New ministry challenges church tradition

A new concept in church is coming to Sisters. Its approach strips away many of the trappings of the traditional church.

The ministry called "Under New Management" does not believe in owning property. Its philosophy is simple: communicating with neighbors.

According to Under New Management's lead pastor Aaren Gushwa of Redmond, no particular denomination is backing the establishment of the new church. Gushwa spoke to local folks at an organizational meeting at Bad Ass Coffee Co. earlier this month.

Gushwa explained that his teaching will be Baptist.

"That's how I understand scripture," he said. However, "the ministry is going to be very non-denominational."

Under New Management's concept is "...more than just going to a building and singing some songs and doing good things," said Gushwa.

According to Gushwa the new church will invest its time and money in the community and our neighborhoods.

"We will communicate that we are here. We are a community. I am no longer content with church as usual," he said.

Under New Management is not for everyone Gushwa said; there is a segment of the population who will always be drawn to the traditional church.

For others who don't fit in the traditional church, this is an alternative.

"I love the Lord, but I'm sick of church," Gushwa said.

Gushwa told The Nugget that about 90 percent of the population does not go anywhere on Sunday mainly "because they feel no connection to what is going on there. ... Something different has to be done," he said.

Gushwa's intent is not to manipulate people but rather to tell them what, because of his personal experiences, it means to him to be a believer and follower of Christ.

"A lot of people talk about being a Christian, but I look at it more as a follower of Christ. ... He (Christ) related to all kinds of people. He hung out with prostitutes, tax collectors and all those people. What I am saying is that there's a whole segment of the population that somehow has got to connect, and the only way that they are going to is that they're not going to come to the building. We've got to make a difference where we live, and to me the most important piece is that people look at so many Christians as bigots." Gushwa said.

Gushwa's call is for people to be contributors to their community.

"My sole motivation really is for the most part to be a good neighbor ... to make a difference where I live ... fix problems at home before moving to other countries," he said.

Taking care of business at home is what made Christ attractive Gushwa said. "They saw that He was against the flow of the current religious situation. Everything that He challenged was tradition."

Gushwa's hope is for two meeting "pods" to develop in Sisters.

"One would be a seekers pod that could come to talk about spiritual truth. The second would be to have a ministry pod that would start here that would be the seed of a church," he said.

For more information about the specific activities of Under New Management in Sisters contact Gushwa at 923-6799.