Church of the Apostles Church Planting Prospectus

church planting prospectus

MATT

GREETING FROM OUR CHURCH PLANTER

Second, that God is at work in Charlotte

Dear Friend,

I am thrilled to share with you my hopes for a new Anglican church plant in Charlotte called Church of the Apostles, and I am honored that you would take the time to read it Everything that follows flows from two foundational convictions First, that God loves his church He founded the church and promised that even the gates of hell would not prevail against her Jesus gave himself up for the church and even now is making her a radiant bride

He was here a long time before we showed up and we stand on the work of so many that came before us And yet here in our time, as Charlotte becomes less churched with each year we have a unique oppor tunity to plant a church in the Anglican tradition that will be faithful to the Scriptures, and the Great Commandment and the Great Commission found within to reach our neighbors now and the generations to come with the transforming love of Christ And I pray that you might consider helping us make this hope a reality for the glory of God and the good of Charlotte.

Warm regards Matt Grimsley

WHY CHARLOTTE?

Charlotte has a rich history of being a city of churches With beautiful steepled churches and streets named Providence and Sardis and Sharon, the vestiges of biblical Christianity are apparent With a city population of nearly 900,000 and the presence of over 900 churches why does Charlotte need another church?

Because the world is rapidly changing, and Charlotte right along with it Demographic studies testify that Charlotte is getting bigger, younger, and less churched with each year A 2014 study by Harvard University and UC Berkeley focused on the fifty largest cities in the United States Two things stand out: Charlotte ranked dead last in upward economic mobility, the likelihood that someone born in poverty can move up and out of it And Charlotte ranked first in Millennial growth

A quarter of all Charlotteans are Millennials and a third of all Millennials do not identify with any religion, far more than any previous generation

These cultural trends are being reflected in the church as well The church in Charlotte is divided and declining Simply stated church growth is not keeping pace with population growth A report from 2019, even before the pandemic, predicted based on current trends that the unchurched will outnumber the churched by 2025 Furthermore going to church is no guarantee of an authentic life of faith The same study said that one quarter of Charlotteans who attend church do not believe that they are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus All together, two thirds of Charlotte, whether churched or unchurched need to be reached with the gospel of Jesus

We are the mission field

The center of Christianity has shifted to the global South The church is growing in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, and declining in North America African Anglicans are creating missionary move ments to reach America with the gospel of Jesus We have to realize that the West is now the mission field. On the whole, we are materially rich and spiritually poor And we have to plant new churches even in places once dubbed "the Bible belt" that are equipped to continue the mission of Jesus in a post Christian world

Why Anglican?

ASK FOR THE ANCIENT PATHS, WHERE THE GOOD WAY IS; AND WALK IN IT, AND FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

Above all, we believe that Jesus is THE way He is the way of salvation There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved We are planting this church first and foremost to proclaim the faith once delivered to the saints and to build up God's people to walk in Christ just as they received him He is the way of the Christian life

We also believe that Anglicanism is A way to live out the historic Christian faith and it is a way that many are finding especially beautiful in our day During the Reformation in the 16th century when the church had lost its way and the gospel had become distorted there was a movement to go back to the sources, back to the Scriptures and early Christianity to rediscover the authentic faith The idea is that like a river the closer you get to the source the clearer and purer is the substance So, too, in our day there is much confusion in the West about what it means to be the church whether moralist nationalist or revisionist versions and what it means to believe the gospel Anglicanism is a way to go back to the sources and (re)discover historic and credible Christianity

In a time of tribalism, Anglicanism is global and diverse, the third largest Christian communion in the world

In a time when people feel unmoored, Anglicanism is rooted in a story so much bigger than ourselves found in the Scriptures and the orthodox creeds of the church In a time of the personality driven church, Anglican worship is participation driven a beautiful blend of the three streams of the church Word, Sacrament, and Spirit which God uses together to form us into what we are created to be, lovers of God and neighbor as we taste and see the love of God in Christ

Many people, especially among the emerging generations, have found their way (back) to Christ and his church through the Anglican way

Charlotte is the 15th largest city in our country, and the largest city in the Anglican Diocese of the Carolinas, and there is currently not one ACNA church in the city limits There were many who have gone before us, and their labor was not in vain We labor in the soil that they tilled and planted and watered. We ask the Lord to grow a new branch in this city to offer the life of Christ the life that is truly life to the people of Charlotte today, and, Lord willing, for generations to come

our vision

BECAUSE OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS, WE ARE A PEOPLE BEING FORMED TO LOVE GOD AND NEIGHBOR BY SHARING COMMON WORSHIP, A COMMON LIFE, AND BY SEEKING THE COMMON GOOD OF CHARLOTTE.

The Who

The church is a people who are drawn together by God because of the good news of the renewal of all things through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus

The What

When we experience the overwhelming love of God in Christ, our primary response is to love God and neighbor in return This is the first and greatest commandment, and how all people will know that we belong to God

The How

We are formed into lovers of God and neighbor as we give ourselves to the historic practices of the church pictured so beautifully in Acts 2:42 47 and summarized in the words: Common Worship Common Life and Common Good

COMMON WORSHIP

COMMON LIFE COMMON GOOD

our values

LITURGY

The antidote to rootlessness as the historic practices of daily prayer, weekly worship, and yearly rhythms of grace shape the hearts of the people of God around the story of God

HOSPITALITY

The antidote to loneliness as we embody the warmth and welcome of Christ through shared lives and shared tables in the family of God

VOCATION

The antidote to meaninglessness as we see our daily work as the primary avenue through which we bless the world and live out the kingdom of God

our beliefs

THE CREED

The Nicene Creed, confessed each Sunday in Anglican churches represents what Christians have universally confessed and believed since the 4th century

THE CATECHISM

First published in 1662, the Anglican Catechism entitled To Be a Christian has taught people young and old the essentials of our faith

THE CONFESSION

Originating from the English Reformation, the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion are our foundational statement of beliefs, and are required of all ordained ministers in our denomination.

our team

CHURCH PLANTER MATT GRIMSLEY ASSISTING PRIEST PAUL BRIGGS

Originally from Florence, SC, Matt is returning to his roots in the Carolinas and putting down new roots in the Anglican communion after 16+ years of ordained ministry in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) Matt has served city center church plants in Madison, WI and Knoxville, TN, and is thrilled about the opportunity to plant in Charlotte Matt is passionate about helping people discover the beauty of Christ in the gospel, and helping the church become a beautiful community in a secular age Matt and April were married in 2003 and have three children: Jackson, Olivia, and Norah

Education:

MDiv Biblical Studies, Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando

B S Business Management Carson Newman University.

Experience:

Founding Pastor, Resurrection Presbyterian Church, Madison, WI

Associate Pastor Redeemer Church of Knoxville TN

Founding Pastor, Reformed University Fellowship, Carson Newman University

Born and raised an Anglican, Paul relocated from Winston Salem to Charlotte in 2020 as part of a corporate relocation. Ordained in 2003, he has served bi vocationally both in churches and non parish ministry while pursuing a banking career Paul s heart is for building relationships, opening God’s Word, and helping people find new life and hope in Christ Paul and Jennifer have been married for thirty years and raised two sons Garrett and Mason

Education:

MDiv The Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

B A Business Management North Carolina State University.

Experience:

Deacon, Church of the Apostles Anglican (plant), Raleigh, NC

Chief Operating Officer, Anglican Mission in America Pawley’s Island SC

Teaching Director, Community Bible Study, Winston Salem, NC

Associate Priest, King of Kings Anglican, Charlotte

goals & timeline

Instead of being driven by a wishful date on the calendar, we will seek the following metrics to know when we are ready to begin weekly public worship. By the grace of God we are seeking a people, a place, and God’s provisions.

Budget

oversight & accountability

We are a member of the Anglican Church in North America and the Diocese of the Carolinas under the oversight of diocesan bishop, Steve Wood, and assisting bishop over North Carolina, Terrell Glenn We are directed by Kardia, a church planting initiative of our diocese, until we raise up a leadership council from among our own members

Unless the Lord builds the house those who build it labor in vain (Ps 127:1). We are asking the Lord to build a house for his name here in Charlotte called Church of the Apostles We are dependent upon the Lord, and upon the prayers and generosity of God's people Please pray for us, and consider partnering with us financially for the sake of the gospel in Charlotte.

If you have any questions, please contact me at matt@apostlesclt org

Visit our website at apostlesclt org where you can sign up for our newsletter and find out where and how you can give

Demographic research information can be found HERE

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