Sarasota Church Plant

On Sunday, July 28th, I announced our plans to relocate to Sarasota, FL before the end of the year to begin work on a new church plant. My hope and vision is to plant a gospel-centered church that will be planting other church-planting churches; to make Jesus known in a way that advances the Kingdom of God through the lives of those living in the Sarasota area.

There's a lot of work to be done and plenty of opportunities to trust the Lord as we all prepare to transition. But I am very excited and full of faith for this task that God is calling us to. In the coming months I plan to post updates of our progress and ways that you can be praying for us.

Below is the announcement I shared with the church.

Sarasota, FL Church Plant Announcement

When our family moved to Corning in 2006, I was not a pastor, but we had a high view of the local church and wanted to do all we could to serve. This love for the church started from the beginning of our Christian walk when we began experiencing true relationship born out of freedom in Christ; people began to invest their lives into ours. This made all the difference in our lives and made us want to invest our lives in the life of the church and all the more as we learned over time that it was for the church that Jesus gave his life.

This lead me, at an early age, to desire and wonder about full time ministry and what God's will might be for me. In His providence He chose to lead me to Corning before calling me to full-time ministry. And He used Allen and Grace Community Church to step out in faith and send me to the Pastors College, to confirm my calling as a pastor and to allow me the great privilege of serving GCC along side of Allen and all of you. I love being a pastor. I love preaching. I love spending time with you—the church. I love it because I love the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But while I have been here serving and learning, the Lord has been stirring something in my heart. Church planting has always been a part of my DNA but it was about 2 1/2 years ago that I began to have a wondering desire if I might be called to plant a church and if so when and where.

So I began praying, talking with my wife, talking with Allen, fasting, asking questions and examining motives. After a lengthy process of seeking God, getting counsel, and examining my heart, I believe that God is calling me and has given me faith to leave our home here in Corning, NY and start a new church in Sarasota, FL.

This has been an unusual process for me because while I have a distinct sense of faith and excitement for this calling, I'm also very aware of the loss that this means for me and my family. I remember the very first Sunday that Siobhan and I visited, never having met Allen or Janice or anyone. I pulled Allen aside at the break, introduced myself and told him that we we're visiting from Florida because we felt that God was calling us to move to Corning and be a part of this church (though we didn't exactly know why). There was a picnic after the service that day and we felt so welcomed by everyone, many of those first conversations have blossomed into friendships because of your care and pursuit of us when we were new.

We have become a part of the tapestry of who you are and that's the biggest part of the sacrifice for us; the tearing that must occur when a piece of the fabric is sent out to start a new tapestry. Without a leading and calling from the Lord this wouldn't make sense, but because the Lord has given faith for this task we trust that He will give us everything we need to prepare, transition, start, and complete the work that He has called us to.

All the details are far from being ironed out but I want to share with you the plans that we do have in place at this time, about our departure, the transition and the new church plant.

We are planning to move mid-to-late December. My goal is to have boots on the ground and starting work the first week of January. The Leadership Team has graciously decided to allow me to begin the work of planning now and then to transition my primary responsibilities from pastoring to preparing for the church plant starting November 1st, through the end of the year. This doesn't mean that I won't be your pastor in November & December; only that they have freed me up to work on the church plant during the last 2 months of the year.

A big part of my preparation right now is pursuing partnership with the Acts 29 Church-Planting Network. Acts 29 is a network of churches that is relationally based whose primary goal is to help churches plant church-planting churches that are gospel-centered, missional, and Spirit led. I am already in the process of applying and being assessed as a church planter with Acts 29.

This week I will be finishing the written portion of the application. In September, Siobhan and I will be attending an Acts 29 Church-Planting Bootcamp which is a 2-day intensive church-planting conference. In October, we'll return to Florida for a 4-hour assessment interview, which is the last part of the process. At that time, (Lord willing) I will become an Acts 29 church-planting candidate.

You might be wondering how we're going to start this church plant. In January, we're going to start a good old fashioned Bible study that will be geared toward unbelievers and we're just going to start inviting people. We're praying for the lost (that they would come, hear, and believe) and for leaders. My goal is to have a "core group" big enough to start a Sunday meeting by September of next year and then to be able to have a public "grand opening" between January and April of 2015.

Financially, until we're able to self support, we're praying and trusting God for support from Acts 29 churches, other churches that we're in relationship with, and anyone who wants to invest in this new work. If we fall short on support we will have the equity from the sale of our house to supplement (please pray that our house sells) and if necessary I will get a job while things are getting started.

My heart and vision for this church plant is to take the good news of the gospel and a New Testament model of church life to the city of Sarasota and surrounding regions; to build a gospel-centered church where believers demonstrate the gospel by living together in relationship and proclaim the gospel by living missionally in the community. Our mission is multiplication: to see lost souls converted, disciples made, and churches planted...

disciples making disciples & churches planting churches

Planting a church and accomplishing this mission is not going to be easy. It requires risk and stepping into the unknown. It's going to mean sacrifice, difficulty, and at times disappointment. It's going to reveal my weaknesses and test us in ways that we have not yet experienced.

This is an impossible task, one that I know I cannot do, but my faith is not in me. My faith is in the one whose power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:8-10). My faith is in the one who bled and died for the church. My faith is in the one who rose and ascended and is now preparing a place for His church. My faith in Jesus makes me sure of the success of His mission no matter the sacrifice.

I know this is a big announcement; the kind of announcement that you might need time to process. If you have any questions or thoughts we would love to talk to you and hear what's on your heart.

Please pray for us. Pray that the Lord would keep us unified and would protect us from the enemie's attempts to distract and destroy. Pray for me, that I would depend on God and lead with humility. Pray that the Spirit of God would go ahead of us, preparing hearts and clearing a path for us. Pray that the Lord provides all that we need financially and practically. And most of all, pray that we would see lost souls turn to Jesus.