Florida Church Planting Network Mid 2014 The Lord is Bringing Fruit to our Labor! Thank you for your faithful support of the Florida Church Planting Network, your Network. The time that we have invested building a solid foundation of funding, recruiting, and coaching is showing results. Our pipeline of church plants is growing! Churches Holding Services - 5- [Abney, Henderson, Cha, Lake Nona, Turner] Churches Holding Core Group Bible Studies - 2 {Aitcheson, Warren] Apprentices - 2 [ Milgate, Skipper] Men in the Approval Process - Several Christ Church in Town - Jacksonville Pastor - Dave Abney Status - About 100 are attending Sunday Service First Service - Easter 2014 Opportunity - A few years ago Christ Church in Mandarin established a second campus, Christ Church East, with Keith Dickerson as pastor. Christ Church East has grown to over 200 in attendance. Dave has been working with the Christ Church Team to plant in the San Marco area where he grew up. Update - Launched worship services on Easter Sunday. The congregation has been steadily growing over the past couple of months, with new people coming and getting connected into community groups. Prayer Request -. They will attract unbelievers and all those who need to hear a gospel of grace Houston, Dave, Haley and Hart San Marco PAGE 1
Harbor Community Church Pastor - Geoff Henderson Status - Holding Sunday Worship at the YMCA; first service was Easter, April 20, 2014 Attendance - 60 to 70 Opportunity -Manatee County has a population of 350,000 and only one PCA church, Cornerstone, which is east of I-75. We need a PCA church on the west side of I-75. Geoff served in Bradenton as an Assistant Pastor with Hope Presbyterian and knows the area. Update - Currently we have two community groups, along with men s and women s Bible studies that are reaching other people not in these groups. Prayer Request: Pray for more leaders as we will be multiplying this Fall. Pray for conversions and for the unbelievers who have recently visited our parties (Rib Cook off, 4ht of July) to come to Harbor and ultimately to faith. PAGE 2
Melbourne Open Kingdom, PCA Senior Pastor - Paul Cha Status - We found a new facility where we can do a full-time ministry. New ministries begun among leaders: adult and children Sunday school, women s fellowship, mercy ministry, and men s mission. First Service - September 2013 Attendance - Sunday 33 to 36; Friday Night Adult Dinners 12-15 Opportunity - Melbourne has the Patrick AFB and many defense companies with high-tech workers. Melbourne is located on the space coast. Our church targets to reach out multi-culturally mixed families, especially American-Korean families and other mixed Asian groups. Update - Jae Lee, the Sr. Pastor of Orlando Korean PCA has been traveling to Melbourne on Sunday afternoons to start a core group. Paul is taking over that work. Prayer Request - Prayer Requests: We try to develop a better worship team, stronger men s leadership, and effective ministry team in unity. We need to overcome some barriers in language and culture during the service and fellowship.! Cha s&family& Friday Night Dinner! 2014%Easter%Picnic! Service! PAGE 3
Christ United Fellowship in South Orlando Senior Pastor - Mike Aitcheson Status - 25 to 30 come to the midweek Bible Study First Service - 2014 Opportunity - There is a need for a PCA church in the area just south of Downtown Orlando Update - We have developed a number of relationships with unbelieving neighbors as well as dechurched believing neighbors. We are pursuing a space for worship and looking for musicians skilled in gospel music. Prayer request: Please continue to pray for our family, resources for the plant (all kinds), lost people, and most of all that God would be glorified through our labor! Special thanks for all your prayers and support to this point; the Lord has truly been answering them! Mike, Lucy & Leah at Baldwin Park Fall Festival Christ United Fellowship - Area PAGE 4
Christ Community Church of Lake Nona (Orlando) Senior Pastor - Open First Service - March 2013 Current Attendance - 50-70 Opportunity - Lake Nona is the the home of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ, Wycliffe Bible Translators and Pioneers. Medical City is under construction and will house the medical school for the University of Central Florida, a Veterans Administration hospital, and medical research facilities. Update - John Gullett has left his work to become an Episcopal Priest. University Presbyterian Church has become the Mother church in order to guide and shepherd the folks attending Christ Community Church of Lake Nona through this difficult time. Prayer Requests: To give wisdom to the MNA Committee and to University Presbyterian as they seek to determine the next steps for CCC of Lake Nona. Christ Community Church of Lake Nona - First Service PAGE 5
Redeemer Southwest (Winter Haven) Pastor- Jeff Skipper Status- Jeff is an apprentice at Church of the Redeemer. He has been approved by the PCA Assessment Center for church planting and was recently ordained in the Southwest Florida Presbytery. First service- 2015 Opportunity- There is a need for a PCA church in Southwest Winter Haven. Jeff is from this area and is looking to move back there. He is currently being trained by Redeemer s staff under Sr. Pastor Drew Bennett, building relationships, gathering a core group, and vision casting. Update- Church of the Redeemer will launch a second service in the Fall (2014) and Jeff will primarily preach this service. The hope is for the Southwest core group to grow in this service, to begin core group training, and launch in their own location in Southwest Winter Haven sometime in 2015. Prayer request: Pray that Jeff and the core group would build relationships with unchurched people. Marissa, Isaac, Jeff, Jonathan (Brooks due in October, 2014) PAGE 6
Strong Tower - Lakeland Planter - Ben Turner Status - Ben is the Lead Pastor of Strong Tower Church First Service - April 9, 2014 Church Attendance - 90-125 Opportunity - Parker Street is only blocks away from Trinity Presbyterian Church in downtown Lakeland but the neighborhoods are worlds apart. Tim Rice, Sr. Pastor of Trinity, and his congregation have worked with Ben for several years to accomplish their dream of planting a multi-cultural church in Parker Street. Update - Strong Tower Church launched weekly Sunday services on April 9th. They are grateful to God for the fruit they are seeing already. God is bringing new people from the neighborhood who are hearing the gospel each week. Prayer Requests: Pray for the unbelievers attending worship. Pray for new outreach ministry started by leaders in our church. Ben, Nicole & Zoe PAGE 7
Planting Pastor - Doug Warren Bible Studies - Monday evenings and Thursdays at noon. Group size - 25-35 Opportunity - We are preparing to start Sunday evening services this fall (2014). Update - This summer we are building our launch team and holding a few preview services. Prayer Requests: Praise the Lord for His promises to build His Church! Please ask the Lord to help us be grateful for His faithfulness in keeping His promises rather than constantly wanting Him to do more and sooner. Please ask Him to build in us a real community of loving service with head, heart, and hands. PAGE 8