most comfortable with expositionally preaching through a book of the Bible, as of late, he favors doing more topical sermons. While being Pentecostal means being led by the Spirit, Eric finds that God uses ideas that might start with an idea from a book, a David Crowder album or directly from the Scriptures. After the initial idea, he immerses himself in the Scriptures. Citing Andy Stanley, Eric attempts to communicate one big idea each week in a relevant manner. Some weeks the message develops easily, other weeks, it takes hard work to develop the message.
Eric advises others trying to reach young adults to be relevant, creative, authentic, honest and vulnerable. These values resonate with young adults weary of an image-obsessed culture. Many of the contemporary systems that reached boomers effectively do not connect with successive generations. Five points that all begin with “A” does not work anymore. The style of the preacher communicates beyond the content. Young adults don’t mind a challenge. However, communicating something that sounds like “I’m better than you” creates unnecessary distance between the preacher and the hearer. All of this must be accomplished while changing things around to keep it fresh and retain interest.
Extension of Ministry through Technology
As is the trend, Valley Church podcasts their messages and includes an easily found link on their website. While Eric, Craig and key volunteers are all on Facebook and have a Valley Church Facebook group, Eric finds the church’s proclamation has been most visibly extended through his blog. Eric’s blog launched from the “text” series by using Psalm 119. With church attendance of 110 people the Sunday the series launched, seventy-five to eighty hits on the blog were recorded on Monday. Hits tapered off during the week, with thee same scenario on the following Monday. The church knew that they were reaching more people by the blog than they were with their Wednesday night service before cancelling the service. People have responded positively to the blog and keep coming back for a complement to the proclamation and as a discipleship resource.
Influences
Eric’s biggest influences as a preacher have changed through the years. In the past, he would have referenced his Bible College professors for their influences and Chuck Swindall for his verse-by-verse expositional style. Today, he lists Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschell as some of his biggest influences. He also appreciates the communication styles of Rob Bell and Erwin McManus.
God Stories
Effective preaching is judged by its results. While attracting some unchurched people making commitments to Jesus, Valley Church is attracting the dechurched people feeling burned by church. They are giving church one last try and finding an authentic expression that resonates with them. People from other traditions remark that they feel new life in their faith at Valley Church. Marriages are coming back together. Addicts are set free. People who had given up on church remark that they feel challenged and are growing in their faith.
- Ed Stetzer, Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2003), 64-69. [↩]
