Archive for Strategic Partners
Strategic Partner Spotlight: Summit Community Church
Earlier this week I introduced you to Coram Deo, one of our Strategic Partners. Today, I’d like to introduce our other existing Strategic Partner, namely Summit Community Church.
Summit was started somewhere around 10 years ago by pastor John Ryan. They’ve met at several locations over those years and now currently meet in the O’Fallon Christian High School. I came to know John through the Acts 29 Network at one of their Quarterly Regional events at The Journey. I told John what I was up to, we set up a time to meet for lunch, he stood me up, and went on sabbatical for a few months…
But I got over it, he got back, and we reconnected. Coming out of the A29 assessment, one of the conditions of our approval to plant in the network was for my family and I to transition to Summit. This was a natural transition since it was right near where we live and it was a place where I could get some real-life church planting experience. (Though it was a natural transition, it was not and easy one – leaving our church home of of six and a half years at Mid Rivers Christian Church as we embark out on this journey to plant in Lincoln has certainly been bittersweet).
Not long after we transitioned to Summit, John and I sat down and sketched out the details of what we came to call a church planting internship. This was very much guided by who I am, where I am, and where I’m heading with respect to planting and has been a great help. The things that we listed out include:
Areas of Training
- Small group leader training.
- Bi-monthly meeting for coaching and mentoring discussing things present and things future.
- Elder meeting attendance.
- Membership material development.
- Raising support.
- Preaching.
Areas of Study
- Reading through specific sections of Grudem’s Systematic Theology and discussing.
- Reading and discussing Strauch’s Biblical Eldership.
Areas of Ministry Work and Leadership
- Small group leader training (teaching).
- Membership material (helping to write/review).
- Set-up and tear-down.
- Writing down and discussing first stage plans for 2 Pillars.
- Raising support.
- Preaching.
Miscellaneous:
- Marital mentoring.
- Ordination.
Now, it’s likely that we might not hit all of these (or hit them well) over the course of the year and we’re both aware of that; however, we’re hitting most of them and having a good, documented list of things I know we need to look at and work on guides us well.
In addition to the church planting internship outlined above, Summit is also coming behind us with financial support. Through the internship, through mentoring/coaching, and through financial support, Summit is modeling what it means to be partners for the gospel.
You can learn more about Summit Community Church by visiting their website.
Strategic Partner Spotlight: Coram Deo
This post is intended to introduce you to one of the strategic partners of Project 2 Pillars, namely Coram Deo. 
Coram Deo is a church plant that was started in downtown Omaha by Bob Thune in the fall of 2005. I first met Bob through the Acts 29 Network when looking for A29 churches in or near Lincoln. The initial email exchange (back in ~April of 2008) went something like this:
Me: You don’t know me…I’m from St. Louis…I think God is calling me to plant a church in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Bob: Sweet – I’ll be in St. Louis next week, let’s get together over coffee.
As it turned out, Bob had originally felt called to plant in Lincoln but later felt God turn him towards Omaha. Over coffee we talked about church in general, my calling, and Acts 29. Through that conversation, he encouraged me to submit to the assessment process of the network which I underwent last fall. Bob then led the assessment team (there were three others on the team) that went on to grant us conditional approval to plant with A29. Over the last year then, the relationship with Coram Deo has grown to what it is today. Bob and the other guys at Coram Deo (Will, Kendall, Justin) have all been a huge source of encouragement and coaching during that time.
As a strategic partner, Coram Deo is helping Project 2 Pillars in some very specific ways. First and foremost is an informal coaching and mentoring relationship where I can simply bounce ideas, seek counsel and wisdom, and learn from someone who has done this before. The second way in which Coram Deo is helping is by way of financial support. It has been a huge blessing to have a church like Coram Deo come behind us so quickly and willing to support us financially at the level that they are. It took an initial hefty load off my shoulders (and provided some hefty encouragement) for Coram Deo to agree to support us in this way.
Beyond coaching and financial support, Coram Deo is also helping dramatically in the logistics of fundraising allowing us to do all of our fundraising under their existing non-profit status. They are also helping to keep track of contributions made, generate reports, and provide year-end tax documentation to all of the contributors of Project 2 Pillars. Finally, they have been willing to share their color copier which, according to my calculations, has saved Project 2 Pillars at least a couple of hundred bucks thus far (thanks, Barb).
Everyone in Omaha knows someone in Lincoln: they either grew up there, went to school there, have family their, friends there, etc. As such Coram Deo has served as a great help in providing some early contacts in Lincoln. Some have been potential launch team folks, some have been fellow pastors in Lincoln, and some have been simply good people that we’ll connect with to discuss God’s kingdom and the gospel in Lincoln.
The final way in which Coram Deo has been a partner in this is simply through brotherhood. It has been a joy to visit Coram Deo with my wife and family, stay with the Thunes, and get to know their family. It has also been a joy to talk shop with Bob at the pub and engage Will and Justin through seminary.
Through coaching, mentoring, financial support, logistical support, and brotherhood, Coram Deo has modeled what it means to be partners for the gospel.
You can learn more about Coram Deo by checking out the Coram Deo Website, the Coram Deo Blog (also listed in the far right column under Relevant Feeds), and the Coram Deo Vision Video below:
Coram Deo Getting the Word Out
Thanks to Bob and the guys over at Coram Deo for helping to get the word out about Project 2 Pillars via their blog. Read their recent post, Church Planting in Lincoln.
