Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6. Our Two-Year Vision Christ the King Presbyterian Church

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1 Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 Our Two-Year Vision Christ the King Presbyterian Church

2 Dear CtK, On behalf of the CtK leadership, I would like to invite you to join us on a new journey. We have arrived at a pivotal moment in the life of our church, and not for the first time. Back in 2003, this church nearly dissolved. But there was a group of people who said, We can t close our church. Those people fought for our church to continue. We have a chance to join those who fought for the existence of this church by fighting for the expansion of it. Our first obedient step is the We Can t initiative. We Can t is a strange title. We could have chosen something more positive, but we wanted the ability and power of God to be at the heart of what we re doing. We believe God has given us a bigger vision than any church could fulfill without depending on Him. Our theme verse for this initiative is Zechariah 4:6 CtK exists to Live, Speak, and Serve as the very Presence of Christ in downtown Raleigh. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. That verse says it all. God is calling us to trust him for big things. He s telling us to pray big prayers. We know this vision for the church has some big costs, but we thought of a bigger one: not doing this. Not swinging for the fences. Not praying big prayers. Playing house as a church. Settling for business-as-usual Christianity. Not doing this means not reaching greater Raleigh. It means settling for a veneer gospel miles wide but only inches deep. We could do that. Churches do it all the time. But we want to do something that matters. We want to join hands with the pioneers who first made a stand to keep our church going. And because of Christ, we believe that we can t really fail except by failing to risk boldly and trust deeply and sacrifice for His purposes. As our leaders considered this undertaking, there was a lot of discussion about our long-term vision and about what matters to CtK. The answers returned us, again and again, to the central mission of our church: CtK exists to Live, Speak, and Serve as the very Presence of Christ in downtown Raleigh. We believe that, through Christ alone, we can make those more than just words. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing at CtK. I pray that you will join us as we go all in on what God has planned for us next. Geoff Bradford

3 FAQ What is the We Can t initiative? What is the We Can t initiative? The We Can t initiative is a vision campaign. We are trusting God and praying for the expansion of our ministry. Our leadership believes God has given us a bigger mission than any church could fulfill on its own: to live, speak, and serve as the very presence of Christ in downtown Raleigh. For the next two years, we are asking the church to increase giving in support of this mission. Why is it called We Can t? Our theme verse for the We Can t initiative is from Zechariah 4:6 Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts. We want the ability and power of God, not us, to be at the heart of what we are doing. We are looking to God to lead, guide, and provide as we pursue a vision that is too big for us unless we depend on Him We Can t do this, but God can. Why are we doing this now? This initiative started with a facility problem: we knew we had until March 31, 2018 at West Street. We needed to plan ahead. But this is not a building campaign it s a vision campaign. Prayer and discussion among our leadership made it clear that God has so much more for CtK in the We Can t initiative than raising money for a building. He s calling us back to our very reason for existence. Our elders and deacons faced some hard questions: Does it really matter if CtK is downtown? What is our long-term vision? What matters to us as a church? Here s where we landed... back at the mission of our church: Live, Speak, Serve, Presence. The bigger challenge we have bigger than the facilities challenge is staying true to our mission and trusting God for the next chapter of CtK. We see this as a defining moment in the life of our church. CtK exists to Live, Speak, and Serve as the very Presence of Christ in downtown Raleigh. What is this going to cost? CtK currently operates on a 750,000 annual budget. Over the next two years, we would expect to spend about 1.6 million. We re trusting God to increase our budget to 2.5 million over the next two years, adding 900,000 in additional giving during that time. What are the additional funds for? We have identified four strategic areas taken straight from our mission statement that line up with our vision and represent what we believe will be giant steps forward in our ministry. The additional funds will be allocated into these four areas: Live is about church planting. We want people in Raleigh to know the Lord, to be a part of his spiritual family as disciples of Jesus, and to join in his mission through the Holy Spirit in this city he so loves. We believe that church planting is a huge priority in accomplishing that goal. We want to set apart 100,000 toward seeding our next church plant, with our next church planting resident in place by fall of Speak is about raising the next generation of believers. We want to set apart 100,000 for the hiring of staff to minister specifically to our children and youth. We want to make a significant investment in how we reach, equip, and train the next generation. Serve is about mobilizing CtK outward to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the city of Raleigh. We want to set apart 100,000 for a diaconal intern program to focus on our care team, local justice and mercy initiatives, and missions and evangelism. Presence is about committing to downtown Raleigh. Downtown Raleigh is the hub of the wheel, where all the lines cross: rich and poor, powerless and powerful. We believe that downtown is where God has called us, but this is an expensive value. We want to set apart 600,000 toward the next location for CtK. What is a one-fund initiative? We Can t is a one-fund initiative, meaning that all regular giving and special giving is combined into one unified fund. So we aren t asking for separate contributions to a second fund or for directed contributions into the four strategic areas. Rather, we re asking CtK to increase our giving over a two-year period to support this vision. What do you want me to do? Pray for CtK: to ask God to lead and guide and provide for his ministry. Change your pronouns: we want you to call this my church and our church not your church or their church. If you are not a member, now is a great time to join. Take a step in and a step up: we are praying for 100% engagement. Everyone has some part to play and something to contribute to this church and this mission. Ask God: what does he want you to be giving to your church? Pledge: Because of grace, we can make promises to one another and to his church. Would you join us in committing yourself to this initiative over the next two years?

4 CtK currently operates on a 750,000 annual budget. If we could keep doing what we re doing now, over the next two years we would spend about 1.6 million. How will the additional giving be used? TWO YEARS AT OUR CURRENT ANNUAL BUDGET 1,600,000 LIVE 100,000 LIVE is about planting churches. We want to increase our investment in church planting, adding 100,000 into our budget toward seeding our next church plant. SPEAK 100,000 SPEAK is about CtK raising the next generation. We want to add 100,000 over two years to hire staff to serve our rapidly growing children s and youth ministries. But we can t keep doing what we re doing. There is a practical reason: our lease ends in March 2018, and we will have to find a new worship space in an increasingly expensive real estate market. But there is also a spiritual reason. We believe that God has called CtK to step up and do more to live, speak, and serve as the very presence of Christ in downtown Raleigh. In the We Can t initiative, we re asking CtK to increase giving by 900,000 over the next two years to invest in our four strategic areas: Live, Speak, Serve, Presence. An initiative like this is new for CtK, and not entirely comfortable. But we hope you will read on to learn more about the goals of this initiative and the heart behind it. SERVE 100,000 SERVE is about mobilizing CtK outward. We want to add an additional 100,000 into outward ministries such as our care team, mercy ministries in the city of Raleigh, and missions and evangelism. PRESENCE 600,000 PRESENCE is about our commitment to continue worshiping and ministering in downtown Raleigh after our lease expires. We want to set aside 600,000 toward CtK s next location.

5 LIVE Plant churches SPEAK Raise the next generation We want every man, woman and child to know Jesus, to be part of his spiritual family as a disciple of Jesus, and to join in his mission through the Holy Spirit in this city he so loves. This is why we believe that church planting is such a priority. We know that our city and county are growing at an alarming rate. Church experts tell us that Christians will drive an hour to go to church, but the unchurched will not drive more than 15 minutes. So we don t want to just keep getting bigger. We want to take the church to people not just people to a church building. So we are committed to renewing the whole city and region through church planting. That s why we have drawn a wagon-wheel diagram that targets planting churches around the outer 540 beltline. We have already sent people to help plant Resurrection Life Church in Holly Springs, and Renewal Presbyterian, under Duane Davis, launched services in January in NE Raleigh. We started LAMP Seminary in January with seven Resurrection Life Church (2014) Renewal Presbyterian (2017) students to train future church leaders and pastors and planters, especially people of color. We pray that CtK s epitaph reads, We planted churches that changed lives and neighborhoods. We want to set apart an additional 100,000 toward seeding our next church plant, with our next church planting resident in place in fall of This goal is about making disciples as we raise the next generation. We know that there are no second generation Christians. The church is always one generation away from extinction. Every generation, including our current children and youth, must own the faith for themselves. So we need to be discipling the next generation as missionaries, not just offering childcare or babysitting. Christian sociologists say that 80% of people who become Christians do so before age 18! That powerful statistic underscores the importance of our ministry to children and youth. We want to set apart 100,000 for the hiring of staff who will minister specifically to our children and youth making a significant investment in how we reach, equip, and train the next generation. In the past five years, our adult membership has grown by 275%. Our children by 475%! 80% of people who become Christians do so before age 18 Invest in the LAMP Seminary as a first step toward training a generation of pastors from all backgrounds. Existing 2-year church planting budget: 70,000 Additional We Can t initiative goal: 100,000 Total 2-year one-fund goal: 170,000 Increase the number of staff members and resources to meet the growth of our youth and children s ministry. Existing 2-year staff budget: 890,000 Additional We Can t initiative goal: 100,000 Total 2-year one-fund goal: 990,000 Plant gospel-preaching churches throughout the city of Raleigh. Choose God s glory over our comfort. If He calls us to go, we must be people who go. Understand that proximity increases access. New churches can draw in unchurched people in new areas. TOTAL 170,000 Accept our callings as parents, pastors, and members of the church in raising the next generation. Acknowledge that most believers become Christians before age 18. This work matters. Embrace past and future church growth as an opportunity for making disciples. TOTAL 990,000

6 SERVE Be the hands and feet of Jesus PRESENCE Commit to downtown Raleigh Raleigh is Disney World, where the American dream is happening for some people. But not everyone is thriving here. There is another and often unseen Raleigh; there is a poverty problem that creates significant needs, and not all of those needs can be met by food pantries or the YMCA. Research says that only 4% of America s impoverished population will be able to get above the poverty line each year. That statistic tells us something that the Bible already says: poverty is not a resource problem; it is a relationship problem. When people think of poverty, they immediately envision a lack of money and material resources. But poverty is more relational than material: the poor suffer from a lack of social connections and networks. Three interns per year for three years, working with our deacons to mobilize our church outward in three areas: care team local justice and mercy initiatives missions and evangelism We want CtK to be a part of the solution: not offering handouts, but offering relationships. We want to be known as a church that is staggeringly generous in forming life-giving partnerships for the common good. This initiative will help us take a big step forward in becoming the hands and feet of Jesus. We hope to hire 3 interns each year for the next 3 years to work under our deacons and help mobilize our church outward in mercy and justice in learning to love the poor. We hope that the intern program will one day blossom into a full time role leading our church out into the city. Our plan is to have one intern working with our care team, one intern working to lead us in local justice and mercy initiatives (like Jobs for Life, Safe Families, and refugee ministry), and one intern to help grow us in missions and evangelism. CtK started because the original founders had a vision for reaching downtown Raleigh. And we still hear this call: downtown Raleigh is not our target because it is cool or trendy or revitalizing. We target downtown because it is the hub of the wheel. It is the place where all the lines cross: rich and poor, powerless and powerful, black and white. Of course, not all of our church members live downtown. We commit, though, to worshiping in downtown Raleigh, striving to meet and engage those who work and live in the city, and praying for our capital city. But we also know that downtown Raleigh is an expensive value. We could give up on this and easily find a cheap warehouse on the fringes of the city. But that s not our calling. So we need to begin setting aside funds now to remain where God has called us. We need to plan ahead now to stay here for the long haul to be close enough to act as the very presence of Christ in downtown Raleigh. We need to set aside funds now to remain where God has called us... to be the very presence of Christ in downtown Raleigh. We want to set apart 600,000 toward the next location for CtK. Let s be clear: that is not enough for a down payment on a building. We are very likely going to be renting again after we lose our space in the warehouse district. But the money we raise is a good start for either a future rental fit-out or the beginning of a future down payment. Hire three interns per year for three years for more focused diaconal work, mobilizing our church outward. Create new avenues for our whole church to minister in word and deed in the city of Raleigh. Equip all members to become hands and feet of Jesus. Believe the church is God s chosen vehicle for serving the poor and the needy. Existing 2-year mercy ministry budget: 65,000 Additional We Can t initiative goal: 100,000 Denominational matching grant: 100,000 Total 2-year one-fund goal: 265,000 TOTAL 265,000 Actively pursue a central location in downtown Raleigh. Implement the gospel in the hope of healing our city s social and racial divides. Hold out a larger vision for downtown Raleigh that is bigger than buildings and development. Hold up the light of the gospel in the center of the capital city the hub of the wheel, where all the lines cross. Existing 2-year facilities budget: 475,000 Additional We Can t initiative goal: 600,000 Total 2-year one-fund goal: 1,075,000 TOTAL 1,075,000

7 Thinking about Giving We ve put this guide together to help you consider some tangible ways you might give during the We Can t initiative. We hope these ideas will help you pray and consider how God wants you to participate in our church s movement toward generous giving. A church that has experienced God s generosity The gospel itself is defined for us as God s generosity: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19). God has been incredibly generous to CtK! We ve seen years of growth, of new leadership, of financial surplus, and of huge answers to prayer. Our cups have truly been overflowing. Seven Ways to Think About Giving during the We Can t Initiative Lifestyle Stewardship This outlook allows us to see that our resources time, money, property, connections were all given to us by God. If that s true, generosity becomes more than giving away our extras and leftovers. Rather, giving becomes a sacrificial, spiritual discipline. One that calls us to say, I will not offer to God a sacrifice that costs me nothing. (2 Samuel 24:24) Appreciated Assets Gifts of this nature, typically stock investment securities or real estate, can be beneficial for both the donor and the church. Before making a commitment of this type, please consult your CPA, tax attorney, or other financial advisor. CtK has the capacity to receive stock gifts and other in-kind donations. Please feel free to ask. A church to reflect that generosity One mark of the gospel in us is that it frees us to be radically generous with our time, our energy, our hospitality, and our resources. We want to mirror the depth of generosity we have received from God s hands into the lives of others around us. We want to be a counter-culture for the common good. We want people who don t agree with us to nevertheless experience the generosity of God at and from and through CtK. This is part of what it means to be the very presence of Christ! Every day, we make financial decisions: Where are we going to get our cup of coffee this morning? Which car will we drive for the next five years? How much should we be putting into retirement? As we stare down our list of financial decisions, the choice to give becomes even more challenging, because giving always creates tension. We believe giving isn t just a financial decision. It s a deeply spiritual one. Very few things invite God into our lives like giving. It s one way we declare our trust in and commitment to God. We step into an unpredictable space and invite Him to meet us in the middle. Priority Budgeting Consider how you might rearrange your priorities during the We Can t Initiative. This might mean giving up something in your current budget or postponing a planned expenditure (buying a new car or remodeling your house) to give more in line with your priorities. Redirect Present Expenses Often families have significant short-term expenses for specific needs like loans, school tuition, etc. If a present expenditure ceases during our initiative, would you consider using it toward your commitment? Increase in Income You might receive periodic increases in salary or bonuses from your employer. It s easy to automatically increase lifestyle spending to fit a higher income. Could God be calling you to do something else? Small Sacrifices These can make the biggest difference. Maybe it s a daily coffee or eating out lunch more than you need to. But giving up small extras can make a big difference over time. 4 latte x 20 days a month = 80/month or 960 in a year! Planning your Giving There s no expectation that you give equal increments over the two-year period of the We Can t initiative. You might be able to give more in the second year than the first. As you plan your financial commitment to the initiative, it s worth considering how your giving might change or grow in the future.

8 Commitment to Giving Below are some example commitment cards to help explain how these should be filled out. These examples are hypothetical; every giving story is unique! We can t all give the same amount, but we can all commit to share together in God s calling for CtK. We hope everyone at CtK will make a prayerful sacrificial commitment in the way that God leads nothing more, nothing less. Why should I do a commitment card? Why commit to a specific dollar amount instead of just committing to be generous? It helps you plan. In Scripture, we see that God intends our giving to be thoughtful and purposeful. The man in Luke 12 was chastised for not really thinking ahead about how much it costs to build bigger barns he had no plan. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, we read, Each one must give as he has made up his mind. The Bible doesn t just encourage generosity, but concrete and planned generosity. So doing the work of thinking ahead about your income and planning to give a particular amount is both Biblical and faith-filled. It requires us to have a plan for faithfulness. This is important not just in giving, but in all areas of discipleship. Big Numbers There are big numbers being discussed as CtK introduces the We Can t initiative. But the table below shows an example of how a church like CtK, full of ordinary individual regular givers, can commit to reaching a financial goal like this. Two-year commitment level This level corresponds to an annual gift of... a monthly gift of... a weekly gift of... How many commitments Total of all needed at commitments this level? at this level 150,000 75,000 6,250 1, , ,000 50,000 4, ,000 75,000 37,500 3, ,000 50,000 25,000 2, ,000 35,000 17,500 1, ,000 15,000 7, ,000 5,000 2, ,000 Total of all commitments: 2,725,000 It helps us plan. As a church, we are seeking to be faithful stewards of what God has given. As we think ahead toward implementing our vision, we have to strategize, make hires, and be careful. Without understanding our congregation s planned giving, it is hard for our elders and deacons to be proactive with such plans. We know that this is new for our church, and we are not trying to coerce or manipulate anyone. A pledge is not a binding document. We know that there may be unforeseen difficulties ahead that may make it hard for individuals to fulfill their commitments just as there may be unforeseen financial prosperity ahead that allows individuals to give more than they pledge in this season. But we think it is wise for our church to be more purposeful and planned in our giving than we have been in the past especially as we follow Christ into the next season of ministry and community life on his agenda. My Two-year We Can t Commitment = Carol gives to her church occasionally. Over the last year, she has given about Now she would like to commit to intentional, regular giving to her church, and increase her giving by 100 a month (1200 per year) during the We Can t initiative. Her commitment is = 2200 per year, or 4400 over two years. In addition, Carol feels led to contribute a one-time gift of Carol s total two-year We Can t commitment is My Two-year We Can t Commitment = What I normally give in a year (tithes, general fund, gifts, etc.) My additional annual giving for the We Can t initiative 7800 x 2 years = 15,600 One-time additional gift My total two-year = commitment for Apr 2017 Apr ,600 What I normally give in a year (tithes, general fund, gifts, etc.) My additional annual giving for the We Can t initiative 5000 x 2 years = 10,000 One-time additional gift My total two-year = commitment for Apr 2017 Apr ,000 Alice and Bob are regular givers who typically give 400 a month (4800 a year) to their church. They feel led to increase the percentage of their income that they give to their church during the We Can t initiative, adding 250 a month (3000 a year) to their contribution. Their commitment is = 7800 per year, or 15,600 over two years. Alice and Bob s total two-year We Can t commitment is 15,600. My Two-year We Can t Commitment = What I normally give in a year (tithes, general fund, gifts, etc.) My additional annual giving for the We Can t initiative 2200 x 2 years = 4400 One-time additional gift 2000 My total two-year = commitment for Apr 2017 Apr Dave is a new giver to his church. He wants to commit to regularly giving 10% of his 50,000 annual income, or 5000 per year, during the We Can t initiative. Dave s total two-year We Can t commitment is 10,000.

9 Commitment to Prayer Sermon Series We need everyone in our church to pray for the We Can t initiative. By ourselves, we can t achieve all the things God has called us to do. But He can. Nothing will fuel the success of our initiative more than prayer. We ve distributed prayer cards like the one below, with several stickers attached that we re calling prayer dots. We encourage you to place these on your phone, your watch, your computer, a mirror somewhere you ll see them frequently. They re meant to remind us to stop, consider our inability and weakness, and take a moment to run to the only One who can accomplish His work through His church. If you don t have a prayer card and prayer dots, please ask. We hope everyone at CtK will commit to praying for We Can t. Sunday February 26 Mission Zechariah 4:6-10 An Impossible Task An Improbable People An Incredible Promise Sunday March 19 Sacrifice Romans 12:1-2 Hijacked by God s Mercy So what? to Now what? Do the Hokey Pokey Sunday March 5 Trust Sunday March 26 Commitment Christ our King, please help us to Live in downtown Raleigh as a church that plants other gospel-preaching churches in our city. SERVE as the hands and feet of Jesus, creating new avenues to minister in word and in deed. Speak the gospel as we make disciples and raise the next generation of believers. Be a long-term PRESENCE in downtown Raleigh, holding up the light of the gospel in this city. Hebrews 11:8-19 In Ambiguity Through Fear For a Better Home Sunday March 12 Generosity 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 Rich is the New Poor Poor is the New Rich What are you going to do now that you are loaded? Joshua 24 We Can We Can t He Can

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11 Christ the King Presbyterian Church PO Box 10095, Raleigh, NC