Church Planting

In the City, For the City

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you..." Jeremiah 29:7

 

A Vision to penetrate the city of Jacksonville with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through church planting.

 

Components of the Vision:

  • Youth Revitalization
  • Sanctuary Remodel
  • Church Planting

 

Youth Ministry Revitalization:

  • Hire Mike Sherburne as Youth Pastor
  • Send Keith Dickerson out as first church planter.

 

Sanctuary Remodel:

  • Original master plan called for 3 buildings
  • Dedication to church planting:
    • redifines the need (not just one large church in Mandarin)
    • requires updated current worship center as home base for multiple congregations meeting in rented-facilities around the city.

Church rendering

 

Church Planting:

  • The WHY question: Why should Christ Church plant churches?
    • Isn't this the job of the Presbytery?
    • Why don't we just "grow" Christ Church bigger?
    • Aren't there enough churches now?

 

The Why:

  1. Christ Church was started with a commitment to being missional.  Planting churches now is a return to the original vision.
  2. Biblically, planting new churches is a key evangelism strategy (Acts 14:21-23)
  3. New churches reach lost people better than established churches. (Statistically, churches 10-145 years old [CC is 25] gain 80-90% of new members from transfer; the average new church gains most of its new members (60-80%) from the ranks of people who are not attending any worshipping body.)
  4. New churches reach new people groups (people who don't look like us) better.
  5. New churches best reach the rising generation. (Young non-churched people find it difficult to navigate established programs/structures.)
  6. New churches best train up new leaders.  (Existing churches have a strong core of leaders that is difficult for new folks to break into.)
  7. New churches are wise financially: desipite initial cost, they are typically self-sufficient within 2-3 years, and soon contribute Kingdom resources to the overall budget.
  8. New churches are always in growth and vision mode, multiplication thinkers not addition thinkers, and never in maintenance mode.
  9. New churches bless and renew existing churches.  "While new churches often attract some families away from older congregations, the new churches help the overall Body of Christ by:
    1. showcasing new ministry forms and ideas that would never have been adopted in older churches,
    2. creating an 'it can be done' mindset in older churches, and
    3. providing many new converts in the city that find their way to older churches." (Tim Keller)

 

What Will the Church Planting Model Look Like?

Church plant graphic

"One Church, Many Congregations"
C=Centralized Administration
C1, C2, etc=Congregations

 

Why This Model?:

  1. It honors the mother-church: new churches are strategically important (above), but so are mother churches.  Critical as a missional launch pad, they provide financial, personnel, and accountability resources not even Presbyteries can.
  2. PCA GA (General Assembly) and Presbytery urge an "each church plant a church" model; the multi-site model is often recommended.
  3. "One Church, Many Congregations" allows for unity of values and a wise use of resources, while allowing for local flexibility to reach this diverse city.

 

What Will be Centralized? (for all congregations of the one church):

  • Training in core values (unified view of the gospel)
  • Vision casting (unified strategy)
  • Governance (one session/diaconate to assure accountability
  • Training (Bible/theology/world view, leadership development)
  • Resourcing Ministries (youth, children, men/women, mercy, communication)
  • All-church celebrations and worship


What Will be Decentralized? (unique to each congregation):

  • Sunday Worship
  • Shepherding by locally deployed elders
  • Mercy by locally deployed deacons
  • Relational fellowship (small groups)
  • Some discipleship (SS and other)

 

How will Elders and Deacons will be Deployed?:

  • Each Elder/Deacon will be assigned shepherding/mercy duties in one congregation
  • Plenary Session/Deacons will meet quarterly for overall governance, training, prayer
  • Local Session/Deacons will neet monthly for local shepherding and mercy issues

 

How will Pastors be Deployed?:

  • One staff with several pastors
  • John will remain as principle preacher/teacher at Congregation #1 (Mandarin)
  • Keith will be our first church planter and provide primary preaching and leadership at Congregation #2
  • When he "leaves", another will assume his role as Asst Pastor for several years of mentoring in preparation to plant Congregation #3
  • Staff will work together, each serving locally and contributing to the health of the whole; periodically rotating pulpits

 

When and Where?:

  • Tentative date: Sept 2010
  • Tentative place: University Area