Multiply Summer In this issue... Church Planting in our Multiethnic Communities. Church Planting, mentoring and leadership development

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1 Multiply Summer 2010 In this issue... We impress upon our planters that we don t want them to come thinking about starting one church; we want them to become part of a larger mission to launch multiple churches in our region and beyond. ~ Tom Wood Church Planting in our Multiethnic Communities Church Planting, mentoring and leadership development Help and Hope for Haiti

2 NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID MONTGOMERY, AL PERMIT NO North Brown Road, Suite 101 Lawrenceville, GA Address Service Requested In this Issue of Multiply: Church Planting in our Multiethnic Communities Church Planting, mentoring and leadership development {Help and Hope for Haiti From the Coordinator For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith... ( Romans 1:16-17) DEAR FRIEND, No matter what our circumstances, each of us has desperate needs. Our needs provide great opportunities for God s people to offer the Good News of redemption through Christ. In this issue of Multiply, you ll read how God has used church planting in Atlanta to make a difference for Christ in this city filled with diverse people groups and cultures. The Church Planting Network (CPN), formed in 2000, has become an effective vehicle for launching indigenous churches dedicated to making an impact for the Gospel throughout North Georgia and the world. You ll also read an update on the service of MNA Disaster Response alongside PCA pastors and MNA staff members Dony St. Germain and Brian Kelso as they work with Haitian pastors to address the great needs resulting from the January earthquake there. Mission to the World has primary responsibility for work in Haiti; MNA is assisting Dony and Brian because they have extensive ministries there in addition to their US work. The response of the PCA to the greatest natural disaster in modern western hemisphere history has been enthusiastic and generous, and many lives are being changed because of the opportunities created by these needs. Throughout North America, God is drawing people to Himself through the dedicated work of men and women who desire to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with people from every walk of life. We are continually grateful for the generous support of people like you. As you read this month s Multiply, please prayerfully consider how you can use your time, talent and treasure to participate further in advancing God s Kingdom. In His Name, Jim Bland, MNA Coordinator

3 Help and Hope for Haiti Long-term help is needed my fear is that interest in Haiti will drop off and the people there will be forgotten. Arklie Hooten, MNA Disaster Response Director Whether you can pray, provide medical assistance, donate tents or other supplies or contribute financially, your help is needed in Haiti. Go to for information on how you can make a difference for Christ among the Haitian people. When a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Port-au-Prince region of Haiti on January 12, a country already suffering from extreme poverty and still recuperating from the 2008 hurricane season was devastated beyond measure. In Haiti, there are no building codes, says MNA ShortTerm Missions and Disaster Response Director Arklie Hooten. Before the quake, housing here was inadequate. Now it s gone. Most everyone is sleeping outside because folks are afraid that the remaining buildings will fall as the aftershocks persist, continues Arklie. People have driven stakes or tree branches into the ground and covered them with blankets, sheets, quake debris anything they can find. With no sewage system or potable water, conditions are extremely unsanitary dysentery is rampant and medical teams are working around the clock to address injuries, illnesses and women s health issues. The death toll is expected to rise to over 300,000. While Mission to the World has primary responsibility for work in Haiti, MNA is responding also because two MNA staff members lead extensive ministries in Haiti in addition to their US work: PCA Pastors Dony St. Germain, MNA Haitian Ministries Coordinator and Director of El Shaddai Ministries; and Brian Kelso, Director of MNA LAMP (Leadership and Ministry Preparation) and Great Commission Alliance. Both men have served Haiti for years and have established relationships with other key Haitian leaders. PCA Pastor Louis St. Germain, Dony s brother, worked with MNA Disaster response to establish Oasis disaster response headquarters in Carrefour, a Port-au-Prince suburb located a few miles from the epicenter of the quake. The 4,000 square foot facility houses volunteer teams who are assisting with food distribution, debris cleanup, rebuilding homes and addressing medical needs. El Shaddai Ministries has launched 42 mission churches across Haiti regularly ministering in word and deed to 16,000 Haitians. Most of the churches support Christian schools, where 6,000 students are enrolled, and 13 orphanages, where over 2,000 children live. Church-established micro businesses, such as bakeries, Internet cafés, call centers, construction, fish farms and motorcycle taxis, help meet financial needs. MNA is coordinating resources first to these church plants and their members, then to their surrounding communities through the diaconal ministries of the local churches. Brian Kelso, along with PCA Haitian church planter Marcel Baptiste, is working closely with the mayor of Mirebalais, a city about 45 minutes north of Port-au-Prince, to provide relief for its inhabitants. In just the first two months after the quake, one million people left Port-au-Prince for outlying cities like Carrefour and Mirebalais, seeking safety and stability for their families. Mirebalais saw an enormous increase in population immediately from 125,000 to over 300,000 which depleted local resources and put an enormous strain on an already weak infrastructure. To help alleviate the strain, food is being distributed and temporary tent cities are being established to provide immediate relief. As God provides additional resources, MNA hopes to help transition folks into better housing. The upcoming hurricane season which begins June 1 is weighing on the minds of everyone. In the US, we have the technology to see a hurricane coming days before it hits and can evacuate a city, says Arklie. In Haiti, they just have to take it they have nowhere to go. Arklie admits the road ahead will be tough the number of people in need is overwhelming. The Haitian people are industrious immediately following the quake, they began to find ways to feed their families, to help one another, he says. But long-term help is needed. My fear is that interest in Haiti will drop off and the people there will be forgotten.

4 Impacting a Metropolis for Christ: Church Planting in the Atlanta Area Home to over 5 million people, metropolitan Atlanta is one of the fastest-growing areas in the US. A mix of ethnicities, cultures and economic backgrounds, the city provides rich soil for sowing the seeds of the Gospel. In 2004, The North Georgia Church Planting Network(CPN) was formed to encourage and facilitate church planting among the Atlanta area presbyteries, with Tom Wood serving as the part time Director. The network model CPN uses is easily reproducible and can be started with only three planters or key leaders in a city or region, says Tom. We learned it from the Central Florida Presbytery and are now teaching it to four other US presbyteries, as well as helping with its launch in Vancouver BC and London UK. The model requires limited capital and is teams-based (Tom serves only part time), which has allowed smaller churches in the presbyteries to become involved in planting. They also have a healthy Parakeleo group in their region caring for the planters spouses. CPN planters receive on-the-job training monthly. Church planters receive on-the-job training and one-on-one coaching. Community is built with other leaders in monthly meetings, and administrative support is provided as churches are launched. But prayer is the foundation of CPN church planters spend up to an hour or more in prayer at monthly meetings and pray regularly with their coaches. In the last ten years, 54 percent of all PCA churches and mission churches were launched in the Atlanta metro area a direct result of the impact of the church planting networks, says Tom. CPN plans to launch five new churches a year for the next five years. We impress upon our planters that we don t want them to come thinking about starting one church; we want them to become part of a larger mission to launch multiple churches in our region and beyond. We want to be a sending region, he concludes. Atlanta area church planting was launched originally when Perimeter Church, founded by church planting pastor Randy Pope in 1977, experienced rapid growth early on and became the first PCA church to launch multiple sites. In the early 1990s Perimeter s four sites, by then organized as separate PCA churches, formed Perimeter Ministries International (PMI) with the goal of planting other churches throughout the Atlanta metro area. By 2000, PMI had launched 10 churches and its leaders began considering how church planting could be better facilitated in greater Atlanta and throughout the world. With the launch of CPN came the next steps in the progression of church planting: instead of church planting being led by one church, the network draws from a broad base of church support and leadership. Parakaleo participants, back row: Debbie Saenz, Lisa Johnston, Stacey Armstrong, Anne Henneger, Rebecca McKeown, Sarah Taylor; front: Christina McQueary, Kerstin and Camille Armstrong, Kristy Caston, Sherri Wilhelm. Not pictured: Amanda Buck. MINISTERING AMONG GROWING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE GROUPS At the same time the PCA church planting leadership was progressing, the demographics of the Atlanta area were changing rapidly. Atlanta is no longer simply a predominantly African American center city with mostly Anglo suburbs; the Atlanta suburbs have become home to a multitude of nationalities and ethnic groups, while the city itself is seeing the influx of middle and upper income young adults and couples typical of many center cities today. The strong suburban PCA base, accompanied by hearts committed to church planting, is providing the resources to plant city and suburban churches especially committed to ministering among the many people groups. Our kids, growing in a community of grace.

5 Left to right: Ludi Villasana, Juanita Paillamilla, Emanuel Paillamilla, Vanessa De La Brousse and Alex Villasana. Jon Adams You can see God moving us to understand those whose lives are different from our own. The Gospel brings us all together that s the beauty of our congregation and ministry. Alex Villasana, Christos Community Church When we started the CPN, we asked God to bring us men of diversity who would launch indigenous churches throughout Atlanta, says Tom. One of these men, Alex Villasana, was invited to launch a multicultural church in Norcross, which is home to many first-generation Hispanics. In 2006, Alex moved from Houston to begin Christos Community Church, a bilingual church composed mostly of Hispanic immigrants but also Anglos and people of other ethnic backgrounds. Says Alex, You can see God moving us to understand those whose lives are different from our own. The Gospel brings us all together that s the beauty of our congregation and ministry. Perimeter, as one church in the network, is involved in apprenticing church planters. During his first two years in Atlanta, Alex was part of a residency program that provides intensive training for church planters. You re exposed to ministries, session meetings and the church s internal workings, says Alex. As you study, you work on your own philosophy of ministry and contextualize transferable principles to your own ministry. Perimeter doesn t want to duplicate itself they want to plant churches that serve their own unique and diverse community. Christos continues to receive some of its funding from Perimeter, and Alex is given time during worship services to share happenings at Christos. Recently, the church was able to move its worship services from a school cafeteria to an office park. To have a more permanent place sends the message that we re here to stay, Alex says. A large part of serving their community comes through practicing deeds of mercy and justice and Christos partners with other Kingdom-minded ministries in their area to accomplish this. Our resources are limited, so it helps to find an established agency or ministry to join with, says Alex. Christos has donated food, clothing and Christmas gifts to local Hispanic families through the Latin American Association, as well as books and tuition for ESL classes offered by the organization. It s important that we partner with churches and ministries of other Gospel-driven denominations, says Alex. We can learn from each other it keeps our network fresh. The Vine Community Church GROWING CHURCHES IN A GROWING REGION Thirty minutes north of Norcross in the city of Cumming, The Vine Community Church serves Forsyth County one of the fastest growing communities in America, with an expected population of over 200,000 people in the next five to ten years. Jon Adams, who was a leader in PMI and is now the Spiritual Renewal Team Leader at CPN, was pastor at Parkview Church on the east side of metro Atlanta when he and his wife sensed a call to go to an area where there was an opportunity to plant more churches. We felt Forsyth County was a great, untapped area, he says. Jon started with a Launch Team in 2002, and The Vine was organized as a particular church in We want to be a church that meets the needs of its community and the world, says Jon. The Vine envisions engaging people through three loves: loving God through continuous worship, loving each other through small groups and loving the community through service. The Vine met in an office park until four years ago, when they were able to purchase a piece of land centrally located in their community. It was a huge blessing from God, says Jon. We purchased land for less than half of its value through a friendship with a major land developer who wanted to help our church. In August 2009, the church held its first worship service in a beautiful sanctuary with money raised almost Prayer and the ministry of the Word must go hand-in-hand the vitality of the church depends upon it. Jon Adams, The Vine Community Church

6 Left to right: Jon Huggins, Ralph Johnston, Alan Foster, Bryan Pierce, and McKay Caston (front center). exclusively through its congregants. God provided through the generosity of our people even in a tough economy, we were able to secure a loan, says Jon. As the Spiritual Renewal Team Leader for the CPN, Jon acts as a coach and resource person for church planters, meeting with them individually to pray through their individual needs and those of their churches. We want to promote the idea that Kingdom prayer should be utilized through every church planter, says Jon Prayer and the ministry of the Word must go hand-in-hand the vitality of the church depends upon it. THE IMPORTANCE OF APPRENTICING One of the keys to a successful church planting network is its ongoing support of church planters. Many pastors stay involved with the CPN to provide and receive support and encouragement from planters and other leaders. Alan Foster, pastor of East Lanier Community Church in Buford GA, has served as mentor to six apprentices since the church s launch in early When I planted, I asked God to make us a place where young men could be trained for ministry, specifically for church planting, says Alan. I wasn t sure how that would work I had no grand plans but in the ten years since then God has used us to send six men out to plant other churches. Alan has mentored men now planting in the CPN; McKay Caston, who is in Dahlonega GA; Bryan Pierce, in the city of Rome GA; Scott Armstrong, in the city center of Atlanta; Ralph Johnston, in Dawsonville GA; and Jon Huggins, who is assistant pastor to Ralph; and Lyle Caswell, who planted a church in Lakeland FL. East Lanier has a Kingdom mindset, says Ralph. While I apprenticed there, they made the sacrifices necessary for the bigger picture of the Great Commission not just for their own benefit. While serving as youth pastor, Ralph was able to experience every aspect of church planting from preaching to helping solve building issues which he says helped give him the confidence to launch his own church. East Lanier also provided his salary for the first three months he was raising support to launch his own church. Apprenticing does cost, says Alan. But this is how Jesus raised up people to continue His ministry. He continues, East Lanier is small and doesn t have lots of money to give. But I can give of my time and share what I ve learned from my own mistakes. And it s worth the effort: Growing from the suburban base, the PCA is launching new churches in the city of Atlanta. City Church Eastside is led by Scott Armstrong, shown above right, talking with church member Assistant Pastor Bryan Buck. Opening night at One-Twelve Gallery, City Church Eastside s art gallery serving the city s artists. Through apprenticeships, we can be more intentional about raising up the next generation of church planters. By the time they re ready to plant, we know their values and their goals, their philosophies of ministry. Apprenticeships are very effective in making an impact for the Gospel throughout our region. Using some kind of church planting network is vital to the health of the planter, his family and the new church. I would encourage every presbytery to at least figure out the dynamics of networks and consider implementing them, said Tom. For more on the heart commitments that drive CPN, go to their web site (ngacpn.org) or look for Church Planting Networks at MNA serves PCA churches and presbyteries as they advance God s Kingdom in North America by planting, growing, and multiplying biblically healthy churches through the development of intentional evangelism and outreach ministries. For a list of MNA staff, visit our website at Material in Multiply may be reproduced with permission. Address comments to: Fred Marsh, Managing Editor/Photographer. Writing and design provided by Big Bridge, Asheville, NC (thebigbridge.com). Multiply is published by MNA North Brown Rd. Suite 101 Lawrenceville, GA P: F: mna@pcanet.org