Strategy and Timeline (living document)

Planting Strategy & Timeline

CHURCH PLANTING PROPOSAL   (Fall 2008 Worship Schedule)

*Ed Stetzer’s book Planting Missional Churches helped me accomplish this task; this book is not required to complete this document but a possible resource among others that might be of usefulness if you would need further help in the areas that follow.

1.    Calling: Why does your community need the church that you desire to plant and why are you the person to plant it? 1) Because no one is reaching the marginalized, downtrodden, or ‘messy’.  2)Through interviews, observations, being on staff at a previous church and paraministries, 50% or more of the demographics of our area is unchurched, unreached, and not connected.  3)  I ignored the call for many years, and when finished reading Stetzer’s book, my main objection (there are already 400,000 churches, why do I need to start another one…) was addressed, I was convicted with the selfishness of not being obedient.

2.    Vision: What is the vision for this church plant and how will it affect the surrounding culture as the Gospel redeems it? Equipping others to be more faithful disciples through serving them in discipleship-evangelism, exhortation and restoration, to a full relationship with God, in all of life.

3.    Cultural Analysis: Provide demographic research and sociological facts that tell the story of the natives living in your target area with breakdown of cultures and sub-cultures. The Berkeley County region has 161,486 residents (as of 2008, 4th Quarter), 28% Black, 2.7% Asian, 4% Hispanic, 68% White, 80% High School Graduates, 14% Bachelor’s or higher, $43,545 median household income, 12.7% below poverty, 28,611 disabled, 63% home owners, 25-44 yrs old make up 43% of the population, 38% male singles, 52% married, ranked 17^th on the fastest growing towns in SC.  There is also a strong transitional population of military from the NAVY, Army, Airforce, and Coast Guard population.

4.    Missional Strategy: Create a working model of the specific tribe(s) (i.e. focus group, target group, specific people group) that you are trying to reach and the 5 best strategies that you plan to use to reach them.  Sorry, I actually have 6 strategies.  The specific group of people that Oasis is trying to reach is demographics mentioned above.  So far the core group that is starting with us in our small group is of all of the demographics mentioned above minus Black & Asian.  Oases’ acronym is Outward, Authentic, Serving, Incarnational, Simple, and this uncomplicated acronym will remind us of the missional strategy of Oasis (See theology doc).  5 ways we will do this as a community will be:

a.    Prayer

b.    Investing & Inviting

c.    Continual Marketing & Branding (word of mouth, flyers, handouts, website/blog, newsletter)

d.    Care groups – will be the primary way that large numbers of folks are personally shepherded and ministered to.

e.    Engaging the community (write to the mayor, touch base with United way, etc to find out the best way a volunteer group could serve the city on a consistent and continual basis)

f.     Multiplication and Leadership development

5.    Timeline: Develop a timeline that details the life of your church leading up through Launch (i.e. When will you begin to gather, and what needs to happen in the meantime?  When do you anticipate a public launch?).

a.    Jan 2008 – Start small group study with men regarding Biblical Eldership, begin search for ‘advisory board’

b.    June 2008 – Dec 2008, Start co-ed small group, announce name of church, vision cast and outreach events.  Website/Communication process to members, corporate prayer and solicitation for leaders of launch teams to head up;

                                 i.    Assimilation process

                                ii.    Evangelism network

                               iii.    Programs to mobilize spiritual gifts

                               iv.    Children’s ministry team

                                v.    Worship team and a plan for early worship service

c.    Before Jan 2009 (launch) Begin Incorporation process (bylaws, state sales tax exemption id number, federal tax id number, credit card, bank account)

                                 i.    Church accounting/Membership software (Servant Keeper 6, EasyWorship, Uniquely U)

                                ii.    Obtain CCLI license

d.    Jan 2009 Launch and advertising (press releases, multiple sites/homes, multiple leaders)

6.    Overall Planting Goals: Define, in detail, your Goals and Strategies for reaching these goals as it relates to launching your church, leadership development, discipleship, and continued mission.

a.    We are already on “b” above and currently working through a logo, and the only item left is “i-v”

b.    “C” above

c.    Launch multiple care groups – (Josh Hunt Doubling Your Class in 2yrs or Less Curriculum/model)

d.    Leadership development will begin at the Care Group level first (for growth purposes).

e.    Further membership/assimilation will consist of mandatory classes that will outline the mission, purpose, vision of Oasis, as well serving, evangelism, peacemaking, counseling and tithing.  There will be a membership class and covenant to sign (authorizing church discipline, tithing and serving commitment).

f.     I will continually have a new believers group going through “How to Grow In Christ” and I will have a Leaders group going on (total of 3 groups – Care Group, New Believer, Leader).

g.    Leadership development will consist of 4 topics:  1) Biblical Eldership/Deacon, 2) Peacemaking, 3)Biblical Counseling Training, 4)Priorities

h.    Preaching schedule will include the 4 leadership development topics mentioned in ‘g’ yearly otherwise, expositional preaching, by books.

i.     Care groups will go through “How to Grow In Christ”, “Pursuit of Godliness” Series, and then turn into Sermon Groups.  All care groups are open all the time for everyone.  Maximum size for groups will be 16 people before mandatory multiplication.  Each care group leader will go through Josh Hunt Training, and be involved in a missional service project in the community.

j.     We will be a community of continual testimony regarding E.G.G.s (Evidences of God’s Grace) because of our O-outward, A-authentic, S-serving, I-incarnational, S-simple reminders.  These testimonies will include the gospel when possible (Yes, I realize that without the gospel they would not happen – ) These testimonies will happen from leadership first, and encouraged from members, and given mic time.

k.    We will be taking a random Sunday off per month, to release our people into the community on a Sunday so that they can invest-invite people into their lives and declare and demonstrate the gospel.

l.     We will be in constant contact with the town of Goose Creek specifically to serve and come alongside with NO agenda other than to be an drink from the Oasis.

m.   These items will keep me quite busy as their will be a constant flow of unchurched, members, and then leaders in some stage or level of being;

1.    Cared For

2.    Discipled

3.    Evangelized

4.    Missional/Serving

7.    Resources: What do you have in place now (people, finances, and things such as equipment, website, place to meet, etc…)?  What do you need to bring together in the near future?  What do you want to have in place before your public launch? 

a.    In place now I am in a pre-lauch with a small group who are meeting through the summer.  It is a Care Group and we are studying together Sacred Pathway’s by Gary Thomas and Future Church by Jim Wilson.  In ‘caring’ for this group, I am shepherding them, casting vision of Oasis, telling those who are visiting from other churches that it is ‘fine’ but that Oasis is not about sheep-stealing, but about being outward, authentic, serving, incarnational, and simple.  These values do not have time for reactionary or comparatives when it comes to how to do church, that these items are more about form than function, and Oasis is all about function. 

b.    Regarding people, Connie and I are praying, investing & inviting, being intentional, and marketing everywhere.  We currently are having a date night a week, 1 ‘stranger’ and 1 ‘new believer’ per month over to our home for a meal.  We are engaging our neighbors, our businesses we frequent, and being intentional about our demographics mentioned above.  We are mailing/e-mailing letters, blogging, schedules, passing out/hanging flyers in the area to advertise our Care group.  Our first goal is to find Care Group leaders who can essentially answer the question(s),

                                 i.    Can you host a group in your home 1x per week?

                                ii.    Can you shepherd/care for these people by touching them at least 1x a week outside of email and your meeting?  We are praying for 5 groups like this which contain 12-16 people in them (due to schedules ect, it will even out to about 10-12 per week per group). 

c.    Regarding finances, we have/do invest heavily already as a lifestyle in ministry materials, so regarding infrastructure, already have computers, systems, materials for passing out, etc already in place.  Regarding the tithing/donations, I have an appointment scheduled with my ‘tax guy’ who will be discussing incorporation, non-profit status, tax-exemption, etc so that we can setup bank accounts (already have a strong deacon material guy who is already moving on wanting to set up bank accounts etc) because we are already receiving donations, etc.  I will remain a tentmaker planter/elder until such time as our elder board says, “you either quit your job or we are looking for another leader” as I do not want to burden the ‘church’ financially or lose credibility/opportunity to declare and demonstrate the gospel.  It would take 50-60k per year to bring Connie and I home to ‘full-time’ ministry, but really do not see how to justify that burden on our people especially considering that the demographic mentioned above could really use 50-60k invested into it!  

d.    Regarding equipment, these items are going to be shared by community burden (meaning I will continue to be Authentic) regarding administrative needs, community needs, missional needs, etc.  So far our community has embraced and ‘knocked out’ every need without obstacle.  Further, regarding big ticket items, I have people of whom I could go to ask for larger ticket items when the time comes as they have already offered.  Website is already up in draft at:  http://oasisgc.wordpress.com and is not a final solution, but is a temporary community solution to advertise.  I already spider the pages and Oasis through SEO and that is coming along well.  Regarding places to meet, currently we are meeting in our home, but already the group is open to rotation, meeting in other homes, etc until we get too large and need to consider a possible building to centralize in.

e.    Regarding public launch, we have already announced to our group, to other key folks, advisory board, etc that launch will be Jan 2009.  At that time, I will prepare (or be assisted to do press releases, advertising, marketing, etc) but due to the momentum already happening, I would rather NOT market or advertise (from a business standpoint) unless it meets the missional aspects of Oasis.  Obviously before public launch I would like to have the 5 leader slots filled (assimilation process, evangelism network, mobilize spiritual gifts, children’s ministry team, music/song leader).  However, buildings or programs (forms) are not what constitute a ‘church’ for Oasis or having a ‘pulpit’ to preach from are the farthest things from our mind as we are more concerned with casting the vision continually of ‘function’ of the ‘church’.  If these ‘systems’ need to be in place by our leaders, then we will address them at that time, as identity and legalities are the primary focus and foundational goals for launch as we have prayerfully considered.

8.    Opportunities & Challenges: Describe the opportunities God is giving you, as well as the obstacles you are praying through. The E.G.G.s (evidences of God’s grace) that He is giving us range from opportunities to serve, to ‘chance’ meetings of key people for different needs, some of the ‘transfer growth’ topics that we are having to address immediately and surgically as they occur.  Further we/our people have already come under attack not by the city or cults, but by some leaders and people of influence from the other churches.  I handled these items immediately and with advisory board influence, prayer, and the E.G.G.s (e-mails, letters, checks, meetings, opportunities, phone-calls etc), thankfully we are staying focused on Oasis and mission versus getting side-tracked by Saducees, Pharisees and Herodians who are accusing of ‘sheep-stealing’, lying, slander, gossiping, etc.  It did surprise us at first and even shocked us when we heard/saw some of the ways our people have been treated, but we are being reminded and reminding our people of the gospel, staying mercifully busy serving our people and each other, that we do not get too sidetracked.  Currently our prayer requests and needs for our people and us are addressed through the following;

a.    We will need God’s wisdom, patience and strength, for our families – specifically balance and health in our marriages and families, our protection – Satan will attack me, my family, and anyone who wants to join us, for vision – that God would guide my planning and give me a clear vision for the new church, for a Launch Team – that God would provide the right people to form the core of the new church and finally, and for finances – only God can provide.

             b.  That we will have others who will assist to help train and empower us and our people, to bring wisdom, experience and an external perspective to us and our people, to be a cheerleader for us and our people, to help us and our people to see blind spots, to help us and our people to balance the stress of being an entrepreneur with the demands of a healthy family life, to provide a safe place for us and our people to have doubts and ask questions and finally, to ask us and our people the tough questions and keep the vision before us.