The Time Has Come…

The time has finally come for us to once again pick up our bags (and furniture, and everything else that we can call ours) and move! Saturday, February 4 is the big day! It has been quite a ride. We're going to miss Rome, and all of the amazing friends and memories that we take from here.

At the same time, we are so excited for what lies ahead! As most of you probably know, God has put this dream of church planting on our hearts for most of our adult lives. We planted our first church 4 months after getting married in Sucre, Bolivia… in 1998. To this day we have planted 7 different ministries around the world! Some have been incredible successes, others have been building blocks for those successes. 

La Vergne, TN

We'll be moving to La Vergne, TN which borders Nashville to the SE. It lies right between Nashville and Murfreesboro (where we lived before). It is the PERFECT place to plant this church. We will be living in the Lake Forest Estates Subdivision, which is the largest subdivision of homes in all of Tennessee, and one of the largest in the nation. There is a high Hispanic Population there, it's a fairly new area of development, and the city has experienced close to 100% growth since the year 2000. There are also very few churches in the immediate area.  

The Plan

We will be approaching this church plant much differently than we have before. Over the next year, we will be preparing the grounds for our launch, which we are now aiming at next January. Over the next 11 months, we have A LOT of work to do!

• Arriving in TN, we will begin the legal process of starting the church, getting 501c3 status, naming overseers, etc. 
• We will need to find a good place to hold our services, and set up at least a year contract with them (Schools/Movie Theaters/etc.).
• We will need to raise around $150,000-$200,000 for the launch.
• We will be putting together and  preparing a launch team of over 50 people.
• We will prepare EVERYTHING (worship team, children's ministry team, youth, greeters, etc.) before we have our first service. 

The goal is to have over 300 people in our first service next January! Yes, It's a lofty goal, but a very reachable one. Working with ARC (The Association of Related Churches) is an incredible blessing for us. We are not alone… and that means the world to us. Over the past months, it has been so great to be in contact with the dozens of new pastors who are planting churches right now. Every week they share their successes and struggles through a private Facebook group. It's amazing to see 250, 300, 500 + in their first services, with dozens or even hundreds accepting Christ into their lives for the first time! They are good people who love God, and are passionate about reaching the lost for Jesus Christ! It's exciting!!! We're honored to be a part of it.

Tidbits

I don't want to make this letter too long, but I did want to update everyone on the progress of this side business that I've been working on over the past months. It is called "WebBuild", and it is an online course that teaches churches "How to Build an Effective Online Presence… Without Breaking the Budget". It is up and running, and I've already had a few purchases! It's been getting glowing reviews! Having said that, I am still testing different ads, and ways of getting the word out. It'll probably be a somewhat slow process.

One thing that I'm doing is actually teaching a free online class/webinar. I feel that it is extremely helpful. In it, I teach pastors/leaders the strategies behind a successful web presence for your ministry. It's completely free, so if you or someone in your church would be interested in learning that, you can sign up for the next class here: https://app.webinarjam.net/register/32182/e2a24e67c7

Be Praying!

We just ask that each and every one of you would continue to keep us in your prayers! We need them SOOOO much. Your prayers really do matter, so write it down somewhere so that you don't forget! We appreciate it so much. 

May God bless you and your family richly! We'll be in contact soon… once we land in TN. 

Lots of Love,