Ministry Plan 2017-2018 (Downtown Campus)

+ DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

2017-2018 MINISTRY PLAN

Address Downtown Campus 724 Austin Ave. Waco, TX 76701

Phone Office: 254-848-4953

Online Website: harriscreek.org Social: facebook/harriscreek

+ DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

2017-2018 MINISTRY PLAN

Address Downtown Campus 724 Austin Ave. Waco, TX 76701

Phone Office: 254-848-4953

Online Website: harriscreek.org Social: facebook/harriscreek

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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First Thoughts

Mission Statement

08 Core Values

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12

Discipleship Philosophy

Ministry Principles

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44

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Kids Ministry

Youth Ministry

College Ministry

Adult Ministry

MINISTRY PLAN 2017-2018 FIRST THOUGHTS

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FIRST THOUGHTS

+ “MAKE NO MISTAKE:

THE WAY

THAT WE FINISH THE TASK AHEAD OF US

MATTERS.”

FIRST THOUGHTS From the Lead Pastor

In 2008, an unheralded college athlete named Heather Dorniden put together a performance of a lifetime at a relatively low-profile sporting event. Dorniden was a middle-distance runner for the University of Minnesota, and she was competing in the finals of the 600-meter race at the indoor championships for the Big Ten Conference. As she completed the second of three laps around the indoor track, Dorniden got tripped up by another runner and fell from first to last place in a matter of a split second. As

life and the opportunities we have to advance the gospel are unimportant. But it’s not just Paul who uses this imagery. The author of the Book of Hebrews puts it this way: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) It sounds like the first Christians understood that there is a lot at

you watch the race unfold, Dorniden falls out of the screenshot, but then she reappears a few seconds later some 10-15 meters behind the pack. As she continues the race, it looks like she was shot out of a cannon for the final 200 meters. Dorniden ended up catching the pack and passing the leader at the finish line to win the race in an awe-inspiring fashion.

stake when it comes to how we respond to the responsibilities and opportunities God gives us.

I’m not sure any books will be written about this time period in Harris Creek’s history, but that’s not the point. While I’m certainly proud of what we’ve accomplished and the type of church we’ve become over the years, we’re not setting any world records, and that’s okay. I’m not interested in running the perfect race; I’m interested in running an inspiring, gutsy race. Heather Dorniden didn’t set any world records, but her race has been viewed on YouTube over 16 million times because of her determination and grit. If the most that we accomplish is our giving a gutsy performance in relative obscurity, then it will be completely satisfying and rewarding. And if what we accomplish over the next 12-18 months encourages and inspires others down the road, that’s even better. Either way, we’re on the last leg of an important part of our race, and momentum is at our back. We have the opportunity to do something unique and inspiring, so “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Over the past 18 months, the race we’ve been running as a congregation seems to be similar to the one that Heather Dorniden ran in 2008. We got off to a solid start with the Our Turn campaign at the end of 2015. We saw an incredible display of generosity both through the pledges our people made and the money given up front on our Big Give Sunday. As we got into 2016, we hit a roadblock on the lending front and had to delay the start of construction. This tripped us up and could have been a devastating blow for some congregations. However, this inciting incident seems to have only reinvigorated our efforts, and we’re looking to close out the campaign with a lot of momentum at our back as we head down the home stretch.

Make no mistake: the way that we finish the task ahead of us matters. I know it may seem spiritual to say it doesn’t matter if we fail to meet goals that we set for ourselves, but this is not the mentality that the New Testament promotes when it comes to our spiritual journey. One of the Apostle Paul’s favorite metaphors was the imagery of a race. The person credited with systematically fleshing out the doctrine of grace would have never said the way we respond to challenges we face in

In Christ,

Brady Herbert Lead Pastor

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MINISTRY PLAN 2017-2018 MISSION STATEMENT

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MISSION STATEMENT

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Harris Creek exists to seek the welfare of the city by transforming individuals through loving God, loving others, and serving the world.

MISSION STATEMENT

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OUR MISSION STATE ME NT Seeking the welfare of the city by transforming individuals through loving God, loving others, and serving the world.

WHE RE IT COMES FROM Many people ask where this mission statement comes from in Scripture and why this text is so important to us at Harris Creek. It originates from Jeremiah 29:7, which says, “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you.” Jeremiah 29 is one of those foundational chapters in Scripture that shapes what we believe about God to the core of who we are. Why? First, this passage was spoken during a time of great transition and change, much like the era we are living in today. It is a command from God on how to navigate turbulent periods when the culture is shifting beneath our feet. But it’s also a passage we connect with because it’s a highly missional passage. The prophet Jeremiah utters these words from the Lord to God’s people living in exile. The message is that they are called to seek the ultimate best interest, or shalom, of their mortal enemies, the Babylonians. This is a passage that was meant to prepare God’s people for the work He would accomplish by sending His only Son, Jesus. This is the gospel at its core and why we are passionate about seeking the welfare of the city around us at Harris Creek.

HOW WE DE FINE IT Seeking the welfare of the city can raise a lot of questions as to what this actually means. A few ways we desire to embody and fulfill this vision are through loving God, loving others, and serving the world. How do we hope to see this practically lived out?

We Love God By: • Communicating the gospel in relevant ways that speak to our context • Equipping all to have a biblical worldview • Creating an environment of awe through corporate worship

We Love Others By: • Participating in community through Life Groups • Engaging in corporate fellowship • Discipling the next generation of believers by mentoring and serving

We Serve the World By: • Training every member to share the gospel through relational evangelism with those in our sphere of influence • Sharing the gospel strategically with our community and world through both word and deed • Working for the well-being of others in our area of influence

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08 MINISTRY PLAN 2017-2018 CORE VALUES

03 CORE VALUES

CORE VALUES 001 002

GOD ORDAINE D God is the Author and Creator of the Church. He is the foundation upon which it is built.

The authority He gives to us for our ministry comes from the Word of God. Therefore, we dedicate ourselves to the study of Scripture, submit to its teaching, and commit to do what it says.

CHRIST CE NTE RE D The conviction that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation leads us to proclaim that Jesus is the center and circumference of the Christian faith. The function of this centrality for believers is that Jesus points beyond Himself to God, whom He reflects and embodies.

Thus, Jesus is the Revealer of God.

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SPIRIT E NGAG E D

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DISCIPLESHIP FOCUSE D

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Without the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand Scripture, produce lasting spiritual change, or live to the glory of God. So we affirm a deep need to commune with God through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, contemplation, celebration, Scripture study, and service.

We believe that every generation has a responsibility to those coming behind them to teach, lead, and demonstrate the love of Christ. We are committed to strengthening the spiritual lives of families as they seek to become salt and light in their neighborhoods.

To accomplish these two tasks, we pursue small communities dedicated to discipleship, which we call Life Groups. In Life Groups, we (1) open our hearts in transparent trust to each other (2) around the truth of God’s Word (3) in the spirit of life-change accountability.

GOSPE L SATUR ATE D We believe that, as God’s people, we are called to proclaim the gospel in meaningful and relevant ways. By “gospel,” we mean the good news attested to in the Scriptures. This gospel is threefold. First, our lives are turned inside out in that the death and resurrection of Jesus paid the price for our sin and calls us to personal renewal through confession of sin and acceptance of Christ. Second, our lives are turned upside down in that Jesus defeated the powers of sin and evil in this world and created a community of believers who live with kingdom (not worldly) values. Third, our lives are lived future to present, understanding that Jesus will return to complete the renewal of the entire material creation, an end toward which He invites us to participate. This gospel calls us to preach the good news of redemption from sin, to live as Christ’s body, and to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world.

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MINISTRY PLAN 2017-2018 DISCIPLESHIP PHILOSOPHY

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DISCIPLESHIP PHILOSOPHY

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At Harris Creek, we believe there are four primary functions the Church is called to serve within the context of the city in which it is planted.

DISCIPLESHIP PHILOSOPHY

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ABOUT In Jeremiah 29, the passage from which we get our mission statement, God commands His people to “plant gardens and eat what they produce” as a way of seeking the welfare of the city. When the seed of a fruit tree is planted in the soil, deep roots below the surface are necessary for vitality. There are other factors contributing to the nourishment of the seedling, and outward movements and external features begin to complement healthy development. In short, you can easily identify a healthy tree when you see it.

Over the course of time, the hope is that the seed becomes a plant and serves its purpose: if it does not produce (or stops producing) fruit, then it is no longer a fruit tree. The image of a fruit-bearing tree is one we refer to when talking about our discipleship philosophy because it’s the way that Jesus describes discipleship (John 15:5). Just as a healthy tree has a vibrant root system and outward movement that demonstrate maturity, a healthy disciple: (1) puts down deep roots in biblical relationships (Community), (2) constructively moves towards action in applying God’s truths (Equipping), (3) responds to God’s presence (Worship), and (4) is devoted to serving others in the name of Jesus (Mission).

It’s no accident that in Acts 2:42-47, we see that the early Church made disciples through the practices of Community, Equipping, Worship, and Mission. The discipleship philosophy for Harris Creek is built upon these same four practices, and as we allow God to transform each one of us, we are commissioned to seek the welfare of the city together and to obey Christ’s command: “Go out and make disciples in all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

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MINISTRY PLAN 2017-2018 MINISTRY PRINCIPLES

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MINISTRY PRINCIPLES

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Our Ministry Principles exist to tell you more about who we are as a church and how we do things at Harris Creek.

MINISTRY PRINCIPLES +

It’s one thing to tell a person what you believe. It’s a whole other thing to tell a person who you are. While our beliefs and doctrine are extremely important to us, they aren’t what make us unique as a church. In fact, Christians have widely affirmed the beliefs contained in our Core Values and Church Doctrine throughout the history of the Church.

Our Ministry Principles are values that we hold high that make Harris Creek unique. They exist to tell you more about who we are as a church and how we do things as a local church. Our hope is that this gives you a picture of who God has created us to be and inspires you in your walk with Jesus.

LOCAL OVER GLOBAL

LOCAL GLOBAL

We believe God loves the whole world, and the way He showed that love was through sending His Son into the world. This means God worked globally by incarnating Himself locally. The Incarnation is not just a doctrine to believe; it is also a way of doing ministry. We are called to live out the gospel locally as a way of reaching our neighbors globally.

DEEP OVER WIDE

DEEP WIDE

CREATE REPRODUCE

We believe we are called to go deep with a few people if we are ever going to have a wide reach. In the Gospels, Jesus focused on living in community with a few, rather than building shallow relationships with the masses. His example of living intentionally with twelve (and even closer to three people) proved to be the most effective way of reaching the masses. If we aren’t truly known by a few in a deep way, we will never have the substance to reach a wide range of people.

CREATE OVER REPRODUCE We believe that every person is made in the image of our Creator, and our Creator is the Author of creativity.

As children of God, our call is to create. Rather than reproducing old models because they are more comfortable, we want to continue to discover new and fresh ways to minister to the world.

OUTSIDE OVER INSIDE

OUTSIDE INSIDE

DEVOTION DOCTRINE

We believe we are called to reach those on the margins of our faith. There are many people who are “over-churched” and have been burned by the church. There are also many in our culture who are “underchurched” and skeptical of the faith. Jesus regularly focused on those who had been marginalized by the religious insiders, and this resulted in transforming the insiders in a necessary and positive way.

DEVOTION OVER DOCTRINE We believe that the universe was created by a relational God. God is, in Himself, relational in the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). He also calls us to be in an actively devoted, loving relationship with Him, not to simply know information about Him. Sound doctrine must support our relationship with God, but faith in practice is the primary indicator of spiritual maturity.

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MINISTRY PLAN 2017-2018 KIDS MINISTRY PLAN

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KIDS MINISTRY PLAN

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The Kids Ministry of Harris Creek exists to help children discover what it means to follow Jesus.

KIDS MINISTRY WHY WE EXIST Research shows that most people decide by the age of 13 whether or not they will follow Jesus. Knowing this, it is our desire for our ministry to influence children’s lives from the very beginning of their faith journey so that each child becomes a disciple of Jesus. With this vital task as our main focus, ministry to kids at Harris Creek must be much more than acting out Bible stories or doing arts and crafts.

We want to partner with parents from the beginning so that together we can move this generation into an authentic relationship with Christ.

we want them to know God’s love, meet God’s family, and understand that God’s story is their story.

For elementary-age children (K-3rd grade), it means teaching kids about the Bible and how to apply it to their own lives.

The goal of Scripture study is to help kids develop an intimate relationship with God, a deep love for others, and a tangible way to live out the gospel in their daily lives.

We believe that children best learn how to love God by seeing others who love Him. This is why we place a high value on placing a consistent Small Group Leader (SGL) in the life of each child who attends Harris Creek Kids. When kids transition into our preteen program, we want them to trust God’s character and experience God’s family so that they can understand that God’s story inspires their story.

What does this look like for such a wide age span? For babies (birth to one year), it means providing a safe and loving environment where infants learn to trust adults to meet their needs. For toddlers and young preschoolers (one year to two years), it means providing opportunities to talk about God in relation to the world they are learning about. For older preschoolers (three to five years), it means introducing key Bible passages and concepts to form and develop their understanding of who God is. When each preschooler leaves our Create program,

For preteen kids (4th-6th grade), it means providing an environment where they can ask deeper questions about their faith formation. This is also a turning point for kids to begin to actively seek the welfare of the city by participating in service opportunities. We want our preteens to

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build deeper community with their Small Group at church in hopes of laying a foundation of community to stand with them in the tumultuous teenage years that lie ahead. As kids transition into our Youth Ministry, we want them to begin to see how their faith fits into a larger community, to find deeper community within their Small Group, and begin to see how they have a part to play in God’s redemption of the world around us.

WHERE WE ’ VE BEEN Harris Creek Kids has served the families of the Downtown Campus through our Create and Navigate programs since the fall of 2014.

The culture and rapport among our Downtown Campus community of families has evolved and solidified over the course of our three years together, and our ministry to families has grown both in number and efficiency. While the number of families and kids involved in our Kids Ministry grew this past year, attendance was less consistent than in years past. Member engagement and visitor retention remain vital for our Downtown Kids Ministry to thrive. While there is an overall trend toward less frequent church attendance in the larger context of the American church, we hope Harris Creek families can achieve a level of engagement where every individual knows their presence matters and is felt.

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Our biggest area of growth in the past year, both quantitatively and in quality, was in our Navigate program. The number of Navigate kids, leaders, and Small Groups more than doubled in the past year. We created a unique space for our elementary students where they are undisturbed, unhindered, and have plenty of room to grow. We also introduced live storytelling and a large group worship experience the first weekend of every month of the school year. We are thankful for the ways our Navigate program has grown with our Downtown Campus, and we are now looking to meet a growing need for developmentallyappropriate engagement for our preteen students.

“WE HOPE HARRIS CREEK FAMILIES CAN ACHIEVE A LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT WHERE EVERY INDIVIDUAL KNOWS

THEIR

PRESENCE MATTERS AND IS FELT.”

Our facilities underwent a transformation as we sought to maximize our space to best serve the kids in our ministry. Office spaces and kitchens became spaces for our babies and toddlers to play and be nurtured. Our preschoolers have a space of their own where they can play and learn alongside other kids at their same stage of development. The facility has been enhanced cosmetically, and we have striven to create a peaceful environment for the families and volunteers who enter and serve in our KidSpace.

Our leader demographic shifted from primarily parents to young professionals and college students, a goal met from the previous ministry year. We utilize our parent base in the summer and on breaks, as well as in higher levels of leadership to match gifting and talent, but we are grateful to see other members of the Harris Creek family involved in our weekly volunteer base. Our leaders participate in weekly huddles, serving as ongoing training. Principles for leading kids based on developmental stage, devotionals related to the stories they are teaching, and ways to point their weekly Bible story to God’s larger story of salvation are imparted to our leaders weekly.

These intentional changes brought a greater sense of order and excellence that we desired to achieve in the 2016-2017 ministry year.

Each year has further developed our ministry and improved the Sunday morning experience for the families who call the Downtown Campus home.

2017-2017 MINISTRY PLAN

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HOW WE CAN G ROW The Kids Ministry leadership team looks forward to this year’s plan for ministry and for what God has for us as we continue to invest in kids and families. One major focus this year will be the development of a ministry for kids who need a little extra help on Sunday mornings. We have been fortunate to be able to serve a few kids on Sundays with a buddy system and are excited to bring structure to this special ministry and see it grow this year. We also see a need to better connect with our older elementary-age kids. This year, we will begin Integrate, our ministry geared towards 4th-6th grade kids. Lastly, we want to see our families serving together missionally, but this takes unique partnerships in order for us to do so. We want to find more avenues for our kids and their parents to seek the welfare of the city together. All these objectives will be met by pursuing the following: • Creating a new inclusion ministry for kids with special needs and those who need behavioral support • Evaluating ways to engage and involve our families with the hope of increased attendance • Connecting with missional community partners to visit Navigate and bring awareness to needs in the greater Waco area • Partnering with our Missions Director to offer on-ramps for families who desire to serve together in our community • Developing a structure and framework to launch Integrate, a ministry geared towards our 4th-6th grade kids • Creating campus-specific equipping events including Investigate JUNIOR and equipping workshops for parents • Serving our neighbors by partnering with a local school

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COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

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002

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NAVIGATE SMALL GROUPS

NAVIGATE SMALL GROUP

INTEGRATE SMALL GROUPS

K-3RD GRADE

Small Group is a place where kids come each week during the school year for the purpose of growing in their relationships with God and each other. Our Small Groups are chosen by age and gender to build relationships and navigate through Scripture and life. A Navigate Small Group is made up of 3-10 kids in gender- and age-specific groups that meet on Sunday mornings. Each group has a leader that invests in the lives of their “few” to help them build authentic faith. Kids in kindergarten through 3rd grade can participate in Small Groups on Sundays at our Downtown Campus during the 9:30a service.

LAUNCH PARTY

4TH-6TH GRADE

K-3RD GRADE

Navigate Small Group Launch Party is an opportunity for kids to have fun together while connecting with their SGL for the coming year. This is a fun time that will encourage relationships. Navigate Small Group Launch Party will happen the Sunday morning following Welcome Back Sunday.

the time they transition into Youth Ministry.

MEASURABLE GOALS:

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Have 60% of our Navigate kids in attendance • Create an experience that gives kids the opportunity to connect with their Small Group Leader for the coming year • Host a parent connect at the end of the event so that parents are able to meet their child’s

MEASURABLE GOALS:

SGL

• Provide weekly trainings for Navigate Small Group Leaders • See 75% of our regular attendees be present at least 3 times a month • Follow up with 100% of first-time visitors

2017-2017 MINISTRY PLAN

Small Group is a place where kids come each week during the school year for the purpose of growing in their relationships with God and each other. Integrate Small Groups are divided by grade and gender and meet on Sunday mornings. The goal is to move groups from focused activities to more discussion-based small groups by

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• Launch an Integrate Small Group with at least 5 kids in 4th-6th grade • Recruit at least 2 leaders that will serve consistently as the leaders of our Integrate group • Follow up with 100% of first-time visitors

004 INTEGRATE HANGOUT 4TH-6TH GRADE

Integrate Hangout is an exclusive event for 4th-6th grade students that provides an opportunity for preteens to build community outside of Sunday mornings.

Hangouts are designed to allow preteens to have fun, build deeper community, and provide an opportunity for them to bring friends without a church community to a low-pressure event associated with Harris Creek. Hangout will occur at least once in Fall 2017 and once in Spring 2018.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • See 75% of our regular attendees be present at each Integrate Hangout in Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 • Follow up with 100% of first-time visitors after each event

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COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

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002

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CREATE

START HERE

INVESTIGATE JUNIOR

PRESCHOOL

PRESCHOOL-KINDERGARTEN

1ST-4TH GRADE

Create takes place on Sunday mornings.

This program is our primary vehicle for equipping our preschool age group. Each week, we do hands-on activities, play games, sing songs, hear Bible stories, and learn a monthly Scripture verse. In Create, we want our kids to know three main truths before they promote to Navigate: God made me, God loves me, and Jesus wants to be my friend forever.

Start Here is a program for parents and their kids (4-6 years old) who are beginning to ask faith questions. Kids attend with their parents, and they will hear a clear presentation of the gospel and what it looks like to begin a relationship with Jesus. Parents will receive practical ways to engage in their child’s faith formation to ultimately have the privilege of leading their child to accept Jesus as Savior.

MEASURABLE GOALS:

MEASURABLE GOALS:

Investigate JUNIOR is a program for elementary-age kids who are exploring faith or have recently accepted Christ.

This class clearly presents the gospel and how it fits into everyday life. During these classes, kids will be exposed to the foundations of our faith and will tackle questions such as, “Why can’t I see or hear God?,” “What is sin?,” and “Why is baptism important?” Investigate JUNIOR will be offered to both campuses but will be hosted at our Downtown Campus for two consecutive weeks each semester during

• Recruit and train 2 weekly room leaders in each room for the school year • Incorporate a worship experience into preschool classrooms at least 1 time a month

• Provide 2 offerings of Start Here, once in Fall 2017 and once in Spring 2018

the 11a service.

• See 4 families attend each offering of Start Here

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Share 1 story on the Harris Creek blog of a

• Encourage 100% of kids that have not

parent leading their child into a relationship

participated in Investigate JUNIOR to

with Jesus

complete the program before they leave 4th grade • Identify and train 1 new leader to teach the Investigate JUNIOR program • Offer 2 two-week sessions of Investigate JUNIOR program at our Downtown Campus

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“RESEARCH SHOWS THAT

MOST PEOPLE

DECIDE BY THE AGE OF 13 WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL FOLLOW JESUS.”

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COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

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NAVIGATE LARGE GROUP

NAVIGATE FAMILY FUN NIGHT

K-3RD GRADE

K-4TH GRADE

Downtown Navigate kids attend the music portion of our corporate worship service weekly. This experience helps them understand that they have a place within the church as a whole. In the fall of 2016, we implemented a live worship and storytelling experience the first Sunday of every month during the school year. Our team of volunteers present the weekly message using multimedia, live-action skits, and audience participation. We want each elementary student to know these three truths: I need to make the wise choice, I can trust God no matter what, and I should treat others the way I want to be

Navigate Family Fun Night gives our Navigate families—from both our Sunwest and Downtown Campuses—a time to worship together in an environment that is created for elementary kids and their parents as well as build community with other Harris Creek families. This event is also an opportunity for Harris Creek families to invite friends that don’t know Christ or are not connected to a church community. The timing of the event is strategic so that families who do not regularly attend church during the school year can get connected during the summer months.

treated.

MEASURABLE GOALS: MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Execute live, Navigate-wide worship experience in the Downtown KidSpace at least 1 time a month • Include older Navigate students in worship 3 times per month • Identify 2 new Large Group team members

• Connect with 5 new families from outside of Harris Creek • Identify 1 new creative way to target families who are infrequent Harris Creek attendees to attend the event • Have 50% participation from our Downtown families

by Spring 2018

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WHAT IS A MINISTRY EXPE RIME NT?

Every successful organization should experiment. It is through experimenting that organizations learn how to improve. During the upcoming ministry year, each ministry area will attempt something new that can be considered a departure from its normal approach. These “research & development� efforts may result in success or failure. Either way, we get to learn through the process.

MINISTRY EXPERIMENT ILLUMINATE Harris Creek Kids is excited to take the journey into inclusion ministry! As a response to the culture around us, we are developing an inclusion ministry to support kids who need a little extra help. Illuminate will help them be included in church life and activities. This new ministry will launch this fall, with the goal of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to encounter Jesus at church on Sunday mornings. The first step is to offer buddies to kids who need them and designate trainers to educate our volunteers. This new ministry has potential to grow into so much more and will be a vehicle to seek the welfare of the city.

COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

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NAVIGATE AWARE

COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

CAMP IN THE CITY

K-3RD GRADE

Our Kids Ministry at our Sunwest Campus has sponsored a child through Compassion International since Spring 2011. This year, the Downtown Campus will sponsor an additional child that will be fully supported by our Downtown Kids. Our elementaryage children will correspond with our sponsored child throughout the year through letters and drawings.

K-5TH GRADE

Navigate Aware seeks to make kids aware of the needs in our city. We want to reach out to community partners who are making a difference and invite them to share in Navigate on Sunday morning.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Connect with 2 community partners to come and share on Sunday morning in Navigate, once in Fall 2017 and once in Spring 2018 • See 75% of our regular attendees be present at the Navigate Serve events in Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 • Find 3 creative ways to share stories of group experiences at the Connect events

MEASURABLE GOALS:

In partnership with Pine Cove, Camp in the City is a week-long day camp filled with awesome activities, incredible counselors, and a strong spiritual focus. Each day, the campers will learn about Jesus through Club, Bible Studies, Hang Times, and Power Hour. Our kids will have a full day of fun activities and will grow in their relationships with Jesus.

• Sponsor and support 1 Downtown Campusspecific Compassion child starting Fall 2017 • Correspond with our sponsored child by sending mail (written by kids) on average of 2

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Provide camp scholarships for at least 13 kids who would normally be unable to attend • Have 10% of camp attendance be kids who

times a semester

do not have a church home

• Partner with our Missions Director to give

• Ensure that 50% of camp attendance comes

2 on-ramps for families who would like to

from within Harris Creek Kids

serve together in our community

• Follow up with 100% of attendees who are not connected to Harris Creek within 1 week of camp • Have our church family offer 100% of host homes for Pine Cove staffers

2017-2017 MINISTRY PLAN

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“WE BELIEVE IT’S IMPORTANT FOR OUR PRETEENS TO NOT ONLY KNOW ABOUT THE NEEDS IN OUR CITY, BUT ALSO TO TAKE A STEP IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE THEMSELVES.”

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“THE WORLD WE LIVE IN IS RAPIDLY CHANGING, AND WE WANT TO TAKE THE

TIMELESS

TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD

AND

INSTILL THEM IN THE HEART OF EVERY CHILD THAT COMES TO HARRIS CREEK.”

OUR HOPE Kids Ministry exists to help kids in building a strong foundation for a lifelong journey of faith. Harris Creek Kids is honored to partner with parents in this effort and inspire the next generation for Christ. It is our desire that every child that comes to church finds a place to belong and feels comfortable to asking questions about their budding faith. The world we live in is rapidly changing, and we want to take the timeless truths of God’s Word and instill them in the heart of every child that comes to Harris Creek. No child should be excluded in experiencing Christ through Sunday mornings, so we are going to work hard at facilitating an inclusion ministry (Illuminate). We are honored to play a part in the faith development of kids and are excited to continue to find creative ways to engage kids with the gospel! We are thankful for the families in our Downtown Campus community and hope to provide meaningful connections resulting in the desire to be present consistently on Sunday mornings. We believe God is at work in our Downtown Kids Ministry and in the lives of the families who call Harris Creek their home, and we are excited to see what God does through this next generation of Christ-followers in the upcoming year!

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MINISTRY PLAN 2017-2018 YOUTH MINISTRY PLAN

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YOUTH MINISTRY PLAN

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The Youth Ministry of Harris Creek exists to help students take ownership of their faith.

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YOUTH MINISTRY WHY WE EXIST Our goal as a Youth Ministry is to create an environment where middle school and high school students have the ability to take ownership of their faith. For students to own their faith, several goals must be met. They must first experience a lifechanging encounter with Christ and continue to grow in their relationship with Him by learning the redemptive story of Scripture and the basics of the faith. A key component to owning their faith begins when students wrestle with their beliefs themselves, rather than just accepting what an authority figure tells them. Another aspect to taking ownership of their faith is belonging to the entirety of the church community, rather than being siloed off in the Youth Ministry. Finally, students who own their faith are those engaged in the praxis of faith: people who put feet to what they say they believe through serving inside and outside of the local church.

multifaceted approach to youth ministry, including Life Groups, worship, teaching, and service and leadership opportunities.

At our weekly youth service, Mountaintop, we continually preach the good news of Jesus’ redeeming power shown all throughout Scripture and history. By then discussing what was just taught, students have the opportunity to reflect upon and engage with the teaching in Life Groups.

This gives them the chance to process what was said and not just accept it at face value, which is one goal in helping students take ownership of their faith. Because we also incorporate our students into the larger church community, they are able to attend worship on Sunday mornings where they are influenced not just by the teaching they receive, but also through relationships that span generations.

Along with paid staff, we have an amazing group of volunteers that, through mentoring and discipleship, pours out love and accountability to our students as they seek to grow deeper in their relationships with Jesus. Most importantly, parents play the largest role of all in our ministry.

Because parents are the primary faith

While we cannot own our students’ faith for them, it is our job as a Youth Ministry to provide students with every opportunity and tool necessary for them to take ownership of their faith while under our care. We therefore seek to provide a

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influencers for students, we desire to partner with and equip parents as they live out this significant calling in discipling their children.

Alongside both parents and volunteers, this Youth Ministry strives to do all we can within the six years students are in our ministry to provide a healthy and safe yet challenging environment for students to see their faith come alive and become their own.

WHERE WE ’ VE BEEN This past year of Youth Ministry at Harris Creek has been one focused on organizational growth and stability. Two years ago, we started a brand-new program, Mountaintop, that shifted the entire way we did ministry. Like any new program, the first year was full of trial and error. This past year has seen a few meaningful adjustments within our programs in order to solidify our overall structure. One of the most positive adjustments we made to Mountaintop this past year was adding a monthly Life Group night in place of our regular Mountaintop program. A night dedicated solely to Life Groups has been instrumental in fostering deeper community among students and group leaders. Another adjustment to Mountaintop has been the focus we’ve given to creatively engaging our students through testimonies, videos, games, skits, and student involvement. We want students to feel connected to each other and to God at Mountaintop, and that has required intentional effort and inventive planning.

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“... [WE STRIVE] TO PROVIDE A HEALTHY AND SAFE YET CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS

TO SEE THEIR

FAITH COME ALIVE AND

Another area of growth over the past year was the creation of a Student Leadership Team (SLT) for our 10th-12th grade students. Students on SLT serve at Mountaintop each week, plan events, give feedback, and lead out in their Life Groups and at their respective schools.

Our Student Leadership Team also serves by writing devotional content for our Instagram page in the summer and leads out at Mountaintop during the year by playing music or sharing testimonies.

We have seen our SLT help students take on more leadership within our Youth Ministry as well as assist our overarching goal of creating an environment that allows students to own their faith.

Students on the SLT also serve as mentors in our Mentoring Program. The Mentoring Program continued to mature over this past year. We started using a structure that allows for students and volunteers to be mentored as they mentor others. This new model of mentoring has allowed for more students and volunteers to lead out and serve within the Youth Ministry. To help us start well, we held a Kick-Off event which paired partners together and garnered excitement for the program. Not all of our mentoring pairs were as consistent as we wanted them to be, but we have seen some great success in a few solid mentor pairs.

Another unique challenge we’ve faced is in finding a way to evaluate the overall success of this program due to the relational nature of mentoring.

BECOME THEIR OWN.”

In the summer, we had many opportunities for student discipleship and fellowship through Dive, Youth vs. Wild, and Summer Serve Days. Through these activities, trips, and weekly engagement in the city, our students connected deeper with one another and with God. Youth vs. Wild, in particular, is a highlight of the year, as we take students to Colorado in order to get them out of their comfort zones and encounter God in a new way. We believe trips help move the needle spiritually for our students, and we want to see more opportunities for that to take place in the future.

Finally, we have been pleased with the impact of shifting to a structure that allows for missional opportunities on a regular basis. For the past two years, we’ve seen more of our students serving internally within the church through our Create and Navigate programs.

Externally, we have also tried to create a pattern of serving within our community through Life Group Service Nights and Youth-Wide Serve Days. We have also started a rhythm of sending students and leaders on the Mission Waco Poverty Simulation. By promoting and coordinating more mission opportunities for our students, we’ve seen our students begin to gain a greater understanding of what it means to seek the welfare of the city. While service has registered a stronger pulse within our Youth Ministry, students are still not fully

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engaged in their experience of the global church like we would hope they would be at this point in their development. We must look for ways to continue to develop a missional mentality within our students that call Harris Creek Youth Ministry home.

HOW WE CAN G ROW As we implement these improvements, it is exciting to think of the growth that is around the corner for us as a Youth Ministry. We believe that this next year of ministry will be a season of growth for us as we continue on the path that God has placed in front of us. Like the author of Hebrews says, our task is to simply “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Systems are in place, programs have been created, a mature discipleship model is set up, and our task now is to simply continue under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. For us to continue growing as a ministry committed to helping students take ownership of their faith, we must focus on: • Developing a strategic plan to help students learn from those seeking the welfare of the city, both locally and globally • Continuing to create an engaging atmosphere at Mountaintop that helps students connect with God and with each other • Welcoming in our new 7th-grade students to the Youth Ministry in a way that helps them feel immediately part of the larger group • Implementing tools and resources for our Life Groups to help deepen their relationships with one another and grow closer together as a group • Equipping our parents through Parenting Hacks and one-on-one conversations • Developing a strategic plan to train, care for, and disciple our volunteers as they minister to our students • Improving how we stay connected to our students throughout the year • Creating a strategy to reach teenagers on the margin in Waco

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EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

003

LIFE GROUPS

MENTORING PROGRAM

LATE NIGHT

7TH-12TH GRADE

7TH-12TH GRADE

7TH-12TH GRADE

As part of the body of Harris Creek, we believe that there is no substitute for living “life on life” with one another. We also recognize that Youth Life Groups are going to look different than Adult Life Groups. While an Adult Life Group’s conversation is centered around Elements, a Youth Life Group’s conversation will be centered around the theme, Bible lesson, and teaching from Mountaintop.

This theological and practical application curriculum will help students go deeper with one another as well as in their relationships with God. Once a month, we take a break from Mountaintop and have a night centered solely on Life Groups hanging out with each other and deepening their community. This year, we will also implement tools and resources to help aid our groups in growing closer together.

In our mentoring program, older students have the opportunity to disciple the younger students in the Youth Ministry by spending time with them, going through Scripture together, and simply valuing them as people. This relationship actually helps to develop our older students while allowing our younger students to feel comfortable and welcome within the youth group. Any older student who mentors a younger student will simultaneously be mentored by our adult and college volunteers. This helps equip them in their role as a mentor and deepen their own faith. Finally, we will also take initiative this year to pair interested adult and college volunteers with an adult parent mentor.

We believe in cross-generational ministry and believe that mentoring is an easy way to achieve that goal.

Late Night events are focused on engaging both our current students and visitors in fun, memory-making events. These events are designed to create excitement and build momentum within the Youth Ministry by building stronger bonds within the group itself. Late Night events are also helpful in reaching out to the greater community of students in Waco.

MEASURABLE GOALS: MEASURABLE GOALS: • Have 100% of students that attend Mountaintop involved in a Life Group • Host 100% of groups in excellent environments conducive to conversation • Offer community-building tools and resources (e.g., team-building activities, life maps) for each Life Group to do 1 time a year

• Require mentors to meet with their mentees at least 2 times a semester • Host 1 meeting a semester with our mentors to encourage them and keep them accountable in their mentoring roles • Have a kickoff event in Fall 2017 to pair our mentors and mentees together • Check in with 100% of the mentors and

in order to increase depth in groups

mentees at least 1 time a semester to give

• Challenge Life Group Leaders to make

them support and aid in their relationship

contact outside of Life Group with 100% of students at least 1 time a semester • Meet 2 times a semester with Life Group Leaders in order to help equip, challenge, and hold them accountable for their groups

• Pair 100% of our older students with an adult or college volunteer to mentor them • Pair 100% of interested volunteers with an adult parent mentor • Evaluate 100% of our mentor pairs at the end of the semester through conversation and feedback

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MEASURABLE GOALS: • Have at least 25% of participants be students who are not regular attendees of Harris Creek • Follow up with 100% of new students and their families within 1 week of the event • Receive 80% positive feedback from our SLT on the event based on environment, enjoyment level, and sense of community experienced • Have 100% of Life Groups spend the 2 weeks leading up to the event praying for what friends they need to invite to the Late Night as a form of outreach

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STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM

YOUTH VS. WILD

10TH-12TH GRADE

7TH-12TH GRADE

This team is made up of our high school students with interest and gifting in leadership. Our Student Leadership Team (SLT) meets once a month as a team and helps plan Mountaintop and outside events. They are also paired with younger Life Groups to reach out to and support throughout the year. This team equips our high school students in their leadership gifting within their respective schools and provides ways for them to serve within the Youth Ministry. Our desire for this team is that they form a tight-knit community as they serve one another.

Youth vs. Wild is a trip where middle school and high school students engage in weeklong discipleship during the summer.

This trip focuses on their relationships with Christ as well as their relationships with each other. Throughout the week, students are taken on a wilderness excursion that ties in a common theme for the entire trip. It is a trip that is geared towards experiential equipping and spiritual formation. The 2018 trip will be “Season 10” of Youth vs.

Wild.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Have at least 65% of students involved in our

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Meet together as a team before Mountaintop 1 time a month • Hold 1 team-building activity a year to develop the team as a community • Pair 100% of younger Life Groups with at least 1 representative from the SLT • Have 100% of members of the SLT fulfill commitment agreed upon and sent to parents • Plan 1 Youth Ministry event a year as an SLT • Have members of the SLT serve in leadership

Youth Ministry attend Youth vs. Wild • Receive 80% positive reviews from our students in terms of devotional content, experience, and personal growth through surveys given upon return • Have a ratio of 1 leader per 5 students attending the trip for discipleship purposes • See 80% of incoming 7th-grade students attend Youth vs. Wild • Have 100% of our graduating seniors that attend Youth vs. Wild share their testimonies at Youth vs. Wild

positions at Mountaintop every week

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COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

003

PARENTING HACKS

GRADUATE

SPRING RETREAT

In order to help parents in their role as the primary faith influencers in their home, we offer Parenting Hacks once a semester to help spark conversations concerning difficult topics and provide parents with access to experts in relevant fields. At these events, parents will have the opportunity to learn through guest speakers, engage with relevant research, and receive space to have safe conversations.

11TH-12TH GRADE

7TH-12TH GRADE

Graduate is a program designed specifically for our upperclassmen that aims to cultivate their leadership skills, develop their hearts for service, and prepare them for the transition of high school graduation. Each month, we will meet to learn and discuss relevant topics for the life of an upperclassman student in the hopes of preparing them for graduation. At the end of the year, we will

Spring Retreat is an annual worship and equipping retreat for middle school and high school students that focuses on a particular topic of being a follower of Christ.

It also allows students the opportunity to worship together as a community. The Spring Retreat helps students cultivate a deeper relationship with Jesus as well as deepen community as a group. Another focus of Spring Retreat is teaching

celebrate our graduates in a meaningful service and lunch of appreciation.

students new spiritual disciplines and giving them time to practice them during the weekend.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Hold 1 Parenting Hacks: Youth and Kids Edition in Fall 2017 on the topic of mental health in students • Hold 1 Parenting Hacks: Youth Edition in Spring 2018 on a topic pertaining to the spiritual needs of students • Hold 100% of our meetings in an environment conducive to conversation • Receive 80% positive feedback on Parenting

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Involve at least 60% of our upperclassmen in Graduate

• Have at least 40% of students involved in our

• Hold 100% of our Graduate meetings in an environment conducive to conversation • Receive 80% positive reviews through an

Hacks through surveys sent the week

end-of-year survey about the content and

following the event

environment of Graduate

• Have 40% of our church families represented at each Parenting Hacks

• Connect 100% of our graduating seniors to churches and ministries in the communities they find themselves in after graduation within their first semester of college • See 100% of seniors involved in our senior recognition and celebratory lunch at the end of the year

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MEASURABLE GOALS:

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Youth Ministry participate in Spring Retreat • Create an engaging curriculum booklet that equips students during the retreat based on the theme of the week • Teach at least 1 new spiritual discipline during Spring Retreat • Follow up with 100% of new students within 1 week of the event

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“WE BELIEVE THAT THIS NEXT YEAR OF MINISTRY WILL BE A

SEASON OF GROWTH

FOR

US AS WE CONTINUE ON THE PATH THAT GOD HAS PLACED IN FRONT OF US.”

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2017-2018

CALENDAR AUGUST 2017

OCTOBE R 2017

8/13 – Kindergarten Round-Up

10/1 – First Step (Downtown Campus)

8/13 – 7th Grade Parent Meeting

10/6-10/7 – College Freshman Retreat

8/17 – College Move-In

10/8 – First Step (Sunwest Campus)

8/19 – Integrate Kick-Off

10/8 – Investigate JUNIOR (Downtown Campus)

8/19 – College Church Fair

10/11 – Investigate JUNIOR (Sunwest Campus)

8/20 – Welcome Back Sunday

10/13 – Integrate Hangout

8/20 – Mountaintop Kick-Off

10/13-10/14 – Destination: Waco

8/20 – Navigate Small Group Launch Party (Sunwest Campus)

10/15 – Investigate JUNIOR (Downtown Campus)

8/26 – Navigate Small Group Launch Party (Downtown Campus)

10/18 – Investigate JUNIOR (Sunwest Campus)

8/27 – Parenting Hacks

10/22 – Baby Dedication

8/28 – Connections (Sunwest Campus)

10/29 – Baptism Sunday

8/28 – Life Group Connect

NOVE MBE R 2017 SEPTE MBER 2017

11/4 – Late Night: Bonfire

9/6 – Life Group Childcare Starts Back

11/6 – Connections (Downtown Campus)

9/7 – College Life Group Kick-Off

11/6 – Life Group Connect (Downtown Campus)

9/10 – Start Here (Sunwest Campus)

11/7 – College Night of Worship

9/12 – Reclaim Infertility Kick-Off

11/12 – Orphan Sunday

9/13 – Reclaim Relaunch

11/19 – Haiti Interest Meeting

9/14 – Square One Launch

11/29 –Life Group Childcare Ends

9/16 – Late Night: Dodgeball Tournament 9/18 – Worship Team Auditions 9/24-9/30 – “Seek Week” (College Ministry) DECE MBE R 2017 12/2 – Mission Waco Toy Store 12/3 – Mountaintop Christmas Party (Last MT of Semester) 12/3 – Navigate/Integrate Christmas Party 12/5-12/6 – Study Days 12/10 – Lessons and Carols 12/13 – Service of Hope

JANUARY 2018

MAY 2018

1/7 – College Night of Worship

5/5 – Operation Wet Chicken

1/7 – Navigate/Integrate Resume

5/6 – Serve Day

1/7 – Mountaintop Resumes

5/20 – Youth Senior Recognition Sunday

1/10 – Parenting Hacks

5/20 – Navigate Family Fun Night

1/14 – College Missions Meeting

5/30 – College Summer Life Group Begins

1/31 – Imagine Banquet

JUNE 2018 FE BRUARY 2018

6/4-6/8 – Pine Cove Camp in the City

2/2-2/3 – Youth Lock-In

6/18-6/22 – Youth vs. Wild (tentative)

2/4 – Start Here 2/4 – College Missions Meeting 2/5 – Connections (Sunwest Campus) 2/5 – Life Group Connect 2/14 – Ash Wednesday Service 2/18 – College Missions Meeting

JULY 2018 7/22-7/28 – Destination: Chicago (tentative)

2/18 – Investigate JUNIOR (Downtown Campus) 2/21 – Investigate JUNIOR (Sunwest Campus) 2/25 – Investigate JUNIOR (Downtown Campus) 2/28 – Investigate JUNIOR (Sunwest Campus)

AUGUST 2018 8/12 – Prayer and Worship Service 8/19 – Welcome Back Sunday

MARCH 2018 3/2-3/4 – Youth Spring Retreat 3/3-3/11 – Living Water Drill Team Trip 3/18 – Integrate Hangout 3/22 – Square One Launch 3/25 – First Step (Sunwest Campus) 3/30 – Good Friday Service FIND MORE EVE NTS ONLINE For up-to-date information and links to register,

APRIL 2018 4/1 – Easter Sunday 4/2 – Connections (Downtown Campus) 4/2 – Life Group Connect 4/6-4/7 – College Spring Retreat 4/8 – First Step (Downtown Campus) 4/22 – Baby Dedication 4/30-5/1 – College Study Days

visit our website at www.harriscreek.org/events.

COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001 MOUNTAINTOP 7TH-12TH GRADE

Mountaintop is our Sunday night weekly youth worship service designed around an engaging atmosphere, a compelling time of worship and teaching, and a place for in-depth discussion in Youth Life Groups.

Throughout the Bible, the mountaintop was the place where people met with and heard from God; we want students to experience that same presence of God at Mountaintop each week. We hope that through this inviting weekly worship experience, students will learn theologically and practically about how best to seek the welfare in the places they find themselves.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Have at least 70% of students involved in our Youth Ministry attend Mountaintop weekly • See 20% of students serving at Mountaintop in leadership capacities • Incorporate at least 2 students in weekly upfront service roles at Mountaintop • Develop a student-led hospitality team that connects with new students and invites students back by the following Thursday • Hold 1 brainstorming session for Mountaintop each month in order to continually push ourselves to be creative in how we engage students

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WHAT IS A MINISTRY EXPE RIME NT?

Every successful organization should experiment. It is through experimenting that organizations learn how to improve. During the upcoming ministry year, each ministry area will attempt something new that can be considered a departure from its normal approach. These “research & development� efforts may result in success or failure. Either way, we get to learn through the process.

MINISTRY EXPERIMENT TIE RE D -EXPOSURE EXPE RIE NCES While serving regularly inside and outside our church is an important factor in helping students own their faith, we also want our students to be exposed to the global church in order to better prepare them for life after high school. Before our students leave Youth Ministry, the hope is that they would complete three tiers of exposure: a Waco weekend, opening their eyes to needs inside their own city; a week in Chicago, listening, learning, and serving those impacted by generational poverty; and a 10-day trip to the UK, experiencing what faith looks like in a post-Christian context. The goal is that through these exposure trips, students would expand their understanding of how God works in the world and see firsthand what a dynamic relationship with Jesus can look like, no matter the faith culture.

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EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

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YOUTH SERVE

COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

DESTINATION TRIPS

7TH-12TH GRADE

7TH-12TH GRADE

7TH-12TH GRADE

We believe that serving the community together is important, so we are implementing a routine of service opportunities for our students. First, by exposing students to community partners around Waco through group-wide service, we hope that individual students will connect with a mission organization to serve with on a regular basis. Second, by serving as a Life Group, our hope is that each service opportunity will be a catalyst for deeper connection as a group. Finally, and most importantly, we want to see our students regularly seeking the welfare of the city around them because it is imperative to students owning their faith.

Each semester, we will serve both as a large group and as individual Life Groups, and in the summer we will serve weekly as a group.

Our Youth Ministry has sponsored two kids, Meron Ayalkibet and Feysel Morad, through Compassion International since Spring 2014. Our youth correspond with Meron and Feysel throughout the year by way of our Compassion table in the Student Center. Our youth also financially support Meron and Feysel each month, contributing to their monthly sponsorship.

Along with regularly serving Waco, we desire to see students interacting and learning together on a global level. This exposure would be tiered, depending upon the student’s age and maturity. Tier 1: Destination: Waco, is for middle school students, and the goal of the weekend is to expose them to community partners in Waco. Tier 2: Destination: Chicago, a trip to Sunshine Gospel Ministries, is for underclassmen in high school. The goal for the weeklong trip is to expose students to the larger system of social injustices and have them learn from those in Chicago seeking the welfare of their city. Tier 3: Destination: UK, a trip with Harris Creek’s own Training Institute: United Kingdom, is for our upperclassmen in high school.

The goal for the 10-day trip is to expose students to how Christians live out their faith in a post-Christian culture.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Correspond with Meron and Feysel by sending 1 letter (written by students) 2 times a semester • Have Meron and Feysel’s sponsorship funded 100% by students each month • Host 1 Compassion night at Mountaintop in order to promote youth engagement with Feysel and Meron in Spring 2018

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Plan 1 Life Group Service Night per semester

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Have 100% of middle school students

• Hold 1 Youth-Wide Serve Day a year

complete a Destination: Waco before they

• Provide weekly service opportunities

move on to high school

for students to serve as a youth group

• Have 30% of high school students serve as

throughout the summer

leaders alongside other volunteers for the

• See 100% of Life Groups engage in service

Destination: Waco for middle school students

opportunities at least 2 times a year

• See 70% of high school students attend

• Have 40% of students attend the Serve

Destination: Chicago at some point in their

Day and learn from the community partner

high school career

served that day

• Have 4 parents go on the Destination: Chicago and Destination: UK trips as chaperones • See 50% of high school students attend the UK trip before graduation • Host Destination: Waco in Fall 2017 • Go to Destination: Chicago in July 2018 • Go to Destination: UK in July 2019

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+ “...WE WANT TO SEE OUR STUDENTS REGULARLY SEEKING THE WELFARE OF THE CITY AROUND THEM BECAUSE IT IS IMPERATIVE TO STUDENTS

OWNING

THEIR FAITH.”

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“OUR HOPE FOR THIS NEXT YEAR OF YOUTH MINISTRY AT HARRIS CREEK IS FOCUSED ON

GROWTH, HEALTH, AND DEPTH.”

OUR HOPE Our hope for this next year of Youth Ministry at Harris Creek is focused on growth, health, and depth. We want to see our ministry grow in the number of students finding a home within our Youth Ministry, particularly with those who are unchurched. Second, we want to see an increase in the health of our Life Groups because we believe that healthy groups have unlimited potential to change students’ lives. Third, we want to see greater depth developed during the coming year. The depth we are looking for is a depth of relationships between students, depth in mentoring relationships with leaders, depth in students’ understanding of the global church, and depth in the overall discipleship and faith of our students. Over the past couple of years, we have worked hard to cast vision, implement productive systems, and put healthy structures in place to allow for this growth and depth to take place. We are expectant of what God will do within this Youth Ministry over the coming year because we believe our ministry is primed for the next season of growth. We believe that He who began this good work in us will see it through to completion for the good of His students in the city of Waco and equip them for their years beyond when they head out into the world.

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MINISTRY PLAN 2017-2018 COLLEGE MINISTRY PLAN

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COLLEGE MINISTRY PLAN

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The College Ministry of Harris Creek exists to help college students actively engage with the local church.

COLLEGE MINISTRY WHY WE EXIST Throughout America today, many churches are just trying to hang on to their college students. This age group is slipping through the cracks and is largely disconnected from the local church. At Harris Creek, our goal is to buck the trend.

We don’t simply want our college students coming to church on a rare occasion; we want them as involved and engaged as possible.

some capacity. Over the past five years, our students have answered this call in a resounding fashion. Anywhere from 50-60% of our total volunteers, and 90% of our Kids Ministry volunteers, are college students. These numbers are both staggering and impressive. Rather than falling away from church, we have hundreds of students leaning in and pushing forward in the mission and vision of our church.

We believe an involvement with the local church is crucial for young adults during the college years. The number one reason is because the Church connects college students to Jesus. We also believe that these years are vital to forming a lifetime of church commitment. At Harris Creek, we want more for our college students than Sunday morning church attendance.

It is our belief that every single person attending corporate worship should be involved in a Life Group. This allows each person to dig deeper into life with God, and to do so with others. Community is essential to growth, and our Life Groups are the best way for community to develop.

While we have high expectations for our students, we also demand a lot from ourselves. We consider it an honor to have these college students in our congregation, even if it’s only for a few short years. We believe the time that students spend in college can be some of the most transformative years of their lives, for better or worse. This means we have to create opportunities for them to grow in their love for Jesus and be relentless when it comes to encouraging them to live it out.

Our desire is to join with God during this time in developing them into the people He has called them to be. Then as they graduate, we are encouraged that they are prepared to go enlarge the Kingdom of God, wherever that may be.

We also hope that as many college students as possible would serve in

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“WE DON’T SIMPLY WANT OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS COMING TO CHURCH ON A

RARE OCCASION;

WHERE WE ’ VE BEEN This last year was an exciting time for our College Ministry. Given that we have a large amount of college students attending Harris Creek, it means we have the opportunity to develop many of them into Life Group Leaders. Of the 45 Life Group Leaders on our team, we were able to bring 29 on as new leaders. These new leaders in turn helped create 13 new Life Groups and connect 248 new students to Life Groups. It was such a joy to watch this group of students grow as leaders and disciples of Christ. We also experienced improved commitment from our leaders. Because our leaders are such an integral part of our ministry, we made a concerted effort to celebrate their work over the past year. At the end of the fall semester, we threw a Life Group Leader appreciation dinner. This event was attended by many of our leaders and helped create community within this group of students.

The biggest change over the past year in our College Ministry came with the addition of a ministry called Advance. We had not previously held an event for our entire ministry to come together on a consistent basis. Since we are a large church with multiple campuses, it can be difficult for all of our students to connect with one another. With this in mind, we created a monthly event to help our students gather together more frequently. While student response to Advance was mostly positive, there was not as much consistency as we would have hoped, and we feel that it took away some of the momentum from previous years when we would gather once a semester.

College students tend to travel in packs, which means they attend a church where they feel most connected. This is why we want to set the bar when it comes to welcoming visitors into our community. Last year, we created a Connect Team composed of student leaders who were tasked with getting to know each of our visitors. Connect Team members were responsible for reaching out to new students by grabbing coffee with them in order to welcome them and answer any questions they might have about Harris Creek. This team helped create a system that engaged visitors faster than ever before.

Each year, our biggest event of the school year has been our Spring Retreat. We saw a 32% increase in attendance from last year’s retreat to this year, with a large number of attendees being underclassmen. We were also able to include more students than ever in the planning and execution of the event, which is a pattern we hope to continue in the future. This retreat gave us a momentum boost as the school year came to a close.

One area in our College Ministry that was in clear need of improved direction was on the missions front. While many of our students are serving in a variety of different ways, last year proved that we needed a better system to engage our entire College Ministry in serving.

Towards the end of last year, we got involved with Shepherd’s Heart, a food pantry in Waco, and we are looking forward to increased involvement with them this year as well as solidifying other mission partnerships.

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...WE WANT THEM AS INVOLVED AND ENGAGED AS POSSIBLE.”

HOW WE CAN G ROW After evaluating the last year in ministry, we are excited about what we have planned for the future. First, there are a number of ways we need to continue supporting our Life Groups and Life Group Leaders, as they are the lifeblood of our College Ministry. Second, we believe there are ways to build upon the momentum created last year through Advance in order to see more students connect with their peers throughout the year outside of monthly worship gatherings. Finally, we want to go deeper with our core group of students across the board, whether it’s through missional opportunities or mentoring partnerships. We believe that this will be a tremendous year of growth as we employ some of these new systems and ideas: • Simplifying the process of placing our students in Life Groups prior to our Life Group Kick-Off • Holding training meetings every other month for our Life Group Leaders to better equip them to guide their students • Utilizing our bi-monthly training meetings to better assess the health of our Life Groups • Modifying our Life Group Leader Training so that it can take place throughout the year, rather than in just one meeting • Creating a mentoring program with clear guidance for its implementation • Taking a group of students on an exposure trip during Spring Break with our mission partner, Living Water International • Involving more of our Life Groups with our mission partner, Shepherd’s Heart • Solidifying more mission partners for our Life Groups and individual college students to serve alongside

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COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

003

LIFE GROUPS

FRESHMAN RETREAT

SPRING RETREAT

We believe there is no substitute for living “life on life” when it comes to following Christ. As we seek the welfare of the city, Life Groups are where we provide the opportunity for our church to live in biblical community. As an extension of Harris Creek as a whole, a Life Group in the College Ministry is a small group (8-14 people) meeting at least 36 times a year to discuss life application of Scripture so that each group member is equipped to live on mission.

We want to help connect freshmen to each other, their Life Groups, and our staff early on in their first year in our ministry.

The retreat is laid back and relaxed, with a very loose structure. The intent of the retreat is to build community among our freshmen, Life Group leaders, and staff, as well as to provide an overview of who we are as a church.

The Spring Retreat is the most important event we have throughout the school year. It is a weekend to get away from campus, spend time connecting with other students, and digging into Scripture together. Each year, we take a different topic (e.g., spiritual disciplines) or book of the Bible and work through it together.

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Increase attendance by at least 20% from the

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Follow up with 100% of attendees and connect them with a Life Group

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Engage 60% of our college student attendees in Life Groups at Harris Creek • Require 100% of our returning Life Groups to provide a roster of their group before our Life Group Kick-Off

• Bring at least 7 Life Group Leaders with us to the retreat

• Involve a minimum of 8 students in the planning and promotion of the retreat • Meet with 5 students after the retreat to

• Meet with 10% of freshman attendees after the trip to receive feedback • Record at least 1 story of transformation to be shared on our social media platforms

• Host at least 1 Life Group Connect mixer each semester to help connect interested students to Life Group Leaders and to launch new groups • Have 100% of new and returning Life Group Leaders fill out a leader application (along with a Ministry Application) and agree to our expectations • Maintain an 85% retention rate of new Life Groups after a year of meeting (graduation attrition notwithstanding)

2017-2017 MINISTRY PLAN

previous school year

048

receive feedback • Record at least 1 story of transformation to be shared on our social media platforms

004

+

CONNECTION TEAM We believe that it is vital for each of our visitors to feel welcomed and wanted at Harris Creek. Our Connection Team serves to help Harris Creek become the most welcoming church we can possibly be. Each time a student fills out a Connect Card, they are contacted by a College Ministry staff member and then sent a text by a fellow student. Our students will then meet up with them for coffee to get to know them and answer any questions they might have.

“WE BELIEVE THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR LIVING

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Have at least 8 students on our Connection

“LIFE ON LIFE”

Team throughout the school year • Send a personal text to 100% of our visitors

WHEN IT COMES

• Follow up weekly with each of our Connection Team members to see if there needs to be further action taken with any visitors

TO FOLLOWING CHRIST.”

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COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

003

INTERN PROGRAM

LIFE GROUP LEADER TRAINING

MENTORSHIP

The Intern Program is designed to develop and equip individuals for vocational ministry. Each intern has a weekly meeting with his/her assigned staff member, quantifiable goals and objectives for the duration of the internship, and hands-on experience in their desired concentration.

Our Life Group Leaders are our most vital volunteers in the College Ministry.

Every week, they give of their time to help connect students with each other and grow in their love for Jesus. Since they play such an important role in our ministry, we want to equip them as much as possible.

This bi-monthly gathering will create a

Harris Creek is in a unique position due to our large population of college students.

Since our students tend to be here for a limited period of time, it can be difficult for them to get connected with established individuals and families in the church. We want to use these mentoring relationships as a way to pair our students up with an

MEASURABLE GOALS:

space for us to better equip our leaders and give them time to connect with each other.

upperclassman, young professional, family, or empty nester at Harris Creek who are willing to serve as a guide to our students through college.

• Create a feedback tool by the end of the fall semester to assess the Intern Program on a per-semester basis • Collect at least 1 story each semester from our students about how the intern

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Collect success stories from Life Groups and

experience helped them grow as a leader to

have at least 1 leader share at each training

use in future Intern Program promotion

session

• See at least 50% of our Track 1 interns continue to Track 2 • Meet with our interns bi-weekly throughout the semester

• Connect at least 15 of our students with a mentor

• Create an assessment piece by the first training session to grade the health and stability of each group • Have 60% of our Life Group Leaders in attendance at each training session

2017-2017 MINISTRY PLAN

MEASURABLE GOALS:

050

• Partner with at least 3 Adult Life Groups • Record at least 1 story of a transformative relationship each semester to be shared on our social media platforms

+ “...

WE WANT TO GO

DEEPER WITH OUR CORE GROUP OF STUDENTS ACROSS THE BOARD, WHETHER IT’S THROUGH MISSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES OR MENTORING PARTNERSHIPS.”

COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001 CORPORATE WORSHIP Our main avenue of worship for college students is the corporate services every Sunday. Our desire is for our college students to be active in corporate worship as much as they possibly can. We also want to make them aware of additional opportunities for them to convene together and worship as a group. This can happen through unique opportunities such as College Nights of Worship or through local ministry partners such as Vertical Ministries.

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Communicate the expectation that 80% of our College Life Groups should be present at College Nights of Worship with 100% of their respective leaders • Create a team within the first month of the school year to work with Vertical’s Next Steps ministry to connect students to Harris Creek • Provide a College Night of Worship near Baylor’s campus once per semester

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WHAT IS A MINISTRY EXPE RIME NT?

Every successful organization should experiment. It is through experimenting that organizations learn how to improve. During the upcoming ministry year, each ministry area will attempt something new that can be considered a departure from its normal approach. These “research & development” efforts may result in success or failure. Either way, we get to learn through the process.

MINISTRY EXPERIMENT LIVING WATE R EXPOSURE TRIPS With our mission statement in mind, we want to do the most we can to empower our college students to take an active part in this mission. In addition to our local efforts with Shepherd’s Heart, we will be taking an Exposure Trip over Baylor’s spring break with our missions partner, Living Water International. Our hope is that through this trip, our students will grow in their desire to serve and be more inclined to seek the welfare of Waco. In addition, this potentially annual effort will help establish a more pronounced mission-focused culture for our students. We want to be a church that is on the move as we participate in God’s restorative work here on earth. The ultimate goal is that through this trip, a culture of service will permeate our entire ministry.

COMMUNIT Y

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WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

003

SHEPHERD’S HEART

LIVING WATER EXPOSURE TRIP

INTERNAL SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Shepherd’s Heart is a food pantry that exists to feed, clothe, empower, and advocate for families in need in Waco. We live in a community where nearly one in four children do not know where their next meal is coming from. Shepherd’s Heart seeks to address this need by providing food to people in our community who otherwise cannot afford it. Our College Ministry partners with Shepherd’s Heart by regularly staffing their donation center and food pantry so that our city can be fed for the sake of Christ.

Harris Creek has partnered with Living Water International for several years, but this year we are excited to join them on an exposure trip. Our students will have the opportunity to go to Haiti to participate in God’s restorative work in the world.

Among other things, we will be drilling a well and leading Bible studies throughout the week. This trip will help foster a culture of service within the College Ministry and expose our students to the daily lives of those who live in extreme poverty around the globe.

MEASURABLE GOALS:

MEASURABLE GOALS:

One of the best things about our college students at Harris Creek is their willingness to serve throughout the rest of the church.

Over half of the volunteers in the Kids and Youth Ministries at Harris Creek are college students. It is our desire at Harris Creek to have our college-age young adults actively engaged and serving in the church. Whether it is helping with the Kids Ministry on Sunday mornings, serving in the Youth Ministry on Sunday nights, or being a greeter at one of our campuses, we have service opportunities for people of every skill set. We want to continue to funnel our students to other ministry areas where their gifts and abilities will be best utilized.

• Organize 4 separate days of service for our College Ministry in Fall 2017 • Engage 100% of our Life Groups in service opportunities at Shepherd’s Heart at least 1 time per school year • Provide our first “Seek Week” for 100% of our Life Groups to serve for 7 consecutive days

• Hold 4 training sessions prior to the trip to prepare our students • Take at least 6 students with us on this trip • Give 100% of our students a leadership role within some aspect of this trip • Record at least 1 story of transformation to be shared on our social media platforms

MEASURABLE GOALS:

• Have 100% of college-age young adults serving at Harris Creek fill out a Ministry Application online • Provide at least 1 gathering per semester for students looking to get more involved with Harris Creek to present each ministry area and the opportunities to serve • Connect 100% of college students looking to serve with a corresponding ministry area within 1 week of contact • Promote the ministry areas at each Harris Creek campus that express the greatest current need for volunteers through College Ministry events and communication outlets at least 3 times a semester

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004

+

COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL Our College Ministry has sponsored one child through Compassion International since Spring 2011. Our students correspond with Yonas Girma throughout the year by way of letters. We began working in the spring of 2015 to find ways to increase our involvement with Compassion through Life Groups, and we want that involvement to increase even more during the next school year.

“ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS

MEASURABLE GOALS:

AT HARRIS CREEK

• Have at least 1 Life Group per month write a letter to Yonas • Collect 100% of Yonas’s sponsorship through

IS THEIR WILL-

our Life Groups and other ministry events • Inform 100% of our Life Group Leaders that we are involved with Compassion

INGNESS TO SERVE

International

THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE CHURCH.”

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OUR HOPE The desire of the College Ministry is to raise up a generation of disciples who make disciples. Wherever our students end up after graduation, we want them to be empowered by the gospel to seek the welfare of their city. While they are here, we are dedicated to get them attending church regularly, serving passionately, and engaging in Life Group weekly. Through this ministry, Baylor, MCC, TSTC, the city of Waco, and the world will be impacted. Our ultimate hope is that the footprint of the College Ministry’s influence would make a tremendous impact for the Kingdom of God. Watching our college students enter into Harris Creek as wide-eyed freshmen and leave as confident graduates is one of our biggest joys. These students are in the midst of four of the most transformative years of their lives, and it is an honor that we get to play a part in their stories. Here at Harris Creek, we do not take our role lightly.

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+ “THE DESIRE OF THE COLLEGE MINISTRY IS TO RAISE UP A GENERATION OF

DISCIPLES

WHO MAKE DISCIPLES.”

MINISTRY PLAN 2017-2018 ADULT MINISTRY PLAN

09

058

ADULT MINISTRY PLAN

+

The Adult Ministry of Harris Creek exists to help adults grow to maturity in their relationship with Jesus.

ADULT MINISTRY relationship with Christ is the mandate to pass the faith on to the next generation.

Finally, we believe adults who are following Jesus will serve the world around them in sacrificial ways.

WHY WE EXIST We live in a world that is rapidly changing.

Harris Creek recognizes that the Church must also adapt in order to reach people where they are and help them continue to grow as followers of Jesus. What worked in the past might not work today, and what works for some might not work for all. Culture changes, people change, and our relationships with God should be progressing through the ups and downs of life.

Harris Creek desires to be faithful to Christ’s delegated mission by communicating the pathway of discipleship clearly and making it more accessible and intentional for adults at various stages of spiritual development.

Discipleship does not often follow a linear pattern, but order and structure can help guide our faith into deeper waters with God. We want to meet people where they are while also creating avenues for adults to continue to develop spiritually. This is why our goal with adults is to offer meaningful opportunities for Community, Equipping, Worship, and Mission.

Whether the discipleship process begins early or late in life, adults in our culture far too often stop in their faith development somewhere along the way. Our desire is to help adults avoid this plateau and continue growing into full spiritual maturity. Mature discipleship has its rewards, both on this side of heaven and for all eternity, but the blessing and favor of God cannot be taken for granted.

WHERE WE’VE BEEN Over the last twelve months, we’ve been in a season of creation and innovation.

In this short period of time, we’ve started new ministries, launched a new approach to discipleship and spiritual formation, and hired new key staff members. We did this while continuing on the journey God has called us to through our expansion initiative

In order for an adult to grow to maturity in relationship with Christ, we believe an adult should first be connected to other believers in biblical community (which includes regularly practicing disciplines such as prayer, Scripture study, fellowship, service, etc.). Second, we believe part of a growing

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called “Our Turn.” God has called us into these lofty endeavors (Elements, Our Turn) with a long-term vision that requires consistency and determination. While we naturally tend to want to move on to the next program, ministry, or idea, we feel a call to stay the course until we see these goals become a reality.

In Fall 2016, we launched our new approach to discipleship and spiritual formation called “Elements.” Elements is a comprehensive, twoyear process meant to grow us as apprentices of Christ and into maturity as believers. This was accompanied by an innovative app our staff helped develop from the ground up. Elements was also created to serve as a mechanism to help us launch new Life Groups in the future.

During Unit 1 in Fall 2016, we laid a solid foundation for growth, answering fundamental questions about our faith and clearly defining what discipleship should look like. During Unit 2 in Spring 2017, we continued this journey by discovering who we truly are in Christ, as well as probing the deeper places in our lives that needed to be transformed by Christ. While this journey of self-awareness was difficult at times, we saw a positive response from our church body and a commitment to this challenging introspection. As of the end of Unit 2, we had surpassed over 1650 downloads of the mobile app!

As our church has grown in influence, we have seen the need for a recovery ministry in our spheres of influence. In Fall 2016, we developed and trained a committed team of volunteers, and in Spring 2017, we launched Reclaim: A Ministry of Celebrate Recovery. Reclaim kicked off with five different share groups and continues to gain momentum as we allow people space to confidentially share hang-ups, hurts, or habits in order to grow in Christ. From inception to launch, this was one of our greatest and most important achievements during the past ministry year.

For the past few years, we had been searching for people to fill a few vital positions on our team. Last summer, we were finally able to hire a full-time Community Pastor and Missions Director to fill in the gaps on our staff. With our team complete, we have been able to move at a faster pace and create long-term strategies for both of these ministry areas going forward. We believe that the work put in over the past year by these two staff members will begin to pay even larger dividends over the course of the next ministry year.

In its sixth year of existence, our Downtown Campus continues to evolve and grow every year. What began as a small group of people meeting at The Palladium on Sunday nights has grown into two services of young adults, families, and empty nesters worshipping alongside each other every Sunday at the Hippodrome. This past year, we improved on our approach to pastoral care and volunteer management as we anticipate further growth. While we have a solid and committed core group at our Downtown Campus, we have been missing a stronger intergenerational connection. It is important moving forward that we find ways for all who call the Downtown Campus home to connect with each other on a deeper level as we seek the welfare of the city together.

HOW WE CAN GROW With our staff team fully assembled and a clear path set before us, we believe the next year will be crucial in setting our church up for sustained success. First, we see the need to improve on the systems and processes that we already have in place. Second, we need to develop and mature our existing structures in order to be ready for the anticipated growth around the corner. Finally, we need to stay the course that God has called us to and see our plans to completion over the next ministry year. In order to do this, we must improve our strategy in the following ways: • Increasing engagement with Elements across our entire congregation • Incorporating more of our mature believers within the congregation in the training and equipping process • Expanding our TI: UK by adding more mission partners and exposing more Harris Creek members to the program • Creating more service opportunities in which our entire congregation can participate • Reinforcing the online service portal to encourage regular service through social media platforms and inspiring videos • Implementing and building out our Life Group coaching system designed to help launch new groups and reinforce our discipleship material for anyone new to Harris Creek • Growing our Reclaim ministry by sharing stories of transformation with the rest of our congregation and our community at large • Providing specific times of corporate worship for the entire church body and both campuses to gather together • Providing opportunities for our congregation to interact with each other in a meaningful way outside of Life Group

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+ “GOD HAS CALLED US INTO THESE LOFTY ENDEAVORS...

WITH A LONG-TERM VISION THAT REQUIRES

CONSISTENCY AND

DETERMINATION.”

COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

003

LIFE GROUPS

SQUARE ONE

CAMPUS COMMUNITY DAYS

We believe there is no substitute for living “life on life” when it comes to following Christ. As we seek the welfare of the city, Life Groups are where we provide the opportunity for our church to live in biblical community. As an extension of Harris Creek as a whole, a Life Group in the Adult Ministry is a small group (8-14 people) meeting at least 30 times a year to discuss life application of Scripture so that each group member is equipped to live on mission.

Realizing that the emotions stemming from becoming a first-time mother range from excitement to isolation, Square One is designed to connect young mothers and help them start the journey of motherhood well by pointing them to Scripture as the solid foundation for their family. Twice a year, we celebrate new life within our families through baby dedication, and as we have seen incredible growth within our Create program (preschoolers), we want to continue the conversation through a focused effort with first-time mothers.

As the Downtown Campus continues to grow and evolve, it is important to find ways for the entire campus to connect with one another in order to deepen and strengthen the bonds of community.

Once a quarter, we’ll have a campus-wide gathering where individuals, families, and Life Groups can all come together, share a meal with one another, and connect on a deeper level.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Sustain Life Group involvement percentage (annual average worship attendance/number

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Gather on a weekly basis for 8 weeks in Fall 2017 and in Spring 2018 to provide wisdom,

higher

help, and encouragement to first-time

placement within 1 week • Utilize our Life Group Connect events for 85% of people placed • Launch at least 3 new Downtown-specific Life Groups in Fall 2017 • Provide 4 meetings over the next year to support and encourage Life Group Leaders • Introduce 1 smaller, more intimate Life Group Leader Training per semester • Recruit and train at least 10 Life Group Coaches (or couples) over the next ministry

mothers with infants (0-11 months) • Recruit and train 1 additional mentor mom throughout the Fall 2017 session to assist in leading Square One in Spring 2018 • Seek the welfare of the city by working alongside the Missions Director to actively partner with local ministries like Care Net, YoungLives, and Talitha Koum on a quarterly basis • Assimilate relationally-isolated new mothers within our church and the surrounding community to a Life Group(s) by connecting 100% of those interested within 3 weeks

year

2017-2017 MINISTRY PLAN

• Provide 4 campus-wide gatherings per year • Connect 100% of individuals/couples not in a

of people engaged in groups) at 80% or

• Respond to every request for Life Group

MEASURABLE GOALS:

062

Life Group to Life Group Leaders during the event • Promote the next upcoming corporate event at each Campus Community Day

WHAT IS A MINISTRY EXPE RIME NT?

Every successful organization should experiment. It is through experimenting that organizations learn how to improve. During the upcoming ministry year, each ministry area will attempt something new that can be considered a departure from its normal approach. These “research & development� efforts may result in success or failure. Either way, we get to learn through the process.

MINISTRY EXPERIMENT PROPE L Propel is an initiative that seeks to celebrate the God-given passion, purpose, and potential of every woman. For women who are leading at work, leading a small group, or leading their children, Propel will equip them with leadership skills to reach their God-given destiny. Our desire is that Propel will be a place for women from all walks of life and backgrounds to come together to grow in leadership and together seek the welfare of the city! Propel will launch this fall with a six-month series on personal leadership. Propel will meet once a month during the lunch hour at an offsite location (to be determined).

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COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

003

ELEMENTS

RECLAIM

EQUIPPING WORKSHOPS/LABS

Elements is a comprehensive, two-year journey focusing on the different aspects, or “ingredients,” necessary to become a fully formed and mature follower of Christ.

Over the next year, we will complete the Elements journey by focusing on our roles in community and society. Unit 3 will be focused on “God and Me in Community,” and Unit 4 will be focused on “God and Me in Society.”

At one point or another, every person will experience a hurt, hang-up, or habit that has the possibility of hindering their relationship with God and others. The Church should be the safest place in the world to expose the dark corners of our hearts to the light of Christ, and we will continue evaluating the support we offer through short-term small groups alongside the needs of our congregation. Reclaim is a Christ-centered recovery program that offers participants hope, freedom, sobriety, and healing—aspects we feel led to extend to the Waco community.

Recovery share groups meet weekly after a time of worship and Christ-centered teaching related to the 12 steps.

Our desire is to provide opportunities for the adults of Harris Creek to develop and grow in their relationships with Christ. We recognize the need to provide teaching to help people grow in particular areas of life and faith, depending on the season our church is in. In order to do this effectively, we believe discussions in small groups or workshops/labs are the most effective way to equip people for spiritual formation and practical living. Equipping options for our Adult Ministry might include: shortterm Bible studies or book discussions, classes for those in specific stages of life, mentoring, and topic-specific conferences, training sessions, and workshops/labs.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Redevelop the Elements app by Fall 2017 based on the feedback we received over the past year • Produce at least 4 practice guides for every unit of Elements • Offer at least 4 additional resources (e.g., further reading, video training, group exercises) to supplement further growth • Involve at least 20 new voices from within our staff and the congregation in the writing and delivery process over the second full year of initiation • Surpass 2500 downloads of the Elements app in year two of the material • Create a coaching structure of 4-6 coaches that enables future Life Groups to launch by going through the Elements material

MEASURABLE GOALS: MEASURABLE GOALS: • Launch at least 2 additional recovery groups

by Spring 2018

• Offer at least 2 workshops each semester that address issues facing our congregation • Host 2 equipping sessions that will focus on

• Offer 2 10-week infertility-specific groups by

challenges that are unique to our “empty nest” couples (e.g., topics such as parenting

Summer 2018 • Share 3 or more stories of transformation with the entire congregation over the next

adult children and caring for aging parents) • Identify, recruit, and empower 8 leaders (new and current) that can lead equipping labs/

ministry year • Create a way to properly evaluate the effectiveness and fruitfulness of the initial groups by January 2018

workshops in repeatable fashion • Provide 1 mission-focused workshop per semester to educate our members on the needs in our community

2017-2017 MINISTRY PLAN

064

004

+

PARENTING HACKS Parenting Hacks is an event to help equip our Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry parents on topics relating to their children.

This fall, we will combine our Kids and Youth Ministries for one event to discuss mental health issues facing children. We will draw from mental health experts in our community and from within our congregation as we tackle a subject that is far too often overlooked by churches. Our hope is that this event will be a resource not only to our church family, but to the community as well.

“THE CHURCH SHOULD BE THE SAFEST PLACE IN THE WORLD

MEASURABLE GOALS:

TO

EXPOSE THE DARK

• Incorporate at least 5 mental health experts from within our congregation in the planning and execution of the event

CORNERS OF OUR

• Host at least 40 parents from within our church and local area • Provide 1 resource that parents can take with

HEARTS TO THE

them

LIGHT OF CHRIST.”

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COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

CORPORATE WORSHIP

SPECIAL SERVICES

This year, we see a need to help our people worship in different contexts.

Worship in a large, corporate setting like Sunday morning in church is certainly valuable, but we also want to place an emphasis on personal worship as well as worship in smaller contexts of community.

It is often in these times that intimate experiences with the Holy Spirit can take place without distraction. It is our hope that we can provide avenues across every age range and life stage that present worship moments that lead people closer

At Harris Creek, we intentionally include crucial events from the universal Church calendar in our liturgy (common practices in worship). These events have been celebrated throughout the history of the Church and help to create deep, impactful meaning and rhythm in our lives. Even further, we want to be ecumenical at Harris Creek, realizing that our church is part of a larger body of churches that makes up the people of God. We are worshipping alongside other denominations on these specific days, proclaiming the same thing

to Jesus.

in our own particular way and context.

Special services/seasons include: Baptism Sundays, All Saints’ Day, Advent, Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Pentecost Sunday.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Provide worship experiences in larger settings through events like Welcome Back Sunday (Ferrell Center) and Baptism Sunday (Indian Spring Park) • Provide smaller worship experiences through events like Staff Night of Worship and The Living Room: Live Recording • Create a culture of discipleship by fostering deep relationships among our worship volunteers by hosting 1 team night per semester for encouragement and community • Express doctrinal beliefs through corporate reading of Scripture and statements of faith at least 1 Sunday per month • Maintain a healthy rhythm of the ordinance of corporate communion 1 Sunday per month

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Host at least 40% of members at these events • Provide 1 fresh, interactive, or educational experience in each service • Hold at least 3 church-wide gatherings

+ “EVEN FURTHER, WE WANT TO BE ECUMENICAL AT HARRIS CREEK, REALIZING THAT OUR CHURCH IS PART OF A LARGER BODY OF CHURCHES THAT MAKES UP THE

PEOPLE OF GOD.”

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COMMUNIT Y

EQUIPPING

WORSHIP

MISSION

001

002

MISSIONS ENGAGEMENT

TRAINING INSTITUTE: UNITED

Our heart is to see God’s people in Waco engaged in God’s work of restoration. The foundation of our missions approach is to care for the most vulnerable people in our city and around the world. In an effort to live out what Scripture calls us to, we employ a holistic model that highlights three broad categories: prevention, intervention, and restoration. The initiatives we are focusing on include Women, Children, and Families; Foster Care and Adoption; and Poverty and Homelessness. Our hope with this approach is to provide a practical structure for our missions focus and bring clarity for our congregation when it comes to fleshing out what it means to seek the welfare of the city.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Build a Missions Team of 10 volunteers to provide support and insight for our Missions Director • Have 100% of Covenant Members engage in service at least 4 times a year • Host quarterly mission exposure nights in an effort to educate our members on specific issues in our city (e.g., homelessness, human trafficking, foster care) • Increase our missions involvement by 50% utilizing our online service portal • Create 4 videos highlighting ways our members are seeking the welfare of the city • Coordinate 2 corporate external service days that highlight our local mission partners • Evaluate our mission partnerships on an

KINGDOM (TI: UK) Knowing the cultural shifts that are taking place throughout our world, we launched the Training Institute: United Kingdom (TI: UK) in Summer 2016 as a way to identify new ways of sharing the gospel and advancing the Kingdom of God. In addition to sending keen minds to the United Kingdom to learn, listen, and interact with churches operating in a post-Christian world, we fully expect those individuals to return to Waco and help Harris Creek become even more effective at interacting with our country’s own changing cultural landscape.

MEASURABLE GOALS: • Explore new partnerships and improve existing partnerships to foster at least 5 viable options for candidates by Summer 2018 • Host at least 1 of our partners during the week of Imagine Banquet for cross-cultural development • Monitor existing gap year program and further develop a long-term residency program in the UK by maintaining bi-monthly contact with our current gap year resident to better understand how to approach upcoming rotations • Model a Waco-based immersion experience after our initial cohort approach so that we can send 50 locals through the Institute (a Waco track) by Spring 2018 • Facilitate a week-long fall immersion trip for 6 key leaders that will incorporate

annual basis to ensure effective service,

conversations with a least 4 different mission

support, and giving at the end of the ministry

partners in the UK

year • Increase involvement in mentoring programs by 100%

• Partner with 1 local coffee shop for barista training/gap year program by Summer 2018 • Support 1 of our partners as a missionary family

2017-2017 MINISTRY PLAN

068

WHAT IS A MINISTRY EXPE RIME NT?

Every successful organization should experiment. It is through experimenting that organizations learn how to improve. During the upcoming ministry year, each ministry area will attempt something new that can be considered a departure from its normal approach. These “research & development� efforts may result in success or failure. Either way, we get to learn through the process.

MINISTRY EXPERIMENT BUSINESS LEADER ENGAGEMENT Harris Creek is home to an incredible and talented group of men who lead and work in various industries throughout our city. As we seek the welfare of the city of Waco, we are looking to gather the collective voice and skills of these men and find ways for them to uniquely engage with others in their spheres of influence. Additionally, as needs are assessed and pinpointed, we will look to find creative solutions and bring restoration through the minds and talents of this collective group. This effort will begin with a quarterly gathering at a location to be determined.

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“WE AS A CHURCH ARE FIRM IN OUR CALLING OF WHAT GOD HAS ASKED US TO DO, AND WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE LAYING THE FOUNDATION TO ACCOMPLISH

GREAT THINGS IN

THE YEARS TO COME.”

OUR HOPE So much has happened over the course of the past year at Harris Creek. We have realized many of our ministry goals, yet we have also been stretched by unique circumstances and the need to continue on the path set before us. We as a church are firm in our calling of what God has asked us to do, and we believe that we are laying the foundation to accomplish great things in the years to come. With our world growing more polarized than ever, as well as the challenges presented to us in our own city, we know it is our role as a church to take the never-changing gospel to an ever-changing world. Because of our clear call to create new methods of ministry as opposed to reproducing old models, as well as the need to meet the demands of a shifting culture, we must continue to stretch ourselves, reinvent our systems and processes, and look for new ways to seek the welfare of the city here in Waco and around the world. Our goal is to gain new insights about the ways God desires restoration for our own lives while continuing to actively engage in our particular spheres of life to help bring about the gospel to every corner of our city and the world.

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