In 2020 Foothills revisited our Vision and Mission as a Church. Through prayerful work and conversations we came to the conviction that God would make us more than a church for the community, but a distribution center for the spread of the Gospel in Ahwatukee and Beyond. We then set out four major elements to that vision, one of which was to send 3 local church planting teams across the valley where churches were needed. What you find here is the record of our journey to sending our first planting team.
Article #1: Why Plant Churches?
Part of our vision is to send 3 church planting teams locally. So, over the next several weeks, we will release a short, weekly article on church planting. What kind of church should we plant? What’s our process to plant? How do we fund a church plant? Today we start with Why plant churches?
Most Christians like the idea of church planting but have never seriously thought about being part of planting one. Maybe that’s because they can’t identify a biblical foundation for church planting? Why do we want to plant churches? Does the bible say anything about planting churches?
Article #2: Church Planting Possibilities
This is our second article about church planting. Last week we talked about why we should plant churches. Today let’s talk about church planting possibilities, and let’s focus on two possibilities.
One possibility is to start “from scratch.” That’s when “Church A” raises up a team of people and sends them to a new location to start a church where there is no church. That’s how Foothills got her start! Many churches are started this way. Like Foothills, across the Valley, many of these “scratch churches” begin in the home of a team…
Article #3: Foothills Planting Process
I want to affirm that the process for planting a church begins with the work of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the scriptures. But because of its significance, I want to save that for a separate email.
So let’s talk about the process of planting a church at Foothills. About 2 years ago, Jeanne Nation, our children’s minister/missions Director worked with the Elder Team to produce a process for assessing possible local and global church planters, leading to affirmation by the congregation…
Article #4: Legacy Church Plant
On Sunday, May 21st, during our Family Meeting, the Elder Team presented the congregation with the possibility of Foothills becoming the Sending Church Partner in a Legacy Church Plant located at McQueen Road Baptist Church, in Chandler. We presented this possibility to the church family, urging us to pray together for God’s wisdom and will, and to ultimately come to a decision on it in our next Family Meeting, Sunday, June 25. This is a summary of our presentation.
Just over two years ago, we adopted a vision that God would make of us more than a church for the community…
Article #5: Progress Update
We want to keep you up-to-date on the progress we have made in the effort to potentially become the sending church partner in a legacy church plant located at McQueen Road Baptist Church. First, this past Sunday, May 28, four of our elders and their wives had lunch with 12 members from McQueen Road Baptist Church. It was a wonderful time together – past memories were shared and future dreams were envisioned. Continue to pray for our brothers and sisters at MRBC…
Article #6: How are Church Plants Funded?
Since we became convinced that God is leading us to be a sending church, we have had conversations with church planters, NAMB Church Planting Catalysts, and other church planting churches, to learn what’s needed, financially. In the simplest form, this is what we’ve learned. Generally, a church plant budget should come in around $150-$180K per year. Of that, 40% is salary for a lead planter; 30% toward rent/mortgage…
Article #7: Prayer and Church Planting
Dr. H.B. Charles Jr. has said, “Prayer is arguably the most objective measurement of our dependence upon God. The things you pray about are the things you trust God to handle. The things you neglect to pray about are the things you trust you can handle on your own.”
It was out of a posture of prayerful dependence on the Lord that the Holy Spirit led the early church in Antioch to send the first team…
Article #8: 2nd Progress Update
As Pastor Gary mentioned on Sunday morning, June 18th, we have made significant progress in our effort to partner with McQueen Road Baptist Church (MRBC) for the advancement of the Gospel in South Chandler and Beyond. Here are few highlights of the progress that has been made over the past few weeks:
1. On June 11, MRBC unanimously voted to move forward in partnering with Foothills Baptist Church to Replant…
Article #9: Answering Your Giving Questions
Our Church Plant Update this week focuses on our Foothills Mission Offering (FMO). These monies are offerings which are above our regular giving and these offerings are outside our yearly budget. The Foothills Missions Offering (FMO) was launched last October 2022 at our LiveSent Missions Conference. The 12 month goal is $100,000. When you give to the FMO the offering is divided into 3 giving buckets: International Missions – 60%, Church Planting – 30%, SEND Relief – 10%…
Article #10: Church Planter Bio
One of the first things we began doing as an Elder Team, Staff, and Congregation was praying that God would raise up a man who aspired to be a church planting pastor and met the qualifications of that role outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Not too long after we began praying, the Lord began to work in the mind and heart of our very own Dan Diffey – a man who meets these qualifications and aspires to be the church planting pastor at MRBC site. You can read Dan’s bio below…
Article #11: Taking Action, Receiving Information
We certainly enjoyed the joint worship together with the brothers and sisters from McQueen Road this past Sunday afternoon! Madonna and I are so glad to be back, and we were happy to see so many of you gather for the worship/ fellowship time. Thank you for showing wonderful hospitality to our new friends! Please continue to pray for them and for us as we keep moving through our processes. On July 30th, we will hold a special called Family Meeting to affirm Dan Diffey…
Article #12: 3rd Progress Update
This Sunday, July 30th at 4pm we will vote to affirm sending Dan Diffey as our Lead Church Planter. We will vote using the Foothills App. If you don’t yet have it, we will provide paper ballots. This is an answer to prayer, in line with our vision and mission to send 3 local church planting teams! Praise the Lord for his work among us! After we vote, we plan to bring you up to date as much as we can with our due diligence; steps forward regarding the MRBC property and plant team; expected streams of support…
Article #13: Celebration- Information- Aspiration
This past Sunday evening, July 30, we affirmed the sending of Dan Diffey as our Lead Church Planter, to replant a new local church at the current location of McQueen Road Baptist Church, in Chandler! God has done this in answer to many prayers! We’re seeing the unfolding of the vision He gave us to become a sending church, a distribution center for the spread of the gospel in Ahwatukee and Beyond! Praise the Lord for his grace and power! Sunday evening we shared more details in our process moving forward…
Article #14: Next Steps towards replanting MRBC
This next step comes following months of following the providential leadership of the Lord in conversations between us, and the leadership of that congregation; prayer; identifying a church planter to send and considering our involvement in sending a team and supporting the plant financially. We truly believe the Lord is bringing the vision he gave us nearly two years ago to reality one piece at a time! Have you considered going to serve on the church plant team? We are looking for team leaders and team members to go in these broad categories: Worship; Kids Ministry…
