The ALL IN. Campaign ALL IN

Transcription

1 The ALL IN Campaign ALL IN

2 A letter from the Pastor We are taking a bold step of Kingdom advancement as a church. Our aim is to launch a new church while seeing Bethel Church continue to grow and thrive. As big as this dream is, I m convinced it will succeed if we are ALL IN: ALL IN PRAYER This idea was conceived in prayer and is being sustained by prayer. It will be accomplished as we unitedly pray for God s blessing on it. ALL INVOLVED A courageous group of Bethel members is taking a big step of faith to plant this church. They will be making a personal sacrifice of their time and energy. We who stay at Bethel will need to make personal sacrifices as well. The new church will require volunteer support from Bethel members in the first few years. Volunteer roles vacated by those leaving for the new church will also need to be filled at Bethel. ALL INVESTING Each of us will also be asked to give a sacrificial financial gift toward this step of faith in keeping with how God has blessed us without neglecting our support for Bethel s mission and ministry. This is an amazing opportunity as Bethel seeks to spread the love and Good News of Jesus Christ more broadly than ever before. It is an opportunity to go or to give; to serve and to pray. This booklet describes the dream and the opportunity it presents for all of us. Please allow the Spirit of God to speak to your heart as you read ALL IN through this booklet, and ask: Will I be ALL IN? --Pastor Tom

3 A dream Come True In September 2013 Bethel Church articulated a daring vision: We dream of planting a church in our region that will, in turn, plant other churches. Now, less than five years later, we are poised to see this dream come true. Under Pastor Ryan s able leadership, a core group of families are prepared to step out in faith to launch a new church in Fort Saskatchewan. The dream of church planting has significant roots in Bethel s history: 55 families left Maranatha CRC in 1979 to launch Bethel Church, which has flourished to include 533 members today. Bethel hired Bruce Gritter in 2001 so he could plant The River Community Church the first CRC church plant in many decades and the start of a church plant movement that includes mosaichouse Church, Avenue Church, and mosaichouse South Campus.

4 The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches. C. Peter Wagner Bethel s dream to plant a church first began with God s dream to reach the world. Jesus said: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20) Bethel Church has fulfilled the Great Commission throughout its nearly 40 year history. We have done this through personal witness and a variety of outreach ministries like Alpha, Gems, Cadets, ESL, Oasis, and Taekwondo and activities like the Love Bannerman events. Now, to coincide with Bethel s 40th anniversary year, we want to take our boldest missional step yet the step of planting a church. Few mission efforts can compare with church planting when it comes to reaching people who are living far from God.

5 The Mission Field Many things have led us to believe that Fort Saskatchewan is where we should plant this church: ALL IN Its Growing Population: The Fort s population has grown by nearly 5% each year over the last decade, bringing it to its current population of nearly 26,000. This fast pace of growth is expected to continue for many years to come. Its spiritual need: The number of churches in the Fort has not kept pace with the growth of the population. The city needs a church with a strong focus on outreach. Its strong nucleus: There is a core group of Bethel members who live in or near Fort Saskatchewan, who are committed to reaching their friends and neighbours with the Good News. Its proximity to Bethel: Being so close to Bethel Church means we can carry on a c lose and mutually supportive relationship. From The Fort Saskatchewan Record: Statistics Canada says the Fort is the eighth fastest growing suburban city in Canada in the past five years. There is reason to believe that we will continue to outperform these other jurisdictions in the coming years as well, Mayor Gale Katchur adds.

6 God s Hand at Work When God is inviting His people to join Him in something great He is doing on earth, He will orchestrate the coming together of people and circumstances to make the work possible. We believe we have seen God s hand at work in our plan to plant a church in Fort Saskatchewan: Pastor Tom came to Bethel with strong convictions about church planting. Pastor Ryan, who was already at Bethel Church, sensed a call to church planting. The history of church planting in Classis Alberta North is almost unparalleled in the Christian Reformed Church in Canada. All three of these elements had to be present for our current plans to be possible. When we first conceived the dream of planting a church, one the project s key leaders, Greg Boskers, was not even in the country. After moving to Alberta from the USA, an unlikely set of circumstances led him to settle with his family in Fort Saskatchewan. Without knowing about Bethel s dream to plant a church, he approached Pastor Tom to express his conviction that a church should be planted in the Fort. Now he is helping to spearhead the effort. Fort Saskatchewan Bethelites got to know one another through Bethel organized area barbeques that began about five years ago. Over these five years they have developed a unique passion to reach their neighbours with the love and Good News of Jesus. This stirring in their hearts is a strong indication that God is calling them to step out in faith.

7 Our Church Planters Pastor Ryan and Jessica are convinced that God is calling them to lead this new church: The Great Commission has compelled Jessica and me to step out in faith and follow the Spirit in His work in Fort Saskatchewan. We believe God is calling us to help plant a vibrant, missional church that introduces people to Jesus Christ! Pastor Ryan From the time we were first dating, God has been cultivating in us a dream to plant a church. Over the last few years, God has placed people and opportunities in our path that confirm this. We are excited to be part of God s work in Fort Saskatchewan. Jessica

8 The Timeline June 2018 A search team has begun the process of identifying Bethel s next associate pastor. September 2018 Pastor Ryan will invest half of his work hours to developing the Fort Saskatchewan core group. February 2019 Following a one month sabbatical, Pastor Ryan will start working full time for the church plant. February 2019 We will commission the church plant s core members. They will disengage from Bethel to focus fully on the new church. September 2019 The new church will hold its first public worship service.

9 The Opportunity ALL IN PRAYER Commit to praying regularly for this vision. ALL INVOLVED Step up to play your part to make this effort a success. ALL INVESTING Give a financial gift. A minimum of $250,000 is needed. Here is a breakdown of how the money will be used: $125,000 for church plant support $ 50,000 for transition and re-staffing costs $ 75,000 to payoff Bethel s mortgage (This will allow us to reduce our budget requirements to prepare for the loss of revenue when some of our families depart for the church plant.) ALL IN

10 October 21 There will be a one-time donation received 2018 Please plan now and set aside funds We are trusting that the Lord will provide, and in faith we are setting a plan for surplus funds. They will be dispersed as follows: 25% for the church plant; 75% for the Bannerman community projects as decided by a representative committee of Bethel members (to be determined later). Notes: While we hope you will give sacrificially for the church plant effort, we encourage you to commit to your monthly tithe first and then to offerings toward this cause. If a 10-month pledge suits your situation better, this is an option. The pledge completion date is August 31, 2019.

11 The Fort Saskatchewan core group is ready to bless their city. Your support will make it possible. ALL IN

12 CONTACT US Street Edmonton, Alberta T5Y 1G5 Phone: Fax: Bulletin: Website: discoverbethel.com Discoverbethel.com