DCC Launch Documents

News, Teaching

Church planting is hard.

We need all the help we can get. The Launch Documents are a compilation of the various resources we created, synthesized or adapted during the Launch Community development phase (June-Dec 2010) of Downtown Cornerstone Church (DCC). Some of you will remember these! We formatted them for clarity and unity, but otherwise they were left untouched. Original sources are notated throughout, though admittedly there may be exceptions. Honestly, I can’t remember. We never planned to compile them. It’s messy…just like church planting.

Three Groups.

First, for those that are new to DCC who would like to better understand where we’ve been as a newly forming church. Second, for those that have been a part of DCC from the beginning who need a refresher. Third, for those that are planting a church (or involved in a church plant) and are looking for a resource on how to cultivate their initial launch community. This is not the way to do it, but it is how we did it. It looks polished and put together, but that’s not how it felt when we were in the thick of it.

Our timeline.

MAY ’10 We began with an initial prayer gathering which marked the start of our launch team recruitment and development. From there, we met every Sunday night and engaged the community on some level during the week (Happy Hours, service opportunities, city events, etc).

JUNE We took the first month (June) to discuss and debate our vision, mission and values (pp 5-22).

JULY-SEPT Then, we transitioned into a three month (July-Sept) study through the Gospel-Centered Life material from World Harvest Mission. This was crucial in setting a gospel-centered trajectory. We supplemented this material with tangible ways to live out our vision as a newly forming church (pp 23-26).

FALL ’10 In the fall of 2010 we held four preview gatherings. The first of these was a vision night for friends, family, neighbors, coworkers or anyone who was remotely interested in joining or supporting this work. We explored our core values over the course of the next three preview gatherings. We continued to meet as a launch community on the Sunday evenings in between. I also created a study that merged elements of Total Church, Tangible Kingdom and Gospel in Life (pp 27-66). After the “Loving the City to Life” material (pp 67-76) we transitioned into the next season.

JAN ’11 In January we went into “soft launch” mode with weekly Sunday semi-public gatherings in the AM.

APRIL On April 4th we marked our birth as a newly forming church in the heart of downtown Seattle.

Cultivate your first love.

Jesus gave us Great Commandments (Mat 22:36-40) and a Great Commission (Mat 28:18-20). Amidst the great joys and tribulations of planting, if you cultivate a vibrant relationship with Jesus, grow in community and mix-it up with non-Christians you’ll do well – and you and the city will be the better for it, no matter the outcome. Love God. Love people. Make disciples.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20

 
For Jesus’ Fame,
Pastor Adam