New Planter Spotlight: Josh Floyd

The Floyd Family

Josh Floyd IS THE THE HEAD PASTOR FOR Grace Community Church in Lakeland, FLORIDA. WE ARE HONORED TO PARTNER WITH HIM AND THE CHURCH COMMUNITY BEGINNING IN 2018.

How have you seen God working in your life?

The biggest way I've seen the Lord working in my life over this past year is in dealing with my idol of performance and looking like I have it all together. I gave a talk on a men's retreat a year ago and it absolutely bombed. It was so bad it actually threw me into the grief cycle. I realized how I was finding my identity in how well I spoke and could deliver a message rather in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross on my behalf. It has been an incredibly humbling yet very blessed journey over the past year drinking deeply more and more from the fountain of grace.

How have you seen God working in your family?

Seeing my wife, Liz, continue to grow in grace has been such a blessing. Being a stay at home mom of four little kids, and keeping the house clean, cooking meals, running kids to school and back, washing and folding all the clothes, hosting launch team meetings and being a supportive church planter wife is a full time, often times thankless and unpaid job! And she does it as unto the Lord! My faith has been increased by watching how she clings to the Lord in everything she does. It has also be great watching my young children grasp the gospel, understand who Jesus is and what he has done for us, and a desire to pray and be in God's word.

How have you seen God working in your church?

We have not launched yet but I have seen God work both in our mother church, Trinity in Lakeland, and in our small launch team that is getting ready to start Grace Community on the north side of Lakeland. People who have been sitting on the sidelines for years in church are wanting to throw in, use their gifts, serve and tithe like never before. People have gone from not knowing the names of their neighbors to befriending them, inviting them to our new church and praying for their salvation. People are coming alive to the biblical implications of living in authentic community like they never have before. People who are de-churched or un-churched are telling us they plan on coming to our church because of the individual and personal invites they are receiving from our launch team. God is so good!

Church Mission

To be a church where people know Jesus through worship and biblical preaching, grow in Jesus through authentic community and personal practices and go with Jesus where he calls us to serve and surrender.

Church Vision

Grace Community Church exists to be a blessing - where we live, work and play - in North Lakeland and beyond all to the glory of God.

We hope to impact our context in North Lakeland by providing a grace-based, gospel-centered PCA church in a city that is predominantly peppered with works-based, legalistic churches that do not preach the gospel (sadly). And North Lakeland does not have a PCA church.

We are trying to reach the lost, those who have been de-churched or un-churched. Success looks like remaining true to the gospel of Jesus Christ as presented in the infallible Scriptures of the OT and NT, befriend and meeting needs of the people in our community who the Lord lays on our hearts and brings to this community of believers, and we prayerfully hope to be self-sustaining in three years. We believe we will be bearing fruit as people are growing in the walk with Christ and more and more people are coming to faith in Jesus, we are growing in numbers and plan on planting a church in 7-10 years. We hope the school in which we are meeting in is blessed by us being there and more and more families come to faith in Jesus through our presence and care to this community. We also pray that our city is blessed by our presence.

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If you would like to reach out to Josh, you can visit the church's website at www.gcclakeland.com.

New Planter Spotlight: Sean Sawyers

The Sawyers Family

Sean Sawyers IS THE THE HEAD PASTOR FOR Boston North Presbyterian Church in Melrose, Massachusetts. WE ARE HONORED TO PARTNER WITH HIM AND THE CHURCH COMMUNITY BEGINNING IN 2018.

How have you seen God working in your life?

While I have known the facts of both the gospel and God's faithfulness for my entire adult life, the journey of church planting has poured those realities into my heart. While I was ministering in established churches, I studied and preached the gospel, and I thought I was anchored in it. However, the journey of planting has truly opened up the beauty of the gospel to my heart. I love Jesus more deeply now, and I hope to grow in that love. In addition, the Lord has shown me his faithfulness so intensely that I am overwhelmed. In my many areas of weakness, and lack of faith, he has shown his strength and his willingness to work through me to build his church.

How have you seen God working in your family?

While we were in ministry in established churches, our family had fallen into treating ministry as a job, specifically “dad's job.” Although Nikki and I were careful never to pressure our kids to appear a certain way because their dad is a pastor, we had fallen into a routine of church attendance rather than passionately pursuing God. Before we moved to the field, we had a few months of not being employed by a church, and it was good simply to be worshippers again and have the freedom to build relationships. My kids now have a new freedom to be themselves in a new city, and my wife gets to define her role instead of it being defined for her. We are now ministering, truly, as a family. It is not always easy, but it is a profound good to be building community relationships together as we watch the Lord build his church.

How have you seen God working in your church?

The Lord has taught me in the process of church planting that he is faithful! While I am to work, perhaps even be poured out, for the expansion of the gospel, it is God who builds his church. I am busy meeting people, building relationships and having the privilege of sharing the gospel, but the Lord has shown me that it is him working. Through lifting up Jesus in the preaching of Word, God draws people to himself. It is such a liberating joy to be reminded that we work but God saves! I am free to befriend everyone I meet, and pursue an ever deepening relationships with them, knowing that in the Lord's time he will make the opportunity to share the gospel clear. In addition, God himself brings in the various gifts and talents the church needs. I am free from worrying about this or that ministry because the Lord has shown that if it is from him then he will supply the people and resources.

Church Mission

Boston North Presbyterian seeks to expand the Kingdom of God into northern metro Boston through building a community of Christians and seekers who will then hold a worship service. In our super-busy, post-Christian context, hospitality-based relationship building is the key to seeing new people come to faith in Jesus. Our neighbors are not looking for a church service or activity, but they are looking for a community. By the Holy Spirit, we build that community in our homes, and then we come together to worship our great redeemer.

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If you would like to reach out to Sean, you can visit the church's website at www.BostonNorthPres.org.

New Planter Spotlight: Russell Jeffares

The Jeffares Family

Russell Jeffares

RUSSELL JEFFARES is the the head pastor for Vintage Grace Church in Orange Park, Florida. We are honored to partner with him and the church community beginning in 2018.

Gospel In Life

Amanda and I both were prodigals who were saved by God's amazing mercy. We both pursued sin and the good news saved us both from disaster; and when we married, I adopted her son Ashton. We now live in radical forgiveness and new position as God's son and daughter. The gospel has been the foundation of our marriage. Our ability to love, forgive, and be transparent has saved our marriage on numerous occasions. Now as church planters, the gospel keeps us from despair in the face of discouragement, able to love others when they do not love in return, and an unflinching hope that our labor in not in vain.

Gospel In Family

We knew that church planting would put heavy pressure on our family. Therefore we decided to be as intentional as possible with our marriage and with our children. In general we decided it was imperative that we both had good, gospel centered coaching. With our marriage we have continued to have regular intentional time together (dates), frequent get-aways (a day or two), and regular marriage counseling (once a month). These measures have kept us gospel-centered, on the same page, and has helped when we've faced difficulties in the plant. With our children, we knew we needed to be just as intentional. Therefore we have made sure that we have intentional, special time with them (outings, trips, kids dates, game nights, movie nights). In addition, we have worked to protect their space. We host a lot, and at first their rooms and belongings were often effected. As a result, we have since made special effort to insure that their space and belongings were protected. In many ways, church planting has helped our marriage and our relationships with our kids. It has forced us to be more intentional and drawn us closer together.

Greatest Impact

We have learned so much in this church planting process. I can only briefly list some here.

1. The vital importance of prayer. Planting has forced us to our knees in reliance upon God.
2. Carefully defining success. We are called to be faithful and intentional. We cannot change hearts.
3. Clinging to the gospel. God's love and approval is paramount to the thoughts, opinions, and expectations of other.
4. Never underestimate resistance to the cross.
5. Listen to your wife. Bottom line, church planting has continually caused Amanda and me both to rest upon God's love, digging into Scripture, and relying upon our support network.

Church Mission

Vintage Grace is about brining the gospel to the OakLeaf community through engaging worship, authentic relationships, and Bible centered teaching. OakLeaf is a growing community with over 50,000 residents and over 170,000 people within a 15 minute drive. It is one of the fastest growing communities and rated one of the top places to live in Florida. There are few churches in this area attempting to reach people with the good news of Jesus; and there are no Reformed churches in this area. A church is needed to expose people to the love of Jesus, engage them in God-honoring worship, connect them in meaningful relationships, and provide support to their families. In five years we hope to have powerful, gospel-centered worship with more than 200 people, missional communities throughout the different enclaves of OakLeaf, and beginning to plant churches north in the westside of Jacksonville.

Church Vision

We desire to plant a healthy, generous, multiplying church in the OakLeaf because of the great need and lack of churches (particularly gospel-centered, Reformed) on the westside of Jacksonville. We hope to not just plant a single congregation but a church that is ready to plant churches and resource church plants. We believe that God is capable of great things, so we are expecting Him to do great things. A good portion of our initial budgets (after self-sufficiency) will be devoted to funding a church planting apprentice who will be preparing to launch another church further north into the westside of Jacksonville.

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If you would like to reach out to Russell, you can visit the church's website at  www.vintagegrace.church.

New Planter Spotlight: Keith Doane

Keith Doane is the the head pastor for Living Branch Church in Fishers, Indiana. We are honored to partner with him and the church community beginning in 2018.

Gospel In Life

There is a verse in John 1:19 where the priests and scribes ask John the Baptist who he is. He does not answer the question by telling them who he is, he answers it by telling them who he is not. He says, ‘I am not the Christ’. This simple statement has repeatedly been a powerful reminder to me. As a church planter and pastor there is a temptation to place ourselves in roles that we cannot possibly fulfill. At times, I sense the pressure and tension of trying to fix the brokenness in the lives of others or in our community, which are tasks that are beyond me. I sense the pressure to grow our church in ways that may fulfill the expectations of others, but may not be the will of God.

‘I am not the Christ’ reminds me that I must first go before God as his child and not as a church planter. It reminds my that my calling is to proclaim and show others who Jesus is. It reminds me that God’s will for the lives of other people will not often match my will for their lives. This simple statement reminds me that my power, knowledge, love, and goodness is so limited and finite, but that Christ is infinite.

Gospel In Family

One of the great joys of church planting has been being able to witness how the whole family has been involved in our efforts. In the early days, our children recruited (without my knowledge) one of their teachers to be a part of our Core Group. They have invited their friends to church and have shown an awareness of what our church is about. It brings me great pleasure to see how people in the community and in the church respond to my wife. They would all rather talk to and spend time with her than me, and I know that one of the best things I can do as a church planter is to simply get out of the way.

On the other hand, church planting can be consuming and can overshadow our life as a family. These past few years have reminded us that we need to be more purposeful to create and protect our boundaries. Our vacations in the summer have become longer because it takes all of us of more time to ‘unplug’, we simply need extended time away from thinking about and being around the church. My wife and I talk about and try to cultivate relationships outside the church that allow us to simply be ourselves.

Greatest Impact

I have been struck over and over again by the reality that Living Branch is not my church. While I have the high calling of being a church planter, it is a privilege to be a part of what God is doing in our community. I remind myself that my dream and vision is that this church will thrive long after I am gone and forgotten.

This has given me valuable perspective in the midst of the inevitable ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of church planting. When those that I long to see join our church don’t show up or walk away, I realize my prayer is for their heart and soul before the Lord and not simply that they would be a part of what we are doing. In the midst of blessings and victories I am reminded that God receives all of the glory and praise.

Church Mission

The mission of Living Branch Church is to glorify God and enjoy him forever as we make disciples of all nations.

Our church is located in a northern suburb of Indianapolis. Our county is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. The population of Noblesville has tripled in the last 25 years and is expected to triple in the next 25 years. We are a young and unchurched community. Despite all of the growth in Noblesville, there has been few churches planted. The public schools are not open to hosting church plants and there is little other public meeting space, which has led most church planting movements to skip over our community.

By God’s grace we hope to see Living Branch established as a healthy Gospel-preaching church in Noblesville, but we also pray that God would use us to raise up the next generation to lead Gospel movements in ours and the surrounding communities.

Church Vision

We have a vision that God would use our church to reach the younger generations and to partner with other ministries that have a similar mission. We realize that we are living in a post-Christian context. The community of Noblesville places and emphasis on traditional Midwest values and wants to pass these ideals on to our children. These values, however, have no foundation in God’s Word and are devoid of meaning and power apart from Christ.

Our vision is to create a church that engages in the community and does not seek to retreat from it. We make no assumptions that our neighbors and friends have an understanding of the Gospel simply by virtue of where they live. We want to be a part of the larger building of God’s kingdom and not simply be engaged in the building of our church or denomination. Our vision is in the next 5, 10, or 25 years is that the young people coming out of our church would be leaders on their college campuses, in our community, or wherever God may send them.

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If you would like to reach out to Keith, you can visit the church's website at  www.livingbranch.net.

New Planter Spotlight: Tom Kubiak

The Kubiak Family

Tom Kubiak is the the head pastor for Imago Dei Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. We are honored to partner with him and the church community beginning in 2018.

Gospel In Life

By GOD'S grace, I was raised in a solid Christian home in the city of Chicago and responded to the gift of repentance from sin and faith in JESUS CHRIST at a Christian camp in Michigan as a middle-schooler. The LORD has used His life-changing Word, my family, the Church and many GOD-loving people to guide my spiritual journey. Two of the most profound, ongoing works of the SPIRIT in my life is taking me from a self-orientation to a Gospel-centered orientation of life (Luke 9:23-25) as well as leading me to greater depths of living by faith and not by sight (Hebrews 11:1,6).

Gospel In Family

Back in the day, it was tempting to assume that if our lives were focused around full-time Gospel ministry that it would naturally lead to effective, meaningful discipleship within our family. After leading two "turnaround" ministries and now leading a second new church start-up, we're more aware than ever before of the need to guard our hearts collectively, set up healthy boundaries and find our identity in CHRIST rather than the ministry or corresponding fruit of it. Thankfully, the LORD remained gracious and our marriage/family life was pretty tight and rooted in the love of GOD; but in the earlier years I should have been more intentional--disciplined--in providing protection for our family. After all these years, GOD has mercifully grown us in these areas (Proverbs 4:23).

Greatest Impact

In the process of this second church plant, the LORD has instilled a more genuine, keen sense of Gospel identity in Him rather than in the ministry itself or the fruit of it (John 15:1-11). Beyond theory, we find ourselves in life experience finding our sustenance from the VINE Himself and not merely the outward effects (whether uplifting or discouraging). It's affected our philosophy of ministry, metrics and source of contentment.

Church Mission

Imago Dei exists "to live out and share the Gospel in making devoted disciples of JESUS who, in turn, make followers of CHRIST." In this extremely neglected, under-served area of the City of Chicago (relative to Gospel-centered churches/planting), we aim to have a more organic, relational and incarnational local parish ministry that makes disciples of CHRIST who will reproduce their faith. Our prayer and aim is for a HOLY SPIRIT ordained spiritual awakening in our community that will provide the impetus for a multiplying church planting movement--up to five (5) new local churches in the next 10-15 years. Concurrently, this disciple-making model will prioritize equipping and empowering local leaders for synergistic Gospel impact throughout the far south side of Chicago.

Church Vision

Imago Dei's stated vision is to "see people transformed by the reconciling grace and power of the Gospel, find their identity in CHRIST, live in the SPIRIT as agents of peace and be equipped to make disciples for GOD’S glory." Our five core values: Gospel-centered, reliant prayer, authentic worship, missional movement and reconciled community. Due to the Gospel of grace as well as the demographics of our target neighborhoods, we are intentionally integrated ethnically, socio-economically and generationally. Praise GOD our new start-up already reflects this type of reconciled community! According to Scripture, "success" as we understand it is evident in life-change or transformation: in salvation and sanctification. So our metrics factor in spiritual conversations, conversions, baptisms, Gospel Community (small group) engagement, spiritual gift implementation, leadership development, loving neighborhood engagement, evidence of the fruit of the SPIRIT, reproduction and Kingdom of Heaven qualities (joy, peace and righteousness - Romans 14:17) seen in our church and community.

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If you would like to reach out to Tom, you can visit the church's website at  www.imagodeichicago.org/

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