:: AIP#10 - One church; many locations (BEING the church, part 2) ::

I hope the previous post sufficiently explained the basis for building a "different" kind of church! If you didn't read it please do, so you have a framework as you come to this one. This entry and the next one will explain more of how that will look, as we strive to be "one church in many locations, living as communities on mission and coming together to celebrate." [*And as a super special bonus for design geeks and folks who like symbolism and whatnot, you get to see how our logo is a visual representation for what we're doing]

One Church
The local church is called to be a unified community - less an institution or an event and more a people or a family. First and foremost, we have one LORD and Savior in Christ. We have one shared mission and vision we're working to accomplish together. We have one set of values we strive to live out. We have one strong, unified leadership team. We have shared experiences; shared goals; shared lives. We are one community, pressing together toward the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth.

In Many Locations
If that unified local church body gathers in one place, for one hour each week, there's only one group of neighbors to love and one area of our city to carry out mission (if mission actually happens at all!). What if, instead of gathering in one place every week, the primary venue for church life happened in intentional communities meeting in homes, coffee shops, and bars/pubs in strategic parts of the city? Then we would have multiple sets of neighbors to love and serve, and every Village has a "focus area" of Fort Worth to engage and restore! So The City Church will be one church, in many locations. Because they'll meet in various neighborhoods across Fort Worth, we're calling these communities "Villages." These Villages are the regular, weekly gatherings of The City Church. Why? Because that's how the early church - the body of Christ established by the apostles - carried out life in Scripture.

Why did we choose the name "Village" for these regular gatherings of the church? First, they'll be labeled geographically, so each Village will be invested in a specific area of Fort Worth: as we move together toward downtown Fort Worth, there might be a Ridglea Village meeting a few miles away from the 7th Street Village, which meets a few hundred yards away from the Sundance Village, etc. Second, the name "Village" flows well with the imagery of The City Church: dictionary.com defines a village as "a small community or group of houses... usually smaller than a town, and sometimes (as in parts of the U.S.) incorporated as a municipality" and/or as " the inhabitants of such a community collectively." Villages are about true community; they're about people; they're about shared values. They're smaller gatherings of people living out one mission and one vision in a specific area of Fort Worth!

So that's what it means to be "one church in many locations." The next logical questions are "what will this one church in many locations do?" "What does a Village look like?" "Is there ever a collective gathering of the church or is it always and only in homes?" and so forth. Tomorrow's blogumentary entry will answer those questions as I explain the second half of our vision: "living as communities on mission and coming together to celebrate." But the answer to the last question is yes, we'll gather regularly for worship, teaching, and celebration - but that will never become "church" per se... Check back tomorrow for more.

**In closing, I'd like to invite you to dive deeper into The City Church with us as we host a Vision/Brainstorming Dinner, next Sunday, July 19, 6pm at Matt and Angie Hudson's home. This is a no-commitment dinner; even if you're just intrigued or curious, come enjoy free food, get to know folks, ask questions, and hear a little more about what we're doing. Full details here, and PLEASE let us know you're coming so we can have enough food! And if you can't make this first one, we'll have another V/B Dinner Aug 23. Thanks all, for following along on this exciting journey, and for your kind words and prayers. Have a great week!**

:: AIP#9 - BEING the Church (part 1) ::

Today’s post is long, but important: it begins to answer the question, “what will this ‘different’ church look like?”

One of the first things I tried to communicate in the first “adventure” of this blog is that the basis for this new church community stemmed from the question, “what would it look like if Christians in the heart of Fort Worth LIVED AS the church, instead of just GOING TO a church?” A closely-related question that quickly followed that one was this: “if we had no preconceived ideas about what the church looks like (which we all do), and if were to start a church with only the Bible as our guide (which it should be!), what would that church look like?”

As we scoured scripture to answer that question, we realized a few things:

• The mission of the church is the mission of God: as God sent Jesus into the world, so we exist as a community, seeking the redemption of God’s people as he sends us into the world as well (Matt 28:18-20; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 1Pet 2:9).
• The early church was less a “formal institution” meeting weekly for an hour, and more a people living out their faith and values in daily life, gathering regularly in homes and public places, working together toward God’s mission (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37; 5:42; James 1:22-25).
• While there was strong leadership, there wasn’t a model of “clergy” doing work, which “lay people” received – every person worked for the good of the church’s mission (Rom 12:4-8; 1Cor 12; Pet 4:10; 2Tim 2:1-2; 40 “one another” passages in NT).
• The early church trained their people and sent them into ministry, so the church could live on God’s mission together (Eph 4:11-16; Rom 12:1-2; 1Ths 5:11-22; Heb 3:13).
• The gospel is not just a one-time “switch” from (whatever) to Jesus, but the life of God flowing into and transforming every aspect of our lives (Rom 12:1-2, 9-21; Eph 4:17-32; Php 2:12-13; 1Pet 1:14-16).

We found that the church of the Bible looks very different from our 21st-century, American model of institutional, formal “church!” In fact, as Hugh Halter and Matt Smay explain in their book, The Tangible Kingdom, “church” started looking like the model we’re familiar with, not with Christ or the apostles, but around the time Constantine legalized Christianity and “furthered [its] institutionalization” in the Roman empire (p.50-56):

“The easiest way to envision the pre-Constantine church is as a fringe movement. Although the early Greek, Jewish, and Gentile Christians were deeply embedded in the culture the day, and were pushed outside of what was considered ‘normal’ simply because they lived such radical lives of love and sacrifice and service… Yet at the same time the church was intriguing and inviting to those who watched them live out their communal faith… This ancient church literally turned entire cities upside down. Its members had incredible influence on the culture…

“Seventeen hundred years later, we’re still entrenched in Constantine’s Christendom way of church. Church is the place you go, and commoners don’t have to do too much in the way of mission because the paid pros do it for them. We show up at church to get what we want (which is feeding from a leader, not what we need (to feed ourselves and others). And if we don’t get what we want, we head to the basilica next door because that chaplain is better at giving us what we want… Basically, we’re just playing musical pews…”

If we follow the modern model, we’d likely find ourselves fighting for the same 15-20% of the population already involved with other great churches in our city – that’s not what we want to be about! So we realized that there’s something intriguing about returning to our roots, “being the church” in a different way – not just to be different, but because we think this return is necessary for the mission of God and the 80+% of folks who don’t resonate with existing models.

So what’s that mean on a day-to-day basis? While we’ll build out the DNA together, I’ll explain the skeleton structure of The City in the next couple posts. As a preview though, here’s who we are: “one church in many locations, living as communities on mission and coming together to celebrate.”

:: AIP#8 - Why Fort Worth? (part 2) ::

Yesterday I started answering the question "why start a church in Fort Worth?" The first reason is that Fort Worth is experiencing huge growth, and people need Jesus! It's a great, strategic city! Plus, we love Fort Worth (except the August heat); it offers a great arts culture, a strong economy and job base prompting growth, and a substantial college-aged population, including TCU, TCC, and Texas Wesleyan. Fort Worth is our home. And a huge need for a city-loving church exists right here.

At the same time, our great, growing, thriving city is broken. Here are a few examples*:

• 20,000 refugees from 45 different ethnicities live in Fort Worth.
• 8,000 people in Fort Worth need nursing home care but are unable to afford it.
• 4,000-5,000 people are homeless in Tarrant County (61% of those are women and children).
• At least 17 strip clubs operate in Fort Worth, plus at least one prostitution ring, employing hundreds of women in the sex industry.
• The Fort Worth Federal Correctional Institution holds 1,815 inmates, plus we have four major jails, one juvenile center, and numerous half-way houses.
• 1 of every 6 males and 1 of every 4 females in Fort Worth are sexually abused before age 18.
• 200-300 gangs exist in Fort Worth, which together have 5,000-6,000 members.
  

Bottom line, Fort Worth needs another church because God has been on a mission for all of history, redeeming his people back to Himself. And he does this, in part, through the church. There are broken, hurting people who need the gospel, and who need to be restored to their Creator. And there are more of them moving here every day.

So the next logical question is "how is The City Church going to work for God's mission in the city?" Or, "what will make this church 'different'?" The answer lies in BEING the church, not just GOING to church. And that's where we're headed in the next post.

[*email me if you want stat references]

:: AIP#7 - Why Fort Worth? (part 1) ::

One question we've heard over the past couple months is "why start a church in Fort Worth?" It's a good question, and the answers came as a bit of a surprise to ourselves as well!

When we started exploring the world of church planting, “strategic cities” emerged as a recurring key term. Culture is created, populations are dense, and diversity thrives in cities. Cities are the most strategic place for the gospel. So we pulled out the U.S. map and looked for a growing city where people need Jesus. We were fairly open to go anywhere (we love the mountains, so of course we thought we’d land in Denver!), but as we researched and prayed, we discovered we already live in the perfect location*:

• Fort Worth is the fastest growing large city (pop. 500,000+) in the U.S., with a population increase of 25% between 2000 and 2007.
• In 2008 Fort Worth’s population passed the 700,000 mark, and is projected to reach over one million by 2030.
• The average U.S. church size is about 250 people. Just to keep up with the population growth over the past eight years, Fort Worth would need 600 new churches!
• The DFW metroplex is the second-fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S, with a projected population of 10.1 million by 2040 (in 2000, it was only 5.2 million).
• 74% of people in the DFW metroplex do not attend church on Sundays, and in Fort Worth, only 52% affiliate themselves with any religion.
• Only 25% of churches are located in urban settings, like downtown Fort Worth.
• Over 5,000 new living units are currently being built along the West 7th St. corridor into downtown Fort Worth/Sundance Square, with another 5,000+ units planned northeast of downtown. A total of over 10,000 new living units are headed downtown, whose target audience is post-college single and young married professionals.
• Excluding this growth, over 80,000 people live within three miles of downtown Fort Worth, with a minimal presence of evangelical, Bible-preaching churches.

Fort Worth is among the most strategic cities in the nation right now! But this great city doesn't come without its own issues - there are even more reasons why Fort Worth needs a city-loving church, and those reasons are coming tomorrow.

[*email me if you want stat references]

:: AIP#6 - Coming Up: Vision Dinner + Facebook Group! ::

Just a heads up, and a couple things for which we'd like to ask your help in spreading the word:

1. Vision Dinner - July 19, 6pm
Join us for free dinner, as we share the vision for The City Church and get your feedback and ideas. This is a NO-COMMITMENT evening; we're just hoping to spend some time together with anyone interested, as we refine our vision for a new church community living for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth.

Childcare will not be available, but we believe the church is more a family and a people than an institution or event, so we invite you to bring your kids with you - we plan to be done at about 7:30. Holler with questions; thanks in advance for your interest and prayers as we begin this journey together!

**WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE TO EXPECT, SO PLEASE RSVP TO LET US KNOW YOU'RE COMING, SO WE CAN HAVE ENOUGH FOOD AND MATERIALS. (either email ben@fwcitychurch.org or RSVP at our new facebook group) THANKS!**

2. The City Church Facebook Group
We're on Facebook! We formed a group, not a fan page, because in a group, you're a part of something; you're invested and involved; you're part of the "body" - to be a "fan" of something, you're a little removed from it; you admire it from afar (like a band or an athlete). The church isn't something to be a fan of; it's something to jump into, serve, give yourself to, and be involved with. Maybe we put way too much thought and theology into choosing our group : ), but either way, head over to Facebook and search for "The City Church [Fort Worth]"! We'll be updating it regularly, posting events, links, thoughts, etc.

Thanks for reading this update. Again, please help us spread the news about what we're doing, for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth! Thanks!

:: AIP#5 - How the Journey Started (part 3) ::

Hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July weekend! I'll begin this week by wrapping up our journey up to this point. Last week I explained some of how God's been prepping us for this for years, and last summer's phone call which launched us into this world. Beginning September 2009, we found ourselves in a whirlwind of activity, all of which has helped us get to this upcoming launch of The City Church.

Assessments
After much thought, prayer, conversation, and seeking wisdom and prayers from others, Jess and I went to Austin in September and interviewed with the folks in charge of the church planting residency. Over the following weeks we were very affirmed from every direction - friends, family, and the folks in Austin all felt good about taking the next step.

That next step was entering the world of Acts 29 church planting network, for further assessment. Just to get to the face-to-face assessment interview, we went through a 15-step process, including everything from questions about Jess and my testimony and call, our marriage and family, theology, strategy, two personality tests, and preaching sample, and more - and that was just phase one! It literally took a month and 35 typed pages to complete. But it ended with a three-day "boot camp" in November, where for two days, Acts 29 leaders (Mark Driscoll, Darrin Patrick, Matt Chandler, Matt Carter, JR Vassar, Jonathan Dodson, and others) encouraged and exhorted potential planters and shared the vision for the network. The third day, Jess and I were officially assessed by pastors Barry Keldie, Thomas Young, and David Pinckney, and with very encouraging words, were officially approved as planters in the Acts 29 network [note: as of this week, we'll be up on their "candidate map"].

As a sidenote, one thing I came to hugely appreciate about both Austin and Acts 29 through the application process was the thoroughness and intensity of the assessment: they are NOT a network that lets any “Joe Blow” walk in off the streets, lending him their support and name just because they want to start a new church: their caution, care, discernment, and pastoral heart in the entire process gave me a ton of respect for this organization, and the assessment was affirming, challenging, and exhorting as we move into this world of planting.

Leaving
The second thing that had to happen over the past few months was getting us from staff at Trinity Chapel to a place where we could focus full-time on the next steps God had for us. Having been ordained in September 2008, I informed the elders and church leadership of our (at that time) potential plans and asked for their prayers and affirmations. Then Jess and I began praying that God would make very clear whether he would have us stay at Trinity Chapel for awhile or leave to begin this pursuit. To make a long story short, God made it very clear indeed that it was time for us to go, and as much as we didn't understand some of the circumstances surrounding our leave at the time, it has become very clear since then that God's hands have been all over this, and in May 2009, one chapter of our lives closed as almost immediately, another opened.

Arriving
Within two weeks of our last day at Trinity Chapel, we had been in touch with three different churches and three church planting organizations, who are all interested in supporting The City Church, sending us with funding and coaching into this endeavor. Some of them made comments like "we're talking at the perfect time" and "we've been hoping for this to happen for three years" - it was clear that we were in the right place. Due to the economy, doors shut at the Austin church planting residency, but as one church planting pastor asked me, "would you just go to Austin because you know it would be safe? You've planted a church - you have that experience already." So with two doors shut (Trinity Chapel and Austin), and MANY affirming circumstances pointing us toward the third option, we again prayed, fasted, sought advice and wisdom, and began work on planting a new church in Fort Worth.

So here we are! That's the journey to this point - along the way, we considered leaving the state; heading to the Rockies or London (crazy, we know!), looking for a "strategic city" who needs Jesus. So why did we end up staying in Fort Worth? We feel like we found exactly what we were looking for, but I'll explain that beginning tomorrow...

:: AIP#4 - How the Journey Started (part 2) ::

In yesterday's post, I began explaining the journey that's brought us to this point of planting The City Church - specifically, it started with a phone call last summer. But in reality, this is something that God has been preparing us for for years:

Even in middle and high school (and probably even earlier), I had a passion for "creating" - art; design; lots of music - I was writing songs by age 12 (Beethoven was too; I promise his were significantly better than mine!). In high school I built a couple of extracurricular organizations, and among other things in college, I joined the team for Baylor's "Welcome Week," creating a week-long experience for incoming students. At the same time, leadership was something that seemed to come naturally to me - class president from 8th grade on; student body president in high school; student government at Baylor; etc. These things seemed to excite me and just seemed to "click" - which was good, as I was never all that great at sports.

In college, these creativity and leadership collided into ministry: after leading a retreat for high school boys after my senior year of high school, I was asked to build a student ministry from nothing at a little church in a suburb of Waco (yes, a suburb of Waco!). Now I got to use my creativity and leadership as I built something for the name and glory of God! I discovered that ministry gave me passion and excitement like nothing I'd ever been involved with, so I devoted my life to it. Since then, my "niche" in ministry has revolved around these things, creating and leading: after the initial student ministry, I got to create a college ministry (I was in college at the time, so I quickly handed it off), then created and led a new all-church service at the church in Waco. When I graduated, I joined the staff at a brand new church plant in Fort Worth, where I again had the opportunity to again build out a student ministry and college ministry, as well as develop classes, seminars, Film and Theology nights, and a membership process, help with overall vision and teaching, and really learn the behind-the-scenes of how ministry can work.

I don't say any of things to brag or to create a nice little “look at Ben” moment – I know no one will remember any of them, and what I created will only last for a few years - at best for my lifetime; then they'll be replaced or lost. So, as Paul did when he listed his accomplishments, "I count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (Phil 3:8). Instead, I list them as part of the journey - to show some glimpses of the last several years, and some of the many experiences God has allowed, each of which have taught, shaped, and grown me to this point. Whether it’s creating ministries, crafting sermons, writing curriculum, experimenting with music- and song-writing, making videos, or whatever else God lets me get my hands on, he's taught me, led me, and molded me every step of the way! It’s part of who he's created me to be, and the fact that God allows me to use these passions (and I think, gifts?) for his name and his purposes is a huge and humbling honor!

To wrap up: about three years ago, I was driving into downtown Fort Worth and noticed the huge amounts of growth happening there (specifics on that in a later post). The thought crossed my mind that if new folks were moving into downtown, and if the domographics were different than most of the churches there, someone needed to start a Bible-preaching, Gospel-centered church there. I didn't think much more about it at the time, but it's been in the back of my mind ever since. Plus Jess and I share a love for adventure; a vision for what a different kind of church could look like; we continue to grow in our trust of God for provision and leadership; we have a heart for the unreached; and we love this city. So we talked about it a lot last summer, I had the great phone call mentioned in part 1, and we were propelled into the world of church planting!

My next post will explain what's happened since last summer, but since it's a holiday weekend, it will wait 'til Monday. In the meantime, hope you have a safe, fun 4th of July weekend, and as a little "holiday bonus," here's a picture of The City Church's logo. While the logo is actually a visual representation of the church's structure (which I'll explain next week), it looks very much like a firework over Fort Worth, so I figured it was the perfect time to share it, in a little "4th of July" spirit! Keep sending thoughts, questions, etc., and have a great long weekend!