Church Plant Pre-Launch Overview

Church Plant Pre-Launch Overview

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Contents A Letter from Randy & Jen 2 White Rock Church Planting Vision 3 Overview of Prayer Needs 4 The People 5 The Place 6 The Provision 7 Next Steps 8

A Letter from Randy & Jen In 2008, we moved from Houston to Dallas so Randy could attend Dallas Theological Seminary. We immediately felt at home in and began to attend Metro, the Young Adult ministry at Fellowship Bible Church Dallas. A couple of years later, Fellowship Dallas transitioned Metro into a new church campus at Hotchkiss Elementary. Jen was very involved with the campus plant, while Randy began to work on staff at Fellowship Dallas, ultimately serving in a Teaching Pastor capacity after graduation. Meanwhile, White Rock Fellowship became an autonomous church plant. Jen returned to Fellowship Dallas after the birth of our twins. In the spring of 2016, we sensed God beginning to call us away from Fellowship Dallas and for Randy to serve as a Lead Pastor somewhere new. We began to pray about the next chapter of our lives, seeking God s wisdom and guidance. In early 2017, Jeff Fritsche met with Randy to discuss White Rock Fellowship s vision to plant a family of churches around White Rock Lake to saturate East Dallas with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We had never envisioned ourselves as church planters. Still, we were intrigued with the idea and began to pray seriously about our role in White Rock s vision. Over the next few months, God confirmed a call on our lives to return to the family at White Rock to plant a church with them. While the precise timeline and location of the church plant were unclear, we had clarity in our next steps to lead a church somewhere near White Rock Lake. Since joining White Rock Fellowship in July, God has confirmed His call on our lives again and again. There is a great need for more vibrant, healthy churches in East Dallas. God has called White Rock Fellowship to meet that need, and by God s grace, we are excited to be the hands and feet of the gospel; to be the light of Christ wherever God leads us in the coming months and years. In Christ, Randy & Jen Thompson 2 Copyright 2017 White Rock Fellowship

White Rock Church Planting Vision White Rock Fellowship s Church Planting vision is to saturate the diverse and eclectic neighborhoods of White Rock Lake with a family of small, gospelcentered churches that are in the neighborhood, for the neighborhood (1 Thessalonians 2:8). Our vision enables churches to remain small enough for each member to be known intimately, to involve every person in ministry and to establish mission relationships in each specific neighborhood (Hebrews 10:24-25). In the coming years, we are prayerfully asking God to plant multiple locally expressed, gospel-centered and mission-minded churches. We believe that gospel saturation in these neighborhoods is the best model of church planting for the White Rock area. Ultimately, in addition to WRF on the North side of the lake, we would like to have churches West, East, and South of White Rock. Our vision is to start a family of neighborhood churches that are connected through a single network as a way of resourcing, encouraging and launching future churches. The network will support the local churches, not direct them. In other words, each church will not be campuses of a mother church, but will have local elders, local pastors, and staff. Furthermore, each church will be a peer, and hopefully a local expression of Christ within their specific neighborhood. Even so, through our network, each church will be part of one family. While each church will share the values of worship, community, and mission, the expression of those values may vary. Each neighborhood church has the freedom to find its own unique rhythms, expression and mission focus, and will oversee its own budget. Our prayer is that we would equally be for each other, recognizing that we are all partnering in the gospel with a shared desire to see Christ glorified in East Dallas. 3 Copyright 2017 White Rock Fellowship

Overview of Prayer Needs The most prominent questions people tend to have about the church plant are where? and when? These concerns are important, but we should add the questions, Who? and How much? All of these concerns are interrelated. For example, many people may be hesitant to commit to planting the church until they know approximately where the church will be located. Given White Rock s vision for church planting around neighborhoods, this concern makes sense. On the other hand, the church s location is largely dependent upon who is most willing to go and start something new. It doesn t make sense to plant a church in Lochwood, for example, if everyone at WRF interested in planting the new church lives in Lakewood, or vice versa. Furthermore, the costs of planting a church will vary somewhat significantly, depending on where we locate the church. The timing of the church plant is also largely dependent on having a group of people ready to begin along with having the resources to pay for the next steps in the process, whatever they may be. So, of all the needs listed thus far, when? is secondary to who, where, and how much? The map below gives an overview of addresses of the people who are partners at WRF. (Note: several partners live outside the boundaries of the map below. Also, there are many regular attenders who are not represented on the map.) The people of WRF are broadly distributed around White Rock Lake, with the exception of the South-Southeast Quadrant. Keep this map in mind as we highlight the three most important prayer needs currently facing our church plant: The People, The Place, and The Provision. 4 Copyright 2017 White Rock Fellowship

The People More than a building, a location, an address, or its leadership, a church is made up of people. We are asking God to stir the hearts of those to whom He is calling to plant this new church. Obviously, he has stirred the hearts of Randy and Jen, but there are also others who have already demonstrated a sincere interest in joining the new plant. This interest, even in advance of a location or timing, is exciting, to say the least. There is a sense that the Spirit is driving to unite a core group of people to plant this new church. To facilitate a community of people interested in committing to the new church plant, Randy & Jen will launch a new community group beginning the week of September 10. For the most part, the group will meet weekly and remain sermon-aligned, except for special seasons when it makes sense to focus on other things specific to church planting. What are some reasons someone may join the new church plant? They sense God is leading them to do so. Even if their personality doesn t seem to embrace change or venturing out into new territory, God may be calling someone to leave their place of comfort to begin something new. Despite all other indications which may lead a person to stay where they are, if God is leading someone to go, then they should follow. They live in the vicinity of the new church plant. White Rock s vision is to grow a family of neighborhood churches. The hope is that the health and vitality God has cultivated in WRF can be carried to other parts of East Dallas. Those living closest to The Place (see p. 6) to which God has called the church should prayerfully consider joining the new effort there. They have a need/desire to be very invested in their church. Church plants are a lot of work. A. Lot. Of. Work. They require much collaboration and effort on behalf of many, not just the leadership. They require weekly setup, tear down, and much in between. Someone who is discontent with just showing up each Sunday may be ideal in helping plant a church. They are entrepreneurial. You don t have to be an entrepreneur to help plant a church, but some people simply love to launch new things and tend to be pioneers. They are comfortable in environments where norms are not yet established and aren t easily discouraged when encountering problems that invariably arise with new ventures. 5 Copyright 2017 White Rock Fellowship

The Place White Rock Fellowship s Church Planting vision is to saturate the diverse and eclectic neighborhoods of White Rock Lake with a family of small, gospelcentered churches that are in the neighborhood, for the neighborhood. Given that this is WRF s very first church plant, nearly every neighborhood adjacent to White Rock Lake is a potential opportunity for a location. Note: we will likely not plant very near the current WRF location on the northnorthwest side of the lake. Furthermore, absent a clear direction from God, where we plant depends largely on the group of people interested in joining us. As we ve prayed about where to plant, two locations have risen to the top: East of the Lake: On the direct east side of the lake, the Casa Linda, Eastwood, and Lochwood neighborhoods offer plenty of opportunity for growth. Before moving into its current location, WRF worshipped at Dallas Academy, a school located at Buckner and Lake Highlands Dr. There is strong potential the church could plant at Dallas Academy again. Of the 270 partners at WRF, 50 live in the 75218 or 75228 zip codes. The estimated population of the 75218 zip code is 22,264. West-Southwest of the Lake: On the direct west side of the lake, the Lakewood neighborhood has a strong need for new, healthy churches. Already, two families have offered their homes as a gathering place for the church plant. Of the 270 partners of WRF, 44 live in the zip codes west-southwest of the lake (75214, 75206, 75223, 75226, and 75204). The estimated population of the 75214 zip code is 33,815. 6 Copyright 2017 White Rock Fellowship

The Provision We are asking God to supply all of our needs for the plant through regular giving and one-time gifts. The cost of the church plant may vary, depending on the location of the church facility. Regardless of location, if God supplies a more permanent location that requires a land/building purchase, the monthly facility cost will be far greater than if we rent a church space to meet each week. Outside of facility costs, it is a little easier to make budget projections based on expected personnel, operations, and ministry expenses. In this budget year (known as Year Zero ), the WRF church planting budget is funding 75% of the church plant s needs. The other 25% must be raised outside of the WRF budget. The percentage WRF gives to the church plant will decrease each year as expenses for the church plant rise and as WRF seeks to plant new churches in East Dallas. As you can see from the tables below, approximately $125k will need to be raised in addition to WRF funding for the church to be fully funded through the end of Year One (through June 2019), assuming the church will not have a facility cost greater than $3,000/ month during Year One. The Year Zero budget covers personnel costs, basic administrative costs, ministry expenses, and other pre-launch expenses. WRF TOTAL GIVEN TO WHITE ROCK CHURCH PLANT 10% of annual budget TO CHURCH PLANT: YEAR 0 $70,000 TO CHURCH PLANT: YEAR 1 TO CHURCH PLANT: YEAR 2 TO CHURCH PLANT: YEAR 3 $75,000 $50,000 $25,000 Not to exceed 60% of CP1 s annual budget Not to exceed 40% of CP1 s annual budget Not to exceed 20% of CP1 s annual budget 7 Copyright 2017 White Rock Fellowship

Next Steps God invites us to join Him in His mission to bless the world through the gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ. If you sense that God might be calling you to join the church plant, please do the following: 1. Email RThompson@WhiteRock.org to let Randy know of your interest. 2. Consider joining Randy & Jen s community group launching September. 3. Register to receive the Church Plant newsletter by emailing RThompson@WhiteRock.org the email addresses you wish to keep updated. The newsletter will go out every 4-6 weeks. Beginning a new church takes an incredible amount of support. As you consider your personal next steps, there are two sources of support we will need in the coming months and years from many, regardless of their interest in planting the new church; prayer and financial. Prayer Support The best way anyone can help support the church plant is to commit to pray for the church daily. Specifically, we are calling on all at WRF and those supportive of this church plant outside of WRF to pray for The People, The Place, and The Provision. The theme verses for our church plant are 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. One way you can remember to pray is to set an alarm for 1:11 pm each day and commit two minutes (1:11-1:12 pm) of your day, every day, to pray for the church plant, The People, The Place, and The Provision. Ask God to continue to guide us as we seek His leadership for our new church. Financial Support Another way to support the church plant is to give to the WRF church planting fund. You can make a one time gift or set up regular giving via the WRF web site. To do this: 1. Go to WhiteRock.org/Give-Online 2. Enter the dollar amount of your one-time or regular gift. 3. Make certain to select Church Planting Fund Giving to the Church Planting Fund should be something you do over and above what you regularly give to your church. If you are fairly certain you will join the church plant, it is appropriate to give your entire regular tithe/offering to the Church Planting Fund. 8 Copyright 2017 White Rock Fellowship