FAM

Element Church’s greatest opportunity and challenge are two sides of the same coin. Element Church often invests the Gospel into people who are preparing to leave East Lansing, MI. Many are geographically connected for a few months or years and then leave to lead the world’s businesses, schools, hospitals, farms, science labs, non profit organizations, universities, local communities and governments. The Kingdom impact of this type of ministry will never truly be measured this side of eternity. This is the opportunity that led the team to plant Element Church: “change the backyard, change the world” is on the front of Element’s launch booklet. This IS the amazing opportunity of a church in East Lansing. The corresponding challenge is that a good percentage of the people receiving from the ministry of Element Church will grow here but never assimilate here. The fruit of the investment made will never be realized within the Element Church context. The fruit of Element’s investment will spring up in other cities, other states and other countries. In terms of a leadership pipeline and financial resources, Element Church has never stabilized from within like a traditional local church. Element leadership has been wrestling with the implications of this unique hybrid dynamic for years.

In New Testament times shipping ports became the hubs of commerce, culture, learning and international exchange. These “Port Cities” were both highly influential and highly transient. The Apostle Paul saw these ports as vital and strategic locations to set up churches of great eternal impact. Paul also understood that Port City churches would not assimilate and stabilize the same as churches in other geographies. He knew Port City churches would need to approach relational connection, funding and support with a larger network of Christians.

That network would contain Christians who received from the church as they moved through the port city and would also contain Christians afar who might never visit the city but understood the eternal value and desired to invest there. The two main aspects of this type of partnership can be discerned from Paul’s letters. First, the Port City church would be supplied with support, relationship and finances from a larger network of Christians partners. Second, the larger network of partners would reap joy, purpose, spiritual vitality and eternal benefit from being part of the Port City mission. It is a win-win model of ministry. Element Church is a modern day Port City church but until now has not fully exercised the potential of engaging a larger network.

In 2022, Pastor Scott & Ericka Hayes, the Element Church Trustees and other Element stakeholders were sensing the need to expand, diversify and modernize funding methods for Element Church. Element staff and team leaders were also sensing the desire to more intentionally resource and systematically communicate with alumni and partners. Urgency to make changes was brought about by Element’s first negative financial year in 2021; the positive shifts in cultural views around digital ministry and the removal of geographical limits on relational connection during covid; advancements in technology; and the continued revelation of the unique mission of Element Church. All this led to the realization that Element needed to advance with the creation of an alumni network. In prayer the phrase; “Function like a church, fund like a mission” was written down and presented as a visioning statement. On December 20th 2022 the Element Board of Trustees met and discussed a plan for the launch of the network as an additional funding source and gateway to enrich the lives of the greater Element family. The name Element FAM was chosen and launched in 2023.