David Nicholas, President of The Church Planting Network went home to be with the Lord January 25th, 2011. He faithfully served Spanish River Church as it’s founding Church Planter and Senior Pastor for 42 years until May of 2009. Spanish River Church hosted a memorial service on January 30th. Church Planters, Family, Friends, and spiritual sons and daughters were in attendance from all over the world.

David Nicholas 1931-2011

It is with a heavy heart that we report that a little after 9:00 p.m. est., January 25th, David Nicholas went home to be with the Lord. It was his 52nd spiritual birthday, in the Lord.

He leaves behind his wife and lifelong partner in the Lord’s work, Eleanor Nicholas, three sons, grandchildren and all those who knew him as their spiritual father.

David will be missed terribly here, but his legacy of preaching the Bad News and Good News Gospel will live on in the countless lives that have been touched by his faithful sharing of his Christian faith. He is now in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. While we are grieved, we are also blessed. He is, of course, in jubilant celebration with the Messiah he loves so dearly.

Memorial Service: The services for David Nicholas will be held at Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, FL @ 2pm, Sunday January 30th. For more information, please call SRC 561-994-5000

Condolences:  The Family has requested that any gifts or donations be made to Spanish River Church marked for “Church Planting”. 2400 Northwest 51st St. Boca Raton, FL 33431

Tributes: If you would like pay tribute to David, offer condolences to the family, or share a story of how David touched your life, please send an email to tribute@churchplantnet.com. If you have written content online in a blog, Facebook status, or tweet, please also forward those to that address. We will compile them and offer them to the family.

The Church Planting Network hosted over 25 Church Planters, Pastors, and Ministry Leaders at TCPN’s first Church Planter Gathering. Spanish River Church, a major partner of TCPN, was gracious enough to allow us to use some of their facilities as well as provide lunch for all those who attended.

Church planting can be a very lonely calling. In response, the Spirit used the event to create unity among TCPN’s planters and provide opportunities for men in the Network to grow already existing relationships, as well as create new ones. It was a significant time in the history of The Church Planting Network as we collaboratively seek new opportunities to unite one another into a brotherhood centered on the Gospel. David Nicholas, President of The Church Planting Network, facilitated the discussion and trainings. Future events will incorporate guest speakers and facilitators to discuss and train men in varying aspects of church plating ministry.

Special thanks to Jon Elswick, Casey Cleveland, and Jeremy McKeen for their contribution to the Church Planter Q&A discussion forum. (as seen in the image above)

To be notified regarding future TCPN events, please email events@churchplantnet.com or see our Eventbrite page for current listings http://churchplantnet.eventbrite.com/

Church Planter Gathering

Jan 24, 2011 9am-1pm

Spanish River Church, Boca Raton, FL

Come join us at  Spanish River Church for our first monthly meeting in South Florida.

From David Nicholas, President:

I am asking you to join with me on January 24, 2011 for a gathering of TCPN church planters, and others who would like to join us. We will meet at Spanish River Church in the youth building and start promptly at 9 AM and be together until about 1 PM. Lunch will be provided.

Please encourage church planters that you think would benefit from joining us to come.

I am looking forward to hearing from our church planters and then working together on how we can better accomplish the mission God has given us.

-David Nicholas

All church planters that affiliate with The Church Planting Network are required to attend a Gospel Boot Camp and to preach the gospel message in their weekly service. Often pastors choose to preach the gospel within the context of their sermon, however Guy demonstrates in the video below another context for preaching the gospel, through a responsive reading.

Trinity Grace Church is generously supported by Spanish River Church through The Church Planting Network.

If you can’t see the link for the video, please click here.

Gospel Communion Liturgy from Trinity Grace Church on Vimeo.

To see the first part of this interview, click here.

The Avenue Church is affiliated with The Church Planting Network and is generously supported by Spanish River Church.

Addictions, Idols, and the God Who Redeems from The Church Planting Network on Vimeo.

Trinity Grace Church, a strategic partner of The Church Planting Network, is one of the most effective groups doing Urban Church Planting in the United States. By God’s grace, Jon Tyson has led Trinity Grace Church to start five churches in New York City, one of the most difficult, hostile, and rewarding environments to plant a church in the United States, and the world.

Saturday Nov 6, 2010, The Church Planting Network will be doing an exclusive video recorded interview with TCPN supported church planters Caleb Clardy, Lead Pastor & Church Planter of Trinity Grace Brooklyn and Guy Wasko, Lead Pastor & Church Planter of Trinity Grace East Village. Both are generously supported through TCPN by Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, FL.

This is your opportunity to ask Caleb and Guy questions relating to Urban Church Planting, building a church planting network utilizing the “Parish” model, building community in New York City and urban areas, social justice, being missional, preaching the Gospel, etc.

We will choose the best questions and they will answer them. We will post their recorded answers on our website in the days that follow.

Don’t miss this opportunity. Please fill out your questions below by Nov 4, 2010.

To watch other TCPN interviews, click here.

T.J. Jones of Monk Development is offering TCPN planters and subscribers a special promotion:

Greetings Church Planters!

Monk Development has extended several of our pre-designs in our portfolio to new and existing church planters of The Church Planting Network for a significantly reduced rate. Our vision has always been to equip the Church with the digital tools she’ll need to share their vision to a watching world. Our pre-designs are the most cost effective way to use the Ekklesia360 platform that is used by over thousands of churches and organizations.

Ekklesia 360 is the creation of a group of pastors/church planters who set‐out to not just to build a great product, but are passionate about excellence. Monk Development, Inc. is committed to providing the best system for churches to manage their website, interact with guests and members, gather new visitors and spread the gospel. We look forward to working with your churches.

Additionally, Monk Development has created a new community building platform known as Cobblestone. Cobblestone is a great way to link your congregation and your leadership team together.

The Church Planting Network receives no royalties for your purchase on either product. TCPN simply wants to make you aware of companies that seek to make your church plant a success.

For more information or for a guided tour of our process and product offerings, contact T. J. Jones today at (619) 757‐2623 or tj@monkdevelopment.com

Church Plant: Campo Grande Plena Church, Rio Brazil

Campo Grande Plena Church is generously supported by Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, FL through TCPN.

About Your Church Plant:

What is your vision for this new church plant?

Our biggest wish is to live the centrality and simplicity of the Gospel preaching, seeking a contextualization to our modern world. We long for a strong work of small groups and discipleship, so that we will be able to engage into the proclamation within a welcoming environment for the non Christian.

Nosso maior desejo é viver a centralidade e simplicidade da pregação do evangelho, buscando a contextualização do mesmo, para o nosso mundo moderno. Almejamos um forte trabalho de grupos pequenos e discipulado, afim de que possamos estar engajados na proclamação, dentro de ambientes acolhedores aos não cristãos. Assim, queremos nos tornar uma igreja forte, plantadora de outras igrejas e revitalizadora para outras comunidades cristãs.

Please explain your calling to plant a church.

I believe that jointly with the call God provides specific abilities to execute it. My heart longs for evangelism since the times I was a seminarist , and when I found out that church planting is the best way to fulfill this great commission of Christ, I started to be impelled to fulfill the recommendation of Apostle Paul “not to build upon another man`s foundation”, but to choose new Christians to live in a rich, blessed and healthy community of faith.

Creio que Deus juntamente com o chamado provê desejo e habilidades específicas para executá-lo. Meu coração arde por evangelismo desde os meus tempo como seminarista e quando descobri ser a plantação de igreja o melhor meio de se cumprir a grande comissão de Cristo, passei a ser impelido a cumprir a recomendação do apóstolo Paulo de “não edificar sobre fundamento alheio”, mas buscar novos cristãos para viverem dentro da comunidade da fé uma experiência rica, abençoadora e saudável.

A partir das minhas primeiras experiências de serviço na causa de Cristo, pude notar que meus dons eram bem aproveitados evangelizando e ensinando a palavra.

Daí, dediquei oferecer minha vida para levar pessoas a Cristo, discípulá-las e dar a elas uma igreja saudável e bíblica para que possam crescer de fé em fé.

How did you decide on your church plant location?

I led a small group in this neighborhood. It was supposed to be something with no ambition, but soon non Christian people showed up and some got converted. We realized there were no reformed churches in the region for us to send our new converted. We saw the big demographic growth of the region, becoming in a small period of time one of the biggest neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. Christian friends were willing to help and friend churches became partners. We prayed, and received vision and love for the neighborhood, started having perception of local needs, as well as the useful potential for a new born church. We concluded: God wants a church in Campo Grande Neighborhood.

Eu dirigia um pequeno grupo neste bairro. Era para ser algo despretensioso, mas logo pessoas não cristãs apareceram e algumas se converteram. Percebemos que não havia igrejas reformadas na localidade para enviarmos os novos convertidos. Vimos a grande explosão demográfica da região, tornando-se em pouco tempo um dos maiores bairros da capital carioca. Amigos cristãos se dispuseram a ajudar e igrejas amigas tornaram-se parceiras. Oramos, e fomos recebendo visão, amor pelo bairro e percepções das carências locais, bem como das potencialidades locais que serviriam muito bem a igreja nascente. Concluímos: Deus quer uma igreja em Campo Grande.

Is there any interesting history that led you to this point?

I believe that there were many signs of divine providence that gathered together at the same time, showing that this was God`s will. We were able to find a place for free, musicians, and we received donations that we wouldn`t even imagine in order to help us. Everything we needed God supplied.

Creio que houve muitos sinais da providência divina que se reuniram ao mesmo tempo, mostrando ser essa a vontade de Deus. Conseguimos um espaço para começar gratuitamente, músicos, doações começaram a acontecer e quem agente nem imaginava foi trazido até nós para nos ajudar. Tudo que precisávamos, Deus não deixou faltar.

About You:

Moises Andriolo and Family

What is your “God Story”?

As many other people who grow up inside a Christian home I lived religiously lost without a single living and real knowledge of God until I was 15 years old. Intellectually I could discern superficially some points of the Gospel, and I suffered claiming for the assurance of eternal salvation. Even though I believed that Jesus was the only way, there as a lack of affection for Christ that could take me to repentance from being a lost sinner in religion itself. It was in a teen camp that I felt God attracting me with ropes of love, generating a huge sense of His holiness, tenderness and compassion. I cried abundantly in a mixture of conviction of sin and absolute assurance of divine forgiveness that accepted me through His son Jesus Christ.

Como muitas pessoas criadas dentro de um lar cristão, assim eu segui religiosamente perdido, sem nenhum conhecimento vivo e real de Deus, até meus 15 anos de idade. Intelectualmente eu discernia superficialmente alguns pontos do evangelho; e por isso eu sofria, clamando pela certeza da minha salvação eterna. Embora eu cresse que Jesus era o único caminho, faltava ao meu coração afetividade por Cristo, que me levasse a me arrepender de ser um pecador perdido, na própria religião. Foi num acampamento de adolescentes que senti Deus me atraindo com cordas de amor, gerando imenso senso da sua santidade, ternura e compaixão. Ali chorei copiosamente, num misto de convicção de pecado e certeza absoluta do perdão divino, que me aceitara, por meio do seu filho, Jesus.

What are your insights into preaching the Gospel?

The centrality of the Gospel is about presenting as the core of its message the fallen condition of men and the rescue from God as solution for such condition through the death of Jesus in the calvary. The whole Bible from beginning to the end takes us to Christ; he was prepared in the Old Testamente and revealed in the New Testament. That is why I preach, seeing what is said on both testaments within their final redemptive context which culminates in the cross and resurrection. He is the hero, the theme of the entire Word. That is why he must be the axis of every sermon to bring the life of God, received by repentance and faith.

A centralidade do evangelho visa apresentar como foco de sua mensagem a condição decaída do homem e o resgate de Deus, como solução para tal condição, através morte de Jesus no calvário. Toda a bíblia do seu início ao final leva a Cristo; ele foi preparado no antigo Testamento e Revelado no Novo. Por isso, prego, vendo o que dele se fala em ambos os Testamentos, dentro do seu contexto redentor final que culmina na cruz e ressurreição. Ele é o herói e o assunto de toda a palavra. Por isso Ele deve ser o eixo em torno do qual todo sermão gira para ventilar a vida de Deus, recebida por arrependimento e fé.

How did you assemble your launch team?

This Project started in May, 2009, after we gathered informally with a group of people that were part of a small group. Additionally, we met Christians that were looking for a reformed church, committed with service and contextualization.

At the same time as these things happened, I was teaching in an extension of the Reformed Theological Seminary in Campo Grande Neighborhood, which made me see the poverty of pulpits and the need of a church committed to the Gospel at its time. During this process, cooperators came to us, such as a seminarist. With his family and some other people he was able to add quality, since he grew up on the neighborhood of the emerging project.

We gathered everyone who was providentially brought onto our way, so that we could honestly talk about this plantation. Together we studied the reality of our neighborhood, seeking a specific call which we waited in prayer.

Este projeto começou em maio de 2009, após nos reunirmos informalmente com um grupo de pessoas que participavam de um grupo pequeno. Além destes, conhecemos cristãos que buscavam uma igreja reformada, comprometida com o serviço e a contextualização.

Ao mesmo tempo, que essas coisas aconteciam; lecionei numa extensão da Escola Teológica Reformada em Campo Grande, o que me levou a ver a pobreza dos púlpitos e a necessidade de uma igreja comprometida com o evangelho e seu tempo. Nesse processo, se achegaram, como colaboradores um seminarista, juntamente com sua família e outras pessoas que ele foi capaz de agregar, devido a facilidade de ser morador criado no Bairro, do nascente projeto.

Reunimos todos as pessoas que foram providencialmente colocadas em nosso caminho, afim de conversarmos honestamente sobre essa plantação. Juntos, estudamos a realidade do bairro, em busca de uma específica vocação que aguardávamos de Deus em oração.

What are the biggest challenges in planting this church?

Our biggest challenges are related to recover church credibility, due to huge shameful scandals in the national scenery, as well as the introduction of a culture of excellency.

Nossos maiores desafios se relacionam ao resgate da credibilidade da igreja, devido aos grandes escândalos no cenário nacional e a implantação de uma cultura de excelência.

Any advice for those considering becoming a church planter?

My advice has to do with my own experience in having sought a Center of Church Planters Training in my country – CTPI. Our seminaries do not prepare us to be church planters, that is why there is so much wisdom that can be shared by people who do not merely theorize about the theme, but know by experience about the hardship of this way. Look for a place like that for your own good and for the sake of the church. Find a mentor through whom you can have greater knowledge about yourself, for your own personal growth and maturity. We can never think that walking alone is healthy, even more when we have great need for feedbacks.

But above all, live deeply the Gospel and depend on God each moment.

Meu conselho tem a ver com minha própria experiência de ter buscado um centro de treinamento de plantadores de Igreja no meu país. Nossos seminários não nos preparam para sermos plantadores de igreja, por isso há muita sabedoria que pode ser compartilhada por pessoas que não meramente teorizam sobre o assunto, mas sabem por experiência, das dificuldades deste caminho. Busque um lugar como este, para seu próprio bem e da igreja.

Busque um mentor, através do qual você pode ter maior conhecimento sobre si mesmo, para seu amadurecimento pessoal. Jamais podemos pensar que caminhar sozinho é saudável, ainda mais quando precisamos muito de feedbacks.

Mas, sobretudo, viva profundamente o evangelho e dependa de Deus a cada momento.

Please tell us about your family and how you disciple them.

I have been married for 11 years with Suzana and we have two beatiful daughters: Rebecca and Julia. We are all united by the project of making a strong church to blossom, which has been a joyful experience for us all.

We have our days to go out by ourselves and other days to go out with our daughters.

We build our bonds through our daily life, showing the Gospel in our attitudes with one another, and for such our home is a friendly place where we talk about the Bible and hear about questions related to the life phase of our little ones. Suzana and I have walked in the same direction, and our daughters are being instructed about the way they must walk since their early years.

When we go out, travel and during our leisure time, each opportunity is a good occasion for us to be connected to the goodness and sovereignty of God.

Sou casado há 11 anos com a Suzana e temos duas lindas filhas: Rebecca e Júlia. Estamos todos unidos pelo projeto de fazer florescer uma forte igreja, o que tem sido uma experiência alegre para todos nós. í

Ainda hoje temos os nossos dias para sairmos a sós e outros junto das meninas.

Construímos nossos laços através da vida cotidiana, exemplificando o evangelho em nossas atitudes um com outro e para tal nossa casa é o lugar amigável, onde conversamos sobre a bíblia e ouvimos as questões referentes à fase de vida de nossas pequenas. Eu e Suzana temos caminhado na mesma direção, e nossas filhas estão sendo instruídas, para onde devem caminhar desde a mais tenra idade

Nos passeios, nas viagens e no lazer; cada oportunidade é uma boa ocasião para ligarmos à bondade e a soberania de Deus.

Church Plant Name: CrossPointe Church Waterford Lakes, Orlando FL

Church URL: www.crosspointechurchwaterfordlakes.com

CrossPointe Church Waterford Lakes is generously supported through The Church Planting Network by Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, FL.

Jared Davis Interview from The Church Planting Network on Vimeo.

About your Church:

What is the “Vision” of where are you taking your people?

We keep it simple “Pointing our Communities to Jesus Christ.” Continually taking people back to the cross by preaching the Gospel does two things: 1. It continually shows people their sin (bad news) and it continually shows them Christ righteousness (good news). In our horribly fallen state, God has given us a substitute on whose behalf we are justified, accepted, adopted and given eternal life. In Orlando we have a high percentage of churched people and unchurched people. We have a lot of church people because old Orlando looked a lot like the traditional south. We have a lot of unchurched people because Disney and new growth has brought thousands of people from all over the country, particularly the Northeast. This same migration has also brought many Catholics as well. Our approach to the unchurched people is to point them to the cross and let them see the horror of their sin while simultaneously seeing the unfathomable lengths that God took to save them in His love. Many unchurched people or Catholics are turned off to the church because of hypocrisy they have seen. The way we handle that is to completely “own up” to it. We are sinners and often times hypocrites. The church is a mess of sinful people, but because of Christ it is a beautiful mess. We are authentic, sinful people seeking to live in a community of repentance and faith.

To the churched person, we point them to the cross so that that they can see that their religious work cannot help them. No matter how good they are or how many rules they keep they are still just as desperate for Christ as they were the moment of their salvation. Keeping our most mature Christians desperate for Christ’s righteousness is the only way to prevent a spiritual class system in the church. So, we envision a church in which every single person sees themselves as spiritually impoverished with Jesus as their only hope.

What specifically drew your heart to your target area?

Waterford Lakes is a rather new suburb of Orlando that has grown tremendously over the past 10 years. I had lived in the Orlando area for about 4 years, but was not aware of this part of the city. One evening, Jocelyn and I were invited to watch a movie with some friends in Waterford. I stood in this enormous town center filled with young families and college students and wondered what the church scene was in this part of the city. Through my research I discovered that the median age was 31 with a family which fit my wife and I perfectly. We noticed that we were drawn to this area. We would go out of our way on date night to do dinner and a movie in Waterford as opposed to some where closer to home. I was also attracted to the fact that the University of Central Florida is only a few miles away because I have a heart to reach that generation along with young families. After much prayer, fasting, counsel and conversation it became clear that this was the spot God was leading us to. We love it!

Why did you choose to affiliate with TCPN?

Four main reasons (no particular order). 1. Dr. David Nicolas. David is such a strong leader and is really gifted in a way to make things happen. God has used him greatly. One thing that drew me to him is his passion for church planting, but also church planters. He really cares about us guys starting out on a personal level and is always a phone call/email away. 2. Gospel focus. There are many networks out there that define themselves by many different things. I love that TCPN defines itself by a commitment to the preaching of the Gospel. As Paul said, this is “Of first importance.” 3. Funding. Oh yeah, this is an organization that, through a wonderful partnership with Spanish River Church, believes in helping a guy financially as he plants the work that God has called him to. I know that all networks are not setup this way, but if you are not sent out by a huge church with a lot of resources or a lot of givers it is necessary to partner with an organization that will help fund your work. 4. We have some solid guys in this network. I have made some good friends already and I look forward to continue to welcome Gospel-centered men into this brotherhood.

About you:

Jared, Jocelyn, and Hudson Davis

Please explain your calling to plant a church.

I think most pastors similar to that of an Old Testament prophet. My calling looked much differently. It involved an inclination that I could not shake, followed by looking at my experiences and seeing if I was a starter. My wife had the same inclination which was very encouraging. Then, I spent a year or so serving with another church, wrestling with my call, being assessed and casting vision. By the end of that time I had made my call sure and was ready to step out in confidence because I knew that God had called me. It was a long, at times frustrating process, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Please introduce us to your family.

My wife Jocelyn and my 10 month old son, Hudson. How do you plan to disciple and remain faithful to your family as you plant this church? We have rhythms in place. Monday morning is my devotion time with Jocelyn, calendar planning, and family time. I want to instill a rhythm that though Sunday Jared is available to many on Monday morning we refresh and regroup as a family. My full Sabbath is Friday and we take a family day and then do a date night that night. I give my wife Saturday morning and lunch to go do whatever she wants without me or the baby. We have found this to be a refreshing time for her soul. How has this positively or negatively affected them? Jocelyn and I also do a lot of communication throughout the day and always share openly about what God is teaching us. So far so good with the plant. We have definitely had tense moments and seen our sin (mainly mine) come to the surface, but God has sustained us and kept us very close.

Insights:

What are/were the biggest challenges you faced in planting this church? What struggles have you encountered?

There is always a financial weight. The biggest challenge has been coming to terms with my own pride and idolatry. God has exposed so much sin in my heart and it has been a beautifully painful process of sanctification that I have really begun to see as grace. Men have told me that God will have to kill me, so that He can claim all of glory for this plant. I think and hope that is happening.

What are the biggest highs you’ve had in planting this church?

Launch Sunday was a big high because people actually came. Seriously, the biggest high has been to watch several people grow in their understanding of the Gospel. When the Holy Spirit does His work it is an awesome thing to behold.

What are your insights into the presenting the Gospel with the BN/GN?

I think most pastors present the good news. The problem is that few pastors these days are actually convincing people of their “lostness.” The news isn’t good unless we are dead in our sin and separated from God. When people become convinced of their sinfulness, Christ work becomes Great news. “Until sin becomes bitter, Christ cannot be sweet.” – not sure

Anything you want to tell someone considering becoming a church planter, or who has recently planted a church?

It’s ok to have doubts and wrestle with your call, but do it on the front end (pre-core phase). If possible, serve with a church and subject yourself to men who can affirm your call.

Casey Cleveland, former Family Ministries Pastor, and John O’Brien, former Missions Intern at Spanish River Church have partnered together to co-plant this new and much needed work in the heart of the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Capital of the United States. Delray Beach has over 3,000 recovery meetings every day.

The Avenue Church is a missional community in Delray Beach; building redemptive relationships that are being transformed by the gospel of Christ into the household of God.

Casey and John shared their experience in planting The Avenue Church and reflected on the tremendous work God has done to reach one of the most broken segments of our culture today. Both of them answered difficult questions regarding the challenges and joys they each have faced in this new endeavor.

An Interview with Casey Cleveland and John O’Brien from The Church Planting Network on Vimeo.

Church Name: The Orchard Church, Ellijay GA

Church URL: www.orchardellijay.com

 

Steve Dusek and Family

About your Church:

What is the “Vision” of where are you taking your people?

We want to reach people that nobody is reaching by doing things that nobody is doing. Our goal is to make disciples that make disciples.

What specifically drew your heart to your target area?

My family and I had moved to the area a few years ago, and just couldn’t escape the fact that there seemed to be no churches in the area that specifically met our needs, or that we felt called to serve in. We looked around and found others in the same boat. God just moved in our hearts and here we are!

About you:

Please introduce us to your family. How do you plan to disciple and remain faithful to your family as you plant this church? How has this positively or negatively affected them?

Drawing better lines between ministry and family. Protecting family time is becoming more and more important. Negative effects on kids: No mature youth group. Positive effects on kids: ownership in ministry of church.

Insights:

What are/were the biggest challenges you faced in planting this church? What struggles have you encountered?

Biggest struggles would be just trying resist the urge not to bite off more than we can realistically chew. We’re already trying to do some “big church” type stuff, with only myself and a part-time staff person. Lots to get on top of. Time management, stress management, being able to say “no” are all keys that I am still learning.

What are the biggest highs you’ve had in planting this church?

Too many to name… Moving to new facility a big one… We had six people turn their lives over to Christ on our first day in new facility. Also, we’ve exploded from an average of 3 kids (in preschool ministry) to having over 40 last Sunday in all our children’s areas!

What are your insights into the presenting the Gospel with the BN/GN?

The simple explanation of the bad news/good news every week is key to what we’re doing… Especially in this study of Genesis that we’re in right now… Being able to show that EVERY verse in Scripture ties back to the Gospel is essential. Otherwise, you’re just teaching LAW. We’ve seen people turn their lives over to Christ who have been in church all their lives, yet they’ve never heard the BN/GN.

Anything you want to tell someone considering becoming a church planter, or who has recently planted a church?

If you can do ANYTHING ELSE, do that. It seems like everyone wants to plant a church these days. We’ve seen three new ones here in our area (that I know of) just since we launched 15 months or so ago. Most of them fail. The big, famous ones make it look easy, but trust me… It is a lot harder than it looks.

This 12-minute video contains some great insights and reminders about the gospel and God’s unceasing work in Haiti. Jon reminds us that although the media has altogether forgotten the people of Haiti, this is not an option for the Church.

Jon gives a first-hand perspective on the current conditions of Haiti, advice on how a young church plant can be involved in international church planting and relief efforts, and the deep need for the hope giving gospel message to the people of Haiti.

Mission Haiti: An Interview with Jon Elswick from The Church Planting Network on Vimeo.

Trinity Grace Church East Village

About your Church:

What is the “Vision” of where are you taking your people?

The passion and desire of our church plant is to see a people highly contextualized and committed to being a local expression of the Body of Christ firmly rooted in the Gospel. We believe this is a crucial step in seeing Christ’s Kingdom advance in the city and in the world. We long to be a loving Parish community of Christ followers, seeking to live in the transformational power of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. To be guided by the Holy Spirit in order to demonstrate God’s great character in His redemption and renewal of individuals, families, our city, and our world. We want to be a gospel-driven, city-loving, life-giving body of people that loves, cares for and ministers to the people of our neighborhood in appropriate and effective ways.

What specifically drew your heart to your target area?

The lights and lore of New York City have always drawn me in. But not until one cold Saturday in February of 2009 when Jon Tyson introduced my wife and I to the East Village had my eyes and heart seen a specific place in the City that we could call home! While standing in the middle of Tompkins Square Park, Rebecca and I looked at each other and said, “Yeah, we can live here!” Strangely enough, three years earlier Bec and I watched RENT on Broadway and found our hearts swept up into the characters, story and setting. Little did we know that this famous play would set the context and backdrop of our call to the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

I also knew that in order for me to personally live out the call to ministry that Jesus had placed and developed in my heart, I had to live in a place like the East Village. It was time to do ministry and “church” differently from anything I had ever experienced before.

Why did you choose to affiliate with TCPN?

Trinity Grace Church (TGC) has had a healthy relationship with TCPN so as the next sister church in the TGC network it not only made sense but also leveraged the wisdom, collaboration and strength already established between the two organizations and leaders on behalf of our church plant. The TCPN has a long standing, proven and respected track record of not only resourcing new churches but also supporting them through other vital means as well. Finally, the training and accountability related to the Gospel is invaluable.

About you:

Guy and Rebecca Wasko

Please explain your calling to plant a church.

I felt and submitted to a call to ministry at the ripe old age of 12. Over the years this calling has been tested, developed and affirmed. The past 13 years I’ve been involved in youth ministry and while I still absolutely love working with students and their families, my heart was increasingly more and more concerned with and interested in the whole church. In the spring of 2006 I discerned that God was clearly inviting us into a new season of vocational ministry. It was an invitation to lay down my idols and perceived securities in the world of youth ministry and embark on a journey to a new thing. Within a month of sensing this call three separate invitations came to join or start in a church planting effort. We knew which way God was leading. After spending some intense time with a leadership coach and processing through prayer with friends and family and combined with the context, team and location of the work in New York we knew this was the time and this was the way.

Please introduce us to your family. How do you plan to disciple and remain faithful to your family as you plant this church? How has this positively or negatively affected them?

My wife, Rebecca and I met in college and have been together ever since, celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this past summer (2010). We have three girls, Emma – 6, Kendall – 3 and Carter (our little New Yorker) is 11 months old.

As with most men, the balance between work and family can be challenging for me. There’s so much to do and the foundation of the church plant can only be laid once. However, my family must not loose in the process. Recently my prayer, conversation and thought has been, “I desperately long to be a far better husband and father than I am a Pastor/Planter.” I have regular date nights with each of the women in my life, spending appropriate time with both my wife and girls. We talk regularly about the things of God as a family. We pray regularly. The diversity and messiness of the city provide consistent opportunities to discuss the things that matter, thus providing ample context to properly shape the hearts, minds and interests of my kids and how the Wasko’s respond to these various and distinct situations and people.

Church Planting Insights:

What are/were the biggest challenges you faced in planting this church? What struggles have you encountered?

This has been a personally intense and illuminating experience to date. For years I have all too arrogantly considered myself to be a decent leader and pastor. As my leadership coach, Dan Webster said, “Moving to New York will help you realize what you’re really made of.” I’m happy to report I have a lot more learning to do.

Beyond the personal development, the journey so far has not been hard. God’s favor has been irreplaceable and distinctly present! There have been moments when we didn’t know how we were going to pay the bills (and our complete financial future is still uncertain) but that doesn’t really shake us. We are a few months away from launching our public worship service and still need a venue, but no worries. The Father has proven himself faithful and trustworthy to date and he will continue to be himself throughout the lifespan of this church and beyond.

What are the biggest “highs” you’ve had in planting this church?

Seeing spiritually indifferent people explore the claims of Christ.

Welcoming displaced and disillusioned believers back into the community of faith.

The countless “11th Hour” answers to prayer.

People moving to the neighborhood because of mission and commitment to the Kingdom and our new church.

Receiving the financial provision and partnership to make it through the next 6 months.

Seeing a student come to Christ!

What are your insights into presenting the Gospel with the BN/GN?

The more familiar a thing the easier it is to lose sight of its original shape. The gospel is no different. I grew up in the church and have been around Christian lingo for more than 30 years. The Bad News/Good News presentation of the gospel not only reminds me of the core elements of the true gospel but also provides a clear, logical and concise understanding of it as well.

Because of the BN/GN I’m better able to quickly discern where a person is in their understanding of the gospel and therefore better equipped to share exactly what they need to hear in that moment.

Is there anything you want to tell someone considering becoming a church planter, or who has recently planted a church?

Church planting is the most exciting and simultaneously terrifying thing I’ve ever done. Two specific thoughts come to mind here. First, never under estimate the power and role of prayer in both your own life and the life of your church. Second, you absolutely must have the right team in this work with you. Not only in terms of skill set and talent, but also in terms of heart, values and commitment to the mission.

Chan shares stories of God’s goodness in this time, and encourages young church planters to reflect on what moving into a building really means in the life of your church.

Interview with Chan Kilgore from The Church Planting Network on Vimeo.

Ryan McInerney interviewed Chan Kilgore the morning after CrossPointe church moved into their new facilities September 13, 2010. Chan Kilgore and TCPN have partnered to plant CrossPointe Church Waterford Lakes with Jared Davis.

Ed Stetzer, President of LifeWay Research

Ed Stetzer, missiologist and friend of The Church Planting Network, published an article this morning that is greatly in tune with our hearts here at TCPN.

Ed makes a compelling argument that all Christians should heed:

“Recently, I spoke at the Church of God Triennial meeting in Decatur, IL. One of the things I talked about was my belief that there is no such thing as ‘the gift of evangelism.’ Part of my concern is that I hear many people saying they don’t have the ‘gift of evangelism’ and thus believing it is not their responsibility to do evangelism (since they don’t have the ‘gift’). And, since evangelism can be a challenge at times, that seems to be a ‘gift’ that people don’t want.”

Read the rest of Ed’s arguments, and insights at his blog here: http://www.edstetzer.com/2010/07/the-gift-of-evangelism.html

The book is based on the staggering results of a research study conducted by LifeWay Research and Spanish River Church that concluded that out of over 1000 sermons reviewed only 6% presented the Gospel in a clear and understandable way.

The book is available at Amazon and CrossBooks.

To learn more about the book, please visit the official book site “Whatever Happened to the Gospel?”

Ed Stetzer interviewed David about the book. You may read that article here.

“We are in a time when pastors assume, distort and outright neglect the gospel in their preaching. In this pointed but practical book, David Nicholas shows us how to preach with power by clearly explaining the gospel through any passage and in every sermon.”

-Darrin Patrick, Senior Pastor, The Journey, St. Louis, MO

Here’s a excerpt of their conversation:

Ed Stetzer: Why did you write this book? Aren’t most Evangelical pastors preaching the Gospel?

DN: I am convinced that most Evangelical pastors believe they are doing a good job with the Gospel but a LifeWay Research survey revealed that only 6% are preaching what I call a clear, complete, logical, sequential explanation of the Bad News and the Good News. It seems that every time I share this statistic with a person or a group, the response is usually, “I’m not surprised!” I find this interesting because I’m not sure these people have that great an understanding of the Gospel, but they do know something is wrong in the church today. I believe what’s wrong with the church today is its lack of a clear, complete, logical, sequential presentation of the Bad News/Good News.

David will be at the PCA General Assembly today where he will be doing a book signing today at 2:30.

The interview can be seen here.

David’s new book “Whatever Happened to the Gospel?” can be purchased here.

This year, the event is drawing in over 60 church planters from over 7 countries.

All all star line-up is due to attend and present this year including; Randy Pope, leadership expert, David Nicholas of The Church Planting Network and original planter of Spanish River Church, and SRC Senior Pastor Tommy Kiedis.

Darrin Patrick at SEBTS

Recently Darrin Patrick of The Journey Church in St. Louis Missouri Preached at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary on several topics including, “Gospel Centered Preaching”. Darrin Patrick is a friend we have had the privilege of knowing as we co-labor to see the Gospel carried out through clear preaching of the “Bad News and Good News”.

Preaching from Romans 1, Patrick challenges us to keep the Gospel as the central focus of our preaching. Although we must address the genuine felt-needs of our congregations, we must take each problem all the way to the cross. It is only through a proper understanding of the Gospel, that true change will occur in the life of the believer and the non-believer.

We are grateful for SEBTS for posting these videos at http://apps.sebts.edu/multimedia/

You can Download the Mp3 file by clicking here

Darrin Patrick – Gospel-Centered Preaching – Romans 1:14-17 from Southeastern Seminary on Vimeo.

It is exciting to see the tremendous work of so many committed people from several churches pool their talents, gifts, and resources for the glory of God. The following is a quote from Jon:

On January 17th, 2010, we had the official Crossway Church Launch Service. We were excited to see 63 adults and 12 kids join us that Sunday. There were several new families that came as well as others who had previously visited one of our Preview Services and had come back. The Launch Team did a fantastic job serving in every area from setup to Children’s ministry. We truly believe God was glorified through the fellowship, powerful worship, and the Gospel being preached!

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel” for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

^“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

Truth Point Church is being supported financially by the generosity of the people of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, FL, through The Church Planting Network. The Church Planting Network appreciates the commitment of the leadership from Spanish River Church in making church planting an intentional aspect of their missions giving.

For more information about properly preaching the Gospel, read our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel”.

How many Gospels are there?

In asking the above question, I am not asking about the number of books in the New Testament that are called Gospels. I am referring to the truth God has revealed to us about the problem he has with each one of us and what he has done about it through Jesus Christ. Is there any specific content to a “gospel presentation,” or is it up to the one presenting “the gospel” to say whatever he thinks is appropriate at the time?

The apostle Paul, in Galatians 1, made a big deal out of the fact that there is only one gospel, and he spelled it out for us in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. I had LifeWay Research, Nashville, TN take a survey of sermons preached by 450 pastors across the country and they discovered that 94% of pastors are preaching no gospel at all or they are preaching another gospel that is not the gospel. The following is a condensed presentation of the gospel built on the truths of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

The Bad News

• The sin problem:
  God has a problem with each one of us because we do not measure up to his standard of perfection. God tells us that we have all sinned and fall short of his glory (Romans 3:10-12, 23). We commit crimes against God in our thoughts, words and deeds. The first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). I violated that commandment every minute of every hour of every day for the first 27 years of my life. God was nowhere close to being my # 1 thought and priority. He wasn’t even in my Top 20. My main interest and concern in life was me, myself and I. I was interested in getting what I wanted when I wanted it. I had no interest in God or the things of God. I lived that way everyday, and therefore, committed crimes against God everyday. And I didn’t even know it! (That is my personal testimony. You need to make this commandment fit your situation or talk about some other way you lived contrary to God’s laws.)
• The death problem:
  Most people think they are basically good and believe that God will accept them because their good outweighs their bad. But God is the ultimate in terms of Righteousness and Justice and cannot accept us because of the crimes we have committed against him. God, being Righteous, cannot accept unrighteous people. God, being Just, must punish our sins or crimes, and the punishment is death (Romans 6:23a). But wait a minute, “Isn’t God love? Why would a loving God punish anyone?” Yes, God is Love, but he cannot simply ignore our crimes. If he did, he would not be God because he would not be Righteous and Just. That God is Righteous and Just means that he will reward those who live in perfect harmony with him and his laws and punish those who violate his perfect standard. All of us are in the second category. Most people do not equate the word “death” with “punishment,” but that is what it is. Death came into the world as punishment from God on sin (Genesis 2:15-17). All of us know about physical death, when the body dies. But there is a much worse death than physical death, and that is eternal death, eternal condemnation, eternal separation from God and all that is good, worthwhile and satisfying. People, while on earth, enjoy many good things from God, but there is nothing good from God in that Day, nothing but emptiness, futility and torment of the soul (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
• Good works don’t work:
  God has a problem with all of us in that we have committed crimes against him and are under the sentence of death. Religious and non-religious people alike think they can gain favor with God by following, as best they can, the rules of their religion or by simply being good people. That is a universal belief. During my first 27 years I thought of myself as a good person. I knew I wasn’t perfect but I thought I was better than most. I believed that God, if he really existed, knew I was trying my best and would accept me on that basis. I, like most people, thought I could simply “live a good life” and let it go at that. The truth is that there is nothing we can do to make ourselves acceptable to God (Galatians 2:16). We are all saddled with the two universal problems of sin and death and there is nothing we can do about it, no matter how good we think we are.

The Good News

• God in his love provided a Substitute, God the Son who became a man:
  That is the bad news, and if we stop right there, there is no hope for any of us. But God in his love provided a Substitute to take the punishment for us. It was a man who brought sin and death into the world and therefore a man had to overcome sin and death (1 Cor. 15:21). No one on earth could do the job and so God the Father sent God the Son to earth to become a man. We know this event as Christmas. We know the man as Jesus. Jesus was born to a virgin named Mary. Was that important? Yes, because through this miraculous birth, Jesus was kept from having a sin nature. He was born without sin and he lived a sinless life.
• Jesus went to the cross where God the Father PUT all of my sins on him and PUNISHED him in my place:
  Jesus lived a perfect life and then allowed himself to be arrested, tried, convicted and crucified. As Jesus hung on the cross, God the Father, knowing all about me, took all of my sins and put them on Jesus and punished him in my place. This was the greatest demonstration of God’s love for me. I deserve to be punished for my sins, but if that happens, I will be eternally separated from God and all that is good. God desires to have a people to be his own and Jesus went to the cross to be punished in our place so that God can forgive us our sins and accept us. Jesus took the wrath of God, the eternal condemnation I deserve and he died. (What happened to Jesus on the cross as far as the Father putting all of my sins on the sinless one and then punishing Jesus for my sins cannot be emphasized enough. The physical pain was nothing compared to what Jesus experienced when the sinless one had all of my sins thrust into him and then bore the wrath of God for me (Isaiah 53:6,10, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18]).
• Jesus came back from the dead:
  Jesus died and his body was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. His enemies thought they had seen the last of him, but on the third day Jesus came back from the dead. Death could not keep its hold on him because he had paid the penalty, taken the punishment for all of my sins (Acts 2:24). Death loses it power where there is no sin.
• Trust your eternal destiny to Jesus:
  Jesus remained on earth for 40 days and then ascended into heaven. Before he left, he commanded his followers to go into all the world and tell others what he had accomplished (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). God has established a “by grace through faith” system as far as how he gives the gift of eternal life to people. It is by grace because God did all the work to make salvation possible for us through Jesus. Those who believe the Bad News about themselves and the Good News of what Jesus did for them through his death and resurrection and trust Jesus to save them from sin and eternal punishment and to a new life lived with and for God will be forgiven their sins and given the gift of life with God forever.

Steve Dusek, Lead Church Planter of Orchard Church, Ellijay, GA and Family

The following is a testimony by Steve Dusek, Church Planter at The Orchard Church, Ellijay, Georgia:

As a youth pastor for many years, I fell victim to the mentality of the event-driven church. We put on lots of big shows and other events that drew a lot of people in. We saw our numbers grow tremendously over the years, and experienced a lot of positive “results.” But a nagging feeling continued to grow inside me that we were missing a big piece of the puzzle. It all came to a head for me when our 200-person youth group held a youth event that had over 1100 in attendance! The guest band played a cool set, and the speaker did a great job of bringing tears to many eyes. Afterward, I received many slaps on the back from everyone around. My pastor was thrilled with me because of the “great success” of the event. When I asked him how he knew it was a success, his response was that “we had over 1100 kids in our church!” I realized that we were doing a great job of getting people in the door of our building, but we weren’t helping people through the door of the Kingdom.

We launched The Orchard Church in April of 2009 with the dream of being a church that God used to build the Kingdom! I thank God for The Church Planting Network and the influence of David Nicholas. He has helped me fully develop a process of clearly teaching the Bad News, and the Good News in a way that everyone can understand. In a day and age when churches are known to preach a “feel-good” message, we unapologetically preach the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross.

At our new little church, we are now seeing incredible growth. Not only are we filling the little movie theater that we meet in, but we’re moving to two services next month. We have seen 10 people accept Jesus over the last three weeks alone. I continue to receive responses from people like the following one from Jesus Benitez:

“I have thought I was a Christian all my life. By being here at The Orchard, I now know that I never realized that I was a criminal, and that I deserved punishment, but that God loved me anyway. I have given my life to Christ. Thank you.”

Jeremy McKeen, Lead Church Planter of Truth Point Church, WPB, FL

The following is an article by Jeremy McKeen, Lead Church Planter of Truth Point Church (PCA) in West Palm Beach, FL. Truth Point Church is being supported financially by the generosity of the people of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, FL, through The Church Planting Network. The Church Planting Network appreciates the commitment of the leadership from Spanish River Church in making church planting an intentional aspect of their missions giving.

“In 2005 I walked into the doors of Knox Theological Seminary with a passion to better understand and communicate the gospel that had changed my life. I learned many things in my first 3 years, but it wasn’t until my senior year that, by God’s grace, I began to connect the dots and develop a working knowledge of the Scriptures for life and ministry. I owe this to the training and influence of David Nicholas who came to Knox my final year to serve as President. I took two classes with David and through his training left Knox Seminary passionate and prepared to proclaim the life-giving message of the gospel.

Not only did David disciple me in the Scriptures, but our relationship grew, and in the spring semester of 2009, as we both were praying about where God wanted me to serve, I talked to David about the idea of planting a church in the West Palm Beach area. He gave me his full support. Through his counsel and influence, I became involved with The Church Planting Network as God continued to confirm one reoccurring mission for my wife, Lindsay and me …“Plant a church!”

Through David Nicholas’ training, I have learned how to clearly and concisely present the gospel “bad news and good news”, and I have seen God work through the power of the gospel to take people from death to life. For the glory of Christ, people are being saved under my ministry through clearly presenting the bad news and the good news throughout the week and on the weekends. In every sermon, I present the bad news about ourselves and the good news of what God has done for us in Christ …

From my study of the Scriptures and my time with David, I’ve been convinced that so many seminaries and churches are not producing the type of ministers that we need because, frankly, the gospel is taken lightly and communicated poorly. But for me it’s simple – if you’re not preaching the gospel, which consists of the bad news and good news, each and every week, then you’re not being faithful to what the Apostle Paul knew was of first importance. Since planting Truth Point Church, I’m excited to say, several people have already approached me after service multiple times and said, ‘Jeremy, I’m so glad I know that if I bring someone to this church they’re going to hear the gospel set forth in a clear manner. Thank you for your obedience to what’s of first importance.’

And thank you David for holding fast to the gospel of grace in the midst of a growing culture of compromise, and entrusting the gospel to other men that we may do the work of an evangelist and fulfill our calling.”

Jeremy McKeen is the Lead Church Planter and Pastor of Truth Point Church in West Palm Beach, FL. He is a Graduate of Knox Theological Seminary.

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News” Gospel for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

Jon Elswick, Lead Church Planter, Crossway Church

The following is a testimony by Jon Elswick, Lead Church Planter of Crossway Church in Davie, FL. Crossway Church is a church launched and supported by the generosity of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, FL and West Pines Community Church in Pembroke Pines, FL, to whom we at TCPN are very grateful.

“Dr. Nicholas has had a significant impact in my life in regards to understanding and clearly articulating the Gospel.

While attending seminary, I took a preaching class with Dr. Nicholas as my professor. Throughout that semester, he stressed time and again the importance of sharing the Gospel consistently in our messages. He also challenged us to think deeply about how we were presenting the Gospel and honestly evaluate if we were presenting the Gospel as clearly as we thought. It was then that I began to scrutinize whether or not I was presenting the full Gospel in my sermons and it turned out that I was not. I had not been communicating both the Bad News that we are sinners who deserve God’s punishment, and the Good News that God has graciously provided a substitute to pay the penalty for our sins. Since then, I’ve made it a point to incorporate both of these elements in my messages. At the new church I am planting, Crossway Church, we are making the Gospel “of first importance” (1 Cor. 15:3) in our preaching from the pulpit as well as in our personal evangelism.

It is my conviction that our church will not find success in the flashiness of our programs or the professionalism of our worship services, but in the clear, consistent preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:16). Dr. Nicholas’ has helped me to see that, and I am grateful for it.”

Jon Elswick is a Graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary, and Lead Church Planter of Crossway Church in South Florida.

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel” for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

Russell Silverglate, Senior Pastor of Hammock Street Church, and Family

The following is a testimony of Russell Silverglate, Senior Pastor at Hammock Street Church, Boca Raton, FL:

“When I came to church (Spanish River Church), I was a practicing lawyer and a non-practicing Jew. Unbeknownst to me, I was sitting under the teaching and leadership of Dr. David Nicholas. In the very first sermon that I heard, David explained the bad news about me and my sin and the good news about God and His mercy and grace – the message I later came to know as the Gospel.

When I first heard it, the concept of sin and salvation was entirely foreign to me – I had never really been to a church, other than to visit with friends from time to time, and certainly no one had ever talked to me about the fact that I had a problem with God or He with me. But when I kept on coming back and hearing David present the bad news and the good news, in a straightforward, logical, coherent fashion, without any special code words or “terms of art,” I could not ignore it. God, through the power of the Gospel, was changing my heart. Under David’s teaching, I prayed to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior 16 years ago. But the story doesn’t stop there. I started to bring my wife to church with me. She was raised in a secular gentile home. But week in and week out, she heard David present the bad news and the good news. And before too long, she prayed to receive Christ as well. And that would have been enough for me, but it wasn’t enough for God.

I began to share the bad news and the good news with my uncle (another Jewish lawyer), just the way that David had taught me and everyone else in the congregation to do it. It wasn’t too long before he too committed his life to Christ. If I stopped here, it would be a fine testimony to the power of the Gospel and the wisdom of continuously preaching it at every opportunity, but I’m going to keep on going.

My father, yes, my retired Jewish father, joined me one Christmas Eve at Spanish River Church. And, after hearing the bad news and the good news, I saw that out of the corner of my eye that he was crying. When I asked him what was wrong, he said “he’s [David’s] talking to me” and my father asked Christ into his heart as well. Finally, both of my boys, under David’s consistent teaching of the bad news and the good news, have committed their lives to Christ as well.

I left the full-time practice of law 5 years ago and answered a call into the full-time work of the Gospel ministry. Every week, as did my mentor, I share the bad news and the good news. Our church has tripled in size in six months and I have seen lives transformed by the power of God. Our people are now learning, as did I, the power of the Gospel. I am blessed to have had David as my teacher, mentor and friend for all of these years and I am excited about seeing the work that God will do in the lives of His people through our ministry of the Gospel.

Russell Silverglate is a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary, an ordained PCA pastor, and is the Senior Pastor at Hammock Street Church in Boca Raton, Fl.

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News” Gospel for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

Joel Miller, Church Planter of The Summit Church, Dallas TX

The following is a testimony of Joel Miller, Church Planter of The Summit Church in Dallas, Texas:

“I grew up in the church, the son of a pastor. I saw first hand how the message preached in many traditional African American churches did not communicate the message of the gospel clearly. Currently, so-called, prosperity driven preaching continues to destroy families and specifically is wreaking havoc in the African American community. I wanted something different. I thought the answer would be to go to a conservative theological seminary. Although going to a seminary that espouses the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture has invaluable merit, I still felt like I wanted my ministry to bring life-changing impact to people.

It was not until I met David Nicholas, that I began to understand key essentials in communicating the gospel effectively. Not only was he different, not only was he passionate about his calling and about the Gospel, but he spoke specifically of the Bad News, Good News. It has been this pivotal element of presenting the Gospel that has transformed my personal, philosophical, and practical approach to ministry. I AM A Bad News, Good News preacher!

I find myself waking up early in the morning thinking about how I can more effectively present the Bad News, Good News. Because of David’s influence on me, I have seen many people come to Christ. Through David’s leadership, I know the effectiveness of my ministry is increasing Ten Fold!”

Joel Miller is the Lead Church Planter of The Summit Church in Dallas, Texas. He is a teaching professor at Christian Leaders Institute and has been involved in full-time ministry for 13 years. He has attended Fuller Seminary and is a Graduate from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. He is also an ordained PCA pastor.

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel” for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

Tommy Kiedis, Senior Pastor Spanish River Church

The following is a testimony from Spanish River Church’s Senior Pastor, Tommy Kiedis:

“I was one who was not as intentional or as clear on the gospel as I could be until I came to SRC and was under the leadership of David Nicholas. The Lord has used David to make a profound impact on my preaching, especially as it relates to the gospel. The Lord has allowed me to be in full-time pastoral ministry for 30 years, but it has only been the last three where the gospel has been preeminent in my preaching. That is not to say it was absent or that people didn’t come to Christ during the other years, but it has been much clearer of late. I believe God uses the clarity of the bad news of our sin and the good news of Jesus to bring people from death to life. As David has continually reminded me, ‘The power is in the gospel’ (Romans 1:16).”

Tommy Kiedis is the Senior Pastor of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, Fl. Teaching roles have included Palm Beach Atlantic University, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Knox Theological Seminary. Primary focus: helping emerging leaders to get better at their leadership.

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel” for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

Dr. David Nicholas

The following is from The Barna Group, December 7, 2009 on Growing Churches These Days. He says, “The experience of mainline churches shows that growing a congregation is not a simple matter. There are three options available if you want to increase the size of a congregation: steal people from other congregations (unethical), have lots of babies (takes years), or attract people not affiliated with a church (bingo!). To learn how to master that third option, read George Barna’s book, Grow Your Church from the Outside In.”

Barna does not like the idea of a pastor and his people stealing members from another church. As pastor of a larger church for many years, I developed an approach to people who visited us from other churches. If I learned that the people visiting came from an evangelical, Bible teaching church in the area I would be gracious but would not overtly go after them. If I, in casual conversation, learned that they understood the Bad News and the Good News, I did not try to convince them to switch churches. But, if I learned that the people visiting came from a church in the area that did not preach the gospel, I would go after them with great zeal and purpose. I have testimonies from men who were elders at other churches in the area, but had never understood the Bad News and the Good News until they came to Spanish River Church. It was there that they came to know Christ and it was there they stayed and became active. I have many other stories of “religious” people who became true followers of Jesus because they heard and believed the Bad News and the Good News.

I just counseled one of our church planters to go after people from a mega church in his area because the pastor doesn’t want to offend people by mentioning the sin problem. Realize that the Good News has little appeal to people who don’t understand the Bad News. He then told me of spending time with a staff member from that church and in his discussion, discovered that the man believes he will be accepted by God because of all he is doing for God. This “minister” from a church that is supposed to take the Bible seriously believes in works salvation, which doesn’t work. This sort of thing is rampant in the church today, and it behooves those who are in ministry to recognize it and go after those who are lost no matter what church they may attend or be members of.

Dr. David Nicholas is the Founding Pastor of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, Fl, and the Founder and President of The Church Planting Network, Inc.

He has started a Reformed Theological Seminary satellite school in Boca Raton, Fl and has also been the teaching President of Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. Currently he is a teaching professor at Christian Leaders Institute, an advanced, online based Seminary alternative for Church Planters.

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel” for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

Author: Jon Elswick

Category: Welcome a Church Planter

Church: Crossway Church South Florida

Jon Elswick, Lead Planter/Pastor Crossway Church

Where are you going to take your people?

We want every person who attends Crossway Church to embody our Core Values. We want them to live lives for God’s glory, actively share the Gospel, seek to know more about God and His Word, live in authentic community with other Christians, and serve those around them.

We believe this is accomplished when people actively live out the three C’s:

Celebrate: Celebrate God weekly in worship

Connect: Connect with others in Community Groups

Contribute: Use your gifts to serve the church and the world

How did you assemble your Launch Team?:

A large part of our Launch Team came from West Pines Community Church. In addition to funding us financially, they sent out the beginnings of our Core Group. From there, we have added several others through people who have known in the area through the years.

Explain your philosophy of community, and how you intend to practically develop it.

The church isn’t a building or a service. The church is God’s called out people! So it is essential that we create environments that help the people of Crossway Church develop authentic relationships. We feel that the best way to develop these relationships is through weekly Community Groups. Community Groups are small group Bible studies that meet weekly for the purpose of relationship building, application of Scripture, and living on mission together. Each Community Group semester, the group chooses a service project in the community to get involved in together. This further develops people’s sense of community.

Jon Elswick Preaching the Gospel

What are your insights into “Good News, Bad News” Evangelizing?

Because much of our culture is biblically illiterate, it is essential that we not only tell people the “Good News” that Jesus died for sinners, but the “Bad News” about why He had to die for our sins. We must communicate first the Bad News of Scripture that we are sinners who must be punished for our sin by a just God. Then we can joyfully communicate the Good News that God provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty we deserved through His death.

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel” for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

What are/were the biggest challenges in planting your church?

Limited Resources: It always feels like if I had just a little bit more money, or a permanent location, or just the right high-impact volunteer, I could deal better with the challenges that are in front of me. I know ultimately that God has given us everything we need, but this is still a constant struggle to remember.

The Unknown: The reality in church planting is that there is a great unknown in front of you. Some of the things you have control over, others you don’t. I really don’t know how people are going to respond to our outreaches or how many people will come to our services. It is a challenge to remember that God is actively in control of not just the universe, but of Crossway Church.

Anything you want to tell someone considering becoming church planter, or recently planted a church?

Tim Keller was asked this same question at the end of a Church Planting Training that I went to. His answer was, “Pray more. You think you pray enough now, but you don’t.” I would say the same. I find myself praying more than I have before in my life, but I know that I still don’t pray enough. Ultimately church planting is a work of God’s spirit, not merely a work of my hands. I would encourage anyone who is in this journey to look at their prayer life and take another step in their commitment to prayer.

Explain your calling to plant a church:

About six years ago I started to dream about church planting. I was on staff at a successful church, but began having new ideas and about how a church “could and should” be. My wife and I started talking about it and praying about it then, but it wasn’t the right time yet to step out a plant a church. When I went to work on staff at West Pines Community Church, I committed to serve for three years and then to reassess what God was doing. Last Fall, when my three year commitment was coming to a close, I started feeling like God was beginning to put church planting on my heart again. I spoke with several trusted mentors, my pastor, as well as other church planters to assess whether this was indeed something that God was calling us to. Through that process we continued to see God open doors for us and now believe that this is indeed what God has called us to do.

Jon in Worship

Why did you choose your location?

I’ve lived in South Florida since I was a child and have always loved it. When we started considering where we would plant, we knew that we wanted to stay in the area. Although there are several established churches here, there is still less than 10% of the population of our county that attend church on a given Sunday. In addition to that, there was a large group of people at West Pines Community Church who were traveling a significant way to attend West Pines from the Plantation area. We decided that it would be wise to plant a new church with these families in that community.

What is your God story?

I grew up in a Christian family that truly loved Jesus. As a testimony to the faithfulness of my parents, I received Christ as my Savior at a young age and have continued to serve Him ever since.

What is your experience in ministry?

I began working on a church staff when I was eighteen. I had the privilege of serving as a Youth Pastor and Worship Pastor at Christ the Rock Community Church in Cooper City, Florida. CRCC was a fast growing church that allowed me to learn first hand what ministry in a large church looks like. From there I began serving on staff as the Creative Arts Pastor at West Pines Community Church. Because West Pines is a smaller congregation, I’ve learned some great lessons from my experiences and interactions with a different style of ministry. I feel that both experiences have taught me different things about leading in the local church that will be helpful as we launch.

Why/How did you become involved with TCPN?

When I was working on my Master of Divinity, I had Dr. Nicholas and Dr. Kiedis as professors. Naturally, when I graduated and was considering church planting, I came to them to ask about partnering with TCPN.

Jon and Melissa Elswick

How do you personally disciple your family, also please introduce us to them.

I have been married to my wife Melissa for seven years. We are in the process of adopting a baby from Taiwan. Melissa and I are talking about the Lord all the time. We frequently we discuss Scriptures we’ve read, and other insights about God that we have gained from other reading material. Discipling my family is something that happens all the time; informally through conversations about God and what He is teaching me, and formally through words of encouragement and times of prayer together.

Contact Jon Elswick

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jonelswick

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/jonelswick

• Email: jelswick@crosswaychurch.net

Date: October 20, 2009

Author: Jeremy McKeen

Category: Welcome a Church Planter

Church: Truth Point Church, West Palm Beach FL

Where are you taking your people?

Jeremy and Lindsay McKeen

Paul wrote, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone, and teaching everyone, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28). Mature in Christ. That was where Paul wanted to take his people, and that is where I want to take mine as well. But what does ‘mature in Christ’ mean? A mature Christian has an intimate and growing relationship with the living and true God that is four-fold: 1) Knowing God, 2) Loving God, 3) Trusting God, 4) Obeying God.

So how does this start? It begins by boldly proclaiming Jesus Christ. Following the model of Paul in the New Testament, this means preaching and teaching Christ as He is offered to us in the gospel and seen throughout all of Scripture (John 5:39).

By centering my ministry on Christ and the Gospel people will come to KNOW God in Christ, which is eternal life (John 17:3). By expositing God’s Word they will grow in their ability to discern truth from error and know how God wants us to live on this earth, which is true freedom (John 8:32).

The more people intimately know their Creator and Redeemer, and see that His commandments are for their good, the more they will LOVE Him. I want to see my people fulfilling the greatest commandment which is to love God with our whole lives and to love our neighbor as ourselves. My desire is for my people to bear the fruit of a Christ-like, unconditional, compassionate and sacrificial love in their homes, businesses, and community.

The more my people love God, the more they will TRUST Him with their lives. They will trust God with their time, their treasures, their talents, etc. And out of our trust in God, we will OBEY God’s commandments for our lives in every area of our lives. When each of these four areas are developing and growing by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, our church will have an earthly and eternal impact upon our city for the expanse of Christ’s Kingdom.

How did you assemble your Launch Team?

My launch team was assembled through a Bible study that met in another couple’s home. The word spread that I would be leading a study through the book of Colossians with the intent to plant a church. Once we started to meet, I waited 2 months (8 meetings) to see who was serious about moving forward and who wasn’t. At that point I asked those who were still attending the study to make a 6 month commitment to start services and see where God would lead. 9 wonderful and dedicated people made 6 month commitments and I launched with them.

Explain your philosophy of community, and how you intend to practically develop it.My philosophy of community is seeing people form friendships and mentorships through small groups that meet on a weekly basis. These groups will be led by leaders in the church who are walking through life with each person as they evangelize and disciple them. I intend on raising up leaders who will be given the task of gathering people to form a group that is targeted not to a specific age, or gender, but to a specific area in one’s walk as a Christian.

What are your insights into “Good News, Bad News” Evangelizing?

For me, its simple, if you’re not preaching the gospel, which consists of the bad news and good news, every week, then you’re not being faithful to what the Apostle Paul knew was of first importance. I have heard from people several times already tell me, “Jeremy, I’m so glad I know that if I bring someone to church, they’re going to hear the gospel set forth in a clear manner. Thank you.” If it’s not being done, you have to ask yourself, why? Why am I not including the one message that God has promised to bless, the one message that is the power of God.

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel” for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

What are/were the biggest challenges in planting your church?

The biggest challenges, thus far, are coordinating the many details and delegating the many tasks that need to be accomplished week in and week out and still taking the necessary time to rest and devote myself to prayer and the word to faithfully serve my family and the church family.

Is there anything you want to tell someone considering becoming a church planter, or who recently planted a church?

Your biggest temptation will be to skip prayer because you don’t feel like you have the time. The opposite is true. Because of your schedule, because of the many tasks and challenges at hand, you must pray all the more. Pray, Pray, Pray, Pray.

Planter Bio:

I grew up in New Hampshire and left in 2000 for Florida Southern College (FSC) in Lakeland, Florida to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a concentration in News Media/Broadcasting. While at F.S.C., I served as my Freshman Class President and was highly involved with The Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity holding positions such as: Chaplain, Vice President, and President for two terms.

Jeremy on ESPN Sportcenter with Dan Patrick

My interest for the field of news media and public speaking led me to a paid internship position at ESPN in Bristol, CT.  At ESPN, I worked along side on-air talent, producers, and directors and assisted in various live productions (Sunday Night Baseball, Friday Night Fights, NBA Draft, Etc.) My highest accomplishment at ESPN was becoming the first intern to anchor a two minute update on ESPNEWS. However, on July 28, 2003, while completing my internship at ESPN, I was reading My Utmost for His Highest and one section just jumped off the page:

“We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite.”

God used that devotional passage to initiate a call into full-time ministry. I went back to FSC my senior year to finish my degree in Communications, and God’s hand was heavy upon me. In my heart I knew that he wanted me to go into ministry. I told no one. I was secretly struggling over the call for months.

But one night my roommate Ryan Bates and I were up late and he proceeded to tell me that he had been ignoring me all day because he felt that God was prompting him to tell me to drop broadcasting and go into full-time ministry. I was stunned. I hadn’t told a soul. This had confirmed the call. I immediately called home to tell my parents, and my mom was in tears. I found out later that my parents had been praying for twenty years that I would become a preacher of the gospel, but they never told me. They wanted me to know that it was God who called me, not them. With this call came a spirit of conviction, a sense of calmness, and a significant change.

I completed my degree in Communications and remained at FSC for an additional semester to complete another Bachelor of Arts program in Philosophy with a concentration in Religious Studies. I delivered the commencement address on behalf of my graduating class in 2004 and enrolled at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale, FL in the fall of 2005.

While at Knox, I was heavily involved in outside ministry work. From 2005 – 2006, I worked along side the leadership at Christ Fellowship Church on their expansion and extension initiatives. In 2006 – 2008, while volunteering as an intern and youth leader at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, I worked full-time as a chaplain and executive assistant in the medical practice of Dr. Chauncey Crandall in Jupiter, FL. I assisted patients with their hospital and on-site spiritual needs and led advancement opportunities for the Chadwick Foundation through various world-wide ministries and philanthropies that took me as far as London and Africa.

In the fall of 2009, I met David Nicholas who came to Knox to serve as president. Our relationship grew and we both were praying about where

Jeremy McKeen at Gathering Location

God wanted me to serve. In February, 2009, I wrote in my journal, “I believe God is calling me to plant a church in West Palm Beach, FL.” I leaned back in my chair, took a deep breath, stared out the window, and shook my head. The words ‘crazy,’ ‘ridiculous,’ and ‘impossible,’ were just some of the words that immediately came to mind. I hadn’t even graduated seminary at this point. But the burden for the city of West Palm would not leave my heart. I talked to David about the idea, and he told me that I had his full support. Through his counsel and influence, I became involved with The Church Planting Network as God continued to confirm one reoccurring mission for my wife, Lindsay and me … “Plant my church!”

In June, 2009, a group of 11 people took a step of faith and made a 6 month commitment to be an integral part of something new that God was doing to reach this region for Christ. Truth Point Church was born. Our first Sunday service was held in a home on Aug. 2, 2009 and just 7 weeks later, on Sept. 20, we launched our first public service at Bear Lakes Middle School, the same day I was ordained for ministry in the Presbyterian Church in America.

What started out as a simple sentence penned in faith, has turned into a people living out the love of God with a passion to point the people of West Palm Beach to the heart of God’s truth.

How do you personally disciple your family? Also, please introduce us to them.

Currently, my wife and I make up my family. First, I disciple my family by leading myself in a way that sets a godly example in the home. Second, I try to be intentional about having a daily prayer time and devotional time throughout the week. We will read the Bible together along with other Christian books that promote our growth in grace. I also marked out Tuesday nights as our date night where we talk about the ups and downs, struggles and victories in our marriage and grow closer as a Christian couple.

Contact/Follow Jeremy:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jmckeen118
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeremymckeen
• Email: faithlk511@yahoo.com

Date: September 30, 2009

Author: Caleb Clardy

Category: Welcome a Church Planter

Church:  Trinity Grace Brooklyn

Where are you taking your people at Trinity Grace Brooklyn?

Caleb Clardy, Lead Pastor/Planter Trinity Grace Church Brooklyn

My hope and prayer is very much in the spirit of Colossians 1:9-14—that by the power of the Gospel being proclaimed and made alive by the Holy Spirit we would continue to see salvation and people in Brooklyn delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of his beloved Son. I want to see our church formed for apostolic mission in the context of our area of Brooklyn, and this means loving Jesus with our heart, soul, mind and strength. It means loving our neighbors as ourselves enough to share the Gospel and live like Christ among them. I pray we will be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. I pray that we will be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Explain your calling to plant a church.

As an actor I always thought I might move to NYC. In 2004 I honeymooned here for three days and my vision of the city significantly changed. I had always thought of NYC as a place where I may come one day to make a name for myself as an actor. Yet, God began to help me see a bigger story I could join, the story of lifting up the already great name of Jesus in a place like New York. God used Psalm 105 to give me the courage and specific call to leave my home and job in Florida and make the initial move with my wife Allison to NYC. After being here for three years God has used Ephesians, 1 Peter, and about 6,000 experiences to fully convinced me that I was to plant to new expression of the body of Christ in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Why did you choose your location?

I love Brooklyn. I own an apartment here and will raise my family here. There are 2.5 million people in Brooklyn. There are 70,000 in my neighborhood alone. There is arguably no more strategic city in the US in which to plant a church. There are very few true followers of Christ in Brooklyn compared to the sheer volume of population. My neighborhood of Park Slope is a place that families come to settle when they will stay in NYC for a long while, so it is not as transient as other parts of New York. This makes it a good place to put down the roots of a new church.

Is there any interesting history that led you to this point?

Ha. So much. I feel richly blessed to have experienced in my Christian journey unusually deep and meaningful community. Some of that community was forged in the fires of tragedy as our worship leaders wife broke her neck, nearly died and then was paralyzed only to be miraculously healed later, my father dying of a sudden massive heart attack, and losing a child to miscarriage. I have seen the power of the Gospel of Jesus and the Holy Spirit support community and individuals in dire moments.

What is your “God story”?

After hearing the message of Jesus and stories of Scripture for my whole life I was finally broken and remade by the Holy Spirit as a 16 year old in High School in an evening worship service where our youth group was telling the story of a mission trip to NY. I heard the Gospel through their songs and was moved to repent and believe in Jesus as my Savior and King. Yet after my first two years of that journey of passionately following Jesus I began to wander from daily seeking God. This led to a three and a half year period where I fell into habitual and deep sin including drugs, alcohol abuse, sexual sin, intense selfishness and pride. After three years of this, God graciously allowed me to fall apart. I began to have a massive struggle with anxiety that finally drew me to seek God again. Through some truly wise and Spirit-filled Christians I was reminded of the Gospel I had ignored and the Jesus is my Savior. I learned to walk in the freedom of the Spirit, to take my thoughts captive, to really believe in grace, and long to participate with God in the coming of the Kingdom. That transformation is what first began my journey into ministry.

What is your experience in ministry?

My first full time ministry job was as an arts ministry intern at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens. Later I became the teacher in the college ministry there. Since moving to NYC I have served as the worship leader at Encounter Church in Stamford CT, and later as a teaching pastor with the Gallery Church in Manhattan. I have also lead small groups at a ministry for artists in NYC called The Haven. Most recently I served with our sister church in Manhattan as a teaching pastor before coming to Brooklyn to plant our new church.

What are your insights into “Good News, Bad News” Evangelizing?

It is impossible to faithfully share the full Gospel without including the horrible reality that all of humanity is now, ever since the “fall” in the Garden, born spiritually dead. We sin, rebel, ignore, cheat, offend and are thoroughly self-absorbed and separated from God both by nature and choice. It is the worst news in the universe that we are born cut off from God and will remain cut off from God forever in Hell unless we are “made alive” by the Holy Spirit to fully trust in Jesus perfect life and death as our substitute. The “Good News” that Jesus has absorbed all of the cost of our sins on the Cross, paid for all our crimes against God, and risen in victory over all evil and death is the most liberating, transforming message on earth. We cannot stray from this message in our evangelism or we lose the Gospel.

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel” for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

How did you assemble your Launch Team?

Three years ago I began a home Bible study with some of my friends who had moved to the city together. We worked our way through Ephesians and then 1 Peter. Several people from this Bible study were deeply shaped by the vision of planting a church in Brooklyn and began to make up our launch team. A few other members of our launch team were drawn to our community and personally connected with me when I was teaching regularly at our sister church in Manhattan. They lived in Brooklyn and were committed to seeing Christ’s Kingdom advanced here. We began regular “vision” meetings last October 2008.

Explain your philosophy of community, and how you intend to practically develop it.

Trinity Grace Brooklyn Community

One of my all time “life passages” is Jesus prayer in John 17 where Jesus prays, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” I see this as shaping the Christian view of community as an essential part of being united with Christ. We cannot do life alone. When we are unified as a Body of Christ in reveals the true character of God.

In order to foster and build true Christian community (what Bonhoffer calls “Life Together”) I am seeking to lead those in our church to connect deeply, intimately, and regularly in Life Groups in homes across our neighborhood. We currently have eight Life Groups that meet regularly for prayer, shared meals and honest confession in an effort to support one another in following Jesus and believing the Gospel. These groups serve our neighborhood in practical ways and they join other Life Groups twice a month for a wider “missional community” gathering.

What are/were the biggest challenges in planting your church?

Church planting presents a set of entrepreneurial challenges including casting vision, incorporating, raising funds, gathering a board, setting values and direction from scratch, gathering the initial core, growing it from there, and a myriad of other logistical and organizational concerns. It can be deeply tempting to direct a majority of your time and energy to these very important tasks and lose sight of simply abiding in Christ, drawing away often to pray, allowing the Holy Spirit to shape your vision and direction, saturating your mind and heart with Scripture, and remembering that discipleship is a time intensive and relationally intensive process. Jesus says in John 15 that apart from Him we can “do nothing.” We are not prepping polished Christian goods and services to attract a crowd and fuel the consumer nature of our culture in religious ways. It is not enough to fill a room. We must remain deeply connected to Jesus who will build HIS church. The greatest challenge is bearing fruit that will last.

Anything you want to tell someone considering becoming a church planter?

We do not live in uncontested space where we simply try out ministry ideas on a blank spiritual canvas. Spiritual warfare is a reality and we must fast and pray. There is no substitute for getting up early to seek the Lord. Do not be busy about too many things. Get up early and seek the Lord. If God births a vision in your heart, do not compromise it simply to raise money. Money can come from anywhere. Praise God for every victory big and small. Praise God and celebrate before you turn to criticism whenever you review any service or event. Be faithful to make the Gospel clear. Do not reduce it to merely some version you like or that seems effective in some other church. KEEP A TRUE SABBATH. Be attentive to your family. Love you wife well. Love your kids well. Read other stuff besides commentaries and Christian books. In a multitude of counselors there is wisdom. Encourage the hearts of your team members and staff. Thank people.

Explain how you personally disciple your family, also please introduce us to them.

Caleb and Allison Clardy

My wife is Allison Clardy and my two boys are Elijah, 2 and Luke, 1. Allison and I regularly pray, discuss the Gospel, the life of Jesus, the Scriptures, the church, politics, music, our personal struggles and joys, life in the Holy Spirit, and more in an effort to see everything as under the rule and for the glory of Jesus. We eat, play, laugh, make love, discern difficult decisions, argue, hang out with people, and constantly call each other back to see all of this through the lens of the larger story of God, the powerful message of the Gospel, and life in Christ. I am trying to teach Elijah that God loves Him, and I read to him from a kids Bible. Luke doesn’t talk yet, but with both boys we want them to know the love and security of our home is a reflection of the character of God. We try to model utter dependence on Jesus and admit when we are wrong. On most nights I sneak into the boys room when they are asleep and pray over them for their salvation, their development, protection, that they will be warriors in the Kingdom of Jesus, that God’s favor will rest on them all the days of their life.

To Contact Caleb:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=565158592&ref=ts

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CalebClardy

Qualifications of a Church Planter

Date: July 30, 2009

Author: David Nicholas

Category: Church Planting

The church I planted and pastored for over 40 years became a church planting church. We were, by the grace or God, able to plant over 200 churches in various parts of the world. I have been in the church planting business for years and have called and funded many church planters. There wasn’t much interest in church planting when I began looking for men to plant churches back in the 1970s. In those days, many in the church at large thought that any pastor could plant a church, but we soon learned that the majority of pastors are not equipped to be church planters. Over the years I discovered that the successful church planter has a unique combination of natural and spiritual gifts. The following are some of the most important characteristics of a successful church planter.

1. The successful church planter has a working knowledge of God’s Word.

Our primary source of knowledge about God and his plan for man about Man and his need for God is found in the Bible, God’s Word. Those who represent God to the church and the world are to be life long learners of God’s truth from God’s Word. God’s truth is truth we can find no where else, and the successful church planter realizes that his insights into God’s plan through God’s Word gives him an incredible edge over what the world has to offer. Note that I spoke of a “working knowledge” of God’s Word, not just knowledge. It is not simply knowing the Bible and Bible doctrine but knowing how God’s truth works in a practical way in your own life and in the lives of others to transform and make a difference for good and for eternity.

2. Godly Character

The English word “character” comes from the Greek word “character” and is found only in Hebrews 1:3 in the New Testament. The author of Hebrews, in explaining to us who God the Son is, says, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint (Greek: character) of his nature…” (ESV). This Greek word was originally used of an engraving tool and then a die used to make copies. The copy was an exact replica of the original. So also, God the Son is exactly like God the Father. He has his “character.” The transliterated word “character” was eventually used to refer to living up to a standard or a model. For the Christian, godly character is defined by living up to the ethical and moral standard God has revealed to us in his Word. This begins with the Ten Commandments and covers every aspect of our thinking, speaking and behaving. There is a right way to think, speak and behave, just as there is a wrong way to think, speak and behave. God in his Word tells us over and over again what he expects of us in the way of godly character.

“1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” (Ephesians 5:1-5 ESV)

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1Timothy 4:12 ESV)

A leader with great giftedness and ungodly character is a sad combination. The world is replete with such examples, but it also happens in the church. Christians are often willing to rationalize away or tolerate character defects so that their leader can continue using his strong gifts. Some of my best church planters are now out of the ministry because of sexual sins and one has developed a dubious reputation because he crossed the “character” line.

3. Communication skills

Very rarely have I seen a successful church planter who did not have a certain amount of giftedness in the area of communication. The growth or lack of growth of a church can usually be attributed to the communication skills, or lack thereof, of the pastor. Mega churches in this country have grown because of the speaking ability of the Senior Pastor. Good communicators have a combination of giftedness. They have an ability to understand God’s Word and how to make it practical for their listeners. They know how to craft a message that is logical, interesting and edifying. They also have developed a delivery that is winsome and appealing. The dedicated pastor will be a life-long learner, always endeavoring to grow in his speaking ability.

4. Evangelistic fervor

I did a survey of 1,000 sermons preached at evangelical churches in the U.S. and found that only 6% of the preachers mentioned the Bad News and the Good News in a meaningful and logical way. “Gospel preaching” is ignored or relegated to a sentence or two at the end of a sermon urging people to “believe in Jesus” or to “invite Jesus into their hearts.” But the listener has no idea who Jesus is or what he accomplished through his death and resurrection. Thus we have churches that are growing because of gifted communicators who preach self-help messages or feel-good messages but not the truth of what God did for us through Jesus. These churches grow as Christians shuffle from one church to another looking for the hottest preacher in the area. And some grow by doing whatever it takes to attract a larger crowd. But the Bad News and the Good News are missing.

Contrast that with the apostle Paul, the ultimate church planter, who wrote to the church in Corinth and reminded them of his mission in their city. He said,

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1Corinthians 2:2 ESV).

Paul knew that the gospel was to be of first importance (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) in the life of the church because he understood that that was where the power of God resided. We get some understanding of Paul’s view of the importance of the Gospel from Romans 1:16.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 ESV)

Too many pastors today think that the power of God resides in their well-crafted sermons. Their churches may grow but they have few stories to tell of how God is taking people from death to life. Therefore, the church planter who is effective for God will be a Christ-centered, Gospel-centered church planter.

5. Leadership abilities

I have seen church planters who were good communicators but who could not put all the pieces together to build a viable church. They were able to get so far and then the church stopped growing or collapsed. These men lacked leadership gifts and could only take the group so far. I also see numerous churches that limp along year after year because the pastor does not have leadership gifts.

Leadership is the ability to come up with a vision, explain the vision to your people and have them jump on board and follow you and support you in attaining your vision. The vision may be the adding of another worship service, the purchase of a piece of property, the building of a new building, the starting of a new ministry, the relocation of your church, etc. You know you are a leader when you come up with new ideas, express them to your board and people, and see them follow you. Many pastors are maintainers, not builders or visionaries. They are good pastors or shepherds, but would not make successful church planters.

6. A good fit

This one is not a characteristic but more of a qualification. The church planter must fit the area where he is going to plant the church, geographically, economically, socially and educationally, or else be extremely adaptable. I remember a situation in which a man from the deep South was called to plant a church in an area of Florida that had been invaded by Yankees. This man sounded Southern, talked Southern and acted Southern. He was not the right man for the area to which he had been called. He figured this out and declined the call. I have seen men who were not comfortable around affluence and would have had a difficult time in that kind of environment. I have a degree in business and was in business for a few years before coming to know the Lord. My ministry over the years appealed to businessmen and I was able to lead many to Christ. Therefore, as a church planter you need to determine what kind of a fit you have with the people to whom and with whom you minister.

7. Giftedness and Personality

The church planter should have a growing knowledge of his giftedness and personality so that he knows who he is and how he comes across to others and is able to relate to others and minister to them.

Giftedness

God has given each one of his children natural and spiritual gifts or abilities. The church planter should have a growing awareness of his talents and abilities, both naturally and spiritually, so that he can make full use of who God created him to be. Confidence in the ministry comes from experiencing God working in and through your gifts to make a difference for time and eternity in the lives of others. I believe God gave me the gift of leadership when he saved me. As I look back on the first 27 years of my life when I did not know Christ, I see no evidence that I ever thought about being a leader or gave leadership to anything or anybody. I was a follower. But after God saved me and called me to plant a church I soon learned that I had leadership gifts because I came up with ideas and people bought into them and we moved ahead.

It is sad to talk to a person who has been a Christian for years and does not know what his spiritual gifts are. But it is sadder to talk to a pastor who has little knowledge of how God designed and created him in Christ Jesus. One of the areas we will discuss with potential church planters is their giftedness and how they have seen God work through their talents.

Personality

God does not directly address the subject of personality in the Bible but we can clearly see the differences in the personalities of the main players in God’s drama. Moses was a man of great passion and determination, Timothy was timid and reserved, Paul was aggressive and forceful and Peter was Peter. Each was distinct and each was used of God.

I have been helped tremendously through personality evaluations such as DISC and Myers-Briggs. At one time I thought all of us were alike, and my first encounter with DISC was an eye-opener. I learned that I was a Result-Oriented High D, and then I discovered that Result-Oriented High D’s can be a huge problem for other people. The ministry is a people business so I have had to work at making sure that God’s character qualities (The fruit of the Spirit) hold sway over my personality and rein in the areas that need to be tempered. And I am still working on it! And it has not been easy. But the Christian leader cannot simply say, “Oh, that’s the way I am,” and excuse himself for his sinfulness. In the same way, a timid person like Timothy could not hide behind his personality and use it as an excuse not to do evangelism. Paul had to prod him “to do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5) and to trust God to give him what he needed to share the Bad News and the Good News with people, even though this was the last thing Timothy wanted to do as far as his personality was concerned.

One of the areas we evaluate in our application process is that of the church planter’s personality. We do this because we want him to know who he is and how he relates to others and is perceived by others.

Summary

I have set forth seven areas of importance that need to be considered by the man who thinks he has been called to plant a church. If you are interested, let me invite you to make application to The Church Planting Network. We will work with you in assessing your readiness to plant a church.

August 15, 2009

Author: Ryan McInerney

Category: Church Planting

This past week, I had the great privilege of meeting two great men, Steve Dusek and Doug Moore. They have planted a great Gospel preaching Church in a little town on the move; Ellijay GA, approx 1.5 hours north of Atlanta. David Nicholas had run across their church by accident after having seen a sign one Sunday morning hanging from the pillars of a movie theatre entrance. He stopped in with his wife Nori, and found himself well pleased with Steve’s strong communication skills, desire to teach God’s word well, and the clearly positive response of the congregants.

David met with him for breakfast and found Steve to be a strong leader with a great desire to learn and grow into the kind of Pastor God called him to be. It was decided that David would give Steve and his assistant pastor Doug Moore a two day “boot camp” on church planting 101: how to present the Gospel concisely and accurately.

Day one, Sunday morning:

Upon entering the church (theatre), we were warmly received, greeted at the door by members of the congregation, given a name tag, and made our way to the breakfast set-up, prepared by volunteers from a local bakery.

The contemporary worship was top notch, well rehearsed, and thought through. Casey, the worship leader led well, worshiped whole-heartedly, and preformed with excellence. The songs were appropriate and well connected to the message, and allowed all of us to get to the heart of worship. He is a gift to have in a new church.

The sermon was on “The Other Jesus”, part of a series describing the attributes of Jesus as he really is; God in the flesh, not what culture and confusion has made him to be. Steve presented well, engaged the congregation with questions, related the text to his own life, and paid special attention to recognizing his son’s character.

There were well over 130 people in attendance, the largest service yet. Considerable growth for a church only on it’s 20^th week of corporate worship.

Day two and three, the Training:

We spent two days going through the presentation of the Gospel, and its importance, and were met with great enthusiasm and receptive hearts. We covered a number of topics and training related to good expositing of a text, how to present the “good news and the bad news”, and do personal evangelism in a highly effective way. Steve and Doug were open, honest, inquisitive, and ready to learn. Steve and Doug were a joy to interact with, and we all learned a lot from each other.

I can confidently say that these two men, and the leadership of those who God has surrounded them with, are going to go places. Ellijay, look out, Jesus is on the move. To find out more about them, check out their site at Orchard Church

Steve Dusek Preaches at Orchard Church

Doug Moore

Author: David Nicholas

Category: The Gospel

Article originally appeared on SermonCentral.com located here

Dr. David Nicholas

The pastor was brilliant. The people were with him every step of the way. Concluding the service he said, “I have good news for you today. Narzak paid for all your crimes. As we sing this last hymn, I invite you to come forward to receive Narzak into your heart. Let’s all stand and sing.”

The people stood, but they were more than confused. They wondered if they had heard correctly. Did the preacher really say, “Narzak paid for all your crimes?” Every person in the church was wondering, “Who is Narzak?” and “What crimes?”

Let’s carry this scenario over into the typical church service, in which the pastor thinks he is preaching the gospel. Realize that when the unbeliever hears the phrase, “Jesus died for you and paid for all your sins,” he is thinking, “Who is Jesus?” and “What sins?” Jesus has great name recognition, but I have discovered that many people who call themselves Christians have no idea who he is. And the typical unbeliever doesn’t have a clue. The unbeliever may own up to some faults, but he doesn’t think of himself as a sinner. He sees himself as basically a “good” person.

My quest to know what has happened to the Gospel began a few years ago when my wife and I visited various churches while on vacation. I noticed that the pastors of these churches—churches that would be considered biblical and evangelical—did not clearly explain the Bad News about ourselves and the Good News of what God has done for us through Christ. Yet in many of these churches, an invitation was given for people to come forward to “receive Jesus into their hearts.” But because there was no explanation of who Jesus is, what he did and why he did it, the invitation came across to the unbeliever just like the statement, “Narzak paid for your crimes. Won’t you believe in Narzak?”

Yes, salvation is of God, and the Holy Spirit must work in giving spiritual life to a person. And yes, he can do it any way he chooses. John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15), but this is not the norm. God’s primary way of saving people is through the Gospel, because his power is in the Gospel (Romans 1:16). This is why the Gospel must be presented clearly. After all, if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle (1 Corinthians 14:8)? And if the problems of sin and death and what God has done to overcome them through Jesus Christ are not clearly set forth, who will understand their need and come to Jesus in faith?

I decided to see how pervasive this problem is. I asked LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources, to conduct an independent survey of sermons from churches across the country—churches large and small, denominational and non-denominational—to see how often the Bad News and the Good News are being explained in a meaningful and understandable way. LifeWay Research conducted a survey of hundreds of sermons. The results are in, and Dr. Ed Stetzer with LifeWay Research called them “unsettling.”

It seems that the overwhelming majority of pastors have assumed that the Gospel, as set forth by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, is Christianity 101 and that the people listening to their sermons already grasp the basic concepts of the Gospel.

“Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it. You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed to no purpose. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (HCSB)

The LifeWay Research survey revealed that 94% of pastors are not preaching the Bad News (our sin and death problems and why good works don’t work) and the Good News (what God has done through Christ to overcome our sin and death problems).

Most pastors do not mention the Bad News or the Good News in their sermons. But, sadder than this, most pastors do not know how to preach and explain the Bad News and Good News in a meaningful and understandable way. Is this important? Yes, if we are to take Jesus seriously, and if we have a desire to do what he commanded us to do. The Great Commission is at the heart of God’s plan for this world, and at the heart of the Great Commission is making disciples by preaching the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8).

I was asked by the Church Planting Coordinator for my denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, to lead an evangelism conference. I agreed and told the Coordinator that I wanted the pastors who signed up for the conference to bring two or three sermons with them. I would place the men in small groups and ask each man to explain his sermon to the men in his group and then demonstrate how he had incorporated the Bad News and Good News into his message.

At this point, the Coordinator said to me, “David, these are all seminary-trained, ordained PCA pastors. They all know how to do that.” I said, “Humor me.” He did, and after leading a small group at the conference the Coordinator e-mailed me these remarks:

“Well, David, I must say that you’ve made a believer out of me. Overall I think the Evangelism Convocation went very well, but the preaching exercises in our coaching clusters stood out as the most valuable aspect of the entire event. They confirmed exactly what you said they would, and I see now that one of the biggest reasons we don’t have people coming to Christ in our churches, and why so many of our churches are lackluster and dying, is that the gospel simply isn’t being preached! I was so struck by how the guys would use code words like “the gospel” and “grace” and “the work of Christ” in their messages, and yet never, NEVER flesh them out or lay out the gospel. I guess they assume they’re doing it, but it just isn’t there.”

This man put his finger on the biggest problem in the church today. We have pastors who think they are preaching the gospel by using “Christianese” jargon; their congregants think they are hearing the gospel because the message contains familiar buzz words. Those on the inside are happy with what is going on, but unbelievers are not being reached, because the Bad News and the Good News are not clearly explained.

I recently received a call from a former member of Spanish River Church who had moved to Franklin, TN. He told me that he and his family had visited three churches in the area and heard more than a dozen sermons. Only once did one of the pastors get somewhat close to the gospel, but he still did not really explain it. There was no gospel in the other thirteen messages my friend heard. Yet invitations to receive Christ were given at each service! This man was amazed and wondered what was going on in the church.

I explained that many pastors think they are presenting the gospel, when in actuality they are not. They use “in-house” words and phrases that believers understand. It is like a child’s special code that requires a “secret decoder ring” to decipher the message. Either pastors do not believe they have any unbelievers in their services, or they don’t believe the gospel is God’s power for the salvation of all who believe. Or perhaps they just do not realize they’re not communicating clearly. Until our pastors commit to clearly presenting the Bad News and the Good News in plain, direct language, the unsaved man or woman will comprehend the message no more clearly than the tale of Narzak.

Editor’s Note: For an example of a clear gospel presentation, enjoy Dr. Nicholas’ article, “Presenting the Gospel the way Bobbie Lee Learned to Drive”

Article originally appeared on SermonCentral.com located here

Check out our article “What is the Bad News, Good News Gospel” for more information about properly preaching the Gospel.

Author: Karen Granger of The Good News

Category: Church Leadership

Article originally appeared in The Good News here

After more than 42 years of service, Dr. David Nicholas is turning over the reins of senior pastor of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton.

“It’s the right thing to do and it’s also a very difficult thing to do,” he says. “My life, for more than 42 years has been my ministry at Spanish River.”

David says he could have retired years ago, but saw that the Lord was accomplishing so much through the ministry that it would have been pointless.

“But now it’s the right thing to do for the church,” he says. “Pastors move, retire or suddenly become ill making transitions challenging for the whole church body.”

David says it’s very unusual for a church to have a smooth transition from one leader to the next, yet for Spanish River things are going remarkably well.

The church has appointed Tommy Kiedis, formerly with Palm Beach Atlantic College and Palm Beach Community Church, as the new senior pastor.

“Tommy has been on our staff for two years. He’s had a speaking and leadership role so our people have built relationships with him and feel like they know him,” explains David.

Tremendous growth

David and his wife, Nori, began Spanish River Church in a storefront near the railroad tracks in Boca Raton with just eight adults and five kids. Today, the church sits on the corner of Yamato Road and St. Andrews Boulevard and boasts a state-of-the-art worship center that seats 1,500 and a large chapel.

The Nicholas’s have counseled and shared the Gospel message with business moguls, sports celebrities, the homeless and orphans over four decades. They’re also the force behind the formation of Spanish River Christian School with 600 students as well as the bustling Spanish River Counseling Center.

Despite the success of these ministries, David is most in awe of what the Lord has done through Spanish River’s church planting ministry. In fact, David is known for having planted more than 200 churches worldwide.

“We first planted churches in West Boca, Naperville, Ill., Plano, Texas and San Ramon, Calif.,” David says.

In 1989 David began to do the math and calculated that the average U.S. missionary requires approximately $150,000 per year for their programs out in the field.

“They also have the challenge of raising funds year after year to keep their ministries in motion,” he says.

Although David acknowledges that missionaries do extraordinary work, he has found that investing in church planting movements has a greater return when it comes to sharing the Gospel.

“In Haiti, we’ve built eight churches, and they’re bringing in more than 5,000 people for a one-time investment that totaled less than $300,000,” he says.

“Years ago, we helped to plant the renown Redeemer Church in Manhattan for $100,000, and, today, that church has grown so much they are planting churches in Haiti, Brazil, Mexico and India.”

“I understand Redeemer’s church planting ministry has grown to the point they are able to invest approximately $1 million a year [in] advancing the Gospel through church planting,” David says in awe.
In Chad, Spanish River has planted a church which now has a bakery that provides the community with sustainable income, a fresh water system and an orphanage catering to 100 children.

Years ago, a man from India approached David, asking him for financial support to start a ministry.

“We invested $3,000 to start a small church. More than 250 people attended and they quickly ran out of room,” he says. “So we gave that same man, $5,800 to start another church, which is drawing more than 700 people. Today, that same man has planted 50 churches in India, including many in very hostile areas.”

Church staff looks back

Donna Ferguson, a Spanish River Church staff member, says there are so many things that a senior pastor does that most congregants never get to see.

Donna, who is bilingual, often gets called upon when Spanish speaking visitors arrive at the church office.

“One day, the pastors pulled me into David’s office. A Spanish speaking man was trying to tell David that he worked with some missionaries in a far away place where they didn’t have transportation. All he was asking for was 20 bikes,” she recalls.

“David immediately took the man to a local store to get him what he needed, including a digital camera. He taught him how to use it to post pictures of the ministry on the internet in order to share their mission with others and raise additional funds.”

Looking ahead

The vivacious Nicholas, in his 70s, is not really retiring. Today, David is starting The Church Planting Network. He will be working with Trinity Grace Church in Manhattan to help them build a church in Brooklyn, as well as assisting other churches around the world.
David has also become passionate about orphanages and ministries in India that care for unwanted babies.

He will also continue to study and write about attachment disorder.
“I experienced something similar to an extent,” he says. “My parents were married 55 years. Then, one died.

“We moved so much. My mom was critical and not loving, and my father was away with the Navy. I didn’t have an incubator of love and support to build confidence,” he reflects.

David says Christians need a love relationship with Christ, and, if he had it to do over again, he would focus on that more in the pulpit.

“The trust and obey part of our faith comes out of the love relationship just like in a marriage,” he says.

Nicholas is concerned that many children today may not physically be orphans, yet they’re growing up with two busy working parents lacking the relationship they need. He worries today’s excessively overworked parents are developing a generation lacking the ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships.

The best part

Nicholas says the most rewarding part of being a pastor is seeing people come to Christ.

“Last Tuesday, a woman came up to me and said she came to our church 38 years ago and heard ‘the bad news and the good news’ and gave her life to Christ,” he says with joy. “I love to see people taken from death to life.”

His advice to Christians is: “Stay close to Jesus,” he says firmly. “Stay in the Word, have it sink into you so He is your life.

“When you have a love relationship with Christ, it builds confidence and self-esteem. You’ll find you are useful to Him and that ripples out to others around you.”

Article originally appeared in The Good News here

Spanish River Church, Boca Raton Fl

June 21, 2009

Author: James D. Davis Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Category: Church Leadership

View Original Article Here

Jun. 21–The problem with churches? Not enough “bad news-good news,” in the view of a South Florida religious leader.

“No one is preaching the gospel,” says the Rev. David Nicholas, who finished 42 years last month atSpanish River Church. “They’re trying to draw crowds with self-help and positive thinking. Meanwhile, people don’t know what they believe.”

His complaint is more than mere rant. Nicholas, 77, finished his tenure May 31 at a Boca Raton congregation with weekend attendance of more than 1,700….

Nicholas is also founding a new organization, [The] Church Planting Network, using methods he developed at Spanish River.

” ‘Retire’ is a dirty word in my vocabulary,” he says during an interview at Spanish River Church. “I’m driven to do what God calls me to do.”

And instead of just leaving the church, Nicholas picked a successor: the Rev. Tommy Kiedis, former dean of the chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic

University. Spanish River hired Kiedis as head of global outreach about 2 1/2 years ago.

“I’ve orchestrated my own demise,” Nicholas says with a smile. “Tommy is a strong leader, and he preaches the Gospel.”

He leaves to Kiedis a vigorous congregation with an average age of 37 (at most Protestant churches, most members are over 45), which began contemporary-style worship back in 1987. Spanish River Church also has a counseling center and a school through eighth grade.

“It’s been a phenomenal church, filled with love,” Nicholas says. “And it’s been bad news-good news centered — that we’re not acceptable to God, but God through Jesus has made it possible to be rescued from sin and death.”

Also under Nicholas’ leadership, Spanish River has planted more than 200 churches throughout the U.S., plus Canada, Haiti, Chad, India, Brazil and elsewhere. And each church has become self-supporting. He’s especially proud of 23 churches in Haiti. They run “micro-businesses” like a rose farm, an ice factory, a call center and an Internet cafe.

The new Church Planting Network, based in Boca Raton, will start “macro-businesses” like construction.

“There will be a demise where preachers don’t take the bad news-good news seriously,” he predicts. “But when you preach it, you see God work and take people from death to life. That changes your perspective forever. I haven’t given up the fight. I never give up hope.”

James D. Davis can be reached at jdavis@Sun-Sentinel.com or 954-356-4730.