Cultivating a New Worship Community: An Interview with Justin Alabata from Forest Lake Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Best Practices for Adventist Worship (BP): How did the idea for the Warehouse Community first come about, and what were the initial steps taken to bring this vision to life?

Justin Alabata (JA): Forest Lake Seventh-Day Adventist Church has a rich history of valuing and investing in younger and future generations. The heart for a ministry like Warehouse Community existed long before I started as a pastor here. Most churches go through different seasons of change over the years. Ministries that once were amazing and impactful run their course and either transition into something different or come to an end. For Forest Lake, the dawn of a new season began a couple of years before the pandemic of 2020.

In the latter half of 2018, a monthly worship gathering called “Upper Room” commenced in the youth sabbath school room of the church. This gathering was led by young adults but was open to all who wanted to attend. The format was modern and created a space for a more expressive and Spirit-led atmosphere of worship. Month after month, attendance increased—often flirting with the limits of the room’s fire code. It was clear that there was a hunger in this community for what was taking place there.

In 2019, a conversation was started to figure out how to acquire an empty warehouse on the campus of Forest Lake Academy right next door to the church. The warehouse was previously occupied by various businesses that employed academy students. The church had been needing a larger multi-use facility, and the Upper Room needed a space to continue to grow. The timing seemed to be just perfect. As the months went by, the “warehouse project” began to truly take form. Approvals were made at the school board and the church board to move forward. Donations were coming in. Everything was lining up!

But, March 2020 happened. When the pandemic hit, like many churches, we had to figure out how to get online. After scrambling to find some equipment around the church and around town, we began live-streaming Upper Room weekly. We had never attempted to live-stream the gathering before, and we really had no idea what we were doing, but we knew we had to do it. So, we went out in faith, put in the work, and maintained this new weekly rhythm for this community that would be confined to their homes for the next few months.

Toward the end of 2020, we started meeting in person again in a limited and ticketed capacity. Upper Room continued to grow. And, on the last Sabbath of 2020, we announced the rebranding of Upper Room to “Warehouse Community” as a testament of faith in what God was going to do with the future of this ministry and this community.

BP: What were some of the key challenges you faced when integrating the Warehouse Community within the existing congregation, and how did you overcome them?

JA: A big challenge was finding enough volunteers and leaders to help support two simultaneous and sizable worship gatherings. It’s difficult enough to maintain a consistent number of volunteers from week to week at a large church, but we were essentially needing to double that amount. Honestly, God sent people and the church stepped up. It’s been amazing to see new volunteers step into roles and serve with consistency. It’s been humbling to watch existing elders, deacons, and deaconesses give more of themselves to serve beyond what they have already been doing for years. Staying organized was also key. Planning Center became our best friend. Staying organized has helped us avoid scheduling conflicts with people who enjoy serving in multiple areas of ministry and also helps prevent volunteer burnout.

BP: Can you share specific strategies or approaches that helped foster a sense of unity and shared purpose between the Warehouse Community and the broader congregation?

JA: One of the most important strategies is clear and consistent communication. We spent a healthy amount of time fleshing out our church mission, vision, and values. These have helped us clearly communicate what our purpose is as a church. These also guide everything we do when it comes to starting and/or supporting different ministries.

Another strategy that has been impactful in our church is community service. We reserve one Sabbath a year for a church-wide community service day. Yes, all worship gatherings and sabbath school classes are put on pause that day for the entire church to go out and serve together. We also have smaller community service days spread throughout the year. These are great opportunities to remind us that our purpose must not be confined to the walls of our buildings. We gather together to be challenged and changed so that we can go out into our community and live the gospel. These opportunities also allow you to interact with someone who may not attend the same worship service as you.

BP: What advice would you give to other church leaders who are looking to create a distinct worship community within their congregations?

JA: It doesn’t have to be perfect for it to be worth it to try. There are still many things that we can improve upon at Warehouse Community. But, God doesn’t call us to be perfect, He calls us to be faithful. Trust the God that put the passion in your heart. Have the courage to pray and try. Be faithful with and a good steward of whatever God has given you to work with, no matter how much or how little. Let God worry about the impact. Let God worry about the support you receive. Let God worry about the growth. Let God even worry about how long it lasts. Let God build His church, and just be ready to get to work for Him.

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” —Matthew 9:37-38 NIV