ARC Magazine - Vol 3. Iss 2 - September 2018

THE ASSOCIATION OF RELATED CHURCHES MAGAZINE

S E P 2 0 1 8 vol. 3 - iss. 2

A True Romans 8:28 Story p38

The Third Option p68 / Redefining Health p90 WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

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MANY FACES OF ARC

CONTENTS

A RC M A G A ZINE Volume 3 • Issue 2 • September 2018 The Official Publication of the Association of Related Churches P UB L I S HE R Shaun Ray E DI T OR S Emily Chenevert Lindsey Hansen CON T RIBU T OR S Ellen Beach Randy Bezet Greg Brooks Angie Brown Aaron Burke Emily Chenevert Jason Doise Lindsey Hansen Phil Klein Jeff Little Miles McPherson Bianca Olthoff Dino Rizzo Josh Roberie Tyler Speegle Larry Stockstill Greg Surratt Scott Todd Tori Townley Casey Treat Yellowbox DE SIGN & L AYOU T David Song HO W T O R E A CH U S Association of Related Churches 1201 Lee Branch Lane Birmingham, AL 35242 (205) 981-4566 info@arcchurches.com arcchurches.com

VOL 3 - ISSUE 2 - SEP 2018

p18 Where Are They Now?

Catch up with a few of our planters to find out more about their ministry.

p24

Campus Launch

If you have ever launched or considered launching a campus you know there is a significant financial and emotional investment.

by Phil Klein

p30 Planting in Your Context

Launching a church is no simple task. It’s something that takes faith, preparation and the ability to share a vision of what’s to come.

by Emily Chenevert

p38 A True Romans 8:28 Story

Adam and Stacy Magana, Pastors of Active Church in San Luis Obispo, CA, experienced one of their greatest seasons of loss in 2014.

by Emily Chenevert

p52 Many Faces of ARC

The ARC Family consists of a growing network of leaders from all around the globe.

p62 Who Am I?

What would it take for you to know in your heart God was really moving in your church?

by Jeff Little

p64 Every Pastor Needs a Pastor

Our lives are defined by the relationships we build. We are born into a family, but we choose who we will relate with as life goes on.

by Casey Treat

p68 The Third Option

Identifying the cultural influences that shape our attitudes on race, and explaining why we must honor the priceless value of God’s image in all people.

by Miles McPherson

p 84

Finance Your Vision

The ability to finance your vision is one of the most talked about topics among ARC Churches.

by Greg Brooks

p 88

Creative Family is Everything

In our culture, creativity is the vehicle in which we communicate. Pastors are partnering with creatives to send their message of hope.

by Angie Brown

p90 Redefining Health

Creating, and continually evaluating an environment of health for yourself, your team, and your church is so important.

by Randy Bezet

p96 Identifying and Engaging in the Pain of Your Community

We want to fill our churches and get people saved, but right outside our doors are families who don’t know where their next meal is coming from or how they are going to pay their rent this month.

by Lindsey Hansen

FIRST WORD

A NOTE FROM THE ARC PRESIDENT

Healthy & Thriving IT’S PRETTY EASY to define health when talking about the health of our bodies. There are stats and numbers to tell us when we are at our ideal weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol. But what does a healthy and thriving church look like? What does a healthy and thriving leader look like?

I think we can all agree a healthy church starts with a healthy pastor and healthy people. Not just health in our bodies, but spiritual and emotional health. Throughout this edition of the ARC Magazine, we’ve spoken with pastors and leaders from around the country and the world, who have explained to us what healthy and thriving means to them.

Health may look different depending on who you talk to. There isn’t one perfect church size, location, or system, but the principals remain the same.

There is so much knowledge and experience to pull from throughout our ARC Family. We hope you will see yourself and your church in some of these stories. ARC is made up of pastors, churches, and leaders with a vision to see healthy and thriving churches in every community, reaching people with the message of Jesus.

If you haven’t become a part of the ARC Family, the door is wide open.

Through sharing resources and building strong relationships, we can plant and multiply churches around the globe and reach more people with the life-saving Gospel of Jesus!

GREG SURR AT T President, ARC

ARCCHURCHES.COM

5

125

458

COUP L E S T H AT PA R T CIPAT E D IN L A UNCH T R A INING IN 2 018

L A UNCH D AY S A LVAT ION S AT NE W A RC CHURCHE S S O FA R IN 2 018

6.5M

$

DOL L A R S IN V E S T E D IN T O CHURCH P L A N T ING IN 2 017

6

SEPT 2018

100

%

P E RCE N TA GE OF PA R T NE R GI V ING T H AT GOE S DIR E C T LY T O CHURCH P L A N T ING.

810 NUMBER OF CHURCHES ARC HAS L AUNCHED WORLDWIDE * projected through 2018

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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STATE OF ARC

THE LATEST UPDATE FROM ARC

This is Your Family

ARC FAMILY, thank you! Thank you to all of those involved in making this one of the greatest times to be part of ARC. Your giving and engagement are what makes everything we do possible. We are in a great place when it comes to the health of our team and leadership, and we watched some great churches launch this past spring.

Between new plants, global plants, and new campuses launched, 53 new, life-giving churches were started. We are projecting to have planted 810 churches by the end of 2018.

This is your family. These are your churches.

For the first time, in the history of ARC, we will plant more churches on the west coast this fall, than on the east coast. And looking forward to 2019, we expect at least 48 new church plants during the first half of the year. Truly incredible.

This year, we have implemented a process to add new and more diverse Launch Coaches and have improved the training for our Launch Coaches. In 2019, Launch Coaches will continue coaching six months past a church’s launch date, to help better equip our new planters for the seasons ahead.

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It is exciting, no doubt, when we think about all God has allowed ARC to do. It is critically important that we work together as a family to see these new churches thrive, along with the many existing churches that consider themselves a part of the ARC Family.

We have been working hard to bring clarity and to formalize exactly what it means to be part of the “ARC Family.” We are working to make ARC more accessible to you and developing resources that are contextualized for you and your particular challenges.

We believe strengthening our resolve to provide relationships and resources to the ARC Family are vital to our future. There is an incredible wealth of spiritual wisdom, rich experience, creative thinking, and supportive friendships within ARC, and we want to make sure you get access to that wealth. One of the most significant ways is through ARC Meet-Ups, which are happening across the country. There have been over 500 ARC Meet-Ups since we started hosting them. The opportunities to get involved are endless. Pastors and leaders gather to connect – sometimes to talk church, sometimes just to enjoy being around friends who

We are developing a plan to create a place at the table for you – a wide array of leadership opportunities that you, as a pastor or leader, can engage in. We’ve always had a big family table at ARC, and our heart is to keep making more room for new family and for those who share the dream to see more life-giving churches planted.

ARC President, Greg Surratt said, “Destinations are important, but I’ve learned that who takes the journey with you is almost equally important.” It’s so true. We have gotten to this point based on the strength of doing this with each other and with the favor of God. This family is rooted in God and in loving each other genuinely. We stand on the shoulders of some tremendously great people who have led the way these past 17 years, and because of that strong foundation, our future as a family is bright.

or small. No matter what challenges your community faces, whatever the culture, whatever the story – we want to help you bring the hope of Jesus, shining His light in that community.

STATE OF ARC

understand ministry, but always to build and strengthen relationships and encourage one another.

Our vision is clear - we want to plant life-giving churches in every community. What’s awesome is that this ARC Family really can do this. Together really IS better. Whatever you do, don’t isolate yourself. Find your place in this family - this very wide family. This open, inviting, fun, joyful, generous, compassionate, serving, honoring, boldly-loving, and deeply committed to the cause of Christ through the local church – ARC Family.

By the grace of God, this ARC Family is about to see and do things we’ve only dreamed of until now. Hundreds of communities, thousands of families, and millions of souls will experience hope and spend eternity in Heaven because they will meet Jesus through a life-giving church.

Ultimately, ARC is a family that is here for you. We want to work together to help you reach your communities, however large

DINO & DELYNN RIZZO Executive Directors, ARC

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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Launch T HE MIS SION

WE WANT TO SEE A THRIVING CHURCH IN EVERY COMMUNIT Y REACHING PEOPLE WITH THE MESSAGE OF JESUS. THANKS TO OUR A R C FA M I LY, W E H AV E B E E N A B L E T O A S S I S T HUNDREDS OF COUPLES PL ANT CHURCHES NATION-WIDE AND FORM GLOBAL NET WORKS TO L AUNCH CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD. PL ANTING LIFE-GIVING CHURCHES IS AT THE CORE OF ALL WE DO. WE ARE E XCITED TO CELEBRATE EVERY SUCCESS AND MILESTONE A S T HE S E CHURCHE S GRO W, BUIL D, A ND M A K E A N I M P A C T O N T H E I R CI T Y.

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IN T HIS SEC TION

p18

Where Are They Now?

Catch up with a few of our planters to find out more about their ministry.

p24

Campus Launch

If you have ever launched or considered launching a campus you know there is a significant financial and emotional investment.

by Phil Klein

p30

Planting in Your Context

Launching a church is no simple task. It’s something that takes faith, preparation and the ability to share a vision of what’s to come.

by Emily Chenevert

p38

A True Romans 8:28 Story

Adam and Stacy Magana, Pastors of Active Church in San Luis Obispo, CA, experienced one of their greatest seasons of loss in 2014.

by Emily Chenevert

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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LAUNCH

8 Essentials of Growth

by Chris Hodges Church of the Highlands, Birmingham, AL

H AV E CL A RIT Y OF V ISION. CRE AT E SOLID S T RUC T URE S T H AT A RE GOING T O SE T UP T HE V ISION.

FOCUS ON CULT URE BECAUSE CULT URE WIL L T RUMP E V ERY T HING EL SE. EMPO W ER L E A DERS.

CRE AT E SYS T EM S T H AT WIL L DELIV ER T HE V ISION. CON TINUA L LY ME A SURE HE A LT H A ND NUMBERS, BU T DO NO T WORSHIP NUMBERS.

A LWAYS IDEN TIF Y W H AT 'S MOS T IMPOR TA N T RIGH T NO W. WIN T HE WA R IN T HE SPIRIT UA L .

To listen to this ARC Conference App Session in full, visit media.arcchurches.com.

Make the Most of your Free Google Listing Show up when potential guests search for churches like yours on Google Search and Maps. Google My Business lets you post updates to showcase what’s new, respond to reviews to build loyalty, and add photos to highlight what makes your church special.

To learn more visit google.com/business

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LAUNCH

Onboarding New Hires into Your Staff Culture

by Ellen Beach Building Church, Madison, AL

FRON T-L OA D WIT H DE TAIL S New Hire Packet: Provide a staff handbook and other pertinent resources to help the new hire get up to speed on expectations and parameters.

Mission and Core Values: New hires should receive a copy of your church’s mission statement and core values at the point of hire. Encourage new hires to commit these to memory.

PREPA RE T HE EN V IRONMEN T Workspace: Consider having staff members create a gift basket with personalized items and church branded merchandise such as hats, shirts, and tumblers.

A designated, well-organized workspace with a personalized gift will confirm to new hires that they chose the right team!

Adjusted Start Time: For the first day, schedule the new hire to arrive at the office two hours after the rest of the team reports to work. This delayed start allows your existing team to focus on offering a genuine welcome to the new team member without distractions.

S T RENGT HEN T HE CONNEC TION Onboarding Coach: The onboarding coach is a source of information and encouragement that helps the new hire successfully assimilate into the staff culture. On the new hire’s first day, the coach will greet the new team member, give a tour of the facility (including the new hire’s prepared workspace), and introduce the new employee to staff members and key leaders in the organization.

Team Lunch: Plan a team lunch on the new hire’s first day. This allows team members and the new employee to get to know each other in a relaxed, non-threatening way.

Weekly Feedback: High-capacity employees want to know that they are exceeding expectations and adding value to the organization. The direct supervisor of the new hire should plan a weekly time to discuss the new employee’s progress. Offer the new hire specific praise (what you praise gets repeated) and define “the win” for each of the assigned projects.

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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LAUNCH

Pastoring in Transient Cities Although Americans don’t move as much as they used to, some cities have very high rates of people moving in an out in a short period of time. Many of these cities are college towns or are home to military bases.

This can make building and growing a local church difficult. In some of these locations, half of your congregation is new every six months to a year, that can pose a unique set of challenges.

We talked to three pastors who have experienced this transient culture in their church.

They each offered insight and advice about what they’ve learned. Although they are located in different parts of the country, much of their experience is similar.

The Most Transient Cities in America 01. PROVO, U T 02. A NN A RBOR, MI 03. G AINE S V IL L E, FL 0 4. BOUL DER, CO 05. T EMPE, A Z 06. COL UMBIA , SC 07. TA L L A H A S SEE, FL 08. DAY T ON, OH 09. L AW T ON, OK 10. S AVA NN A H, G A Data from smartasset.com

To read more about pastoring in transient cities, visit arcchurches.com/equip.

ARC CHURCH PLANT #56

Highway Community Church BOULDER, CO

(#4 MOST TRANSIENT)

Steve & Missy Crowder “The reality of doing ministry in a city that constantly and statistically screams run, tests you to your core as a visionary and church planter. Without exaggeration, one out of every ten people you meet were not in the city the year before. Our Sunday gatherings would sometimes feel like a whole new group of people every six months. I have learned to stay relational at all cost and guard your heart against growing callused. You can’t throw in the towel. Your city needs you! God is faithful to deliver and uphold you in every season.”

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LAUNCH

The Father’s House

ROCHESTER, NY

(#22 MOST TRANSIENT)

Pierre & Marlize du Plessis “We arrived entirely oblivious to every fact and limiting reality that we were to face. Sometimes not knowing the box helps you stay out of the box with all of its perceived limitations and constraints. One of the most important aspects for my wife and I was deciding to stay for the long haul. In a transient setting, a pastor’s own commitment plays a vital role in a church’s long-term ministry. Invest hard in everyone you see, every week, with the mindset that wherever they may go next, you have prepared them to arrive better, stronger and more equipped to serve.”

ARC CHURCH PLANT #426

Hill City Church

RICHMOND, VA

(#21 MOST TRANSIENT)

John & Lacy Wagler “I’ll be honest, after being in Richmond for a while, I don’t even recognize how transient it is because it’s just normal.

I have learned to appreciate the moment. What an incredible responsibility and gift it is to be a chapter in someone’s story. I’ve learned to stay flexible and help the transition.

What worked at one point to reach people may not work for the next round of folks coming in. How great is it that you can help them get plugged into a new community and your investment in them will make the next community that much healthier.”

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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LAUNCH

Finding the Right Location

by Aaron Burke Radiant Church Tampa, FL

A visible and popular location is crucial to launching a healthy life-giving church. I tell church planters that a bad facility in a good and well-known location is better than a phenomenal facility in a hidden spot.

We launched in a rundown dollar theater. It was extremely gross, but I walked in seeing the potential. This theater had unlimited parking and was located on one of the busiest roads in Tampa. I went around asking strangers if they had ever heard of the plaza that this theater was in and 100% said yes. This was a sure sign that we could launch a healthy church out of that facility.

Once we secured the lease, we brought in our team to brainstorm about how to transform this rundown theater into a place that demonstrated our cultural value of excellence. We purchased lots of pipe and drape to hide the beat-up walls, and we paid to have the carpets cleaned twice before our first service. I am sure that it was the first time in a few decades that those carpets were cleaned. We also purchased “Westin scent machines� to pump fresh smells into the popcorn filled air. Our goal was that people would walk in and take notice of the lengths we went to create a quality and clean experience for their entire family.

We launched the church on September 15, 2013, and 30 people committed their lives to Christ on that first Sunday in that rundown facility. We have since taken over the lease and renovated the entire 30,000 sq. ft. facility. We have seen over 4,200 decisions for Christ in the last 4.5 years, and we believe we are just getting started. We have since launched our second location in a public high school, and we are in the process of launching our third location in a private high school.

Staying portable is challenging, but it has tremendous perks. With a little bit of vision, you can transform the roughest school, movie theater, or even community center to a place of eternal life change.

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But I’m Not a Fundraiser

LAUNCH

Resources

I AM NUMBER 8

by John Gray

by Josh Roberie

ARC Launch Team

Over the years at ARC, I have seen some successful and some not so successful approaches to fundraising. Here are a few quick tips if you are looking to raise money for a church plant.

01.

02.

03.

0 4.

FAITH FORWARD FUTURE

by Chad Veach

DO YOUR HOME WORK .

Prepare for a fundraising meeting by finding out about the person you are meeting with.

A SK QUE S TIONS. T HEN LIS T EN. Start the meeting by asking questions about them and their vision. This way you can better connect your vision to what they are already passionate about.

CAMPUS PASTOR TRAINING

by Focus 412

SH A RE T HE W H Y. Share your needs, but also share your vision and your practical plan for sustainability. How are you going to get a return on their investment?

A DD A PERSON A L T OUCH. It’s always good to follow up and thank the person for their time with a personal note. Being authentic and genuinely caring for each person you come into contact with may be the best fundraising strategy you can employ.

VOL 2 JESUS YOU ALONE

by Highlands Worship

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

AN UPDATE ON ARC LAUNCHES

Catch up with a few of our planters to find out more aboutwhat is happening in the life of their church.

Over the past 18 years, ARC has helped launch over 750 churches. We had the opportunity to catch up with a few of our planters to get an update on what is happening in the life of their church. It’s such a great honor to work with couples that have a heart to launch a thriving church in their city!

W H AT MO TIVAT ED YOU T O PL A N T YOUR CHURCH IN T HE CIT Y T H AT YOU A RE IN ?

What motivated my wife and I to plant a life-giving church in the Metro Detroit area was simple; more people needed Jesus.

The Metro Detroit area is in the top 25 post-Christian cities in America, and we felt a call of God to help change that.

Rollin JASON & NICOLE

ARC CHURCH PLANT #472

City Light Church ROCHESTER HILLS, MI

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W H AT DOE S HE A LT H L OOK LIK E FOR YOUR CHURCH ?

Health for me personally has been the ability to focus on my family first, then ministry. I never wanted to start a church at the expense of my family. When the church first began, I was working seven days a week, 60 plus hours and it was so unhealthy for me. I thought I was providing for my family by putting all my focus and energy into the church. But it only hurt the ones I loved the most - my family. I forced myself to take a day off, and my overseers and other ARC church planters are continually checking up on me making sure I focus on what matters.

W H AT H AV E YOU L E A RNED A BOU T YOURSEL F A S A L E A DER A ND / OR PA S T OR? I have learned that I need to continually work at getting better. I can’t ever stop growing as a leader because our church and people need me to. I had to deal with some deep insecurities that I never knew were there. Thankfully through the grace of God, I am in a healthier place and growing every day.

Partin ERIC & DARLENE

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

W H AT DO YOU L OV E A BOU T YOUR CHURCH A ND COMMUNIT Y ?

We wanted to start a church that would resonate and reach the locals with the unique DNA of the area. Everyone wants to vacation here, but being a local takes a certain type of flexibility, entrepreneurial spirit, and patience with a fluctuating population of 12,000 in the winter to over 75,000 during peak season. Income changes for the locals drastically and you have to be able to make that work. Our town is known for hospitality, so whether it’s juggling the ever transitioning population numbers or trying to create something spectacular visitors would keep coming back for, it’s just what we all do to live here. You can feel that culture when you come through our doors, and it’s what we live for every weekend. We pray we leave something memorable but also eternal with locals and tourists who come to Shoreline to seek out God.

A RC CHURCH PL A N T #18

Shoreline Church DESTIN, FL

W H AT H AV E YOU L E A RNED A BOU T YOURSEL F A S A L E A DER A ND / OR PA S T OR? I’ve learned that every day is a new day if you just keep showing up. Grace is grace for a reason so don’t fake it till you make it.

Jesus is fully aware of what’s up and the Holy Spirit will guide you even when you aren’t sure of where you are going.

Know what capacity you have right now and live in it without getting frustrated that you aren’t where you wish you were. At the same time, work on expanding your capacity for what’s next. There’s a tension to manage between contentment and growth. Pretty soon you’ll see that being faithful with what is in your hands and utilizing every bit of potential you have now, has paved the way for the dreams you had when you planted your church to be realized.

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

W H AT MO TIVAT ED YOU T O PL A N T YOUR CHURCH IN T HE CIT Y T H AT YOU A RE IN ?

Des Moines is growing in nearly every way (businesses, schools, population, economy) except for churches. In fact, if every church was filled up two times on a Sunday, 4 out of 5 people in our city would have nowhere to sit. Not to mention, there were no ARC churches in our entire state.

W H AT DOE S HE A LT H L OOK LIK E FOR YOUR CHURCH ?

Health has looked like more people in our Life Groups than attending on Sundays, operating the church at 62% of our income, giving away $260,000 to missions in less than three years, and 60% serving on the Dream Team.

Palmer JONATHAN & HEATHER

A RC CHURCH PL A N T # 515

Summitcreek Church JOHNSTON, IA

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W H AT H A S BEEN ONE OF T HE T OUGHE S T MOMEN T S YOU’ V E E X PERIENCED IN MINIS T RY ?

We launched the church in Sept. 2015 and that Dec. we had a miscarriage. That was hard by itself, but learning to grieve and lead the church at the same time was difficult. I thought as the leader of the church I had to skip the grieving and quote 1 Corinthians 1:3-5 and James 1:2. But God reminded me that even Jesus wept and that grieving is a necessary part of the process.

W H AT WOUL D YOU SH A RE WIT H SOMEONE T HINK ING A BOU T PA R T NERING WIT H A RC OR BECOMING A FU T URE CHURCH PL A N T ER? Join the ARC family and run the playbook.

The relationships, encouragement, and systems we have received have made church planting a breath of fresh air. ARC has given our family a place to belong. The conferences have provided inspiration year after year for our family and our team. We love the encouragement from ARC staff, coaches, and fellow planters. We love ARC!

Now, health is defined in the answer to several questions. Have we handed the vision of the church off to faithful, next-level leaders? Do we cultivate a culture of control or growth? At this stage, you can't have both, and we better choose the right one if we're going to exist as a church years from now.

Are we making disciples who are growing in the relationship with God and the call He has on their lives?

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

W H AT DOE S HE A LT H L OOK LIK E FOR YOUR CHURCH ?

We are eight years old now, and honestly, it has taken several years to realize what health looked like for our church. We were so focused on making sure the church worked and didn't close that health for the first four years meant the bills were paid, I could draw a salary to feed my family, and we avoided any major expenses with our building that could wipe out our savings.

Hill

JAMES & NECE

A RC CHURCH PL A N T #155

Agape Church LAUREL, MS

W H AT H A S BEEN ONE OF YOUR GRE AT E S T MOMEN T S IN MINIS T RY, OR W H AT IS ONE T H AT S TA NDS OU T MOS T T O YOU ?

Recently, our downtown association (Laurel Main Street), recognized Agape Church as "THE ONE - Volunteer of the Year" award winner. This award was given in recognition of seven years of service to the downtown community and vision of Laurel Main Street.

This award meant so much because it was a team win for our entire church. It was an acknowledgment that we could demonstrate the love of God for our community by serving it with excellence. We have been called a catalyst for our downtown revitalization effort as well as a light in our community.

All of this has been accomplished by a multi-ethnic, multi-generational church in southern Mississippi.

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Bosma

JEREMY & LINDSEY

ARC CHURCH PLANT #638

Avenue Church

LAS VEGAS, NV

W H AT MO TIVAT ED YOU T O PL A N T YOUR CHURCH IN T HE CIT Y T H AT YOU A RE IN ?

Las Vegas has been our home together for over a decade. We knew God wanted us to plant a new life-giving church, but we didn’t know where. We prayed, waited, trained, stressed and finally after two and a half years, God told us our church would be in southwest Las Vegas.

W H AT DOE S HE A LT H L OOK LIK E FOR YOUR CHURCH ?

Health began before launch. We created structures and systems that would allow equipped and empowered people to thrive in serving and leading at Avenue. Our young church constantly changes and requires leaders and structures that support current stages and prepares for future growth.

W H AT H A S BEEN ONE OF YOUR GRE AT E S T MOMEN T S IN MINIS T RY, OR W H AT IS ONE T H AT S TA NDS OU T MOS T T O YOU ?

We have seen so many great moments at Avenue, but launch day is forever engraved on our hearts. On launch day, our dream was realized. Standing on the platform and looking out at the church, we were in complete awe of what God had done. That one moment became a movement for the countless stories we hear each week of people finding Jesus.

W H AT H AV E YOU L E A RNED A BOU T YOURSEL F A S A L E A DER A ND / OR PA S T OR? Lindsey and I have learned more about ourselves as leaders since the launch of Avenue than in any other season of our lives. We have learned that people need more from us and every day we have to be intentional about increasing our capacity to lead.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

W H AT DO YOU L OV E A BOU T YOUR CHURCH A ND COMMUNIT Y ?

I love the authenticity and passion of our church and community. We are seeing so many people come from LDS backgrounds and non-faith backgrounds, so it makes ministry raw and real. It is one of the great joys of what is happening at The Well right now.

W H AT H A S BEEN ONE OF YOUR GRE AT E S T MOMEN T S IN MINIS T RY, OR W H AT IS ONE T H AT S TA NDS OU T MOS T T O YOU ?

We recently celebrated our five year anniversary as a church! We have multiple services at our church now, so we decided to bring everyone together for one service at the school that we initially launched in.

Amazing! That is the only way to describe it.

I mean so many different emotions and feelings that day. Above all, we were able to step back and see all that God has done in five short years.

W H AT H AV E YOU L E A RNED A BOU T YOURSEL F A S A L E A DER A ND / OR PA S T OR? To truly find my confidence in Christ. I have realized that it is so easy to put and find our confidence in so many other things. To truly anchor my confidence in Christ has been a game changer for my leadership and as a pastor.

HO W H A S BEING A PA R T OF A RC IMPAC T ED YOUR LIFE A ND FA MILY ?

There has been no greater joy than working with ARC. ARC has been everything that we have needed and more through all phases of our journey! ARC has brought relationships, safety, counsel, leadership, equipping, and so many other things to our lives and family. ARC is so much more than just a church planting organization. It is a family and tribe.

Parrish JASON & ERICA

A RC CHURCH PL A N T # 318

The Well S A NDY, U T

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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LAUNCH

Campus Launch T HE P O W ER OF A P L A N

by Phil Klein

IF YOU HAVE EVER launched or considered launching a campus you know there is a significant financial and emotional investment.

Even in the midst of that consideration we often underestimate the condition of the playing field and the power of the game plan.

Luke 14:28 (ESV) 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the ​ cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey says, “Great leaders seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Regarding entering a launch season, I believe there are five key areas you must understand to develop a fully thought out and sustainable game plan.

1. DE SCRIBE YOUR SE A SON ( CIRCUM S TA NCE S ) .

A great coach goes into a game with an incredible level of insight on the other team, the field, and their players. Ask yourself, why 24

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do you want to launch there? What are the current circumstances of your church and of the people in the community your campus will serve? What is their history? What are their felt needs? How do your strengths uniquely position you to address those circumstances and needs? How will this inform your approach?

2. DE T ERMINE T HE T E A M. Start by creating a leader profile, articulating five top-tier qualities necessary for a person to be part of your team. Use an organization chart that includes the essential people and positions. Develop the dynamics of how your locations will interact with each other (central/decentralize).

3. DEFINE T HE WIN. Ask yourself, is there a defined goal beyond the launch for the campus and Campus Pastor? This goal must be stated compellingly. It should be attainable yet also require help from God to get there. Remember to craft it with qualitative and quantitative

4. DECL A RE T HE CH A RGE. What is the specific vision you or the campus leader will rally your campus around? It is likely aligned with, but not the same as the specific charge for the church. It will be specific to the community your campus is in.

The vision will act as the “why” behind the “what.” It is through the casting of this vision that people are reminded of and encouraged to keep pressing on to continue and contribute along the journey.

5. DEPL OY T HE PL AY BOOK .

This is the summary of all of the components listed above. The playbook is the campus strategy you plan to use. Consider the elements above as the essentials needed to confidently communicate the growth strategy for your campus. Use them as your strategic plan outline. Put it in writing. Share it with your key leaders. Provide clarity and get buy-in. You can’t have unity without alignment, and you can’t have alignment without something to align to.

All victories come from God, but to execute the victory ahead, you have to use everything He has given you to take as much weight as possible off your humanness. Use the time and wisdom He has granted you to leverage your experience, lead with confidence, and launch well. Consider your circumstances, count the cost and put your plan together.

God never chooses the wrong person. He has chosen you, for this time, so honor Him by using everything in your power to reach people and connect them to Him.

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elements. So often goals are strictly quantitative (how many), but need to have a quality measure (how well). Track how many people participate and in what ways, also ask “what is their experience and connection to the campus through that participation?”

“ All victories come from God, but to execute the victory ahead, you have to use everything He has given you to take as much weight as possible off your humanness.”

Phil Klein is the Founder of Focus 412, an initiative dedicated to equipping leaders to grow the church with an emphasis on people, culture, systems, and strategy.

For more information on Campus Pastor training visit focus412.com.

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Changing Perspectives S L AT E CHURCH ( ON TA RIO, CA N A DA )

An Interview with Brandon Richardson

BRANDON AND EMMA Richardson are the Founding and Lead Pastors of Slate Church in Waterloo, Ontario. They co-pastor with Luke and Victoria Boettger and launched their church on September 17, 2017, with more than 600 people. Their heart is to start a movement that will make both their city and nation known for the love of Christ and serving communities. We got a chance to catch up and see what is happening in the life of Slate Church.

W H AT IS YOUR HE A R T FOR YOUR COMMUNIT Y A ND CHURCH ?

Our heart is to change the narrative, and to see our country as a Christian nation, one that values God in everything that we do.

Waterloo has been called the “silicon valley” of Canada. Our city is known for Google and other prominent tech start-ups. We want our city redefined, not just as a tech start-up city but a place known for God’s love and people that are radically obsessed with moving his mission forward.

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We have a lot of hope and promise for where we are headed. I see a lot starting to shift, even in our city, people are re-imagining what faith looks like based on what we are doing in our church. My passion is to continue to see that across Canada.

W H AT IS SOME T HING YOU RE A L LY FOCUS ON AT SL AT E CHURCH ?

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, co-pastor with us. The speaking is shared amongst us. One of our focuses is trying not to build on the personality of one of us. That works for us.

At times there is a lot of talk about valuing women and men, but in practice, we see the men taking charge. Emma and Victoria are taking the torch, and are running just as hard as Luke and I. They are passionate about empowering women. Anytime we throw a women’s night, we see more than 400 women in attendance. One of the things they are doing well is that they are not just

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getting them together and telling them that they are beautiful and strong, but they are telling and teaching them how to lead.

W H AT H AV E YOU L E A RNED OV ER T HE L A S T T EN MON T HS ?

We continually hear this idea that healthy things grow. Numbers don’t always mean health. We have had to learn how to nurture health and not to assume that we have the health to move into the next season. I have learned that when we are faithful with the little, we will be given much. When we define little, it’s whatever we currently have. Last year’s little is not today’s little. What I have today, is 450 people we have to pastor, and if we are faithful with this, we will be given more. It’s about how we faithfully steward what He has given us this season.

HO W DID YOU GU YS GE T CONNEC T ED T O A RC GL OBA L? We’ve never been conventional in that we have done a lot of things and taken risks that most people shy away from. We were only 26 years old when we decided to go into the ARC process. We weren’t under the assumption, that because we had seen a certain measure of success in our past season that it was going to determine future success.

“ We have had to learn how to nurture health and not to assume that we have the health to move into the next season.”

ARC had the most tried and true principles and the most overall healthy results out of any organization. When we looked deeper, it seemed as though there was family available to be connected to, which was important to us as young leaders. When we got into the ARC process, we were committed because we saw that ARC didn’t take things lightly.

We wanted to be challenged, but we also wanted to be loved, and for a healthy church plant, you need both.

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I am Second

by Bianca Olthoff

I AM SECOND. No, it’s not religious humility or self-deprecation. I’m literally second. I am a second born twin in the shared role of first child. I am the second wife to my husband.

I’m the second mother to my kids. And up until our new church launch, I was second on all executive teams I sat on. I am second.

Quotes like, “Either you're first or you're nothing,” and, “Second is the first place loser,” reinforce the belief that secondary and subsidiary roles are insignificant.

They aren’t. In fact, they are needed. In life, liberty, and the pursuit of Jesus, you can’t lead if you don’t know how to follow.

In the business world, church life, or home domain, leadership can be identified by focusing on certain skills or characteristics by people leading in front. But if leadership is influencing people, we each have a powerful role to play as we mobilize and influence people in all spheres of our life.

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Being second doesn’t mean I abdicate my responsibilities or influence because I am not leading at the front or making the final decision. Leading as second means we harness the collective power of the team to support the main vision or objective, whether that is in your family, church, or boardroom.

We launched our church with the clear decision that my husband and I would co-lead the church. But we intentionally acknowledged areas where I should take the lead and areas that he should take the lead. For example, I couldn’t stick to our launch budget to save my life, so Matt managed the finances. (My idea of budgeting was buying the biggest, brightest, and best and praying Jesus would provide a miracle! Fix it Jesus!)

When it came to marketing, storytelling, and social media, he knew I was better suited and let me run full force. Just because you aren’t first, doesn’t mean your voice as second doesn’t count.

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“In life, liberty, and the pursuit of Jesus, you can’t lead if you don’t know how to follow.”

If we—admins, interns, volunteers, and spouses—understand that we are contributing to something larger than just ourselves, it calibrates our heart and attitude. We cultivate purpose, values, and mission when we move together and willingly submit to the collective whole.

Leading second is purposeful, not accidental. We step intentionally into our role in domestic decisions, boardroom policies, or academic pursuits. We lead purposefully, not accidentally.

Leading second is collaborative and cooperative. Our families, teams, and coworkers must lean in an build the collective vision, instead of building individual agendas.

Leading second is not abdicating our responsibility because of our position or title. You may never get the recognition, but you get to speak into the vision and further the mission.

Leading second is not passive. Whether you are an intern, student, pastor’s wife, or

new hire, you are part of the decision making process whether you want to be or not.

You might not have the biggest vote or loudest voice, but don’t sit idly by and watch the vision happen; you make it happen.

Leading second is not an excuse to do little because you are new, shy, or don’t have a corner office. Laziness and inattention are by-products of people who don’t see their value or care to change.

Ultimately, we are all second. Paul, an apostle, and an amazing leader summed it up best, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ,” (1 Corinthians 11:1). We are all second to the One, followers to the greatest leader of all. When you learn to carry the vision, you will learn to lead the vision. But you need to be willing to learn, listen, and lean into being second. Learning to follow will prepare you to lead.

Bianca and Matt Olthoff are the pastors of The Father’s House OC in Anaheim, CA launched Sept. 9, 2018. To learn more visit tfhoc.org.

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PLANTING

IN YOU R

CONTEXT

by Emily Chenevert

L AUNCHING A CHURCH IS NO SIMPLE TASK . IT’S SOMETHING THAT TAK ES FA I T H, PREPA R AT ION A ND T HE A BILIT Y TO SHARE A VISION OF WHAT’S TO COME. ASK ANY CHURCH PL ANTER AND WHAT IT WAS LIK E FOR THEM. ONE THING IS CERTAIN, E ACH E XPERIENCE WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM ANOTHER BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUENESS OF THE CITIES, AND THE PEOPLE THAT CALL THEM HOME. What works in one city, may not work in another. Are they in a city that culturally is familiar to church life? How many churches exist in that area already? What needs are facing the community? These are just some of the questions that could run through the minds of church planters.

From southern California to Harlem, from a small town in Ohio to a blue-collar city like Detroit, one thing is sure; there are pastors who are willing to go and further the kingdom of God, no matter what it may look like in the context of where they are.

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HARLEM, NEW YORK “We were as grassroots as grassroots can be,” said Taylor Wilkerson, Pastor of Trinity Church in Harlem, New York, when referring to finding servant leaders for his launch team.

NEW YOR “I always had a huge heart for tangibly affecting the lives of people, not just preaching Jesus and sharing hope that way, but by meeting the needs of people,” said Taylor.

Taylor grew up in the ministry with his parents Rich and Robyn Wilkerson at Trinity Church in Miami, FL. Now, as Taylor walks the streets of Harlem and pastors a hurting community, it’s closer to home for him than what some may think.

“From the outside, it does look a little odd, you are a white guy going into a black neighborhood, but since I was eight years old, my whole life was in a black neighborhood. I grew up in an inner-city church, and it’s all I knew. We were the only white people,” said Taylor. “I literally have a photo of me, and I am the only white kid in the choir, and I am swaying the wrong direction! That’s what I grew up in. It just feels how I grew up for me here. I feel like I am in my context because it’s all I knew,” he said.

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Taylor wanted to make sure that their church would be one that serves and shows the tangible love of Christ. Their first year before launching consisted of interest meetings and serve days on Saturdays. “I started going to the projects and playing basketball. I was recruiting baristas, waiters, and waitresses.

We partnered with organizations and we gave groceries to 500 families,” said Taylor.

He cast vision about a church that would speak to social justice issues and topics that were facing the community. “You can’t do ministry in a context like this and not address social injustice. You have to talk about racism head-on. We have to address poverty in our community. Those are the real issues that plague our community,” said Taylor.

Taylor was dedicated to finding the needs of the community and making it his priority. They saw a need for educating kids on healthy relationships as it pertains to

teen pregnancies. Harlem had the highest percentage in the country of teen pregnancies that ended in abortions; 68% of teenage girls who got pregnant had abortions. But what he also found was that those numbers weren’t entirely accurate and that for years, people encouraged abortions so that numbers in others areas wouldn’t look as bad. Trinity wrote a proposal to the federal government and received a grant to educate students on healthy relationships.

Through the grant, they now have six people on staff teaching healthy relationships in public schools Monday through Friday.

“The federal government had a problem, and we said, we will do it."

RK

“ You can’t do ministry in a context like this and not address social injustice.”

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CHILLICOTHE, OHIO Chris and Kristyn VanBuskirk were the first ARC church plant in Ohio. They launched Centerpoint Church in the fall of 2009. Their city has a population of about 23,000 people. It’s a small town, and for the VanBurskirk’s, small town cities in Ohio are their mission.

OHIO “There is a lot of hustle and grit in small towns.

One of the challenges, when you are in a small town, is embracing your limitations without lowering your expectation. We have still pushed to pursue excellence and not make excuses why we can't or won’t do things a certain way. We don’t do leftovers. We give God our first and best. That is very unique in a small town,” said Chris.

Chillicothe was the capital of the state of Ohio twice. It was the 1st and 3rd capital. The city is located about an hour south of Columbus, northwest of Cincinnati and has experienced some revitalization in the last ten years. It’s a blue-collar town, with white-collar jobs. The median age is 38-39 and has gotten younger over the last decade.

And although the city received some bad press in the past, Chris and Kristyn like to remind people that they are not forgotten.

“There is this feeling of Chillicothe as this forgotten city. Our heart is for the forgotten cities in Ohio. We think there is significance in small towns. Jesus came from this little town of Bethlehem, and it wasn’t really on the map until he showed up and God is always in the business of using small towns to do big things and using ordinary people in small towns to do extraordinary things,” said Chris.

“We were not just going to be a church for our city, but for Ohio. That’s our mission, to plant life-giving churches in small towns,” he said.

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BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA For Guy and Ashley Hoss, launching a church in Bakersfield, CA means bridging gaps and creating a church that reflects the heart of God for hurting people to call home.

They launched Story Church in September 2018, and they hope to be a church where people can understand what having a relationship with Jesus is, not just religion.

CALIFORNIA “For us, the vision God gave us was 1 Cor. 13:13 (NLT), 'Three things will last forever— faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.' If we don’t show love, we have nothing to offer people. Even with our outreaches, I tell our team, we are going to share the love of Christ, and if they want to come to our church then great,” said Guy.

“ If we don’t show love, we have nothing to offer people.”

Guy grew up in Bakersfield, but since he has been gone for 20 years, he had to build his launch team from scratch and start serving the city. He says that the city still has somewhat of a racial divide.

“Bakersfield is a very diverse city, but churches have to work at being multiethnic. You have to work at bridging gaps and breaking down racial walls,” he said.

Bakersfield is located in the San Joaquin Valley, a little over 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The city is a significant hub for both agriculture and oil production. However, the more devastating statistic is the meth problem among people including juveniles. In a report done in 2014, 50.2 percent of felonies in Bakersfield were charges related to meth and numbers show it’s getting worse among juveniles. As for Guy, he is aware and wants to connect with those who find themselves in these situations and help them find a true relationship with Jesus.

“There is a huge mental health concern in this city, so there is a lot of brokenness. A lot of churches focus on the rules versus building relationships. A lot of the youth have grown up with a bitter taste in their mouth about what they can’t do vs. a relationship with Jesus. There are a lot of people turned off by God and religion,” said Guy.

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DETROIT, MICHIGAN Pastors Robby and Danielle Emery planted a church in Detroit, Michigan. The city itself hit some hard times, and in 2013, the actual city of Detroit filed for bankruptcy.

Two years after that when Detroit started climbing out of the hole, the Emery’s simultaneously started feeling something in their heart to plant a church in the city. They had grown up years ago in the area, but were living in Texas and doing ministry there.

MICHIG “In 2015, we started having this heart to plant a church. And in doing so, we have been able to be a part of the resurgence. There are a lot of people moving here. There are very few cities where you can go and rebuild.

You can go to Detroit and make a difference and leave a legacy,” said Robby. “We went in there with the hospitality we learned from ARC training, this idea of the church being generous and hospitable.”

“Michigan is a blue-collar state, and it has a Midwest mindset. You have to convince people who think, ‘Why should I give my time when I have worked over 60 hours this week?’ or, ‘Why should I give any money that I have spent so much time at earning?’

What we have been able to do is show them how we are generous, and what that look like,” said Robby.

Their church pulls from a three-county area.

It’s a very religious area, including Catholic, Jewish and Muslim followers. For example, Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit, which is about 10 minutes from where the church meets, has the largest Muslim population in the country.

“Christian is not the first thing you think of when it comes to this area,” said Robby.

“There are some life-giving churches, but going to church is not the common culture 36

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“ It’s about relationships with the city and people.”

here. But there is now an appeal to go to church with the resurgence of the city. It’s about relationships with the city and people,” said Robby.

“We have found that because of Detroit having this comeback, it takes a little more time for them to trust us. We are finding that our consistency, generosity, kindness, and love that we show towards the community are what make a difference,” said Robby.

The Emery’s are both bi-vocational. Robby works as an advisor to players and coaches for the football team at the University of Michigan. He is an adviser but is known as a “soul coach.” He feels that by them working, its great way to connect with those in his church.

“It shows our church that we are doing everything it takes to make the church grow. Even on Sunday, we are the first to arrive. I pull the trailer and Danielle sets up spaces. We are not asking them to do something that we are not willing to do. That has been huge in the blue-collar, Midwest part of Michigan,” said Robby.

GAN

WHEN TALKING to these pastors about their heart for their city, one thing was evident, understanding the context of where they live and serve is strictly based on the needs of people. Although one may think of the circumstances of rent costs, or transportation issues, their focus is on meeting their needs and helping them find Jesus.

As Taylor said, “No matter what context God has called you to, there are needs. Whether it is a small town or large city, get to know people and ask, how could our church help serve this city?" And that’s exactly what they are doing.

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A True

ROMANS ADAM AND STACY MAGANA, PASTORS OF ACTIVE CHURCH IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA, EXPERIENCED ONE OF THEIR GRE ATEST SE ASONS OF L O S S IN 2 014 . L IF E WA S GOOD, A ND S TA CY H A D JUS T FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH THEIR SECOND CHILD. THEY WERE THE DIRECTOR OF SMALL GROUPS FOR BOTH YOUTH AND YOUNG A DULT S AT A L A RGE CHURCH IN L A S VEGAS. E VERY THING WAS FINE, THEN AT ABOUT S I X M O N T H S I N T O H E R P R E G N A N C Y, S T A C Y W E N T IN T O P R E-T E R M L A BOR ON FAT HE R ’ S D AY W E E KEND. A FE W DAYS L AT ER, SHE ENDED UP GIVING BIRTH TO THEIR SON ADA M, WHO WAS S TILLBORN. IT WAS A DARK TIME FOR THEM. THE Y WERE GRIEVING AND NOT TOO SURE WHAT LIFE LOOK ED LIKE FROM THERE.

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AND WE KNOW THAT IN ALL THINGS...

8:28 I Story

“IT WAS THE SADDEST moment in our life.

We were grieving. It was terrible. We now have this son in heaven, and we had decided to scatter his ashes,” Adam said. “I asked Stacy what she wanted to do, and she knew right away where she wanted to go. It’s called Montana de Oro on the coast of California, and we felt like we should scatter our baby’s ashes there at the same spot we got engaged," said Adam.

by Emily Chenevert

It was at a high point, a mountain overlooking the ocean, close to the city of San Luis Obispo, CA. It was in that moment when Adam felt that one day they would be back there.

“We prayed and gave him back to God. We came off the hill, and it was then, I told Stacy ‘this is giving me hope…I feel like we are going to live here one day.’ We didn’t know what that meant at the time,” said Adam.

They spent some time in San Luis Obispo, and while they were there, they began to talk to people about church. They noticed ARCCHURCHES.COM

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that many didn’t have a church home, and although planting a church wasn’t on their radar, it’s like something was stirring, without them even knowing.

“We kept hearing people say they had a hard time finding a church. One person said, ‘if you guys had a church, we would go.’ We were in a place of grieving. Our home was in Vegas at the time, and we were retreating to get away to process everything yet as we were there, we were asking people about churches, so a few seeds were planted.”

GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD...

They returned to Las Vegas and got back to ministry and reality set in. Not really knowing what to do, they kept serving where they were.

“We were just grieving. We went back to ministry, overseeing groups. We were taking kids to camp. Jumping back in. About 4 or 5 months later, I couldn’t kick the feeling,” said Adam.

Adam mentioned what was in his heart about planting a church to a friend for the first time. He hadn’t said anything to anyone yet, and after a few major God moments, they both felt that God was aligning things for them and confirming their desire to plant a church in San Luis Obispo, California.

They reached out to a friend, Joe Pena, Pastor of Relentless Church in Las Vegas who launched with the ARC. He introduced Adam to Dan Ohlerking, director of ARC Meet-Ups. “Dan listened to me rant for like an hour and didn’t say much…he was awesome. He told us to come to the ARC Conference in Anaheim. We went, and we were like what is this…it’s like an Amway convention (laugh).

I was like, why is everyone so excited about ARC? Then I realized, it was because ARC 40

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“Then I realized, it was because ARC is like family. We were witnessing a family reunion.”

-ADAM

is like family. We were witnessing a family reunion,” Adam said.

Adam and Stacy talked about what stood out to them and realized they had written the exact same comment in one of the sessions that stuck with them regarding the next steps. They signed up for a 6-month training program at a large church and registered for an upcoming ARC Intensive at Bayside Community Church.

“We bought the plane tickets and were headed to the training. We didn’t

know that there was a process first…we accidentally slipped through the cracks, but it was totally God,” said Stacy.

“We were there with 50 other couples. We saw all these cool couples, and we were like, what are we doing here? We were soaking up the days of training and were invited to an amazing dinner with all these people. I ran into Pastor Randy Bezet outside the bathroom of all places, and he was like ‘what’s up man…tell me your story' at which I shared how we had gotten there and that we were supposed

to be going to a church for training before we launched. He then asked, ‘Adam does your wife love ya?' I said, ‘yes,’ and he continued and asked, ‘no, does she love ya, love ya?’ and I said, ‘yes.’ He continued and said, ‘Why don’t you come out here with us? My mentor Greg Surratt did this for me, and I would like to do that for you,’” said Adam.

It was a life-changing decision. Adam and Stacy sold their house in June and moved to Florida. They were there for six months, then moved to California in January 2017. It was just

OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM...

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WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED...

“If you are going to be a part of a tribe, be a part of a tribe that gets it.

Guys who have been in your shoes and want to see you do well.”

-ADAM them and one other couple that started building the launch team for Active Church.

At about eight weeks out from launch they had 90 people and a lot of momentum. The only problem was, they didn’t have a location. Real estate was high, there was nothing available, and schools were saying no.

“We had a great launch team, momentum, and people were hearing about us, and we had just hit our 1-week mark of needing to have our mailer sent out, yet we didn’t have a building. I was in the parking lot of a school, and in tears crying out to God. I prayed ‘God this is your church. I can’t do this. This is your church, and you need to take care of your church. Please step in,’” said Adam.

They were calling everyone they had talked to about a building and then he called the owner of the Fremont Theatre in downtown San Luis Obispo that they had initially called months ago.

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“I saw the Fremont Theatre that day and pointed to it and told Stacy, ‘We are going to do church there and a bunch of people are going to get saved,’” Adam said. But the theatre was in a lawsuit, hence the reason they were looking at all other options. The pressure of a location was building.

“It was like this game of maybe we will get the theatre or maybe we won’t. I just gave this back to God so when I called the owner again, I said, ‘is there any way we can talk about renting your facility as we are really close to our launch,’ and he replied, ‘funny that you say that, we were just talking about you and we would love to rent to you,’" said Adam.

They weren’t in the clear just yet. It took another 3-4 weeks to get the paperwork.

They were in the last hour to get their mailers complete and had to have that lease signed. Adam approved the mailers, and within a few hours of that, he got the signed

lease. They were four weeks from launch and finally had a location.

“It was launch Sunday, and everyone is coming, launch team prepared, worship prepared. Everyone prepared. I was in the front row, worshiping God. I didn’t want to turn around. At the second song, I was like ‘I am going to keep praising you God, at least we are here, and then I turned around on about song three, and they were taking piping drape down. People were flooding in. We had 417 people and 29 decisions for Christ, and peoples live's were impacted."

They launched on September 17, 2017, with over 400 people, but more importantly, with 29 decisions for Christ. Over the last ten months, they have reached 300 decisions for Christ.

Adam says that being connected to ARC and having the support of other pastors is what helped them accomplish what God called them to do.

“If you are going to be a part of a tribe, be a part of a tribe that gets it. Guys who have been in your shoes and want to see you do well. They want you to do better; they want

you to get better. It’s not comparison or a competition. It’s where we find our strength; where we share our real struggles, be honest about what you are going through, and encouraging each other when you are down.

You can’t get that anywhere else. I don’t know any other group of guys that have access to that other than ARC,” said Adam.

For Adam and Stacy, they believe that the story of Active Church started that heart-wrenching, yet hopeful day on the mountaintop.

Adam said, “when we scattered baby Adam's ashes in the in the Pacific Ocean, it was like we planted a seed that day, and as the seed grew, God knitted our hearts with this area,” said Adam. “What the enemy meant to destroy, God meant for good. We shared with our church on launch Sunday that the enemy wanted to take us out. It was the worst season of our lives, but as we planted that seed, God knew good things would happen out of that,” Adam shared. “When loss happens, and you come up against the worst of the worst, he can still use the pain to bring Glory to himself; it’s a true Romans 8:28 story."

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Connect T HE REL ATIONSHIP S

R E L AT ION S HIP I S T RU LY T HE S T R E NG T H OF T H E C H U R C H A N D O F A N Y M I N I S T R Y. W E E N COUR AGE PASTORS AND CHURCH LE ADERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO JOIN E ACH OTHER AT ARC EVENTS, TR AININGS, AND GATHE RING S A S A WAY T O IN T E N T ION A L LY B UIL D REL ATIONSHIPS. OUR HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL DR AW STRENGTH AND WISDOM FROM OTHERS, AND PROVIDE IT AS WELL. THAT IS THE JOY OF NOT DOING MINISTRY ALONE. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE A PART OF ALL YOU CAN AND ADD YOUR UNIQUE S TRENGTHS AND GIF TINGS T O T H I S B I G F A M I L Y.

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IN T HIS SEC TION

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Many Faces of ARC

The ARC Family consists of a growing network of leaders from all around the globe.

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Who Am I?

What would it take for you to know in your heart God was really moving in your church?

by Jeff Little

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Every Pastor Needs a Pastor

Our lives are defined by the relationships we build.

We are born into a family, but we choose who we will relate with as life goes on.

by Casey Treat

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The Third Option

Identifying the cultural influences that shape our attitudes on race, and explaining why we must honor the priceless value of God’s image in all people.

by Miles McPherson

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CONNECT

7 Things to Turn a Good Team Into a Great Team

Resources

by Kevin Gerald Champions Centre, Tacoma, WA

01.

COL L A BOR ATIV E L E A DERSHIP A great team is when everyone on the team becomes a leader.

02.

CL E A R COMMUNICATION The clearer that we get with our communication, the better we begin to clarify our intention.

03.

CONS TA N T GR ATIT UDE. The team mentality is that we are blessed with everything, and we are entitled to nothing.

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CONSIS T ENCY OF CULT URE When there's a consistency of culture, the team protects and extends the culture from the core to the perimeter of the organization.

A GUIDE TO PRAYER AND FASTING

by Dave Patterson

CONGRUENCY WIT H T HE BIG PIC T URE This is when every team is highly aware of its role as part of a bigger picture. You can have good teams with good talent, but they become great teams whenever they're blending for a greater cause.

GRO W T H MINDSE T Leaders tend to see themselves as they are and to draw conclusions about themselves, and their team. It's about lifting up your eyes from where you are, looking beyond where you are because He is taking you somewhere better.

CRE ATIV E CONCEP T S The goal is to find the next creative element needed to move your team forward. Going from good to great is when you start having conversations that "take the lid off" to come up with the creative solutions to solve problems.

To listen to this ARC Conference App Session in full, visit media.arcchurches.com.

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PURSUIT

by TFH Worship

SEPT 2018

EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP

by Michael Fletcher

INPUT/OUTPUT

by Substance Church

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The 3 Most Important Things You Get From A Father

by Larry Stockstill larrystockstill.com

Fathering is not just a role, it is a foundation. People without fathering battle deep insecurity, wrong choices, and uncontrollable habits. What is a fatherless child missing?

ACCOUN TA BILIT Y: T HE PO W ER OF A DAILY LIFE COACH. I don’t know about you, but I got in trouble every day. I ran off, I lied, I stole, I was disrespectful, I did destructive things at a moment’s notice. In between those things, I was a nice kid!

My father represented to me the immovable object. He took no bull, calmly “shut me down,” asked me, “where do you think you are going?” He often applied the board of education to the seat of higher learning! Without a father (or mother) who will not budge on standards or let a kid get by, a child has no inner accountability and walls. “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Prov. 25:28) A PPREN TICE SHIP: T HE PO W ER OF A LIV ING E X A MPL E. Throughout history, fathers taught their skills to sons and daughters. Something inside of them told them that they owed it to their children to train them for the time they were no longer around. Fathers, your every move, good or bad, is training.

A child learns more in one hour alongside a father than in years of behavior modification.

I carefully watched my father mow grass, fix up a home, get sweaty and head off to work. I watched him hold his temper and restrain his emotions. I copied his facial expressions and humor. I learned how to handle life, money, and people from a father.

A FFIRM ATION : T HE PO W ER OF A PL E A SED MEN T OR. I can still remember 48 years ago when my high school basketball coach stopped an entire practice to compliment a move I made to the basket. I can still remember 47 years ago when my English teacher stopped our class to compliment my writing. Time stood still in that moment.

Affirmation is a point in time when you become convinced that you can change the world.

What if a child never hears those words? What if they hear the opposite, "you will never amount to anything.” What if your identity becomes, “stupid, failure, dumb, weak?" Can they ever face life with the courage and bravery of a champion?

Accountability, apprenticeship, and affirmation. Three little words but three powerful keys that open all the doors in life. Be sure that each of your children gets all three things. Give them the internal security they crave. Remember, we can change our world, one young life at a time.

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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Why Meet-Ups Matter ARC Meet-ups are the perfect environment to connect with others pastors in your area. They can vary from small breakfast or lunch gatherings to large group events, geared to provide training and resources to pastors.

For Pastor Jared Ming of Higher Vision Church in Valencia, CA, connecting to ARC via an ARC Meet-Up was vital in developing more relationships with pastors, including those in his own city. Dan Ohlerking, Director of ARC Meet-Ups, invited him to attend.

“It was a breakfast and basically he invited several pastors in our city. Some I had heard of and some I hadn’t. It was informal, fun, and we were building relationships,” said Jared. “A couple of the guys that I connected with at that first meet-up are still friends, and we have stayed connected,” he said.

Since then, he has been to more meet-ups and even hosted one at his church. As a pastor who has been leading his church for over ten years, he says that there is something that is great about connecting and investing in the younger pastors just starting out.

“When we planted, I had a few un-official coaches that helped me along the way. I had a few people that could be a sounding board for me. By being in a meet-up, it creates an opportunity for informal encouragement and coaching to take place,” he said.

He believes that for the pastor who has been doing ministry for many years, seeing the passion and excitement of younger leaders is encouraging.

“I know for me at our ten-year mark, I hit a wall, and I was struggling. By being around some other guys I knew at the time, it helped me,” said Jared. “Meet-ups create the opportunity that when you are struggling, pastors can be a little more transparent and share their heart because it’s not a staff member or a person in the church. It creates the ability to be a little bit more real,” he said.

Find an ARC Meet-Up in your area at arcchurches.com/connect.

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The 5 Signs of a Generational Church

by Scott C. Todd, PhD One Child Matters

What kind of church will be thriving 20 years from now? Will your church be thriving 20 years from now, in the year 2038? It is sometimes a challenge to think in longer timeframes with all the energy and attention that is needed to grow the church today, but there are churches that will be thriving in 20 years and churches that will be gone. Today is the day to set the foundation for long-term impact.

In 2013 we began a global project to identify the characteristics of churches that effectively reach the next generation. Church leaders from over 40 countries contributed to the process and an initial list of 23 characteristics was narrowed down to five. We call these the Five Signs of a Generational Church. “Generational”, as in spanning generations, and also in the sense of being life-giving – generative. The Five Signs are:

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COMMIT T ED L E A DERSHIP Church leaders are deeply committed to reaching the next generation, especially kids at risk.

CHIL D CH A MPIONS The people who work with children and youth are affirmed, valued, equipped and mobilized. These youth pastors, teachers, coaches, mentors… build trust and instill hope in young people.

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CHIL D PA R TICIPATION Young people have an influential voice in the life of the church, are treated as agents (not objects) of mission and form meaningful peer relationships.

CURRICUL UM There is an age appropriate, relevant, contextualized plan for programs and growth activities that young people value.

CEN T R A LIT Y OF FA MILY The church effectively engages and equips families in the nurture and spiritual formation of their kids.

For more information please visit onechildmatters.org ARCCHURCHES.COM

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10 Things I’ve Learned While Serving

by Tori Townley serveday.com

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T HE M AGIC OF A SMIL E Outreach may start off a little awkward sometimes. But honestly, I can say smiling takes at least 90% of the edge off and makes everyone around you feel comfortable. Including yourself.

GO SL O W Interruptions are usually your divine appointment in disguise. So don't rush. Move slow. Embrace people.

FL O W AT E Y E L E V EL A friend of mine works at an assisted living home. She showed me that kneeling beside a nursing home resident who is in a wheelchair makes all the difference in the world. When you're at eye level, it communicates friendship and servanthood.

T HE ONLY L A BEL IS, FRIEND Avoid labeling people based on their circumstances. Rather than calling them "homeless people" keep in mind that while they may happen to be "experiencing homelessness" ultimately, they are simply our friends.

Calling someone a friend instills dignity and speaks value to them.

"HEL L O, M Y N A ME IS _ _ _ _ _" Share your name before asking theirs.

Sharing a piece of yourself first is a small gesture to build trust.

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SEL FIE IS BE S TIE Ask permission before taking tos of someone. Asking, I take a photo with you?" getting to know them a is best.

pho"may after little

BE L OV E Don't feel the need to preach at people.

Just "be love." Jesus can and will make Himself known. Follow His lead.

PL E A SE DO T OUCH Now, be overly appropriate and smart about it, but don't be afraid to high five, handshake, and with permission - hug! Keep in mind that embrace is healing.

CR A Z Y TIME S = T HE BE S T TIME S Let's be real, outreach events and chaos are inseparable. But if you embrace it, it will be the most fun, most glorious kind of chaos you've ever been in!

DON' T FORGE T T O T H A NK HIM At the end of serving, don't forget to thank Jesus for the jewels He sent your way. Thank Him in prayer, thank Him by telling the stories, thank Him by shouting from the rooftops just how good He is, and thank Him by trusting Him to continue the work in people's lives that you were invited to be in on.

He is such a beautiful Father.

Resources

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A Guide to Fasting and Prayer

by Dave Patterson

The Father's House, Vacaville, CA

I want to encourage you to make the biblical practices of fasting and prayer a part of your lifestyle and seriously run after God by using all the ‘weapons of our warfare’ that have been given to the Church.

Every year The Father’s House takes several key seasons to fast, worship, and pray. Although we pray throughout the year, these are times when the concerted focus of the entire body is in unity, and laser-focused on the greater things God has for us. These “holy days” are extremely powerful and necessary to see the kind of spiritual advancement we are believing for.

You can fast any time of the year, and it would be Biblical and powerful. Our practice is to take the month of January as our primary month to seek God through a fast. By setting aside January, we are “sanctifying” the beginning of this year and setting aside “the first.” By pushing back the plate, giving our minds, bodies, and spirits to an all-out pursuit of the Lord and His purpose, we are giving “our best.”

These days of seeking God will be a precious and pleasing offering that will align our hearts and minds to know and do His will in the days and months ahead. The simple, yet life-changing principle to keep in your heart is this, “When you give the first and best, He blesses the rest.” I would encourage and challenge you to live the entirety of your life according to this truth and I will guarantee, years and decades from now, you’ll never regret it!

Fasting, both privately and as a body of believers, is significant as fasting and prayer release the blessing and power of God over our lives, our families, our businesses, our church, and our city! I pray the Holy Spirit will draw you and speak to you about this season of your life as you consider your involvement in a special time of seeking God.

WHO AM I?

by Jeff Little

THE THIRD OPTION

by Miles McPherson

HALLELUJAH HERE BELOW

by Elevation Worship

LOVE LIKE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN HURT

by Jentezen Franklin ARCCHURCHES.COM

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MANY FACES OF ARC

GET TO KNOW THE ARC FAMILY

The ARC family consists of a growing network of leaders from all around the globe.

Each person brings significant value and something unique to the ARC family and body of Christ. We believe in the strength of relationships, and value each person’s wisdom and experience, and we want to share that with you.

LEAD PASTOR

SoulCity KL KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA DE S CRIBE YOUR S E L F IN 3 WOR D S

PASSIONATE SANGUINE PERFECTIONIST

Francis AARON

W H AT A DV ICE WOUL D YOU GO BACK A ND GIV E YOURSEL F 15 Y E A RS AGO ?

Finish what you start and focus.

W H AT IS IT LIK E BEHIND T HE SCENE ON YOUR AV ER AGE MONDAY MORNING? Sleeping in and playing with the kids.

HO W WOUL D YOU DE SCRIBE YOUR HOPE S A ND DE SIRE S FOR YOUR LIFE A ND / OR A T E S TIMON Y OF GOD’S FAIT HFUL NE S S IN YOUR LIFE ?

I’ve seen the faithfulness of God in every season of my life. It’s one of the things that helps me to press forward.

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MANY FACES OF ARC

PASTOR

itown Church INDIANAPOLIS, IN

Sumrall DE S CRIBE YOUR S E L F IN 3 WOR D S

DRIVEN PERCEPTIVE LOVING

W H AT DOE S SUCCE S S L OOK LIK E T O YOU ?

I want to finish the race. Success to me is doing ministry the rest of my life, pastoring itown with my husband, and raising five children who truly love the Lord and know their purpose in the body of Christ. Everything else is just lagniappe!

KATE

CA N YOU T EL L US A T E S TIMON Y OF GOD'S FAIT HFUL NE S S IN YOUR LIFE ?

We have walked a difficult road with our youngest daughter this year. She has been very sick, but through each step, we have felt God with us. Several times we thought she wasn't going to pull through, but God worked a miracle each time! It has been one of the toughest and best years. Seeing God work miracles first-hand is something I will never forget and neither will my sweet baby girl.

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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MANY FACES OF ARC

CO-LEAD PASTOR

i5 Church

GLEN BURNIE, MD

Rollins DE S CRIBE YOUR S E L F IN 3 WOR D S

RELATIONAL TRANSPARENT ENCOURAGING

W H AT IS T HE CR A ZIE S T T HING YOU H AV E E V ER DONE ?

I climbed and summited Mount Kilimanjaro which is the highest free-standing mountain on the continent of Africa (19,341 feet).

A few months later, I completed one of the toughest events on the planet called Tough Mudder which is a 10-mile long mud run, replete with 20 military-style obstacles.

What I learned in 2013 doing both events was that the journey to the finish line will always feel insurmountable. But what I also learned after finishing both events is that I am tougher than I ever realized! It is clear to me now that with relationships that encourage accountability and the powerful presence of God leading me, the next destination on the journey is always attainable.

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IRENE

HO W WOUL D YOU DE SCRIBE YOUR HOPE S A ND DE SIRE S FOR YOUR LIFE ?

My prayer is that God would use my story of His redemption power in my life to help set people free from their past, from addiction, from emotional un-health and so much more! God has done incredible work in my life, but I had to partner with Him in the process of healing. We got to do the work!

It’s worth it! I am a living testimony of recovery from the disease of alcoholism. It snuck up on me because I had un-dealt with issues of trauma that surfaced and I walked through the hardest time of my life but by God’s grace and mercy I am free! We are overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. I believe my assignment in this season is to share my story and kick shame in the face every time I do!

MANY FACES OF ARC

LEAD PASTOR

Manna Church COLORADO SPRINGS, CO DE S CRIBE YOUR S E L F IN 3 WOR D S

ADVENTUROUS DRIVEN HOPEFUL

Adams W H AT IS YOUR FUNNIE S T PA REN TING S T ORY ?

It’s so hard to pick just one, but a recent event comes to mind. On Palm Sunday our preschool classroom got to make palm leaves out of paper and parade around their room proclaiming, “Hosanna, Hosanna! Praise Jesus!” My two-year-old son happened to witness this event, and evidently, it made an impression. For weeks afterward our son would randomly take white paper napkins from the kitchen table and proceed to run around our house waving his napkin in the air shouting, “Jesus! Jesus!” at the top of his lungs. About two months later we all took a trip back east to visit family. On the plane ride out, after several weeks without a Jesus parade, inspiration struck again. As the plane was taxiing from the runway to the terminal, our son grabbed my wife’s beverage napkin, stood up on her lap, and began waving it wildly in the air yelling, “Jesus! Jesus!” as loud as he could, much to the amusement of the nearby passengers.

JOE

W H AT INSPIRE S YOU A ND W H Y ?

People. Specifically, those who have gone before me and given everything to advance the Kingdom of God. As a teenager, my favorite books to read were biographies of missionaries. I’ve got a shelf full of them! Reading about ordinary men and women who surrendered everything to be used by God filled my heart with dreams and faith for the future. Now, modern day examples do the same; mentors who have gone on to plant churches, ministry coaches that I’ve met along the way, and seasoned leaders that have invested in me. These men and women have shown me what’s possible and they have inspired me to go all in, whatever the cost, to make Jesus famous in my life and my world.

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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MANY FACES OF ARC

LEAD PASTOR

Substance Church MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA DE S CRIBE YOUR S E L F IN 3 WOR D S

CREATIVE STRATEGIC DRIVEN

Haas W H AT M A K E S YOU SO IN T ERE S TING A ND UNIQUE ?

I gave my life to Christ while I was a DJ in a nightclub. My heart has always been broken to reach people like myself. Every night, in every major city, hundreds of thousands of young people file into mega-clubs all over the world – which are the closest equivalent and competitor to the modern mega-church. They manufacture a sub-standard worship experience that, in the U.S. alone, rakes in $32 billion/year...and they don’t even have the power of God! Sadly, churches know so little about the global culture that permeates electronic dance music, or how to reclaim it for the gospel. So, I still spend a huge amount of my time producing music and video content that will help the church re-invade these demonic strongholds. I believe that when the church cracks this code, a new global youth revival will come.

And I want to be dj-ing at the front of it!

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PETER

W H AT A DV ICE WOUL D YOU GO BACK A ND GIV E YOURSEL F 15 Y E A RS AGO ? W H Y ?

I would tell myself, “Don’t sweat the turnover! And don’t overreact when people don’t understand your calling.”

We’ve all given our hearts to mentoring people who, in turn, split on us, change churches, or even critique us for their issues - people we would have given everything to. In the past, I’d get really hurt over it. But it gets easier. Keep your heart innocent and generous. Preach to the parade. And remember, your devastations are often your deliverance!

MANY FACES OF ARC

STAFF TEACHING PASTOR

Impact Church of Savannah SAVANNAH, GA

DE S CRIBE YOUR S E L F IN 3 WOR D S

INFLUENTIAL CREATIVE OUTGOING

Williams TOMEKIA

W H AT W ERE YOUR FEELINGS W HEN YOUR HUSBA ND T OL D YOU T H AT GOD H A D CA L L ED HIM T O PL A N T A CHURCH ( OR IN SOME CA SE S, W HEN YOU BO T H FELT T H AT WAY ) ?

We both knew that God had called us to pastor. We had planted before when I was much younger and less intimated, so this time around, although I was much older (in a sense), I was more calculated in my efforts to take the risk. Nonetheless, I knew that following God and my husband was honorable. Additionally, this time around I had more wisdom than before. I somewhat understand what it means to have zeal, without knowledge – Romans 10:1-3.

HO W DID YOU GO A BOU T FINDING YOUR “ROL E” IN T HE CHURCH ? H A S IT A LWAYS BEEN T HE S A ME OR H A S IT CH A NGED OV ER T HE Y E A RS ?

When my husband and I met, I was already a minister in training. We both knew that the call of God was on my life. I was capable of teaching the Word and would often be asked to speak at women’s conferences so naturally, I would assume some of the responsibility of crafting our Sunday morning messages. Equally, I carry out some of the pastoral duties like visiting ill members and performing eulogies at funerals and likewise. I recently joked with my husband that it’s about time he prepares me to perform weddings! Although speaking and teaching is one of my primary responsibilities, I still work in our children’s church as a pre-teen teacher. My role has pretty much stayed consistent with my area of gifting, but I’m always available to serve the body in whatever ways I can.

ARCCHURCHES.COM

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4 Areas to Focus Your Leadership

by Craig Groeschel

1. PEOPL E Everything we do as a church is about and for people. Our heart for attendees is to help them understand God’s love and unique plan for their lives. You invest time in preparing message content, help attendees connect to small groups, and teach them to engage in God’s Word— but what about the leadership development of your staff and volunteers?

You may be thinking: that level of investment takes so much time and intentionality.

“What if I invest in my staff and they leave for another church? I’ll have to start over with someone new!”

It’s a valid question, but not the best one to ask. Instead of asking, “What happens if I develop them and they leave?” ask yourself “What happens if I don’t develop my team and they stay?”

If you want to see God move in your church, focus on developing the people God has brought under your care.

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2. CULT URE What exactly is church culture, and why is it important? What you value determines what you do. What you value determines how your team will behave. Values create culture—before you add to your team, be clear on what you value.

Culture is what is produced when your church lives out the values that are important to you. Without identifying the values that are important to you, creating the right culture is impossible.

3. SYS T EM S “There are just not enough hours in the day.”

We’ve all said it. But if you ever find yourself saying it multiple times a week, you may be experiencing a breakdown in systems.

Systems are so important in our churches.

Why? They help us focus more on people.

Let’s think about new attendee follow-up for a moment. If you don’t have a system in

But when you have a system in place, your volunteer or staff teams know how to capture information from new attendees, where to store this data, and who to notify. This results in the new attendee receiving a phone call from a friendly volunteer or pastor who welcomes them to the church, answers questions, and prays for them.

Weak systems make great people look bad.

Strong systems make good people look great.

Systems matter because they create behaviors. Behaviors become habits. Habits drive outcomes. If you have specific outcomes you want to reach, look at the systems you have in place to achieve them.

4. RE SOURCE A L L OCATION Where are you spending your time, energy, and money? Are you investing them in the right places? We all have limited resources, and we all try to balance competing priorities. To fully step into all God has for your church, evaluate where you are investing.

One of the best questions you can ask yourself is, “What’s my biggest win?”

What moves your mission forward the most?

That’s where you should spend the majority of your time and energy.

Other questions to ponder are, “How can I best invest my time?” and, “What days and times am I at my best?” Are there items on your to-do list that aren’t getting you closer to your biggest win? Could someone else

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place to capture information and follow up, your church is missing an opportunity to connect with and minister to someone new to your church. Because there was a lack of follow-up, that new attendee may feel like your church isn’t welcoming and choose not to return.

“ Systems matter because they create behaviors.

Behaviors become habits.

Habits drive outcomes.”

do them? Empower another team member or volunteer in your church to step up into a higher level of leadership and take on the task. This elevates their leadership and frees you up to do what only you can do.

You most likely already spend at least some of your time investing in people, culture, systems, and resource allocation. But being intentional about how you organize your life can have a monumental impact on your ministry.

Craig Groeschel is the Senior Pastor of Life.Church, one church with locations in ten states around the U.S. He provides teaching, leadership, and guidance for the church as a whole. He has written several books including his latest release, Daily Power: 365 Days of Fuel for Your Soul. For more Life.Church resources and training like this one, visit open.life.church.

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Hallelujah Here Below

by Tyler Speegle

WHEN GOD CREATED us, He designed us to be worshipers. From Genesis to Revelation it’s clear that our heart’s purpose is to reconnect with our Creator. Like a magnet, our hearts are pulled in the direction of what we worship.

At its essence, that’s what worship is. So much more than a song or setlist, true worship is about the posture of our heart. It’s about who or what we value the most. It’s this definition that we must begin with and always come back to.

This is the definition Adam and Eve started with. As they roamed the Garden, they did so in the presence of God with no interference. It was perfect communion. It was the way things were supposed to be.

But when the serpent convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God, the posture of their heart changed, and things began to unravel.

Instead of asking for help, Adam and Eve 60

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allowed sin to drive a wedge between them and God. Although God pursued them, the connection was broken and the “covering up” began.

It’s this same broken connection that we often find ourselves trying to fix today in all the wrong ways. Our hearts are lovesick for closeness with God. But life happens.

Mistakes are made, disappointment occurs, and the static continues to build. God’s voice becomes distant, and we refuse to slow down long enough to hear His gentle whispers. We avoid vulnerability, and just like Adam and Eve, we cover up. We shift and shape ourselves in an attempt to earn God’s favor. But none of it is enough, and all this positioning only causes the gap to widen.

This fight for perfection is a losing battle.

What God desires from us is authenticity, even when it’s messy authenticity. This can be seen in some of God’s first instructions for public worship. Immediately after

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delivering the Ten Commandments in the book of Exodus, God gives a warning to the Israelites against idol worship.

In stark contrast to the gold and silver idol-worship popular during this time, God requests earthen altars to be made. If stones are to be used, God warns in Exodus 20:25, “…do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.” This means only stones free of alterations can be accepted.

God wants the imperfect and flawed. The human and messy. This is at the heart of true worship, and the heart of our latest album, Hallelujah Here Below. Though God has the praise of 10,000 angels surrounding His throne, He still delights in our offering — our hallelujahs from here below.

It’s a shocking reality, but the God of the universe wants your raw, unfiltered worship. He wants to hear from the real you.

The one with doubts, imperfections, and hangups. Just as God requested for altars to be built with broken stones in Exodus, today He requests for altars built with our lives.

We are living stones (1 Peter 2:5) — broken and imperfect, but completely welcome in God’s sight.

Regardless of where you find yourself today, God welcomes your worship. He wants the “you” He created in His own image. The “you” He loves. The “you” He’s called. The “you” He has plans for. This kind of worship requires brave authenticity, but this is exactly the kind that closes the gap between God’s heart and our hallelujahs here below.

“It’s a shocking reality, but the God of the universe wants your raw, unfiltered worship. He wants to hear from the real you.”

Elevation Worship is the worship ministry of Elevation Church, a multisite church based in Charlotte, NC. To pre-order their new album, Hallelujah Here Below, visit elevationworship.com.

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Who Am I?

by Jeff Little

WHAT WOULD A DREAM weekend service look like for you? What would it take for you to know in your heart God was really moving in your church?

Maybe it’s a dynamic time of worship, maybe it’s hitting a big attendance threshold, maybe it’s a record number of baptisms, or maybe it’s a person you’ve been working with for an extended period of time surrendering their lives to Christ.

When those moments happen, you feel like anything is possible. You feel the wind at your back and God’s hand on your life.

You know God called you, He’s building His church through you, and the best is yet to come.

I hope you’re getting encouraged thinking about it now. And yet, these experiences are regularly followed by an unexpected discouragement. Most pastors go from the highest highs to the lowest lows—nearly every week.

The truth is, whether we admit it or not, every pastor wrestles with insecurity and 62

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comparison. One of the first steps toward getting healthy is admitting we’re in a struggle.

When I first started in ministry in the mid1990s, nobody really knew what anyone else was doing. You just put your head down and went to work. We weren’t focused on branding, third-space architecture, or building our global social media platforms.

We were just trying to help people know and love Jesus. We were trying to make disciples.

That was a big enough job to demand all our energy, attention, and focus.

There were more than a few days I thought about quitting as I wondered, “What am I doing with my life?”

For a season we met in a cafetorium—the multi-purpose elementary building used as both a cafeteria and an auditorium. One of the great benefits of this facility was people could get up while you’re preaching and get a Coke from the machine. And people did— right in the middle of my message.

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I distinctly remember a Sunday in the summer when the AC was broken. This was Texas, and we quickly got desperate enough to open the back doors hoping a nice cool, breeze would blow through. It didn’t get much cooler, but a dog wandered in. He wasn’t our target demographic, but when you’re a church planter, every number counts, so we added him to our attendance.

I’m serious—you can’t make this stuff up.

I’ll never forget how discouraged I felt sitting on my couch after that debacle. It’s hard enough recovering from the weekly grind of preaching.

If social media had existed back then and I’d seen all the posts from other churches who saw thousands saved, the heavens opened in worship, and exciting reports from their 47 extension campuses, I probably would’ve quit and become a hunting guide.

In my early days, most people evaluated your messages on their own merit. Maybe they compared you to another church in the region. Today the people who come to your services can listen to the best preachers in the world every week with a simple click.

This requires a deeper level of security in your own soul.

Outside approval is a bottomless pit. Being the biggest or most influential church in your region won’t solve the problem. Becoming the most sought-after conference speaker will likely make it worse, not better.

Until you choose to find your security and identity in Christ, you won’t find the peace we’re all searching for. Put your head down.

Do the important work. Find your significance in Him. This is not something you want to put off until later, because the people you’re leading are looking for help in this area too. This requires more than simply telling them— you have to make it real.

We’ve found a great way to do this is through a spiritual campaign. We take six weeks and sync up our weekend services, our small groups, and a book. The combination of multiple venues with unique application allows the concepts to become real and accessible in their lives.

To tackle this specific issue we built a campaign around the book I wrote, Who Am I? We had more people engage with this particular subject and experience a greater level of growth and development than ever before.

This process allows them to understand the patterns of thinking and behavior they wrestle with every day. Once they understand the struggle, they can find the power to win.

Secure, healthy people want to love and serve others. They make great volunteers, great staff, and great senior pastors. I’m convinced we can live this way—no matter where we pastor and who follows us on Twitter.

Jeff Little is the Lead Pastor of Milestone Church in Keller, TX, and author of the book, “Who Am I?” This is one of life’s most basic question and also one of the most difficult to answer. Often it’s the first question we ask as a child and yet it’s never far from those about to take their last breath. We can avoid it, we can laugh about it, but deep down every single one of us needs to answer this one simple question: Who am I? To order a copy go to, whoamibook.com.

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EVERY PASTOR NEEDS A PASTOR

by Casey Treat

OUR LIVES ARE DEFINED BY THE REL ATIONSHIPS WE BUILD. WE ARE BORN INTO A F A M I L Y, B U T W E C H O O S E W H O W E W I L L R E L A T E W I T H A S L I F E G O E S O N . N O O N E WILL RE ACH THEIR DESTINY ALONE. IT IS NOT GOOD THAT MEN / WOMEN BE ALONE. SO REL ATIONSHIPS A RE T HE WAY TO BE T HE PEOPL E GOD H A S CA L L ED US TO BE AND DO THE THINGS GOD HAS CALLED US TO DO.

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HOW MANY GREAT teachers and preachers are the quietest people in the room at a social event? I’ve come to know that many of us who are called to speak to the church are not outgoing or “conversationalists” in our private lives. As leaders in God’s house, we are in the relationship business. Maybe that’s what makes our personal and professional relationships complicated. We know they are important, but we are not always clear on how to manage them. We need relationships but do we always want them?

Spiritual fathers, teachers, mentors, and friends come to us in many ways. In my life, I have had close, intimate mentors and others that were distant and I followed from afar. I’ve had friends that lived next door and others that lived around the world. There are many ways that we can learn and grow with others.

Prov. 13:20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

Prov. 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Prov. 11:14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors, there is safety.

All of us in church leadership love church services and conferences where the worship is anointed, and the teaching/preaching is inspiring. However, most of us don’t need more services. When we experience a need or challenges, we need to sit with someone and share our heart in a way that will sharpen our lives.

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“WHEN WE EXPERIENCE A NEED OR CHALLENGES, WE NEED TO SIT WITH SOMEONE AND SHARE OUR HEART IN A WAY THAT WILL SHARPEN OUR L I V E S .”

The famous illustration of the leader who is working so hard to cut wood but never takes time to “sharpen his saw” comes to mind.

We are all working hard and believing to grow our churches, but sometimes we do not see the results we desire.

Burn out, fatigue, loneliness, and depression are often part of our lives and sitting in another service may not deal with these things. Sharing our thoughts, questions and having a friend who believes in us may be the medicine that our soul needs. Maybe the best "preaching" comes over a lunch table or a cup of coffee. It seems I get more revelation from intimate conversations than public ministry. God restores our soul as we open ourselves to others who get it and love us.

It’s hard to be open with others. Sharing how you feel, the questions you should already have answers for and the issues that 66

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shouldn’t be issues, is not easy. But, if we can let down the walls of images and success, our soul can be impacted. That’s when we know relationships are healthy. We can be open and honest and walk away being better. Not just feeling better but being better and our soul is healthier and our spirit lifted.

Proverbs is clear on the value of quality relationships. Reality is, they do not happen accidentally or easily. It takes time, effort and commitment to find and build relationships that will add to your life. Not every “start-up” relationship works, and you must stay committed to finding those that will.

It takes time and a desire to open yourself to others. Getting out of my typical group has helped a lot. I find friends with new perspectives, language, and insights that add to my life. When everyone is saying the same things, then someone is just parroting.

Relationships are best when we’re thinking new thoughts and adding to one another.

Many in leadership will never have quality relationships because we are too focused on trying to look good and promote ourselves for some future ministry. If your only motivation for connecting with others is to add to your ministry calendar, then there cannot be quality communication and connection.

Relationships happen when we care and open ourselves and give what we can to others. Sincere communication promotes communion, fellowship, and intimacy that genuinely adds to our life. That should be our motivation in connecting with other leaders in the church world. As we sharpen each other, the kingdom gets better.

Finally, not all relationships that add value to our lives will be up close and personal. We’ve all been helped by watching others from afar. We see how they handle themselves in

services, how they interact with their family, how they speak to staff and even how they handle a crisis. We do not have to have a personal relationship or a private meeting to learn from each other. We’ve all learned from the Apostle Paul, but we have not had a private sit down with him.

Through the years I’ve met with young leaders, and I often think they are not paying attention. I don’t mean while we're sitting together but rather while ministry is happening before them. They are asking questions about things that are obvious, and they could know by watching how we are handing those things. It seems many opportunities for meaningful conversation are lost because we’re asking questions or bringing up issues that are surface things and easily known. When you get a chance to look behind the veil, don’t just bring up the things that are obvious.

I’m grateful for all the pastors and leaders that have added to my life over the years.

By watching from afar or sitting one on one, my life is defined to a great degree by them.

From Korea to South Africa so many have

helped to sharpen my life and get me where I am today. Even after 40 years of ministry, I’m looking to others to help me make wise decisions and stay relevant in ministry life.

We’re never smart enough or old enough to do life alone. We need others to make us better and help us do what God has called us to do.

ARC is dedicated to facilitating relationships. I’m praying you will be a part of it and find the people that will add to your life and ministry.

Casey and Wendy Treat are the Founders, and Senior Pastors of Christian Faith Center with four locations in the Seattle, Washington area.

Casey shares the straightforward message that through God’s Word, you can change. Through the renewing of the mind to the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can all live a victorious and prosperous Christian life here on this earth. To read more from Casey Treat visit caseytreat.tv.

“ I’M LOOKING TO OTHERS TO HELP ME MAKE WISE DECISIONS AND STAY RELEVANT IN MINISTRY LIFE. WE’RE NEVER SMART ENOUGH OR OL D ENOUGH T O DO L IFE A L ONE .”

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A R E CE N T IN CR E A S E IN HIGH - P R O F IL E , R A CI A L LYCH A RGED CONF L IC T H A S L ED W E L L-ME A NING PEOP L E TO WONDER WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP ALLEVIATE R ACIAL TENSION IN OUR CHURCHES, COMMUNITIES, A N D C O U N T R Y.

MILES MCPHERSON’S NE W BOOK , THE THIRD OPTION : HOP E F OR A R A CI A L LY DI V IDE D N AT ION , OF F E R S GUIDANCE ON THIS ISSUE, BY IDENTIF YING THE CULTUR A L INFLUENCES THAT SHAPE OUR AT TITUDES ON R ACE, AND EXPL AINING WHY WE MUST HONOR THE PRICELES S VA LUE OF GOD’S IM AGE IN A L L PEOPLE.

THE

FOLLOWING

INTRODUCTION.

IS THESE

AN

EXCERPT

PAGES

SET

FROM THE

THE STAGE

AS PASTOR MILES TAK ES YOU THROUGH THREE TR ANSFORMATIONAL SECTIONS OF THE BOOK : ME, YOU, AND WE. THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, PS. MILES S H O W S H O W T H E T H I R D O P T I O N , G O D ’ S W A Y, W I L L L E A D T H I S B R O K E N C O U N T R Y T O W A R D R A C I A L U N I T Y. T O R E A D M O R E , P L E A S E G O T O A R A C E F O R U N I T Y. C O M T O O R D E R Y O U R C O P Y T O D A Y.

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DID THEY JUST call me the N-word?

School was out, and I rode as fast as I could through the white neighborhood that stood between me and the safety of home.

My heart pounded as I approached an intersection and faced a red light. Please turn green, please turn green, I repeated in my head. Just in the nick of time, it did. Thank you, God! I crossed the street that served as the gateway into my neighborhood, and zoomed down the hill. I was ten blocks from home.

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But I couldn’t slow down yet. In fact, entering my Black neighborhood only meant that I’d exited one potential danger zone and entered another.

“Hey, White boy!” someone called. These words shot through my body like adrenaline, making me feel fearful and anxious all over again. I flew through the streets I knew so well, trying to outpace the name-calling, threats, and insults. I didn’t slow down until I was two blocks from my house.

I grew up in a predominantly Black neighborhood called Lakeview, in Long Island, New York. But from first through eighth grade, I went to school in an all-White neighborhood called Malverne.

At the time, according to my uncle, the one and only black family who moved to Malverne was welcomed warmly—with a burning cross on their front lawn. So it is easy to understand why I never felt comfortable there.

Ocean Avenue ran between Lakeview and Malverne. Each time I pedaled across Ocean Avenue, I experienced anxiety. On this particular day, I had a legitimate reason to: some White kids from Malverne were chasing me out of their neighborhood. I was pedaling as fast as I could to outrun their threats of violence.

So imagine my devastation when—just as I entered the apparent safe haven of my own neighborhood—I heard the words Hey, White boy! As a multiracial kid, I felt like a ping-pong ball bouncing between two worlds, never feeling like I completely belonged to either.

I’m what Black people call a “high yella brother with good hair.” To some, that meant 70

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“I was pedaling

as fast as I could to outrun their threats of violence.”

I wasn’t “black enough.” White boy was the not-so-affectionate term some Black kids in the neighborhood referred to me as growing up. The White kids used less endearing terms to describe me.

Growing up, I felt like a perpetual outsider.

Aside from my parents’ home, where diversity was embraced and celebrated, it seemed like there was nowhere I could go to fit in.

And though it’s been decades since my school days in Lakeview, I still experience the same feelings from time to time that I did back then.

You may be feeling like I did that day, wondering how you can escape the devastating impacts of racism. Maybe you’ve experienced racism personally, or know someone else who has. Maybe you feel like you’ve been wrongly blamed for racist events that happened long before you were born. Maybe you want to learn how to have a conversation about race but you’re afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Maybe you’re trying to recover from the shame of being the target or a perpetrator of racism. Or maybe you’re searching for a way to deal with the race-based hate, resentment, and fear you cling to in your heart.

Whatever your reasons for picking up this book, I commend you for your courage and commitment to tackling racism head-on. I have struggled with most of the issues I just listed, too, and look forward to sharing what I’ve learned with you.

racism, by wrongly insisting that there are only two options you can choose from: us or them. Culture pits one group of people against another by promoting a zero-sum game mentality that says, “You must lose, in order for me to win.”

Above all, I want to offer you hope. Racial unity is God’s idea, and He promises that if we ask Him for help, He will be faithful to answer us. Let’s approach God with confidence and vulnerability while we trust him to guide us as we tackle this issue together.

God, however, offers us a Third Option, that stands in stark contrast to the two offered by culture. God’s Third Option invites us to honor that which we have in common: the presence of His image in every person we meet. When we honor the presence of His image in others, we acknowledge their priceless value as precious and beloved of God. The Third Option empowers us to see people through God’s eyes, which enables us to treat them in a manner that honors His image in us.

T HE T HIRD OP TION : HONOR Do you find yourself getting angry or defensive when you think or talk about race? Do you look at the racial divide and wish there was a solution? Do you, like Rodney King, ask why we all can’t get along? If so, I want you to know that 1) you are not alone, 2) racism corrupts your soul, 3) culture promotes racism, and 4) there’s a Third Option that can set you free.

Everyone is affected by racism. Nearly every American has been a victim or a perpetrator of racism, and most have been both. On average, eighty-three percent of Americans believe racism is a problem in our nation.

This number has remained steady over the past two decades, with the latest polls showing a spike in the percentage of Americans who believe that racism is a “big problem.”

You may despise racism, but it affects us all, whether we know it or not. It is a corruptor of the soul that degrades and devalues those who look different from us. When we allow racism into our hearts and society, we minimize the priceless value of God’s image in others, which limits our ability to honor, love, and serve them the way God calls us to.

Culture plays a big role in perpetuating

“Some of the greatest heroes of our faith overcame culture’s temptation to buy into the us-versus-them mentality.”

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Some of the greatest heroes of our faith overcame culture’s temptation to buy into the us-versus-them mentality. One example in the Old Testament is Joshua. As Joshua prepared for the battle of Jericho, he asked an approaching messenger of the Lord to identify whose “side” he was on: Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “ but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant? (Joshua 5:13-14) In this passage, the Lord’s messenger offered Joshua a way out of culture’s trap, by giving him a Third Option. Joshua responded to the presence of God in humility and obedience, and reaped the benefits of God’s blessings in return. God personally intervened on Joshua’s behalf to deliver him an overwhelming victory at Jericho, because Joshua decided to choose the Third Option.

Choosing the Third Option in our hearts and culture isn’t easy; it requires intentionality, a prayerful commitment to obedience, and wholehearted trust in God’s provision. But I promise you it’s worth the effort. When we choose the Third Option, God Himself will deliver us from an us-versus-term mentality that prevents us from honoring the presence of His image in ourselves and others.

WORK S IN PROGRE S S The Third Option is more than a choice; it’s a God-given mission that directs us to honor our neighbors the way that God calls us to do.

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“Culture, on the other hand, asks us to determine whether the issue of race is something we should even concern ourselves with in the first place.”

Culture, on the other hand, asks us to determine whether the issue of race is something we should even concern ourselves with in the first place. Culture does this by posing an oversimplified question – Are you a racist? – and forcing us to choose yes or no in response. A small percentage of Americans would answer yes. Most of us would say no, because we’re either unaware of or unwilling to admit to our biases - biases that we all have, even if they are subconscious.

Consequently, we’re likely to answer no in one of the following ways: Defensiveness: I’m not a racist. I may have some biases, but they’re all justified, and that doesn’t amount to racism.

Self-righteousness: I’m not a racist. I’m a social crusader who’s “woke.” (“woke” is slang for being aware of issues pertaining to racial and social justice.)

Helplessness: I’m not a racist, and there’s nothing I can do about racism in America.

Apathy: I’m not a racist, and racism doesn’t concern me.

Uncertainty: I’m not a racist, and I’m not entirely sure I know what being a racist means.

The Third Option frees us from culture’s false dichotomy by offering us the grace we need in order to admit that we are imperfect in our love for others. The Third Option opens the eyes of our hearts so that we can acknowledge biases where they exist. The Third Option acknowledges that my biases will do and say racist things, but I can learn to live more honorably.

And the Third Option enables us to define who we want to become, so that we can wholeheartedly pursue our God-given mission to love and honor all of our neighbors equally.

ME, YOU, W E I’ve seen firsthand how racism affects individuals and communities and impacts us in different ways. I’ve witnessed racism erode our ability to live in unity with others and prevent us from recognizing the loving the image of God in ourselves. I believe racism can only be conquered when individuals take ownership and responsibility for their own attitudes, words, and actions; when another’s experience is understood and honored; and when we decide to tackle it together. To

illustrate this, I have set the book up in three parts: Me, You, and We. Me: If I want to be an agent for change, I must first purify my own heart. Or, as Scripture more bluntly says, I must first remove the plank from my own eye before I can see clearly to remove the speck from my brother’s. In this section, we’ll ask God to reveal racial blind spots that prevent us from honoring others, what role we play in perpetuating racism, and what is God calling us to do about it.

You: With the plank removed from my own eye, I can now see you more clearly. But in order to really understand your experience, I must step out of my comfort zone and into your shoes. Walking in another’s shoes is never a comfortable experience, but it’s essential to understanding their perspective and learning how to honor them. In this section, we’ll explore what it feels like to be the “other” and learn to empathize with those who’ve been marginalized by racism.

We: Our lives, joys and burdens are meant to be shared in community. As Scripture says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up...

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9‒12).

In this section, we’ll identify ways that we can edify and honor each other as a church, a city, a community, and a country.

This book will challenge and encourage you to choose the Third Option, so that you can achieve an elevated level of honor that is consistent with the priceless value of God’s image in you and your brothers and sisters of all races and ethnicities.

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Equip T HE RE SOURCE S

T HE A RC FA MILY IS F UL L OF T R E ME NDOU S WISDOM AND RESOURCES TO DR AW FROM. WE AIM TO GATHER A WE A LTH OF GRE AT TE ACHING AND TR AINING ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS AROUND MINISTRY AND LIFE. WE HOPE YOU WILL READ AND SHARE! WE LOVE TO SEE PAS TORS GROW HE A LTHIER AS LE ADERS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IS WHAT MAKES CHURCHES THRIVE.

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IN T HIS SEC TION

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Finance Your Vision

The ability to finance your vision is one of the most talked about topics among ARC Churches.

by Greg Brooks

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Creative Family is Everything

In our culture, creativity is the vehicle in which we communicate. Pastors are partnering with creatives to send their message of hope.

by Angie Brown

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Redefining Health

Creating, and continually evaluating an environment of health for yourself, your team, and your church is so important.

by Randy Bezet

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Identifying and Engaging in the Pain of Your Community

We want to fill our churches and get people saved, but right outside our doors are families who don’t know where their next meal is coming from or how they are going to pay their rent this month.

by Lindsey Hansen

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Churches, You’re Doing The Marketing Thing Wrong

by Yellowbox Creative

This might sound familiar to you. Your church team is desperate to do the right thing to market the church. So now the church is attempting to launch a social media presence, website, email marketing—literally everything—based on a Google search and some advice from a friend. Oh, and the marketing team is just you. Time to snag those 100k Instagram followers, eh? Take a couple of steps back and realize some of these truths.

PL AY T HE L ONG G A ME It’s not as simple as launching a website and posting on Instagram every day. Marketing your church and building your community takes time. Try learning a new skill every month.

S TAY ON YOUR G A ME It’s not enough to just hope and pray that things are working. Take smart, measurable actions towards data-informed decisions. Measure the success of each marketing tactic you pursue.

FIND HEL PFUL COMMUNIT Y At ARC, the community is evident. Bounce ideas off each other and work towards a shared goal.

WORK WIT H A N AGENCY For the price of one in-house person, you could assemble a team of writers, designers, strategists, videographers, and the like.

A professional creative agency not only can help you secure a notable place in the community, but also teach best practices.

RECRUIT TA L EN T ED VOL UN T EERS You probably have a few marketers in your audience every Sunday. Ask a designer or writer to help out for a few hours a month.

Go, ask, conquer.

L OOK FOR FREE A DV ER TISING You can utilize social media for free—especially if you’re creating content that people would be interested in. Put together a social media toolkit, ask your team to share and distribute content, and look for nonprofit discounts or grants.

PRIORITIZE CRE ATIV IT Y It’s important to continuously challenge ourselves to keep exploring new depths of creativity. Creativity can be nurtured, learned, and explored in endless combinations. A church’s creativity can change the world.

Yellowbox has a diverse team of creatives with experience in helping churches to launch and grow.

For more information visit yellowbox.co 76

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Resources

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Four Tips to Build Relationships with the Local Media

by Lindsey Hansen ARC Marketing Team

Here are four things to help build and strengthen relationships with reporters and journalists in your community.

01.

02.

03.

0 4.

YA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Oklahoma City, OK Nov 8-10, 2018

RE A D A ND COMMEN T ON T HEIR A R TICL E S OR S T ORIE S. The church should be an active participant in the community, and this includes paying attention to the news. Keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the community, the needs, the wins, and the concerns. Pay attention to which reporters cover which types of stories.

IN T ER AC T ON SOCIA L MEDIA .

The best way to contact a journalist is on social media. They will often see your comment, tag, direct message, or tweet within minutes, compared to how often they check their email. News stations and some reporters have very large followings on social media. By tagging them in your social media post, they may choose to repost or retweet.

DO T HE L EGWORK FOR T HEM. When you do decide to “pitch” a story to the media, make sure you have all your ducks in a row. Have a press release, media alert, or fact sheet written with details about your event. This should include the who, what, when, where, why, and contact information for the church point person. The easier you make it for the reporter, the more likely they are going to say yes.

S TAY IN T OUCH. Don’t just contact a reporter when you need something. Think of journalists as members of your church or your community.

Reach out, take them to lunch, build relationships and trust, and make them feel valued.

FRIEND OF SINNERS

by Rich Wilkerson, Jr.

THE DANIEL DILEMMA

by Chris Hodges

THE HOLY SPIRIT TODAY

by John Siebeling

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Church Security

by Tim Miller Christ Fellowship, West Palm Beach, FL

The security team is a ministry of the church. The team flows within the church, the culture, and the DNA, just like any other ministry. They are the peacemakers, there to provide a safe and peaceful atmosphere so the work of God can go on. Security is about stopping the threat before it ever happens. It’s proactive.

Everyone always asks me if I look for military or law enforcement to add to the security team. If they are former military or police, that’s great, but my first choice is, are you humble? Are you willing to work hard? We’re looking for people that are servant oriented. We have a responsibility to care for the flock of God, so we’re the first ones there and the last ones to leave. We’re looking at commitment, eager to learn, willing to come, eager to train. I tell my team every week, “if you’re not prayed up and spiritually prepared, you may hurt us this week. If there’s junk in your life, now is a great time to get in front of the King and get it right.”

We interview prayerfully and carefully. We complete thorough background investigations. If they were a police officer, we ask who their sergeant was, so we can give them a call and ask if they are a good guy.

We’re highly trained and skilled. It’s a big thing. There are two primary things we need to teach our security teams. What to look for and what to do if you see it. It should be realistic. It should be regular. It should be results-driven. We train folks what to look for because it matters. Our training is serious. We train on indicators of violence, de-escalation training, dealing with mentally ill people, body language, children’s ministry, protecting your pastor, etc. The key is for us is helping people. To help them we have to understand, and we have to be trained.

Our security team operates with concentric circles of protection. It starts in the parking lot.

It is important that we have a layer of protection in the parking lot. The next level, is the ushers/greeters, sanctuary team and then the pastor’s team. If you have people that understand what to look for and what to do in a crisis, that’s called time. We’re buying the most important thing we can have in an emergency, and it’s time. Time to call 911 and time to do the plans that we practice.

To listen to this ARC Conference App Session in full, visit media.arcchurches.com.

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Children’s Ministry or Parent Ministry?

by Mike Clear reThink Group

In a given year, the church has about 40 hours of time with the children in the kid’s ministry. If you increase programming, that number can go up or if you have a Sunday evening or a mid-week service then maybe bump it up to 80 or 120 hours. That’s 120 hours a year to say everything you want to tell them about God, Jesus, faith, the Holy Spirit; you name it.

That pales in comparison to the number of hours that parents have with their kids. The average parent has around 3,000 hours of potential influence over their kids. Plain and simple, parents have more influence than you will as a leader. As a kid’s ministry leader, we need to partner with parents to make the most significant impact in the lives of their kids.

Every parent wants to be a good parent. Not every parent is equipped with the knowledge, experience or tools to do this, but they have the desire. We as a church can help parents win when we encourage them to be more present at home and when they are more connected to a faith community.

CONNEC T PA REN T S T O SOMEONE. Parenting is lonely. Leverage every opportunity you can to get parents into a community with one another. It could be the traditional small-group model or a short-term Bible study.

RE AC TIVAT E PA REN T S AT E V ERY PH A SE. There are changes that happen in the life of parents every year, as their kids get older. As a church, we have an opportunity to lean into parents at every phase and re-engage them.

COMMUNICAT E WIT H PA REN T S REGUL A RLY. Maybe not every day but find a way to communicate with parents consistently.

Encourage them and give them updates on what the kids are working on.

RE SOURCE PA REN T S T O N AV IG AT E CRITICA L IS SUE S. Provide resources or a place to start the conversation around real-life topics kids, and parents are facing; blended families, gender identity, addiction, body image, mental health, etc.

IN V IT E PA REN T S T O PA R TICIPAT E A ND SH A RE T HE E X PERIENCE. Think of ways for parents and children to participate in activities and spiritual moments together.

EL E VAT E PA REN T S IN E V ERY EN V IRONMEN T. Remind yourself and your volunteers that we always think about parents with the best intentions in mind.

To listen to this ARC Conference App Session in full, visit media.arcchurches.com.

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Selecting Children and Youth Workers

by David Middlebrook thechurchlawyers.com Is your church doing everything it reasonably can to protect the minors placed the church’s care by selecting the right people to work in the ministry for children or youth?

Unfortunately, the answer for most churches is no.

Too often, a person's expression of willingness or mere availability to work with children or youth, without any screening or training, drives a church’s volunteer selection or employee hiring decision. This approach has resulted in circumstances resulting in countless churches being sued for damages resulting from child abuse or neglect.

What can your church do to lessen the chance it will be found legally responsible for child abuse or neglect? One very important thing your church can do is to have a properly designed screening process.

A first step is to create volunteer role descriptions for children’s ministry volunteers. You set the boundaries for contact, ministry, and timing, not the volunteer.

Secondly, carefully craft a volunteer application with reference requests and a background check release, which allows the church to obtain important information, verifiable through outside sources.

Finally, an interview provides a moment in time for a church leader, volunteer coordinator or a human resource director to get to know an applicant. Discernment is a tool and a skill on which interviewers must rely to see hidden motives or to validate an apparently excellent volunteer.

A well-planned screening process is a priceless investment in the church’s ability to impact the community with the Gospel, safely and without compromise.

To listen to this ARC Conference App Session in full, visit media.arcchurches.com.

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What is Mental Health?

by Hope for Mental Health Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA

Studies show that when people are struggling with mental illness, the first place they call is the church. Let's be ready.

MentalHealth.gov defines mental health as our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. Mental health is the ability to function effectively in daily activities, resulting in productivity at work and school, experiencing fulfilling relationships, and developing resilience to change and adversity. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

W H AT IS MEN TA L IL L NE S S ?

Many people think mental disorders are rare. But in fact, they are common—60 million Americans (1 in 4 adults) experience mental illness in a given year. In addition, 1 in 10 children lives with a serious mental or emotional disorder.

Mental illness is a disease-causing mild to significant disturbances in thinking, behavior, or emotion resulting in an inability to cope with ordinary life challenges and routines.

According to Mental Health America there are more than 200 classified forms for mental illness. Some of the more common disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorder.

THE CAUSE CONFERENCE Kansas City, MO Nov 2-4, 2018

CLUELESS

by Kerri Weems

HOPE IN THE DARK

by Craig Groeschel

As with other health conditions, mental illnesses are often physical as well as emotional and psychological. They may be caused by a reaction to environmental stresses, genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, or a combination of these.

With the proper care and treatment, many people learn to cope with their illness and continue functioning in their daily lives. Mental illness is real and highly treatable.

For the Hope for Mental Health Ministry Starter Kit and other resources visit hope4mentalhealth.com.

THE CHURCH WILL THRIVE

by Geoff Surratt

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Three Financial Planning Concerns Pastors Should Address

by Jason Doise

OVER 16 YEARS AGO, a business mentor

stressed to me as I was entering the financial services industry to have patience, develop key relationships and not cut corners when building my practice. He made his point by referencing Proverbs 13:11, which states, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it� (ESV). Even though he was referring to building a business, this principle can and should be applied to a financial plan as well.

Throughout my financial career, I have had the wonderful opportunity of helping and advising many pastors, and those experiences have brought to light several common concerns. As I am addressing pastors, I will borrow a common sermon structure by having three points that all begin with the same letter...S! SOCIA L SECURIT Y: SHOUL D OR SHOUL D I NO T OP T OU T ?

Some ministers can opt out of Social Security on the income they receive from

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their vocational ministry by meeting certain IRS guidelines. I am not advocating one option over the other; however, I recommend that you know the pros and cons of your decision. If you have worked outside of the ministry or received non-ministry income in the past and are near earning your 40 credits to qualify for Social Security benefits, I would recommend reaching that 40 credit minimum before opting out. If you are not near that number, then the decision to opt out might be more attractive. Remember that your decision to opt out is irrevocable.

By opting out of Social Security, you not only opt out of retirement income benefits but also Supplemental Security Income in case of disability and income benefits to your children who are under 18 if you die. So, if you do opt out of Social Security, make sure you allocate that money toward retirement savings, long-term disability insurance, and life insurance, all of which should be part of your plan anyway. The grave mistake would be to opt out and not plan for these three key planning points.

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SPOUSE : HO W IN VOLV ED SHOUL D M Y SPOUSE BE ?

Studies and surveys consistently show that one of the top five reasons for divorce in America is financial disagreement. In my role as a financial advisor, I often see couples disagree over finances. Typically, one of the spouses is more interested in finances than the other. While both spouses don’t have to understand compounding interest or the rule of 72 or mutual fund expense ratios, it is vital that both spouses are involved in the major decisions such as how much to spend, how much to save, how much life insurance each should have, etc. Wouldn’t discussing and creating common goals throughout the financial planning process make your household more financially stable as well as strengthen your marriage?

There are so many more aspects to financial planning that can’t be covered in one article, so I have briefly concentrated on a few key issues that pastors face. It would benefit you to address the following action items pertaining to these issues:

SUCCE S SION : IS T H AT JUS T FOR BUSINE S S O W NERS ?

My desire is not to advise you on when or whom to pass the torch to in your church or ministry. That perhaps is the role of a board or committee or overseers. However, I will strongly encourage you to begin planning now financially for when that time comes.

Many of you as pastors are geared to take care and fulfill current needs when it comes to community, missions, and outreach, and that is one reason you are a pastor. Don’t stop doing those things; however, allocating for the future is wise especially when it is time for someone else to lead. Saving and planning for retirement is not just wise for you and your family but also your church. Could it be a burden on a church to support a pastor in retirement or not pass the mantle to another because the pastor is not prepared for retirement? There are avenues and strategies to prepare for this. That process might feel overwhelming at times, but remember Proverbs 13:11, little by little.

Proverbs 15:22 tells us that, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisors they succeed” (ESV). The three action items above include others for input and counsel, which can help you as you pursue success, security, and solutions. I even ended my message to you with three S’s!

• Not only visit with a trusted financial advisor, but also meet with your advisor regularly and introduce him or her to your other advisors (CPA, attorney, etc.).

• Regularly communicate and involve your spouse when discussing financial goals and priorities.

• Ask your compensation committee or board for their input on preparing for succession whether that is years down the road in retirement or the unforeseen instance of illness or death.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. There is no assurance that the techniques and strategies discussed are suitable for all individuals or will yield positive outcomes.

Jason Doise, LUTCF, is a financial advisor in Baton Rouge, LA and has been in the financial services industry for 16 years. He served as President of the Louisiana Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors in 2017-18. Jason, his wife, Chenelle and their three children have been active members of an ARC church for over 20 years.

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Finance Your Vision

by Greg Brooks

THE ABILITY TO FINANCE your vision is one of the most talked about topics among ARC Churches. It can take an incredible amount of time and emotional energy as you agonize over how God is going to answer your cry to reach more people and expand your ministry. You and your team will spend countless hours trying to figure out how to make your dream a reality.

Do you remember the amount of faith it took you to launch your church? It’s going to take that faith plus some to enter into the next season as you prepare to purchase or build a permanent church home.

At the Wesleyan Investment Foundation, we believe several factors should be considered when preparing for your first building, a future campus, or even the next capital improvement. Here are a few things we’ve 84

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found to be very helpful to the thousands of churches we’ve had the privilege of serving in our 70 plus year history.

BUIL DING Every church has their own style of building and ideology on how big they think they should build. However, there’s a simple formula that we’ve found that works for most of the churches we’ve partnered with over the years: Number of seats in the main auditorium times 50 square feet per seat = total number of square feet you’ll need for your building to include children’s space, foyers, classrooms and main auditorium.

Example: 500 seats x 50 square feet per seat = 25,000 square foot building.

BA L A NCE Financial balance is crucial to the life and sustainability of your ministry. The balance you’ll need to find is not what’s affordable vs. what’s not because that’s going to be different for every church. You’ll need to balance what allows you to focus on ministry vs. what makes you focus on money. Don’t take on so much that you’re burdened more with money than you are ministry.

BELIE V E The single greatest factor in all of this is your belief in what God has called you and your ministry to do. God wouldn’t give you the vision if He didn’t trust you to steward it well! Our team at the Wesleyan Investment Foundation believes in you, ARC believes in you, and more importantly, the Lord believes in you!

The Wesleyan Investment Foundation is a strategic partner of ARC. WIF partners with pastors and churches, across multiple denominations, to provide funding for the spaces and places that make their vision a reality. WIF also offers on-demand savings accounts that not only give a high rate of interest but those funds are used to provide loans to churches to expand the Kingdom. Contact Greg Brooks at gregbrooks@wifonline.com for more information about how your ministry can partner with WIF.

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BUDGE T ARC has a great model to follow for establishing an effective budget for your ministry. However, we’ve discovered that most churches only create a budget for where they are today and not where they want to be tomorrow. We believe that it’s never too early to start thinking about the future and planning accordingly. Go ahead and get an estimate on what your next building, campus or capital improvement will cost you and then begin to build it into your current budget.

“ Do you remember the amount of faith it took you to launch your church? It’s going to take that faith plus some to enter into the next season as you prepare to purchase or build a permanent church home.”

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Are You Healthy?

by Chad Blansit

ARE YOU DISCOURAGED, restless, or unsettled? Maybe on the outside things look good, but the inside is a mess, or things aren't exactly as you want them to be. I believe the key to Christian life and ministry, the key to being a healthy leader is not on the stage.

It's found behind the scenes. The key to a healthy soul is found when you're outside the public view.

Mark 8:36 (nkjv) "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

Your soul is the most valuable possession you own. Your soul is the only thing that matters for eternity. If we want to be healthy, we have to tend to our soul and be intentional about soul care.

For many of us, there's a gap between what we are and what we portray. On the outside people will look at your life and say, "they have it all together," or, "their church has it all together." We know, on the inside 86

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we don't have it all together. The outside and the inside have to match. If they don't, we're going to find ourselves with an unsettled soul. There are three things I've discovered for soul care.

1. W E H AV E T O DE V EL OP A S A BBAT H HE A R T. To have a healthy soul, we have to develop a mentality concerning the Sabbath. We need to come to the place in our hearts and in our minds where we understand what it means to rest.

Many of us find it hard to shut it down.

We're anxious, tense, overwhelmed, concerned. Our minds don't know how to stop.

Even at night, we sleep but wake up the next day just as exhausted. We're like a duck calm and effortless to the observer, but under the surface kicking for everything we have to stay above water. We know we can't keep going at this pace, but we don't know how to stop.

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I believe if we figure out how to have a Sabbath heart, how to slow down and how to rest, it will make a major difference in our everyday lives and in the sustainable rhythms of our soul health and the health of the church.

2. L E A RN HO W T O S T OP FIGH TING. Psalms 46:10 says, “be still, and know that I am God.”

3. WAIT PATIEN T LY FOR T HE L ORD. Waiting on the Lord requires complete dependence on God and a willingness to allow God to decide the terms, including the timing of the plan. I think God is late all the time. But he's never late, right? Trust God and allow Him to determine the timing.

As you continue to tend to your soul, make your personal time with God a priority.

“ We need to come to the place in our hearts and in our minds where we understand what it means to rest.”

The Hebrew meaning of it is, stop fighting, stop wrestling, stop the frantic activity.

Notice the Psalmist didn't say, “be busy and know that I am God.” Notice the Psalmist didn't say, “preach a lot of messages and know that I am God.” Notice the Psalmist didn't say, “be frantic, be worked up, be overwhelmed, be anxious, be stressed out, be insecure.” He didn't say any of those things.

He said, "Be still and know that I am God."

Don't let the only time you spend with God be studying for your next sermon. Spend time with Him for your relationship with God. God can take care of your ministry while you take care of your soul.

If you're walking through something right now and it's causing you to be unhealthy in your soul, stop fighting, stop wrestling with this thing that is standing in front of you and get your eyes off the problem. David said, stop magnifying the problem and magnify the Lord.

Chad and Tosha Blansit are the Lead Pastors of Destiny Church in Republic, Missouri. Their first service was held in May 2006 with 50 in attendance.

Little did they know that from that small beginning, an amazing journey stood before them. That journey has brought them to reach hundreds of people from all walks of life every weekend. To learn more about Destiny Church visit destinychurch.me.

To listen to this ARC Conference App Session in full, visit media.arcchurches.com.

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Creative Family is Everything

by Angie Brown

BUILDING A HEALTHY creative family is necessary to the church of today. That is what I’ve spent over a decade fighting for. If you’ve never assembled a creative team, then “fight for” may seem a bit over the top.

The church absolutely can and has existed without a creative team. History proves that.

But in our culture, creativity is the vehicle in which we communicate. Pastors are partnering with creatives to send their message of hope, and because of it, the gospel can reach beyond our physical location. Thank God that creatives have a place in the church!

L E A DING CRE ATIV E S TA K E S ENERGY. If you are launching a church, you may not have a creative team. This may take the back burner, but I would challenge you to find a creative leader who can lead on your behalf to assemble a team. This will allow you to reserve the energy that it takes to build a creative family.

It’s not a one-time investment where you pick your lineup of brilliant artists, and they 88

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instantly produce content that blows your mind. It’s a daily process of finding the right people, vision convos on repeat, learning and defining your church creatively, dreaming together, loads of problem-solving, group texts of random and useless dialogue at all hours of the day, sharing in successes and failures, celebrating their personal life wins, surviving tight margins, and stressful projects that aren’t landing (aka - pit of despair).

These are not hands-off matters where an email and text gain you the most killer series graphics. If you build this team with a foundation of healthy family relationships, then you set a culture that is less likely to become a revolving door—let them know they are loved for who they are, not for what they can give to the church.

As a creative director/pastor/leader—whatever title of the week fits, I have found that the “position” of leading creatives does not mean impressing your team with your creativity while watching them execute what you have dreamt up. Being a creative leader is less glamorous and more genuine

W E A RE A FA MILY. Our team is mostly 20/early 30 somethings. It’s important to me to care for our team—meaning we aren’t just discussing the projects. Some just need help #adulting or someone to speak life where death may have been spoken. It’s not uncommon for someone on our team to have a devastating past that they’ve never dealt with. I am committed to walking through it with them.

I also believe in teaching them about personal balance. Creatives tend to let their personal lives suffer due to the pace of ministry. Even crazier, we sometimes backburner our own walk with God. We have to show them better than this. It’s vital for them to be in the Word and to participate in the ministry of our house (with people vs. a computer).

It helps them remain innocent in how they view ministry.

L E AV E SOME T HING WOR T H PA S SING ON. My pastor, Rick Bezet, shared a demonstration about smashing an orange with a large mallet. His point was, “whatever you are dealing with, under great pressure will come out.” This stuck with me—especially in regards to ministry. Church pace can cause pressure, and the enemy wants to cripple us from being effective. So many times, our teams are confused by the enemy in a disguised form: frustration, a critical spirit, envy, pride, ambition, anxiousness, depression, fear, insecurity, lack of direction, idleness, and burnout. The enemy would love to dismantle our teams, handicapping the church once again from bridging the generations. Be on the defensive. Fight for your

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in action—cover the vision with a servant heart, set systems in place that give success to both the church leadership and creative team, and set a life-giving environment that allows creatives to flourish. This will set a healthy balance for leadership and creatives.

“Creatives tend to let their personal lives suffer due to the pace of ministry.” team. Protect against disunity and poisonous language. Teach life-giving communication and a healthy atmosphere.

What if your influence spanned not only to your generation but also equipped the next generation so that they don’t have to start over defining what the church should be? Imagine the church of tomorrow if the church of today left something of worth to pass on.

God is building a home. He’s using us all— irrespective of how we got here—in what he is creating. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home. –Eph 2:19-22 (msg)

Angie Brown leads Creative at New Life Church in Arkansas. She loves serving the church in creative, on the worship team, and pastoring alongside her husband, Luke, at the Conway campus. Her role has been outplayed in helping building a creative culture and assembling a team of creatives who feel called to the house. She’s all about mixing family and ministry, so her two daughters, Stella and Caroline are next in line to join the worship and creative team.

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HEA REDEFINING

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ALTH a n i nte rvi e w with r a n dy b ezet

CR E AT ING, A ND CON T INU A L LY E VA L U AT ING A N E N V IRON M E N T O F H E A L T H F O R Y O U R S E L F, Y O U R T E A M , A N D Y O U R C H U R C H I S S O IM P OR TA N T. W E ’ V E HE A R D M A N Y T IM E S , HE A LT H Y

T HING S GRO W. W HIL E T H AT I S T RUE , I T I S E QU A L LY T RUE T H AT T OX IC T HING S C A N A L S O GRO W. ON LY U SING GRO W T H A S A ME TRIC OF HE A LTH CA N BE A DE TRIMEN T TO THE PA S TOR AND CHURCH.

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IS GRO W T H T HE M AIN FAC T OR W HEN DE T ERMINING CHURCH HE A LT H ?

WHEN PASTORS THINK, "healthy things

grow,” and their growth is not what they hope for or expect, they can quickly begin to get discouraged. Then they see what other pastors are doing all over social media and discouragement and insecurities can start to creep into your heart. Let's be honest, nobody posts when things are not going so well. They post the victories. This can give you a false sense of reality.

The first question you generally start to ask yourself is, “Why am I not growing like that? Why am I not seeing the same successes?” In the proper context, these questions can be helpful, but we tend to focus strictly on growth and numbers because we are trained to think that growth is the only sign of health. That isn't true at all, because unhealthy things grow too.

Growth should be a by-product of being healthy and not necessarily a sign of being healthy.

W H AT A RE T HE T HINGS YOU L OOK FOR A S SIGNS OF HE A LT H FOR YOU A ND YOUR CHURCH A ND W H AT A RE T HE T HINGS YOU H AV E IN PL ACE T O PROMO T E A HE A LT H Y LIFE S T Y L E FOR YOURSEL F A ND YOUR T E A M ?

You have to be healthy in your soul. Jesus said that whatever comes out of the mouth, it gets its start in the heart. You must guard your heart because it's the wellspring of life.

All the issues of life flow out of that. With that said, a healthy soul cannot always easily be identified.

To have a healthy church, you have to have a healthy pastor. To be a healthy pastor, you

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have to be a healthy person. The metrics for that are hard to define, but we can do our part as leaders and build environments for ourselves, staff, and our leadership team that promotes and celebrates healthy choices and lifestyles. And then each person still has to take personal responsibly and make a choice to be healthy.

First, every pastor needs a place they can go and be completely transparent and honest and not be concerned about being judged. I remember right before I took some time off, I went to my counselor, and I said, "Look, I'm here to dump all this stuff." I just started spewing everything, and I was overturning every rock in my life to share things with him to make sure I was okay. If you don't have a safe and healthy place where you can go, then you're going to internalize those things you shouldn’t. As you internalize these things that may be detrimental to your mental or emotional health, it will impact your soul. This is when unhealthy things grow! So you have to have a safe place.

Second, you have to schedule intentional time to rest. Twice a year we have our pastors and leaders go on a three-day spiritual retreat. This is not a vacation. You don't go with other people. You're off by yourself reading or praying. It's a way for you to get away and spend time with God. It’s the principle of the Sabbath, its resting.

Every pastor needs a place they can go and be completely transparent and honest and not be concerned about being judged.

HO W DO YOU RE SPOND T O T HINGS T H AT YOU FIND A RE NO T HE A LT H Y, A ND M A K E T HE A PPROPRIAT E CH A NGE S ?

Health is not a destination. It's a journey.

You have to put safeguards in place so that you can have a lifestyle of being healthy.

When a dear friend of mine fell into sin, I remember just struggling and asking myself what could I have done differently? Why in the world did this happen to someone so close to me?

I began to have this understanding and revelation that, look, Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, and it was a perfect environment, but they still chose to sin. God is a perfect Father, a perfect leader, a perfect pastor, a perfect shepherd, and yet, the people that he had there still chose to do the wrong thing.

As good of an environment as we can create for ourselves and our team for health, people still have the freedom to choose, and sometimes, wrong choices are made. As a pastor, you can't take personal responsibility for other people's wrong choices. You can only create environments and encourage them to make the right choices.

E A RLY ON IN T HE LIFE OF A CHURCH, YOU MIGH T NO T H AV E T HE RE SOURCE S T O GE T AWAY FOR A FE W W EEK S T O RE S T, OR S TA FF T O COV ER YOUR A B SENCE ON T HE W EEK END. PU T YOURSEL F IN T HE SHOE S OF A NE W CHURCH PL A N T ER. W H AT IS ONE T HING T HE Y NEED T O WAT CH OU T FOR AT T HE BEGINNING OF T HEIR JOURNE Y ?

Comparison. It is probably harder now to stay healthy as a young pastor than it was when I started out. Social media is awesome and a great marketing tool, but man, it just kills you in the comparison game.

We take the exceptions and make them the norm. You see some of these church plants, and they had 500 people at their first service, and they're launching campuses a year in.

And you're like, "What the heck, man. I'm not doing anything comparable to that." So you feel like you have to manufacture growth and success because you are comparing yourself to what you see others doing.

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You feel like you have to manufacture growth and success because you are comparing yourself to what you see others doing.

If you have to manufacture in the flesh, then you have to maintain it in the flesh. If it's birthed in the spirit, then God is the one that is responsible for maintaining the growth.

At ARC, our goal is to plant healthy churches and to connect you with others, so you are not doing ministry alone.

You need somebody that you can call on the good days, and they will celebrate with you, and you also need somebody you can call that will encourage you when things are not going so well. You have to have those people in your life because that is what maintains health in your life and gives you a proper perspective.

I would also say to the pastors that say, "I can’t take a weekend off, or the church will suffer.” There are a few ways around this as 94

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it should never be an excuse. You can always ask somebody to speak for you live or leverage technology and pull a sermon from another church to play that weekend. You must think beyond just one weekend.

Sometimes we only consider “physical rest” and yet we neglect the “mental rest” that might be more important. When you take a Sunday off of preaching, it can provide you a much needed mental rest. When your brain is always running, always processing the next sermon, it can get extremely exhausting.

Taking some weekends off from preaching can be a huge win in health for a pastor.

I just came off of sabbatical, and it was very busy. I traveled a lot, did a lot of different activities, had weddings and funerals, celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, and traveled all over Europe. I was physically busy. But mentally, I closed down the window of the church.

If I could boil all this down to one thing, the root cause of most of the issues I come across, is a father wound. Many people have father wounds. If it's true in our society, then its true in our churches. Pastors, leaders, church staff, church planters all potentially are carrying this regardless of their calling.

I didn't have that thing running in the background all the time; running staff, solving problems, preparing sermons. I feel so rested and ready to go because I shut down that mental capacity.

There are three times where we hear God the Father speaking to His Son on earth, and every time he says the same thing, "this is my son, whom I love, and with Him I am well pleased.�

My secret to longevity is to keep a good pace.

Your church is not going to die because you didn't speak for one weekend.

The thing that we all desire, deep down is a sense of belonging. This has nothing to do with growth metrics, this is a soul issue of understanding our place as God’s children and being secure in that identity. If we can rest in His love, be secure in what He has called us to do, stay in love with Him and His people, health will come.

Jesus died for the church. You don't have to.

W H AT IS ONE OF T HE PRIM A RY INDICAT ORS IN YOUR E X PERIENCE T H AT A FEL L O W PA S T OR OR CHURCH L E A DER SHOUL D L OOK FOR T O A S SE S S T HEIR HE A LT H, A ND W H AT WOUL D BE YOUR A DV ICE FOR T HOSE T HINGS ?

One primary thing to look for is, has a pastor lost his love for people? It's possible they have been hurt. Pastors can become mad and frustrated at the very people they are looking to reach and disciple. They begin to lose their love for people, and you can see it all over them.

I know for me, when I start prioritizing tasks over people, its an indicator for me I need to check myself.

This creates healthy people, healthy families, healthy pastors, healthy staffs, and at the end of the day healthy churches. When you have healthy people, you have healthy churches, and they will grow.

Randy and Amy Bezet are the Lead Pastors of Bayside Community Church in Bradenton, FL. Bayside Community Church was ARC church plant No. 5. and Randy now serves on the ARC Lead Team. He has a vision to reach people for Christ, raise them to become followers of Christ, and release them to live their God-given purpose. To learn more visit mybayside.church.

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IDENTIFYING & ENGAGING IN THE

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COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO NEED JESUS. BUT FOR SOME, THEY ARE ALSO MISSING THEIR BASIC, PHYSICAL NEEDS AS WELL. STEP OUTSIDE ALMOST ANY CHURCH IN AMERICA AND YOU WILL FIND PEOPLE IN NEED. WE WANT TO FILL OUR CHURCHES AND GE T PEOPLE S AV ED, BU T RIGH T OU T SIDE OUR DOORS A RE FA MILIE S W HO DON’ T KNOW WHERE THEIR NEX T ME AL IS COMING FROM OR HOW THEY ARE GO-

OF YOUR COMMUNITY

by Lindsey Hansen

ING TO PAY T HEIR REN T T HIS MON T H.

CITIES AND GOVERNMENTS across the

U.S. are trying to solve big issues like food insecurity, homelessness, mental health, addiction, racial tension, school dropouts, the foster care system, and teenage pregnancy. These issues may seem impossible to solve, but we know the only way to get to the root and change lives, is with the love of Jesus.

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There are churches and organizations around the country who have done a great job at meeting the needs of their community and are making a tangible impact in the lives of their communities’ most vulnerable populations.

LOS ANGELES DREAM CENTER

The Dream Center was started to not only meet the immediate needs of their community by providing food and clothing but also focuses on the full successful transformation of people’s lives, all free of charge.

The Dream Center serves as a resource center focused on finding solutions to homelessness, hunger, and the lack of education through residential and community outreach programs.

There are currently 55,118 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, second in the country to only New York City.

Except, only 25 percent of those experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles are sheltered compared to 95 percent in New York City.

The Dream Center has aimed to combat this crisis through their Transitional Housing program. They provide families refuge with food, showers, clean clothes and a safe place to stay for six months. Additionally, a case manager mentors each family, guiding them on the path towards independent and permanent housing.

Kelli Bradley the Director of Ministries at the Dream Center said, "we are hopeful for people's lives here. We believe in second chances. Every day the Dream Center is out, all over this city, connecting people to hope and offering people a place to come if they need somewhere to go."

The Dream Center’s other residential programs include discipleship through a recovery program to support those who are 98

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“Every day the Dream Center is out, all over this city, connecting people to hope and offering people a place to come if they need somewhere to go.”

K EL LI, L A DRE A M CEN T ER

overcoming addiction; Veterans Program to help equip military veterans with the spiritual, practical, and foundational skills needed to transition back into civilian life; Human Trafficking Rescue and Residential Program designed to provide physical, spiritual, and emotional care and support to female victims of domestic sex trafficking and; Emancipated Youth home to help kids who age out of the foster care system to become self-sufficient.

There are 30 programs at the Los Angeles Dream Center, serving 45,000 people every month. Through their experience they began the Dream Center Network, working together with Dream Centers around the world. The Dream Center Network is designed to give churches the tools and resources needed to start and build a Dream Center from the ground up.

ST. LOUIS DREAM CENTER

After Dave and Joyce Meyer visited the Los Angeles Dream Center, they were moved to bring similar outreach efforts to the hurting people in their city. The St. Louis Dream Center was planted right in the heart of North St. Louis, an inner-city area that was known for high crime, drugs, and gang activity.

Their first outreach, Adopt-A-Block, began eighteen years ago with volunteers hitting the streets of North St. Louis each Saturday with rakes, lawnmowers, trash bags, and gifts. They cleaned up the neighborhood and served the people. They continue to head to local neighborhoods providing simple acts of service while sharing the Gospel message, with the ultimate goal to see an entire city transformed one city block at a time.

“In a city such as ours, that’s going through so many challenges, what better place to give people hope than the church.”

T ON Y, S T L OUIS DRE A M CEN T ER

Tony Gilmore, Pastor of the Dream Center Church, said, “In a city such as ours, that’s ARCCHURCHES.COM

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going through so many challenges, what better place to give people hope than the church.”

Each week they reach thousands of people through their Street Ministry, Adopt-ABlock, Nursing Home Ministry, Genesis Men’s Home, KidzJam, and Dream Center services. They provide food, clothing, haircuts, addiction recovery, and a renewed hope that they have a God-ordained purpose.

“For many of these children and their families, is a safe place for them to come, in a world where they are not experiencing a lot of safety.”

K EL LI, MEMPHIS DRE A M CEN T ER

MEMPHIS DREAM CENTER

The Memphis Dream Center was developed out of The Life Church with Pastors John and Leslie Siebeling. The goal of the Dream Center is to meet the emotional, spiritual, educational and physical needs of individuals in their city. They are impacting three of the City of Memphis’ most significant challenges; food insecurity, educational inequity, and infant mortality.

Each week they provide food resources to over 4,200 individuals through the Feed Memphis and Generous House programs.

They have provided over 2 million meals since the launch of those programs in 2011.

Through their relationship with six local Title 1 schools, they provide support for the children and families through weekly visits, tutoring, and special events. The Youth Leadership Program, an after-school literacy and leadership program has seen over 85% of its students advance significantly in reading proficiency. The parents and teachers of those students are reporting that they are improving in behavior and leadership at home.

Dr. Joe and Kelli Carson are the Directors of the Memphis Dream Center. Kelli said, "The Youth Leadership Program is so much more 100

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than an after-school program. The Dream Center, for many of these children and their families, is a safe place for them to come, in a world where they are not experiencing a lot of safety."

The Wellness Center offers maternity care, delivery at a local hospital and follow up care to address the high rate of infant mortality.

When they began the program, Memphis was labeled the infant mortality capital of the U.S. Zip code 38108

had more infant deaths than some third world countries. Since opening in 2016, they have seen over 300 healthy births.

TULSA DREAM CENTER

The North Tulsa community was once one of the most affluent black neighborhoods in the nation.

After the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, the area was plagued with drugs, violence, gangs, and poverty. This led the community to be one of the lowest educated cities in the

nation; Oklahoma is 42 out of 50 in public education.

The Tulsa Dream Center opened its doors in 1999 with programs strategically designed to break people out of the cycle of poverty.

Their three major focal points are education, medical, and hunger.

Their education programs stem from early childhood development through GED programs for adults. Their Literacy Is For Everyone ARCCHURCHES.COM

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“For many of these children and their families, is a safe place for them to come, in a world where they are not experiencing a lot of safety.”

K EL LI, MEMPHIS DRE A M CEN T ER

Program (LIFE) is for grades 1-5 and has over 200 students enrolled and a waitlist of over 50. Every student receives one-onone tutoring and a well-balanced hot meal.

For many, it may be their only hot meal of the day.

“Many boys and girls get there at 7:30 a.m. because they know if they get there early, we will feed them. Why? Because the last time they ate was when we closed yesterday at 3:30 p.m.,” said Aaron Johnson Director of the Tulsa Dream Center.

They also provide primary medical care services to the uninsured in North Tulsa.

Many people in the community do not qualify or cannot afford any medical insurance.

The medical clinic has a group of volunteer physicians, volunteer nurses, one part-time paid doctor, and two part-time paid registered nurses who help provide for the healthcare needs of those who come to the Dream Center.

This community is also labeled a “food desert,” where it’s difficult for people to access affordable or quality fresh food. The Dream Center’s food programs range from on-site hot meals to grocery giveaways to community members. They feed close to 1,000 children and families hot meals that may not otherwise have been able to have a meal.

For these churches, identifying the needs of their city has allowed them to become true members of their community. By getting outside the walls of the church and engaging with people and asking questions, they are seeing the hurting community up close and personal, meeting needs and sharing the love of Jesus in a tangible way.

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Some may ask, we want to do more in our community, where do we start?

1. ENGAGE IN THE DISCOVERY PROCESS

For more information about the Dream Center network, please visit dreamcenter.org/dc-network

Dig into the demographic data to get the big picture of who lives around you. Then set up appointments to have lunch or coffee with people like; the local school guidance counselor, emergency room nurse, the police captain, a social worker, and other pastors in the area.

Ask simple, but direct questions about what they see are the biggest needs in the community. Expect God to bring some needs to the surface. You'll need wisdom to know where to focus your time and resources.

2. PHONE A FRIEND

During the discovery process, find someone who can answer questions, give you direction, warn you of pitfalls, and be a friend to you as you take steps forward.

Find someone who has been down this road, and can give you spiritual and organizational wisdom.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOUR CHURCH CAN LOVE YOUR CITY, CHECK OUT THE NEW ARC “HOW-TO” GUIDE, SERVE YOUR CITY BY DINO RIZZO. THE BOOK, LEADER’S GUIDE,

3. FOLLOW FAVOR

Notice the open doors and the enthusiasm of your people as you step through doors of opportunity. Where do you already see a strong connection between people in your church and the needs of the community? Where are resources already flowing, or how might you tap into some resources you recently discovered? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. God is already at work through your people. Find how God is using them, and explore how you can bring more resources, passion, and energy to their efforts.

AND PARTICIPANT GUIDE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH STEPBY-STEP ON HOW TO BEGIN AND IMPLEMENT A SERVING CULTURE IN YOUR CHURCH. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BOOK SERVE YOUR CITY AND TO ORDER YOUR COPY VISIT ARCCHURCHES.COM/EQUIP.

4. FAILURE IS AN OPTION

Engaging in the deepest needs of people inevitably results in plenty of errors and mishaps. There is no doubt, though, that the successes are worth it.

5. BUILD PARTNERSHIPS

Meet with leaders of foundations and organizations that already serve your community like, homeless shelters, food pantries, The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Centers for Pregnancy, Meals on Wheels, etc. Ask what their needs are and how your church might partner with them.

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LAST WORD

A PARTING THOUGHT

Dear ARC Family, WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH! It is our honor to get to work with so many amazing church planters, pastors and ministry leaders from around the world. A huge than you to the more than 40 people who contributed to this magazine! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading their stories and were able to learn something new from their experiences.

We want to continue to bring you valuable resources to help you and your church be the healthiest it can be. We also know how important it is to connect and build relationship with other like-minded people. You are not in this alone! You have the entire ARC Family supporting you and cheering you on.

Thanks to you, the body of Christ is growing and thriving! You have helped plant more churches, equip more pastors, and serve communities like never before. The stories, the triumphs, and the successes we’ve heard this year are truly remarkable. God is so faithful, and the best is yet to come!

THE ARC TE AM

Upcoming ARC Events NOV 13-15, 2018

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Launch Intensive (Birmingham, AL) - Deadline to apply is Oct. 5

JAN 17, 2019

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Prayer Day

FEB 5-7, 2019

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Launch Intensive (Birmingham, AL) - Deadline to apply is Dec. 13

APR 9-10, 2019

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ARC Conference (Birmingham, AL)

JUL 13, 2019

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Serve Day

Find other upcoming ARC events at arcchurches.com/connect.

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We would love to hear from you!

We are always looking for resources to share and accomplishments to celebrate with our ARC family throughout the year. If you or your church has news you would like to share with us, please reach out to share@arcchurches.com. We are looking for life-changing testimonies, community impact stories, event success, new music, books, blogs, or podcasts.

Also, if you are interested in writing a blog or article to be shared on our different platforms, please let us know. It is so important to take the wisdom we have gained and share it with others. We can’t wait to hear from you!