Church Planting Questions From a Science Nerd

Wow! It's hard to believe, but a few months ago we planted our 500th church! For an organization that is celebrating our 15th anniversary this year, this was a HUGE milestone.BY BOB CARLTONSTADIAAs you can imagine, after planting 500 churches in 15 years we’ve learned a few things along the way. We’ve learned a lot about what to do (and even more about what not to do). One thing that people often ask is what we are looking for in a potential church planter. What is the right profile or the “special sauce” for a great future planter? Our response is often simple… “We are looking for a catalytic leader.”Now, some of you know this about me, but in case you don’t, I am a bit of a science nerd. When I hear words like “catalytic” my ears actually perk up. I also recognize that for some of you, terms like that can cause a spontaneous and/or uncontrollable eye roll – especially if used in the same sentence as “synergy.”Let’s take a look at the actual definition of a catalyst and see what we can learn. (Ok, so this is where I begin to geek out.)

CATALYST: /kad(ə)ləst/ (noun)

A substance, relative to its reactants that modifies or increases the rate of reaction without being consumed in the process.Let me “unpack” that a bit… (See what I did there?)relative to its reactants: Great church planters relate well to those around them and are great communicators – on the stage and across the table. They have an innate ability to connect with people at a heart level and leverage it in order to share the good news about Jesus. They tell great stories and are fun to be around.that modifies or increases the rate of reaction: Great church planters get things done and lead others to get things done for the Kingdom. Church planting is hard work and it requires the kind of discipline, leadership and drive that inspires and challenges all those around them to jump into the vision and join in the mission of the church.without being consumed in the process: Great church planters are in love with Jesus and although they are in the world, they are not of it. They are passionate about seeing those far from Christ drawing near to Him and being transformed by His grace, love and mercy. Their relationship with God impacts their lifestyle and rubs off on those around them.Those are the kinds of “catalytic leaders” we are trying to identify, equip, and connect with multiplying churches around the country. We help these “catalytic leaders” plant healthy, vibrant, multiplying churches. And we won’t stop doing so … until every child has a church!Did I just describe you? Click HERE and hit us up. We would love to connect and talk about your next steps in church planting and help you through our Discovery process.Did I just describe someone you know? Click HERE and refer a friend. We would love to reach out to them and see if we can help them on their journey of church planting.Bob Carlton is the Director of Recruitment at Stadia. After becoming a fearless follower of Jesus in his 20’s at a church plant, Bob knew he was called to help catalyze a church planting movement. Since then he has been recruiting, assessing, training, and coaching planters and pastors around the world. He has helped develop and lead numerous church planting networks, operating systems, and pipelines for planter cultivation. Bob is now leveraging his experience and relationships to identify emerging leaders around the nation that are considering a call to plant healthy multiplying churches. When not out helping others connect with Stadia, he and his wife Kristina can be found working hard to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their neighborhood.

Stadia: Every Child To Experience Love of Jesus Through a Local Church

Stadia, a national church planting organization that places children as a priority, is working on its tenth collaborative church plant in the Los Angeles area, said executive Nathan Hawkins."I get to visit a lot of great cities and there's something unique about Los Angeles," said Hawkins during a recent Together LA Facebook Live video stream (below). "I do believe it's an epicenter of culture. It's a place where people come to make things happen and it's a space where church is needed. There's a lot of great churches already here in Los Angeles and there's a need for more."In a previous interview with TLA, a Stadia representative said that simply discussing the problems and issues facing America today, even from a Christian perspective, is not enough.“We really don’t have to look much farther than social media and news outlets [to see] everything going on in our culture — the racism, the injustice…,” said Jeff Bennett, who is a Stadia executive for its U.S. Church Planting and South Region divisions. “We can talk about the injustices, we can talk about the discouragement we feel, or we could do something.”Leaders said the organization has had the honor of helping hundreds of great leaders start new churches. "With these leaders, we share a passionate desire to see a world where every child will experience the love of Jesus Christ through the local church," Stadia said on its website. "Are you ready to invest in the next generation by partnering and/or planting with Stadia? Do you know someone who is? Stadia is ready to help! Because we won’t stop … until Every Child Has a Church."Hawkins was asked about the Los Angeles Church Planting Movement that Stadia has been a part of since its inception several years ago. He pointed to LACPM as another way for churches to come together, network, and see the gospel advance.

Stadia, World Impact Leaders Answer the ‘What Can I Do?’ Question

On the Web

https://stadiachurchplanting.org/

Metro Cafe Highlights Santa Monica Church's Unique Bottom Line

Outside, on the corner of 6th and Arizona, a sidewalk chalkboard sign with an arrow pointing toward a building’s entrance simply states that there’s “Fast Wi-fi,” and on the other side of the board a quote about coffee being the “lifeblood that fuels the dreams of champions.”

UPDATE (1/31/18): Metro Cafe in the News - Leveling the paying field: LA cafe lets patrons choose prices – and hasn't lost cash [The Guardian]

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 14, 2017At first glance, it’s hard to imagine that this retro, two-story building freshly painted gray and white, and dubbed “METROPOLIS” is home to a church. Once inside, a coffee shop ( Metro Cafe ) with great laptop spaces and a co-lab work floor for entrepreneurs on the second level don't reveal the structure's true purpose.However, as one becomes part of the conversation inside Metropolis, it becomes clear that emanating from this downtown Santa Monica corner just six blocks from the ocean is in fact a good dose of Jesus.“From the very beginning, we just realized that it’s poor stewardship that ‘the church’ is empty so much of the week,” said Metro Church (Metro Calvary Chapel) pastor Steve Snook in a interview with Together LA. “Growing up, seeing the church empty and not being used 24/7 I just thought, 'This is not good, so we will never do this.'”Snook, whose father was a pastor, grew up spiritually and as a young pastor in the Calvary Chapel (Chuck Smith founder) system of doing church. In 1987, before “small groups” became mainstream, and before Starbucks even surfaced, he said had a vision of gatherings “almost like fires” for discipleship and mutual entrepreneurial growth in coffee shop-style settings in the Los Angeles basin, including Downtown L.A., Malibu, and the hills of Hollywood.He said it’s difficult for churches and many Christians to grasp the concept of going beyond Sunday worship services in the form he’s talking about. “They love the idea, but it’s hard for them. I think there’s an intimidation or something,” he said.When asked about how a co-lab workspace used for businesses such as start-ups and creatives inside the church walls fits in biblically, Snook explains, “A number of years ago, I began asking this question, ‘What is the church, really?’ Not just what’s just been handed down but what is the church and how does it operate practically.“When I was a young guy, I was somewhat idealistic and I looked at [Apostle] Paul’s picture of the church like a body or like a temple that had a foundation that was already laid, Jesus Christ being the cornerstone… that it’s being built not on only the Apostles and Prophets, but we, as in second Peter, are like living stones built into the spiritual house that God dwells.”He said he would read other parts of the Bible that would illustrate the church as the body of Christ and that the different parts would work together.“There’s an element of collaboration that has to come about,” Snook continued. “There’s a picture of Christ being manifest through His body. He has a unified body and every part has to function. The Holy Spirit is the administrator. So, in the same way, we asked what would that look like practically. We started looking at how is the church operating in the marketplace? That’s when we started finding out that someone was like hands, someone was like feet, some were more like the voices, and some were like the ears.“For us it was realizing that like in Nehemiah's time everyone was building the wall, and everyone had this place, and we had to learn to work together.”Snook said that once the vision of collaboration started catching on at his church, people started coming together to use each other’s talents. Instead of first going outside the church for help in the workplace, he said that members first started looking inside the church “with people we already have a relationship with.”His vision of the coffee houses in the Los Angeles area came in a series of dreams over seven to ten days in 1987, he said.

Before Metro Cafe

“I saw these gathering places up close [in my dreams] and I realized that this was the church. This is what we’ve been praying for,” he described. “I knew there was coffee there, and I saw these espresso machines.”He said he didn’t quite understand all of the dreams, but there were panel discussions and forums. “I saw [these gatherings] in key places that were more of the hubs of the region. For me, I had a vision to walk out (move forward slowly). It was confirmed to me. We started with small groups, kind of a new picture of what the church was supposed to be. At the time, there were mostly community groups. We just started walking it out.”Snook said that he and his wife started a coffee shop within a vintage boutique in Santa Monica shortly after his dreams with the idea that this would be a way to “show Jesus up close.” The space included comedy nights, “Philosopher's Cafe” evenings, and events for children alongside their parents.“We had the cool coffee house going with all these events, including an alpha course (introduction to Christianity),” he said. Snook’s ministry and church have had several different locations, looks, and style of operation over the years. Metropolis appears to be the culmination of “walking out” what God has planned for Snook and this group of believers.“The work we are doing right now at Metropolis we believe is a business model, it’s a ministry model, it’s whatever model you want to talk about that other church planters could follow,” he said. “This is a city of dreamers, and a lot of people within the church want to do great things for God, but to walk it out means that you are going to have to pay the price… means that you may have to put ‘everything I am’ into this.”Rodrigo Robles, who is on the church staff, said that one way to describe what’s happening at Metropolis is like this: “We have a space, which we are very fortunate to have, that is more than a building. It’s an organism and it has life,” he said, adding that it’s not a dormant facility.“Metropolis for me, and what I hope it becomes for our community is a kind of park-like setting that’s accessible throughout the whole week,” Robles said. “I hope it becomes a place where there’s life seven days a week. I hope it becomes a place where people feel free to come inside and read a book, to go outside and get some sun, grab a coffee and a bag of chips with their friends.“I hope it becomes a house of hospitality, and through that, people can begin to question ‘How is this so?’ and ‘Why are people so nice here?’ and then we can share why, which [the answer] is Jesus. It’s an opportunity to breathe life into a corner of this awesome city every single day in some way, shape or form every single day in Christ.”[gallery type="slideshow" link="none" size="large" ids="1890,1854,1898,1921,1922,1894"]Photos by John Fredericks/Together LA.--------------------------------------

Ignite LA Men's Conference from Every Man Ministries on Vimeo.

Is Planting More Small Churches Greater Than Building Megachurches?

How did the church of Jesus grow for the first 1900+ years of its existence without any megachurches around?That’s how long it took for the first megachurches to appear on the landscape. They’re the new kid on the church block. Until the middle of the 20th century, the relentless growth of the church moved forward, not through growing bigger churches, but almost exclusively through the multiplication of smaller congregations. And that’s where most of the growth of the church still happens today.[ictt-tweet-inline hashtags="" via=""]Planting more small churches may be a greater tool for growing the church than building larger congregations.[/ictt-tweet-inline]In spite of this truth, there are those who insist that a healthy congregation will always increase numerically and that there’s something inherently wrong with a church that stays small – no matter what the reason.Indeed, many in the church growth movement focus almost entirely on growing individual congregations bigger. Supporting and strengthening healthy smaller congregations has taken a distant second place – if it’s considered at all.But there have been many church movements throughout history – and many today – that foster smaller congregations, including house churches. They channel their growth with great skill and intentionality through the multiplication of more congregations, rather than bigger ones.There are some strong stats showing that planting more small churches may be a greater tool for growing the church than building larger congregations.

Celebrate The Success, Support The Hurting

I’m glad for the recent appearance of megachurches and the church growth movement. The church growth movement has introduced or reinvigorated some much-needed principles that much of the church had all but forgotten, including the reminder that we must never settle for less.But it’s ignorant, hurtful and counterproductive to say that if a church is staying small, there must necessarily be something wrong with it. Just as it’s wrong to criticize bigger and megachurches merely because they’re big.Instead, let’s encourage, support and resource healthy churches of all sizes. The ones being planted, the ones that have existed for generations, and the ones that are hanging on for dear life.It’s hard to say we love the church when we ignore, discourage or belittle its weakest members.Real church growth doesn’t just support and celebrate our big, recent, but rare success stories – as great as those may be. Real church growth helps hurting churches, restores broken communities and celebrates the vast array small successes, too.This article first appeared on ChristianityToday.com. Used in its entirety by permission of author to republish.

READ Backyard BBQ Evangelism: True Story Of Outside-The-Church-Walls Ministry

Urban Ministry, Church Planting Leaders Answer the ‘What Can I Do?’ Question

Simply discussing the problems and issues facing America today, even from a Christian perspective, is not enough, said the leaders of two national organizations that recently announced a partnership to plant churches in Los Angeles, New York, and everywhere in between.“We really don’t have to look much farther than social media and news outlets [to see] everything going on in our culture — the racism, the injustice…,” said Jeff Bennett, who is a Stadia executive for its U.S. Church Planting and South Region divisions. “We can talk about the injustices, we can talk about the discouragement we feel, or we could do something.”Stadia, a church planting resource that has helped “hundreds of great leaders start new churches,” and World Impact, a ministry that “empowers the urban poor and incarcerated” recently held a “vision trip” in Los Angeles where Bennett along with World Impact National Director Bob Engel spoke to TogetherLA.net about the partnership.They said that church planting, urban outreach and discipleship are action steps and answers to the questions many people in America are now asking in a tension filled, politically charged country. Prayer is an essential part, but not the only part, they said.Bennett said he believes that currently many people are often asking, “What can I do? How can we impact culture? How can we change some of the things that just disgust us that are going on today? Is there something our churches can do?”He followed the list of questions by saying that almost every American church is within 20 minutes of an urban, under-resourced community.“There are people living in those communities who maybe your church isn’t going to reach, but that doesn’t take away the responsibility off of you to get the gospel out there,” Bennett said. “You’ve got great organizations like World Impact who are training up leaders who live in these communities, to go go back to these communities and reach their neighbors but they need our help. There are very practical things we can do, the church can do to make an impact in these communities. When we start to do that, that’s when we see culture change and communities change.”When asked about the significance of the partnership, Engel said, “Souls. That’s always the first thing I think about. Souls are eternal, and yes, there are a lot of needs in the city. We do believe, first of all, that the church of the living God comes together and they’ve been given a steward of the gospel.“The gospel becomes a power to transform someone from the inside,” he explained. “That transformation then brings them into community — we plant churches — that community then has been given the keys of the kingdom of God. Then, ultimately I believe, Stadia believes [that] true transformation is going to come when people are changed from the inside, gathered together as God’s people and then begin to use their gifts to transform their community around them.”Engel said the partnership between Stadia and World Impact is “very critical if you just think about the kingdom of God.”“The kingdom is churches, God’s people coming together to advance and expand His kingdom — can’t do it separately, you need to do it together — and so Stadia is so committed to God’s kingdom, planting churches, people coming to Christ, being discipled…,” he said. “That’s who we are amongst the urban poor and under-resourced communities and so it’s a beautiful marriage.“When we think of LA together we also think of Stadia and World Impact together. We need to come together to move God’s kingdom forward.”

Stadia and World Impact Offer Urban Church Planting Vision Trips To LA, NYC

The national and global church-planting group, Stadia, wants to give Christian leaders and potential leaders "a front row view of urban church planting in action" at vision trips planned for Los Angeles (Aug. 15-17) and New York City (Sept. 19-21)."Come spend time with us and World Impact as we experience what God is doing through new urban churches," Stadia's Urban Church Planting Vision Trips organizers said. "Get an up-close perspective of how the partnership works and how you can join us."Stadia and World Impact said they are making the trips as accessible as possible by offering two options, one on each coast."We’ll cover your food and accommodations; you’ll just need to get yourself there," they said."During these Urban Church Planting Vision Trips you will get to know World Impact church planters as well as Bob Engel, National Director of Church Planting for World Impact" and "spend time learning how God is using Stadia and World Impact to reach under-resourced cities."Organizers plan for those attending to walk the communities where Stadia and World Impact will be planting future urban churches."From One World Trade Center (NYC) and Griffith Observatory (LA), you’ll hear World Impact and Stadia’s vision to transform urban poor communities for Christ,'" they said.

Every Child Has a Church

Stadia states that it has had "the honor of helping hundreds of great leaders start new churches.""With these leaders, we share a passionate desire to see a world where every child will experience the love of Jesus Christ through local church," the organization states on its website.In the trips announcements, Stadia asks, "Are you a leader who is ready to invest in the next generation through church planting? Do you know someone who is?"Stadia is ready to help! Because we won’t stop … until Every Child Has a Church."To learn more about the vision trips and to register click here.

World Impact’s Urban Church Assoc Develops Trust and Unity

Church Planting: The 4 C's of Connection

Collaboration is a buzz word. Cooperation is all the rage, especially among millennials. Collaboraton can be fun. Cooperation is necessary to get certain things done, especially in the church planting world.Here are what I believe to be the four "C’s" of “Connection in Church Planting.” They also apply in every collaborative effort. I’ve certainly adapted and adopted these ideas from many other sources. The fact that I cannot correctly attribute them is one of the issues with collaboration.Each "C" is a step on a scale towards complexity, with corresponding potential greater risk and reward. Communication and coordination must increase for progression.1. CompetitionAre we working toward the same end? Does blowing out your candle cause mine to burn brighter? Is it a zero-sum game where for me to win you must lose? Some things are rightfully competitive. Kingdom Expansion and Church Multiplication are not about competition. Our friends at New Thing Network talk about the four "A’s" of Movement: Awareness, Agreement, Alignment, and Accountability. New churches are not competition for one another or existing churches. We need to agree on this before we can align any further.2. ComplementEvery person and organization has a mission, a purpose or objective that drives them. Our missions are like fires we’ve been entrusted to tend. We can add fuel to another’s fire based on our expertise, abundance, and Kingdom-mindedness. Complementing another mission may not cost much and it does not mean integration. In fact, complementary efforts involve strategic alignment versus redundancy where we recognize the value of another person’s work and where we help them do what they do best. To complement is to add value without any reciprocation; it is a gift.3. CooperateThoughtfully and intentionally aligning two or more fires can mean situating them closer together so they collectively are more visible, or spacing them out so they can light a longer path. Strategic proximity requires increased communication and coordination, but it still does not necessitate integration. For example, when Stadia helps churches host Church Planting Residencies, we encourage them to cooperate by bringing residents together for strategically shared learning but not to collaborate by sharing or swapping residents. Cooperation is alignment in the same direction without intersection, like rails. It does not even require alignment on distance (where) or speed (when), cooperation is about the way (how).4. CollaborateThe high point of connection involves at least some integration of effort and it often requires resources. This is painfully difficult and often why collaboration breaks down early on. Progressing from the relatively low bar of recognizing we are not in competition to the high bar of integration is facilitated by complementary and cooperative intermediary steps. Collaboration involves continual and mutual re-prioritization of the mission. Integration reduces redundancy. It is about stewardship, yet it is often initially inefficient. Time and continual realignment prove collaboration is most effective for long-term initiatives. Ego is the enemy of collaboration.Trust is the foundation collaboration is built upon. It is developed as we endeavor and experiment openhandedly, as we make adjustments and are graciously moving through stages together. This process can only be expedited through shared liminal experiences. More often it takes time, and in either case, it can be painful. I am convinced collaboration is worth the cost. Nothing is more God-honoring or Kingdom-minded than believers working together. Jesus prayed for collaboration in John 17, asking his Father that his followers would be unified so that the world would know God’s love. What else is worth collaborating for?Are you ready to start your church planting journey? Stadia is ready to help. START HERE.Nathan “Chivo” HawkinsStadia’s West Regional ExecutiveAs West Regional Executive, Nathan implements Stadia’s overall strategy in the western U.S., focusing on partner development, U.S. church planting, global church planting and Stadia advancement. Before coming to Stadia, Nathan played a key role in our Global Church Planting strategy as a Compassion International Church Relations Director. He also has first-hand U.S. church planting experience, having led in a church plant re-launch in post-Katrina New Orleans . As an adoptee and adoptive father, Nathan is passionate about children who come from difficult backgrounds. Originally from inner-city Minneapolis, Nathan grew up in a Christian home in a culturally diverse environment. After completing his bachelor’s degree in Minnesota, working in sports broadcasting and spending all his free time rock climbing, he hungered for greater purpose. He served a church in Juarez, Mexico for a year and a half, which led him to seminary, where he caught the church planting bug. Nathan and his wife Joy have three young children: Benicio, Taegen and Grace. The Hawkins are a family that welcomes foster children and love connecting with the local church.

Racial and Class Division: What Have We Learned?

I can still remember seeing the news footage of white truck driver, Reginald Denny being pulled from his semi-trailer and beaten by a group of African American men in the street at Florence and Normandie in Los Angeles.This seemed to me at the time a horrific conclusion to the news footage about a year earlier of the vicious beating of an African American man named Rodney King by Los Angeles Police Officers. The 1992 LA Riots were a reaction to the not guilty verdicts of the officers on trial for beating Rodney King. The beatings of Rodney King and Reginald Denny became tragic symbols of racial tensions that some thought had been dealt with during the Civil Rights Movement. Our nation would learn in 1992 that we were nowhere close to truly living out the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [ictt-tweet-inline via=""]The church still today at even greater levels must be a force of transformative truth, new life, reconciliation, justice, and empowering love.[/ictt-tweet-inline] In the Spring of 1992, I was a senior in college at Saint John’s University in Central Minnesota. This was also a time of discovery for me. During this time I had a real sense of being called to ministry. I discovered a strong passion for racial reconciliation. During my junior and senior years in college I watched the Civil Rights Documentary Eyes on the Prize multiple times. It took time to digest this original PBS series that spanned the key moments in the African American struggle for equality between the mid 1950s to the early 1970s.As I watched the news footage of the 1992 LA Riots from my college dorm room, I began to wonder how far we had really come in this nation when it came to race. I also sensed a call to play some role in being a reconciler and transformer within the racial divide in a meaningful way. The writings of theologian J. Deotis Roberts would provide a biblical foundation for me in understanding both liberation and reconciliation as central to the work of Christ.While in seminary working on a Master’s degree in theology, I would wrestle deeply with the writings and sermons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Still to this day, I don’t believe that violent riots are the answer to racial injustice. I also don’t believe that colorblind conservative commentary is the answer to violent riots.I believe that ultimately, the transformative work of advancing God’s Kingdom in a diverse yet deeply divided mission field is the way forward. A holistic and biblical understanding of missions can bring evangelism, discipleship, leadership development, church development, and Christ-centered justice to bear upon the racial and class division which still exist today. This is why World Impact exists to empower urban indigenous Christian leaders today.World Impact as an urban missions organization was originally birthed during the Watts Riots of 1965 (pictured) and was given even greater clarity of mission and purpose during the LA Riots of 1992.In the last couple of years we have once again seen protests and riots in cities all across this country. The cries and even the unfortunate violent acts of some of the poor, marginalized, and oppressed among us is a continual call to the Church to remember its true mission in alignment with the public ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ.The church still today at even greater levels must be a force of transformative truth, new life, reconciliation, justice, and empowering love. Where there is violence and riots, there must be love, redemption, empowerment, and transformation.The above commentary was originally published at WorldImpact.org.Efrem Smith is the President and CEO of World Impact, a Christian missions organization committed to the church-planting movement in the inner city. 

Global Church Planter's Vision to Reach Millennials Begins in Downtown LA

Pastor and church planter Jimmie Davidson wants to help millennials get over the whole "church thing" which apparently, for whatever reasons and according to recent stats, is causing a mass exodus from traditional Sunday services.Davidson is the visionary behind TheBrooks.Church, designed to help people who are accustomed to watching church services through the Internet or on TV “become people with a church” wherever they meet.He is aiming high, hoping for a billion global “gatherings” that meet at coffee shops, workplaces, and homes. While Davidson seems to be always thinking globally, his thoughts and prayers most recently have focused in on establishing a home base in Downtown Los Angeles."Lori (his wife) and I are in downtown LA preparing to launch The Brooks as a base to love this city, as a model for the world, as the launching point for the churches we pray to start Internationally," Davidson said.  "This will only be won through prayer, so we are asking you to pray!"His launch team has grown to 18 people over the past few months while "we expect the 300!""Our focus right now is community service projects to love our neighbors.  Those early adopters and pioneers of the faith who God is sending are largely from the arts, including actors living in the city," he said.Plans are for Easter Sunday to be the first service for The Brooks.  After Easter, monthly services are planned for May, June, July, August and September, and the launch of weekly services in October.Leading up to the Easter service, Davidson said he plans to begin a weekly message this Sunday (Feb. 26) titled “You Are The One” which he hopes will help people discover their calling, "their voice for God’s purpose in Life."“We are trying to bring the church where the church doesn’t exist as we raise up people that are not in the game, not using their talents, they are more spectators, and help them be a part of what Christ is doing all over the world,” said Davidson, whose bio includes the descriptor “Great Commission Strategist.”“One billion people mobilized, awakened, to host His church where they live, whatever space they have. It’s about His movement, it’s like streams of the desert, Isaiah 43:18-19. It’s the ultimate seeker-sensitive movement,” he said.“Forget the former things, I’m doing something new, like streams in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19Davidson told me that the timeline for reaching the 1 billion host milestone is not up to him, it’s “up to God.” Even so, it appears Davidson is well-equipped to lead and launch TheBrooks.Church at a time when one-third of millennials say they are unaffiliated with any faith, according to a Pew study released last year and other studies released this year.Davidson’s church planting experience includes starting Highlands Fellowship Church in Virginia which grew from a small group study of family and friends to 4,000 people in attendance and multiple sites. He is the founder of the Global Glory of God PEACE House where over 300 international business leaders and pastors have been trained from over 70 nations, “touching tens of millions of lives.”He was also a contributing author of the book, Multi-site Churches: Guidance for the Movement’s Next Generation, by Scott McConnell.“During the process” of his ministry work, as Davidson describes it, Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren asked him to lead the church’s global campus launches. Three years ago, after several months of prayer, he joined Warren’s team and became a PEACE Pastor overseeing all global missions including a staff of over 35 as well as thousands of volunteers in carrying out the PEACE Plan which includes “Planting Churches, Equipping Servant Leaders, Assisting the Poor, Caring for the Sick and Educating the Next Generation.”“Two years ago, we [Saddleback] launched three global campuses on three continents in two weeks – Hong Kong, Berlin, and Buenos Aires and then the following year, in the summer, during a hurricane, we launched Manilla,” Davidson said. “All of that had led to [the] innovative idea that I’m working on. God has wired me up to be an entrepreneur with an apostolic calling – how do I reach the people who are not being reached.”He says the vision for TheBrooks.Church is to “launch churches all over the planet through ordinary followers of Jesus, using 21st century technology, the Internet, where 3 billion people are online, with the 1st century idea that Jesus gave us when he said, ‘I will build my gathering and the gates of hell will not prevail against me.’”...or a trending millennials downward outlook.He added, “The gospel is meant to be seen up close. The online launch can be a little bit misleading because we are using that as a tool, as a platform, but the heart of what we are doing is what the Lord said, ‘Do not forsake the gathering of your souls together.' Jesus said if two or three of you meet in my name it will be done by my Father. There’s something powerful about people following Jesus gathering, others gathering, God showing up and needs being met.”Perhaps millennials, saved and unsaved, will begin to look at church in a new way.

The Brooks Church: Jimmie Davidson Launches Church Movement from One Ten Pictures on Vimeo.

.@JimmieDavidson wants to help millennials get over the whole “church thing” https://t.co/w1at39Ih4y #losangeles @together_la

— Alex Murashko (@AlexMurashko) February 20, 2017

D. A. Horton on Reach Fellowship; What Is the FABRIC For Los Angeles?

Together LA had the opportunity to catch D.A. Horton of Reach Fellowship at the recent Send Conference as he opened the two-day event during the first session and we wanted to share something about his ministry. The Send Conference was hosted by the North American Mission Board in Long Beach, California.Horton and his family relocated to California to plant Reach Fellowship in south Los Angeles County. D.A. was sent out by the Summit Network after he completed his residency at Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina. He has served as an urban church planter/pastor in Kansas City, Missouri, for nearly six years, a National Coordinator of Urban Student Ministries, the Urban Initiatives Team at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the Executive Director at ReachLife Ministries, the non-profit arm of Reach Records. He earned his bachelor of science in Biblical Studies from Calvary Bible College, his master's degree in Christian Studies from Calvary Theological Seminary and is currently working on his doctorate in Applied Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.Reach Fellowship's launch team meets weekly at a local community center in the 90805 for vision, prayer, and fellowship, as they look to launch in 2017, according to the website. Horton and his team are currently inviting others to join and/or support them.We found Reach Fellowship's plan (below) for South Los Angeles County inspiring and useful.

South Los Angeles County needs gospel-centered, multi-ethnic, cultural, and generational led churches that model for their people long-lasting engagement as they intersect in the Six Avenues (F.A.B.R.I.C.) of life while mobilizing their people to do the same.FAMILY – Our homes are the first place of ministry and will mirror Ephesians 5:22-6:4 which then will lead our entire fellowship to practice familial interdependence.AUTHORITY (SCRIPTURE & GOVERNMENT) – Our rule of faith & practice the Bible, commands we pray and respect our national, state and local leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-6).BUSINESS – Our money will be stewarded for God’s glory as it’s shared with those in need (Philippians 4:10-20) as we teach them principles of biblical stewardship.RELIGION – Our hearts will be filled compassion (Matthew 9:35-38) when we give reasonable responses for the hope we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:13-17) when our evangelistic efforts are opposed.INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING & REHABILITATION – Our time will be spent volunteering/working educational and correctional systems in order to see the gospel reach the lost (Romans 10:9-17).CULTURE (ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT) – Our focus will be to assess the culture’s beliefs, language, and practices and filter them through Scripture before identifying ways to engage with the lost in our city (Acts 17:16-34 & 1 Thessalonians 2:8).

Photo: Courtesy of North American Mission Board.