9 minute read
THE GOALS
Our goals for the three-year plan are six-fold: to disciple 60 young believers, to double the number of Community Groups, to pilot the hybrid model of corporate and small group weekend services, to train the next generation of Church leaders, to plant a new church in North Aurora, and to engage & equip 30 Denver churches in loving their neighbors through CrossPurpose.
1Disciple sixty young believers. Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus gathered his closest followers together and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20). Far too often in the church we read this passage as saying, “teaching them everything I have commanded you.” But, instead, it says “teaching them to obey…” There is a world of difference in those two words. This is the process of discipleship; of having our whole lives formed into obedience to Christ. But in our increasingly post-Christian, digitally-distracted culture, it seems we are constantly being formed by anything but Christ: social media, Netflix, the political news cycle, conspiracy theories, pop psychology, the secular sex ethic and more. Perhaps now more than ever, the need for Christian discipleship and spiritual formation is at an all-time high.
LOVING OUR GOD TOGETHER
Growing in our knowledge of God and experiencing a deeply meaningful spiritual life requires taking intentional steps toward becoming like Christ. As we let our roots grow down into him, we will produce fruit and so prove to be his disciples (Jn. 15:5-8). LOVING OUR CHURCH TOGETHER
“There is no significant change without a significant relationship.” The process of spiritual maturity requires a relational context, a community of people. Jesus modeled this during his earthly ministry and we believe he calls us to do the same (Matt. 6:33). LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR TOGETHER
Ultimately, what God does in us is meant to be shared through us. We are to be disciples who make disciples, who make disciples… It is exciting to see the transformation that occurs as our lives and the lives of those we disciple are molded and renewed by the Spirit of God (Rom. 12:2).
COMPONENTS
DISCIPLESHIP CURRICULUM ONE-ON-ONE DISCIPLESHIP
2Double the number of community groups. Prior to COVID, we faced challenges in helping Sunday morning guests connect with weekly Community Groups. The feedback we received was that attending a group without knowing anyone was hard, finding the right group was difficult, and weeknights were often not the best fit for people’s schedules. But during the pandemic, when many people are struggling with isolation and a lack of relational connection, we have actually seen an increase in visitors attending Community Groups which has resulted in CGs becoming too large to maintain the ideal size (8-12 adults on average). This is an exciting problem to have! We are currently taking with men and women at Providence who desire to lead in this area, and, by January 2021, we will launch at least three new Community Groups.
LOVING OUR GOD TOGETHER
We do not want any Sunday guest to fall through the cracks. This goal ensures that visitors can become a part of Providence’s church family. We want them to find a relationallyrich environment where they can belong, be known and know others. LOVING OUR CHURCH TOGETHER
For the earliest believers, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46). Sunday morning services let us worship God, hear Scripture preached and partake in communion, but real life change occurs in the context of consistent, authentic, vulnerable relationships. LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR TOGETHER
The best thing we can do for the city of Denver is to live both as a sign and symbol of God’s kingdom come to earth. More community groups means more service in our neighborhoods so that all may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).
COMPONENTS
WEEKLY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE PRACTICES MONTHLY LEADER TRAININGS
3Pilot a hybrid model of corporate and small group weekend services. While the pandemic has prevented us from gathering as a corporate church body, we believe God has granted us the opportunity during this time to experiment with different church models. We doubt we would have had this opportunity without the pandemic. During the pandemic, we have had a steady stream of visitors looking for community in-person rather than online. We’ve also recognized that many guests who would typically feel uncomfortable coming to a church building are actually attracted to home groups instead. We believe God is inviting us to rethink “church” as we know it––to break away from the American obsession over gathering in a building on Sundays. But once we can gather in the building again, rather than going “back to normal,” we want to test a new model of worshipping together on Sundays 1-3 times a month, meeting in small group services 1-3 times a month and offering Zoom Community Groups and Sunday services online. This goal, in particular, is highly fluid, flexible and is no way set in stone. We want to quickly adapt to God’s leading during this season, while staying true to Scripture’s mandate to spur one another on toward love and good deeds, “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).
LOVING OUR GOD TOGETHER
While we are incredibly grateful for the facility God has given us, what we miss most about Sunday mornings is worshipping as one church family. There is nothing quite like the assembly of believers, worshipping God together in Spirit and truth. LOVING OUR CHURCH TOGETHER
One way we can care for our congregation is by observing all federal, state and local guidelines concerning COVID. When we do gather in the building, we will go above and beyond in practicing social distancing, sanitizing all common spaces, enforcing mask wearing and limiting physical interaction. This may require multiple services. LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR TOGETHER
At the heart of this goal lies the desire to provide opportunities for current Community Groups to serve as allies at CrossPurpose and for CrossPurpose leaders to join Community Groups at Providence.
COMPONENTS
CENTRALIZED SERVICES
COMMUNITY GROUP SERVICES CROSSPURPOSE CG OUTREACH
4Train the next generation of church leaders. In our own congregation, we have seen strong, young leaders who demonstrate commitment to Jesus and buy-in to the mission of Providence. As we started meeting with these leaders, we sensed God paving the way for a new generation of elders, deacons, women’s leadership council and Community Group Leaders to step into place. This is not a reactive decision as much as a proactive one. With recent staff transitions and an aging elder board, we believe now is the time to begin investing in the next wave of leadership with continued support and training from existing church leaders. We view leadership development as a top priority in cultivating a group that can help make this three-year plan successful and sustainable. We are excited to share our vision of onboarding and training new leaders at Providence.
LOVING OUR GOD TOGETHER
With the unpredictable state of the church in America, it is incredibly vital that we equip future leaders to grow in their awareness of and obedience to God’s work in the world. We do not want to get ahead of God, nor do we want to remain married to stale, ineffective approaches to church ministry. LOVING OUR CHURCH TOGETHER
As a multigenerational family, we never want to be stuck in the past or unwilling to listen to the wisdom of the young. We want every generation to have a seat at the table. This requires room and opportunity for new leaders to play an instrumental role in sharing, shaping and executing the mission God has given us. LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR TOGETHER
We know the work to which we have been called is not a sprint, or even a marathon but a relay race. Israel recurringly retreated into idolatry and bondage because of its inability to raise up godly leaders. Consequently, it is imperative that Providence Bible Church grows, thrives and improves in our ability to love our neighbors. This can happen intergenerationally.
COMPONENTS
ELDER CANDIDATE TRAINING
DEACON ONBOARDING
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
5Plant a church in North Aurora. In 2016, Providence began dreaming about planting a church in North Aurora. In 2020, one of our yearly goals was to identify and build the launch team for this church. But when COVID struck that idea seemed to be on hold. However, God had other plans. At the onset of the pandemic, Dale and Mayra Scott began hosting a small group service in their home which quickly grew to around 50 people. Providence elders had previously approached Dale about becoming an elder candidate. However, over the course of the summer, Dale shared that he believed God was calling him to not only pastor, but to plant a church as well. After several meetings, Providence elders and Dale agreed for him to start forming a team and to begin the process of ordination for pastoral ministry. Providence will provide financial support for the church launch with the goal that it becomes self-sufficient within three years.
LOVING OUR GOD TOGETHER
Due to COVID, we believed we would be unable to plant a church in Aurora this year. But this goal shows just how much greater God’s plans are than ours. And by his grace, this church plant will cause even more people to enter into a relationship with the Living God. LOVING OUR CHURCH TOGETHER
Healthy things grow. And our family is growing. The Church was never intended to be an insulated, self-inclosed entity. Rather, it was designed by God, himself, to be an organism that expands and reaches beyond itself to those in need of community. LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR TOGETHER
There is no greater way to evangelize a region than by planting a healthy, life-giving local church. In addition to Sunday morning worship services and weekly Community Groups, this church will partner with CrossPurpose Aurora by providing Ally support, spiritual exploration and formation classes, identity development, and discipleship.
COMPONENTS
LAUNCH CHURCH PLANT TEAM PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
GROW IN PARTNERSHIP
6Engage and equip thirty Denver churches in loving their neighbor through CrossPurpose. CrossPurpose has launched “The City Beautiful Reimagined: A Five Year Plan to Repurpose The Movement.” In this plan, CrossPurpose will partner with churches in Englewood, Southeast Denver, Northglenn, and North Aurora to establish CrossPurpose chapters of their own. Because Providence already serves CrossPurpose Northeast Denver through Ally support, spiritual exploration and formation classes, identity development and discipleship, we are greatly equipped to provide these partner churches with curriculum, team trainings, systems management and strategic support.
LOVING OUR GOD TOGETHER
Connects us with other neighborhood churches, allowing us to build an interchurch network that is not Providence centric. LOVING OUR CHURCH TOGETHER
Engages neighborhood churches to experience spiritual growth and relational connection by bringing community members into their church body. LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR TOGETHER
The members and leadership of neighborhood churches get to experience personal and corporate spiritual growth from being engaged in one-on-one discipleship.
COMPONENTS
NE DENVER LOCATION & 10 PARTNER CHURCHES AURORA LOCATION & 10 PARTNER CHURCHES
NORTHGLENN LOCATION & 10 PARTNER CHURCHES
