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:: for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth :: :: coming January 2010 ::

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"" TT H E C H U R C H I S A H E C H U R C H I S A GG O DO D -- G L O R I F Y I N GG L O R I F Y I N G ,, C I T YC I T Y -- L O V I N G L O V I N G P E O P L EP E O P L E ,, W H O I S M O R E I N T E R E S W H O I S M O R E I N T E R E S T E D I N M A K I N G T E D I N M A K I N G

D I S C I PD I S C I P L E S A N D B U I L D I N G L E S A N D B U I L D I N G GG O DO D ’’ S S KK I N G D O M T H A N I N I N G D O M T H A N I N M A K I NM A K I N G A N A M E F O R O U R S E L VG A N A M E F O R O U R S E L V E S A N D B U I L D I N G O U R E S A N D B U I L D I N G O U R

L E S S E R L E S S E R ‘‘ K IK I N G D O MN G D O M . ’. ’ WW E E X I S T T O B E S E N TE E X I S T T O B E S E N T ;; T O T O C A R R YC A R R Y O U T T H E M I S S I O N O F O U T T H E M I S S I O N O F GG O DO D ,, I N T E N T I O N A L L Y I N T E N T I O N A L L Y

L I V I N G L I V I N G A N D L O V I N G L Y A N D L O V I N G L Y E N G A G I N G T H E W O R L D AE N G A G I N G T H E W O R L D A RR O U N D O U N D U S F O R T H E N A M EU S F O R T H E N A M E O F O F CC H R I S TH R I S T .. II N D I V I D U A L L Y A N D N D I V I D U A L L Y A N D

C O L LC O L L E C T I V E L YE C T I V E L Y ,, W E A R E W E A R E ‘‘ A C I T Y O N A H I L LA C I T Y O N A H I L L ’ ;’ ; WW E E ‘‘ S H I N E B E F O R E O T H E R SS H I N E B E F O R E O T H E R S .. ’’ WW E D O NE D O N ’’ T T ‘‘ G O T O C H U R C HG O T O C H U R C H ’ ;’ ; W E A R E T H E C H U R C HW E A R E T H E C H U R C H ,, S E E K I N G S E E K I N G GG O DO D ’’ S R E D E M P T I O N I N S R E D E M P T I O N I N

E V E RE V E R Y A S P E C T O F S O C I E T YY A S P E C T O F S O C I E T Y .. WW E E X I S T F O R T H E E E X I S T F O R T H E G L O RG L O R YY O F O F GG O D A N D T H E G O O D O F O D A N D T H E G O O D O F FF O R T O R T WW O R T HO R T H .. ””

-- BB E NE N :: CONTENTS :: Intro p.2 Fort Worth p.3 Vision p.4 Basics p.5 Strategy p.6 Doctrine p.7-8 Timelin e p.9 FAQ’s p.10-11

Budget p.12 Partners p.13 Involvement p.14 Appendix A: Fort Worth

Fact Sources p.15 Appendix B: Fort Worth

Zip Codes p.16 Appendix C: Acts 29 Assessment Results p.17-19

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:: INTRO :: HOWDY!

Thanks for your interest in The City Church, a new church community coming to downtown Fort Worth and to neighborhoods across the city over the course of 2010! In 2008 we started asking the question, “what would it look like if Christians in the heart of Fort Worth LIVED AS the church, instead of just GOING TO a church?” The simple answer was that it would look “different.” That summer we began walking through the process of church planting, and found ourselves surrounded by supportive individuals, churches, and organizations. We completed an extensive church plant training and assessment and with Acts 29, a missional church planting network of over 200 churches around the world, who approved us as church planters. God seemed to be moving us in this direction, at times in spite of our own ideas and comfort level! Finally, in the spring of 2009 God’s leading became undeniable: we were supposed to plant a church. It was supposed to be in the fast-growing, largely unchurched population of downtown Fort Worth, and it was supposed to happen soon. Some of the stories and so-called “coincidences” that have confirmed this movement of God have truly amazed to us. So here we find ourselves, admittedly a little anxious, but excited, expectant, humbled, prayerful, and knowing that we’re on the brink of something great that God’s doing. What exactly will The City Church look like? This prospectus explains some aspects of this “different” church – our vision, mission, values, goals, and the groundwork we’re laying. But planning and vision are only half of the process at best. The next steps involve believers, who are passionate about God’s church and who are passionate about this great city and its people, banding together and taking bold steps as we live out God’s age-old mission of redemption and reconciliation. We are excited as we look forward to living out that vision, and we hope that you will join this great endeavor! Thank you in advance for your time, prayers, and consideration. We look forward to seeing what unique part you’ll play in The City Church. For the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth,

Ben Connelly, planting pastor On behalf of The City Church leadership team ABOUT BEN & JESS: Ben and Jess met when Ben was a youth pastor in Waco during their undergrad years at Baylor. He hired her to be a summer intern, and three years after her start date, they married. Except for his Baylor years, Ben has spent his whole life in and around Fort Worth. He earned Masters degrees from Dallas Seminary and has just under a decade of ministry experience. Jess is a “transplant” from Omaha, Nebraska, and is working on a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling at Southwestern Seminary. During down time, they both enjoy snow skiing (as often as possible), good conversation with folks, music, and movies. They’re excited to see what God has in store for The City Church!

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:: FORT WORTH :: WHY START A CHURCH IN FORT WORTH?

When we started exploring the world of church planting, “strategic cities” emerged as a recurring key term. Culture is created, populations are dense, and diversity thrives in cities. Cities are the most strategic place for the gospel. So we pulled out the U.S. map and looked for a growing city where people need Jesus. We were fairly open to go anywhere (we love the mountains, so of course we thought we’d land in Denver!), but as we researched and prayed, we discovered we already live in the perfect location*:

• Fort Worth is the fastest growing large city (pop. 500,000+) in the U.S., with a population increase of 25% between 2000 and 2007.

• In 2008 Fort Worth’s population passed the 700,000 mark, and is projected to reach over one million by 2030.

• The average U.S. church size is about 250 people. Just to keep up with the population growth over the past eight years, Fort Worth would need 600 new churches!

• The DFW metroplex is the second-fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S, with a projected population of 10.1 million by 2040 (in 2000, it was only 5.2 million).

• 74% of people in the DFW metroplex do not attend church on Sundays, and in Fort Worth, only 52% affiliate themselves with any religion.

• Only 25% of churches are located in urban settings, like downtown Fort Worth. • Over 5,000 new living units are currently being built along the West 7th St. corridor into

downtown Fort Worth/Sundance Square, with another 5,000+ units planned northeast of downtown. A total of over 10,000 new living units are headed downtown, whose target audience is post-college single and young married professionals.

• Excluding this growth, over 80,000 people live within three miles of downtown Fort Worth, with a minimal presence of evangelical, Bible-preaching churches.

Fort Worth is among the most strategic cities in the nation right now! And we love Fort Worth (except the August heat); it offers a great arts culture, a strong economy and job base prompting growth, and a substantial college-aged population, including TCU, TCC, and Texas Wesleyan. Fort Worth is our home. And a huge need for a city-loving church exists right here. At the same time, our great, growing, thriving city is broken. Here are a few examples:

• 20,000 refugees from 45 different ethnicities live in Fort Worth. • 8,000 people in Fort Worth need nursing home care but are unable to afford it. • 4,000-5,000 people are homeless in Tarrant County (61% of those are women and

children). • At least 17 strip clubs operate in Fort Worth, plus at least one prostitution ring,

employing hundreds of women in the sex industry. • The Fort Worth Federal Correctional Institution holds 1,815 inmates, plus we have four

major jails, one juvenile center, and numerous half-way houses. • 1 of every 6 males and 1 of every 4 females in Fort Worth are sexually abused

before age 18. • 200-300 gangs exist in Fort Worth, which together have 5,000-6,000 members.

Bottom line, Fort Worth needs another church because God has been on a mission for all of history, redeeming his people back to Himself. And he does this, in part, through the church. There are broken, hurting people who need the gospel, and who need to be restored to their Creator. And there are more of them moving here every day.

[*See appendix A for sources]

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:: VISION :: A (NOT-SO) NEW KIND OF CHURCH

The City Church might look different than any church you’ve ever heard of. But not “different just to be different.” Instead, in dreaming, praying, researching, and planning The City Church, our continual haunting question was “what would it look like if a group of believers in Fort Worth lived as the church, rather than just going to a church?” As we scoured Scripture to answer that question, we realized a few striking things*:

• The mission of the church is the mission of God: as God sent Jesus into the world, so we exist as a community, seeking the redemption of God’s people as he sends us into the world as well (Matt 28:18-20; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 1Pet 2:9).

• The early church was less a “formal institution” meeting weekly, and more a people living out their faith and values in daily life (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37; 5:42; James 1:22-25).

• While there was strong leadership, there wasn’t a model of “clergy” doing work which “lay people” received – every person worked for the good of the church’s mission (Rom 12:4-8; 1Cor 12; Pet 4:10; 2Tim 2:1-2; 40 “one another” passages in NT).

• The early church trained their people and sent them into ministry, so the church could live on God’s mission together (Eph 4:11-16; Rom 12:1-2; 1Ths 5:11-22; Heb 3:13).

• The gospel is not just a one-time “switch” from (whatever) to Jesus, but the life of God flowing into and transforming every aspect of our lives (Rom 12:1-2, 9-21; Eph 4:17-32; Php 2:12-13; 1Pet 1:14-16).

We found that the church of the Bible looks very different from our 21st-century, American model of institutional, formal “church!” Plus, if we follow the modern model, we’d likely find ourselves fighting for the same 15-20% of the population already involved with other great churches in our city. So we realized that there’s something intriguing about returning to our roots, “being the church” in a different way – not just to be different, but because we think this return is necessary for the 80+% of folks who don’t resonate with existing models. So The City Church is committing to be different; to not just “start another church,” but to live out gospel intentionality in our lives, words, and deeds. As we do this in daily life and throughout Fort Worth, we will rely on God but work hard to do amazing things in our communities.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Our name summarizes our mission. Throughout the Bible and history, cities are places of refuge and safety, of culture, of politics and trade, and of gathering. The Bible calls believers “the light of the world… a city on a hill” (Matt 5:14). And God describes his future, eternal world as a perfect, redeemed city. In the A.D. 300’s, an African bishop called Augustine wrote an enormous book called The City of God. In addition to defending Christianity against the charges of burning Rome, Augustine reintroduced the idea from Jeremiah 29:4-7, that Christians are called to live “as a city within a city.” In other words, God calls us to carry out his mission: actively involving ourselves in, and seeking the redemption of, the “city of man” (as he called it), where we work, play, and live. Augustine’s ideals lay the dual foundation on which we want to build our church – for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth. But “City of God” as a name sounded both cult-like and pompous. We don’t want to be either of those, so we settled on “The City.”

[*Many other verses support each point; these are just a few key references each]

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:: BASICS :: our MISSION:

“We exist for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth”

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

- Angels, announcing the incarnation of Christ

Individually and corporately, we exist for God’s glory and purposes (Rom 11:36; 1Cor 10:31). Individually and corporately, the mission of the believer is to join God’s mission of redeeming mankind (Jer 29:4-7, Matt 28:18-20; John 20:21). And while that redemption is worldwide, it starts in our own back yards (Acts 1:8). That’s our purpose. As individuals; as a church community, that’s our mission: we exist for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth.

Our VALUES:

As we strive toward our mission, our values will help us stay on track, and will serve as the unifying DNA of our body. The City Church will be shaped by these values, based on Acts 2:

• Biblical Truth – “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” (2:42) • Authentic Relationships – “…and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread… And

all who believed were together and had all things in common…” (2:42, 44) • Responsive Spirituality – “…And the prayers. And awe came upon every soul… they

received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God…” (2:42-43, 46-47) • Generous Selflessness – “…And they were selling all their possessions and

belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need…” (2:45) • Missional Lives – “…having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their

number day by day those who were being saved.” (7:46)

More on our values, the ministry philosophy which stems from them, and practical examples of what each will mean for day-to-day life in The City Church will be available soon at www.fwcitychurch.org

Our FIVE-YEAR GOALS:

We don’t care about numbers, but we do care about lives and souls. We have a bold vision for Fort Worth. So to help us measure that vision, by 2015 we aim to…

• Have at least one thriving Village in each of the 12 zip codes* in and around downtown Fort Worth, at least one within walking distance of every living unit in downtown and the W. 7th St. corridor, and several on university/college campuses.

• See impacting, life-changing ministry happening in over 5,000 lives in Fort Worth as our people engage neighbors, friends, and family for Christ – even if those people never set foot in our weekend All-Church Gatherings.

• Be regularly involved in 10 local missions organizations, plus be regularly displaying God’s redemption to the world by beautifying, fixing, blessing, and serving our city.

• Be actively involved as a church with at least one strategic, unreached location globally, plus be regularly sending our people out to fulfill God’s mandate for mission.

• Have planted at least one church in a strategic area of Fort Worth/Tarrant County.

[*See Appendix B for zip code details]

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:: STRATEGY :: HOW WILL WE ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION?

As you might expect, the unique vision of The City Church will cause our day-to-day structure to look a little different than most churches. Here’s a glimpse into how we will live out our mission, as “one church, in many locations, being the church and coming together to celebrate.”

ONE CHURCH: The local church is called to be a unified community on mission, loving our neighbors and engaging our city for God. In The City, that means we all work together, living out our values and pressing together toward the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth. IN MANY LOCATIONS: If the church gathers in one place for an hour each week, then there’s only one group of neighbors, and one area of the city for this mission to happen. What if, instead of coming together in one place every week, the primary venue for church life happened in various “Villages,” or intentional communities meeting in homes, coffee shops, and bars/pubs in strategic parts the city? Then we would have multiple sets of neighbors, and every Village has a “focus area” of Fort Worth to engage and restore. BEING THE CHURCH: While every Village will take on its own personality depending on who’s involved in it, the basic idea is that everyone in The City will find a Village near your home, as it best fits your personality and schedule. Villages will be intergenerational, because natural community is intergenerational, and because older and younger people can learn much from each other. In these Villages, we’ll do what the church did in Acts 2: we’ll share a meal together, talk about life, spend some time in biblical encouragement, pray for each other, and meet each others’ needs as they arise. On a regular basis, each Village will vary from its usual structure and spend our weekly time serving our community together, carrying out local mission. The hope is that as relationships deepen, your Village will become good friends, and will naturally “do life together” outside your weekly meeting as well.

AND COMING TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE: Realizing there is unity and beauty when the entire church body gathers, what if all the Villages come together a few weekends each month for “family celebrations” – for worship, preaching, communion, and celebrating God’s and his work in our lives? But since regular “church life” happens in your weekly Village, what if these All-Church Gatherings never occur every weekend, but instead we always take at least one weekend a month to “love our city”? What if we, say, throw a BBQ for our neighbors that weekend – not “evangelizing them,” but simply building a relationship with them?

THAT’S OUR STRATEGY FOR “BEING THE CHURCH” IN FORT WORTH. It’s “different,” but it fits the model of church described in The Bible; it embodies the incarnational/missional life of Christ; it seems to make sense. In addition and as needs arise within the body, we’ll hold seminars, zone gatherings, care/recovery, church events, and studies, but only occasionally and secondary to the simple “Village All-Church Gathering mission” structure that shapes The City Church. It looks different; it may even look “weird.” But it’s an experiment we hope you’re willing to try, as we take bold steps to seek the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth together.

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:: DOCTRINE :: The following statements are a brief overview of our core beliefs. See www.fwcitychurch.org for a full doctrinal statement, including the biblical references on which we’ve built our doctrine. REGARDING GOD… We believe in God, the Lord of all that is, who exists without beginning and without end for all eternity. We believe that God is a singular Being, in whom exist three distinct, unique and separate Persons, known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each fully God, cooperating as one in the work of God. We believe that God is self-existent, self-sufficient, free, unified, timeless, perfect, unchanging, the definition of emotion, all-knowing, all-present, true, faithful, wise, good, righteous, just, jealous, merciful, gracious, patient, love, and beautiful. We believe that God the Father is the Creator, Sustainer, Righteous Judge, Merciful Reconciler, and the One to whom all things bring glory; and that his sovereign, self-glorifying work extends over spiritual beings, physical creation, salvation, evil, and mankind’s relative freedom. REGARDING JESUS CHRIST… We believe that God the Son, Jesus the Christ, has eternally co-existed as God, and is fully God and fully man in one person; and that he humbled himself to fulfill the purpose of God and the salvation of God’s people. We believe that Jesus is God’s utmost revelation of himself, and serves as the example for mankind, miraculous healer, sinless sacrifice and redeemer, and continual mediator/forgiver. We believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a fully-human virgin, and that he had a human body, mind, soul, and emotions, but though tempted, was without sin. We believe Jesus died as an atoning substitute for human sin; that he was crucified, buried, and physically resurrected; that he ascended to heaven, will physically come again, and exists eternally in glorified, perfected human form. REGARDING THE HOLY SPIRIT… We believe that the God the Spirit has eternally co-existed as God, and is the active presence of God in the world, especially in the lives of believers. We believe the Spirit carries out God’s work of regeneration, empowerment, santification, conviction, assurance, guidance, and illumination, and gives to believers various gifts, to be used for the good of the church. We believe that it is possible for all these gifts listed in Scripture to exist until the return of Christ, so long as they are not contrary to God’s character and revelation and are used within the guidelines and purposes of Scripture. We believe that the Spirit seals and indwells every believer at the moment of their salvation, and thus every believer is permanently filled with the Spirit, and no further filling is necessary. REGARDING GOD’S REVELATION… We believe that while humans will never be able to fully comprehend God in this life, God makes his existence known to all persons generally, through his creation, providence, history, and conscience, and that these revelations are sufficient to reveal God’s existence and condemn mankind. We believe that God has specifically revealed himself to some persons, through the incarnation of Christ, the Bible, and occasionally supernatural occurrences and miracles, and that God’s specific revelation is necessary for knowing the gospel, maintaining spiritual life, and knowing God’s revealed will. We believe the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God, are inerrant and authoritative, and are sufficient and able to be understood for salvation, and for trusting and obeying God. REGARDING CREATION… We believe that everything other than God (whether physical, spiritual, or temporal) was created by the Triune God; that God created all things out of nothing and according to its own kind; and that creation was originally very good. We believe that God created everything for his glory, actively sustains all he created, and while sin has hindered its fullest extent, that all creation still reflects God and fulfills God’s plan. We believe that angels are innumerable created spiritual beings; that some remained obedient to God, to praise and glorify him and to carry out God’s work; and that others (including Satan who is the head of demons)

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sinned against God and now oppose and hinder God’s work, existing within God’s sovereignty and without the ability to be redeemed. REGARDING HUMANITY… We believe that God created humans in his image and likeness, for his glory, as the pinnacle of his created activity; that humans are unique from all other creation; that God created mankind equally, regardless of race, gender, economic or marital status, or age; and that the uniquenesses of males and females are the closest earthly reflection of the Trinity: equal in personhood, value, and importance, but differing in roles and authority in the family and the church. We believe that the fullness of God’s image was seen most clearly in the person of Jesus Christ; and that there is a single nature within humans, and thus sin and the gospel both affect our whole being. We believe physical death is the painful result of living in a fallen world, but that in death there is hope for believers, as their soul is united with Christ. REGARDING SIN… We believe that sin is the lack of conformity to God; that it was ushered into the world by Satan at the fall of man as part of God’s sovereign plan and will, and that everyone is born with an imputed sin and inherited corruption, which rightfully separates us from God for eternity. This depravity leaves us unable to do anything good, please God, or earn our way back to eternal relationship with God. We believe that all sin is equal in God’s eyes; that some sins have more harmful consequences in our lives; that all sins can be forgiven in Christ, other than the rejection of Christ as the means of one’s salvation. We believe that sin is commonly realized when we experience temptation; and that sin in the lives of Christians disrupts our fellowship with God and may incur God’s loving discipline. REGARDING SALVATION… We believe that salvation is the work of God giving us faith in Christ, and that there is nothing we can do to earn it. We believe that God chose whom he would save before creation, according to his sovereign good pleasure; and that he enacts salvation in the lives of his people; but that our response is an active choice from our perspective. We believe that at the moment of salvation, all guilt and punishment from sin are removed and we are adopted into God’s family, a relationship that is eternally secure for all whose conversion is authentic. We believe that from the moment of salvation, one’s life is spent in the process of sanctification, as God works in us to make us more like Christ; and that this process is only completed when we experience glorification, in the perfect eternal presence of God. REGARDING THE CHURCH… We believe that the universal church is made up of all God’s people throughout all the world and history, and that the visible manifestation of this has always been local gatherings of believers. We believe the church glorifies God as all its people work together for his mission, and that the activities of the church include preaching the Bible, the symbolic ordinances of baptism and communion, worship, discipleship, reconciling care/ discipline, and mission/service to the surrounding community and to the ends of the earth. We believe that the biblical offices for church leadership are elders (biblically qualified men who lovingly rule the overall church body and who preach/teach) and deacons (biblically qualified men and women who oversee specific aspects and ministries as directed by the elders). REGARDING THE FUTURE… We believe that God the Son will return to earth in a person, visible, bodily form, that this event could occur at any point and will result in the judgment of nonbelievers, the final reward of believers, and the ushering in of God’s eternal kingdom. We believe that God will judge unbelievers according to their works, which will condemn them; and will judge believers according to our identity in Christ, which surpasses our sinful works. We believe that hell is a place of conscious punishment for all unbelievers, where they will exist for all eternity revealing God’s justice and wrath against sin, that heaven is a conscious place where God makes his presence known to believers, and that after the final judgment, God will renew the heavens and the earth, where believers will spend eternity in the presence of God.

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:: TIMELINE :: IMPORTANT DATES: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

2008 2009 2010

July – Ben & Jess commit to pursue

church planting Nov – Ben & Jess assessed/

approved by Acts 29 church planting network

[*All times & dates subject to change; www.fwcitychurch.org for times, locations, and details] [**More regular All-Church Gatherings might begin as early as summer 2010, depending on several factors in The City]

May – Ben transitions to full- time work toward The City Church July 19 – Prayer/brainstorming dinner Aug 23 – Prayer/brainstorming dinner Sept 13 – Pre-launch Village begins meeting weekly

Sept 20 –Vision gathering Oct 10-13 – Fall Roadtrip

Oct 18 – Vision gathering Nov 15 – Vision gathering

Nov TBD – Thanksgiving local mission Dec 13 – Vision gathering

Dec TBD – Year-end worship/ prayer/vision night

Jan 8-9 – Village leaders’ retreat (details TBA)

Jan 24 – OFFICIAL LAUNCH! All-Church Gathering

Late Jan – Villages begin meeting across Fort Worth

Feb 21 – All-Church Gathering Mar 13-19 – Global Mission

Mar 28 – All-Church Gathering Apr 25 – All-Church Gathering May 1-2 – Mayfest

May 23 – All-Church Gathering June 27 – All-Church Gathering July 4 wknd – Zone Parties

July 18 – All-Church Gathering Aug 22 – All-Church Gathering Sept 12 – More regular All- Church Gatherings begin** PLUS DATES TBA:

• Local missions • Prayer gatherings • Church & zone

events • …and more

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:: F.A.Q.’S :: These are some questions people have asked as we move toward starting The City. If you have further questions, please email ben@fwcitychurch.org, or contact Ben Connelly at 817.229.6150 WHO IS PROVIDING LEADERSHIP?

The long answer to this question is that during the inception of The City Church, a team of Acts 29 church planters will serve as an advisory team, coaching and overseeing this new endeavor. In a more day-to-day role, Ben Connelly will head up the launch, serving as planting pastor. As early as possible in the process, we will build a leadership team of committed men and women to lead alongside Ben, and in the early months of The City’s history, potential elders and deacons will begin a several-month training/assessment process, and other leaders (for Villages, kids, students, worship, etc.) will be developed as interest and need arises. But the short answer to the question is “YOU!” Scripture calls the entire body to partner together, using our time, gifts, talents, and passions for the good of God’s church. Thus, rather than “hire out” needs, everyone in The City must live out your unique design and get involved! WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE CHURCH GATHERINGS START?

The City Church is launching in three phases: First, after two prayer/brainstorming dinners in the summer of 2009, we’ll welcome anyone interested to our “pre-launch Village,” which will meet weekly at the home of Matt and Angie Hudson (6436 Curzon Ave, 76116) throughout the fall, beginning September 13. Then, as we officially launch the church, multiple Villages (which will always be the venue for life in The City) will begin meeting downtown and strategically across the city in January 2010. We’ll also hold monthly All-Church Gatherings in downtown Fort Worth throughout the spring. Finally, we’ll most likely move to more regular (but never every week) All-Church Gatherings in September 2010, although we might start these earlier in the year, depending on how the church body is doing. These Gatherings’ exact location is still up in the air, but we are currently working to secure a venue in the heart of Sundance Square for these Sunday evening gatherings. Stay up to date at www.fwcitychurch.org (website coming soon). WHAT does a typical week look like in the life of the church?

This question’s answer is two-fold, following the steps of our launch phases: beginning in January 2010, you’ll be involved in a Village near your home, where you’ll carry out the life of the church: a meal together, biblical encouragement, prayer, living on mission together, etc. Once a month, we’ll gather the entire church together on a Sunday evening for worship, confession, teaching, communion, and celebrating what God is doing in our church family. After a few months, these All-Church Gatherings will become more regular, but we’ll always take one of every four/five weeks to “go and be the church” instead of gather together. Other than that, we might host a seminar, movie, zone gathering, or event once a month, and a few classes, retreats, or groups as needed. But we’re aiming for a simple structure, freeing you up to spend time with God, family, and friends, and to love your neighbors and serve your community. WHAT KINDS OF LOCAL MISSIONS WILL WE DO?

Every Village will “adopt” a local mission, but possibilities are endless regarding what that mission is. Our hope is that your Village will find a mission close to you – maybe a park needs cleaning up or a school needs repainting. You’re also free to partner with existing ministries throughout Fort Worth, or to dream and develop your own idea for a needed mission. And of course, the most obvious way to engage your people is to meet folks in your neighborhood, gym, work, kids’ sports teams, etc. That’s living on mission just as much as building a house is!

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WHERE DO KIDS/STUDENTS/COLLEGE FIT INTO THIS UNIQUE STRUCTURE?

Since weekly “church” in The City take place in homes, we are developing a trained, approved “Kid City” team: two members will devote themselves to your Village for a year, and will join you each week, leading a “kid-friendly” lesson on the same topic or verses that the adults are covering that week. It’s free, and it’s better than childcare – it’s kids ministry in your home!

Junior High, High School, and university-aged students will have two options: they can either join an age-specific Village, which will meet each week like other Villages, or can join a multi-generational Village, interacting and growing with the rest of the body. Additionally, The City will host student- and college-specific events throughout the year. We are currently in the process of developing further info on kids and students, and we welcome input as we work out details. I’VE HEARD YOU’RE ASKING PEOPLE TO MOVE DOWNTOWN – IS THAT TRUE?

Yes. While some Villages will meet strategically across Fort Worth, we are asking people to invest their lives into our primary mission field of West 7th St, downtown Fort Worth, and the surrounding neighborhoods. Ben and Jess have committed to buy a home near downtown during the coming months, and invite you to consider this bold move as well. Additionally, The City Church is working to partner with Apartment Life, a ministry that helps cover rent, and our goal is to have City Church partners living in many major apartment, townhome, and condo complexes as possible in the next few years, adopting your complex as your mission field. WHY DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH?

Page 3 of this prospectus explains some of the stats about downtown Fort Worth’s development, in addition to the thriving arts culture and proximity to TCU, TWU, and TCC’s new Trinity River campus. But downtown Fort Worth is a beautiful paradox of wealth/development vs. need/poverty, with many of the largest homeless and impoverished populations sitting on the edge of the new growth in downtown. And many non-profit ministries find their homes within a few miles of downtown. We have a perfect opportunity to teach and boldly live out God’s mission, and The City is excited to help meet the dire needs for both these populations, providing a strong, strategic, engaging, impacting church for the unique, diverse people.

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:: BUDGET** :: Starting a new church is no small endeavor! As we ask for partnership and commitment from friends, family, and others with a passion for seeing Christ’s name spread across Fort Worth, here is an overview of our 2009-2012 budget needs: PRE-LAUNCH EXPENSES (Sept-Dec ‘09):

• Personnel: $24,200 • Communication: $1,400 • Training/equipping: $2,000 • Vision casting/events: $800 • Start-up expenses $9,450 • Logistics/unexpected: $2,600

$40,450

YEAR ONE EXPENSES (2010): • Personnel: $70,200 • Worship: $3,400 • Communication: $4,600 • Training/equipping: $9,600 • Missions/planting: $16,800 • Community/events: $8,400 • NextGen ministries: $7,200 • Start-up expenses: $8,000 • Logistics/unexpected: $23,800

$152,000

YEAR TWO EXPENSES (2011): • Personnel: $120,400 • Worship: $6,000 • Communication: $3,600 • Training/equipping: $13,200 • Missions/planting: $27,000 • Community/events: $26,400 • NextGen ministries: $15,600 • Logistics/unexpected: $46,200

$252,400

YEAR THREE EXPENSES (2012): • Personnel: $150,600 • Worship: $7,200 • Communication: $3,600 • Training/equipping: $14,400 • Missions/planting: $36,000 • Community/events: $39,600 • NextGen ministries: $21,000 • Logistics/unexpected: $58,200

$324,600

TOTAL 2009-2012 BUDGET: $769,450

Of the total budget, we aim to raise $363,850 (47%). Our goal is that reliance on outside funding will be completely gone by the beginning of 2013, through the faithfulness of our people giving generously toward our work together. Here’s a breakdown of how this will look over the next few years (conservative projection of giving per person vs. needed funding, per year):

YEAR TARGET PPL (Jan of ea. yr.)

GIVING (TX avg)

REMAINDER (= funding)

% GIVING / % FUNDING

2009 0 $0 $40,450 0% / 100% 2010 40 (80 by Sept) $41,600 $110,400 23% / 77% 2011 120 $124,800 $127,600 49% / 51% 2012 230 $239,200 $85,400 74% / 26% 2013 340 $353,600 $0 100% / 0%

Through the grace of God and the generosity of individuals and organizations (see next page), we have already received $27,700 in actual funds or in commitments over the next three years.

> With $27,700 raised/pledged, our remaining need is $336,150* <

[*Funding statistics last updated 06/02/09] [**Detailed budget, updated funding stats, etc. available upon request: ben@fwcitychurch.org]

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:: “PARTNERS-IN-PROCESS” :: To help us get off the ground with prayer, funding, training, personal involvement, oversight, and more, we’re ecstatic and honored to be in ongoing discussion with the following confirmed or potential partners, who have expressed interest in being involved in The City Church:

THE VILLAGE CHURCH (Flower Mound, TX) www.thevillagechurch.net

BAPTIST GENERAL CONVENTION OF TEXAS (Dallas, TX) www.bgct.org

APARTMENT LIFE (Hurst, TX) www.caresteam.org

PROVIDENCE CHURCH* (Frisco, TX) – www.insideprovidence.com As pastor in a four-year-old church plant, Barry Keldie was part of our Acts 29 assessment team. Providence will provide funding and some of the directional oversight of The City as we develop elders/leaders. NORTHWOOD CHURCH* (Keller, TX) – www.northwoodchurch.org NorthWood Church’s GlocalNet missions ministry has planted over 100 churches around the world in the past 15 years. NorthWood is partnering with us by providing coaching, funding and church planting relationships. ACTS 29 NETWORK* (Seattle, WA) – www.acts29network.org A network of 150+ pastors across the US, Acts 29 is committed to planting biblical, missional churches in strategic cities around the world. Acts 29 assessed and approved us as planters, and is providing coaching support.

VISION360 (Orlando, FL) – www.vision360.org A multi-denominational church planting hub, Vision360 DFW is providing support, specifically by connecting us with local Christian business leaders, churches, and organizations who will also come alongside our efforts.

YOU! – While we are indescribably grateful for these organizations, The City Church won’t take shape without strong commitment from incredible individuals like you! Several folks have already committed prayer, involvement, and personal funding; please see the next page for info on how you can join in too!

[*Denotes confirmed partner]

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:: INVOLVEMENT :: On this last page, we are asking you to get involved with us. Directly or indirectly, there are three significant ways you can join the vision:

• PRAYER – Whether you’re considering direct involvement in The City Church or not, we’ll put aside all pride and beg you, please pray for our new church, for our mission, vision, development, and leadership over the next several months, as well as for our city and the people we will engage. We need hundreds of people praying with us, against sin, pride, and division, and that God will do his work (not ours!) in reaching his people. We will send monthly prayer updates to our email list, and will make updates available at www.fwcitychurch.org as well.

• GET INVOLVED – Hopefully this brochure has explained this clearly, but The City Church is a people, so we’re looking for passionate individuals to join the mission for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth. We’re not looking for folks to come for a short time and then leave, but to join a mission, commit to do life together, and engage our city. If you resonate with this vision, and if God is moving you to join us, we’ll help you find your perfect place to get involved. If nothing else, come to a vision gathering or consider joining our pre-launch Village in Fall 2009. And if The City’s not for you, but you know someone who might want to be involved, please help us get to know them.

• FUNDING – The previous pages included a snapshot of The City’s budget over the first years. Even with backing from partner organizations, we have a long way to go to reach our goal of raising $363,850! We’re humbly asking you to consider supporting us in one of three ways: in a one-time donation or in commitments for monthly or annual contributions. Your gift is tax-deductible, and you can contribute in one of two ways: either fill out the attached card and send your check to the address below, or donate online at www.fwcitychurch.org (coming soon)

However you choose to get involved, we very much appreciate your partnership, and your belief in what God is going to do through The City Church. We can’t do it without you. Thank you!

Will you partner with The City Church as we seek the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth? ___ I’d like to receive prayers/updates, and commit to praying for

The City each week on this day: _______________

___ I’m interested in being a part of The City, or at least getting more info, as it takes shape over the next few months.

___ I commit to supporting The City Church (check one)… ___ monthly (Sept 2009- ____ 20___) ___ annually (2009-‘12) ___ with a one time gift [please note month & year]

in the amount of $__________________ (*details below; all donations tax-deductible;) Name __________________________________ Email ______________________________

Address __________________________________________________ Apt/Ste # _________

City/St/Zip _________________________________________ Ph # ___________________

[*if supporting us financially, you may (a) donate online at www.fwcitychurch.org (coming soon) or (b) make checks payable to “The City Church” PO Box 740919, Fort Worth TX 76147]

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:: APPENDIX A: FORT WORTH FACT SOURCES :: SOURCE LIST: U.S. Census Bureau; North Central Texas Council of Governments; Texas State Data Center; Hartford Study on Religion in America; efca.org; Olson, David T. Ten Fascinating Facts about the American Church, CD-ROM (2004), The American Church: www.TheAmericanChurch.org; Barna, George. “Church Attendance,” Barna by Topic, 2005, The Barna Group, www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=10; The Rooted Church, Fort Worth: http://www.therootedchurch.com; Fort Worth Start Telegram, “Fort Worth population tops 700,000” (June 26, 2008); Fort Worth Texas Magazine, Oct 2008

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:: APPENDIX B: FORT WORTH ZIP CODES :: ZIP CODES INSIDE LOOP 820: 76102 – Downtown Fort Worth 76103 – West of downtown (I-30) 76104 – Near Southside/Morningside 76105 – Stop 6/Poly Oversight 76106 – Northside, Diamond Hill, Jarvis 76107 – West of downtown (Como/Westover Hills/West 7th) 76108 – White Settlement area/NAS Base 76109 – TCU, Tanglewood, Bryant Irving area 76110 – 35 South (Ryan Place, Rosemont, Worth Heights) 76111 – Northwest of downtown (I-35/121) 76112 – Far east Fort Worth (Woodhaven, Ryanwood) 76114 – Northwest Fort Worth (River Oaks/Westworth Village) 76115 – South Fort Worth (Greenbriar/Seminary) 76116 – Southwest FW (Western Hills, Ridglea Hills) 76117 – Haltom City 76118 – Richland Hills 76119 – Southeast Fort Worth (Echo Heights, Glencrest) =17 total KEY ZIP CODES SOUTH AND WEST OF LOOP 820: 76126 – Benbrook 76132 – Hulen Bend, Mira Vista 76133 – Wedgwood, Candleridge 76134 – Edgecliff Village; Willow Creek

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:: APPENDIX C: ACTS 29 ASSESSMENT RESULTS ::

I. Business Career Interests Inventory Your Entrepreneurial Attributes Scale Score

Your score on the Entrepreneurial Attributes Scales (EAS) compares you to a general sample of business professionals. The average score for the general business comparison group is 50. 10 points higher or lower represents a significant variation from the norm. This means that a score of 60 would put you at the 84th percentile, a 70 at the 98th. A 40 would put you at the 16th percentile and a 30 at the 2nd.

Entrepreneurial Attributes Scale (EAS) 53 Name: Ben Connelly Gender: Male Age: 26 Date of testing: October 22, 2008

All of your BCII validity tests indicate

that this test administration was

valid.

If your score is between 45 and 54, this means that your interests and the way you describe yourself are similar to entrepreneurs to the same extent as most business professionals. Having a score in this average range does not mean that you lack entrepreneurial interests. Some entrepreneurs have scores in this range. The best interpretation of a score in the average range is that your interests and self-description are neither highly similar nor dissimilar to entrepreneurs.

II. Acts 29 Network Official Assessment Outcome

Completed November 2008 Assessment Team: Barry Keldie (Providence Church: Frisco, TX),

David Pinckney (River of Grace Chuch: Concord, NH), Thomas Young (The Sanctuary Fellowship: Houston, TX), Tyler Powell (Church

Planting Strategist, Acts 29: Seattle, WA) First, I would like to say that spending time with you and Jessica was one of the highlights of the Boot Camp for my team. It is always great to see young men with a passion and vision for church planting and a godly supportive wife on his side. We have been praying for you ever since and I hope the Boot Camp and assessment was beneficial for you. Second, the toughest part of our assessment is seeking through objective testing and subjective inter- views to accurately determine the fitness of a potential planter to succeed. Admittedly, human beings are not numbers and ministries are not math equations, which certainly makes an occasional erroneous assessment possible. However, we have proven to be highly successful in our assessments and offer the following recommendations in hopes of informing and influencing your future ministry decisions. Recommended with Conditions

We are recommending you as an Acts 29 planter with a few conditions. This means we believe you are able to lead a church plant with Acts 29, provided you satisfy certain conditions as listed below. Congratulations, you will now be graduated from “Applicant” to “Candidate” status. Some of the specific areas we discussed include: • Choose the city where you will plant your church • Discern your timeline and put it on paper as a plan • Figure out what your first year budget is so that you can begin fundraising

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• Read “Biblical Eldership” by Alexander Strauch and complete the attached questionnaire • Build coaching relationship with experienced Acts 29 pastor to help you as you plant Ben, we appreciate your vision for God to be glorified through church planting. We encourage you to spend the next few years of your life developing as a man, a pastor, and a missional leader. We feel that the residency program at the Austin Stone will provide you with some needed experience and knowledge that will help you plant your church. We recommend you as an Acts 29 Network planter at this time. During the next year or so you need to spend a lot of time in prayer and study to find the city God is calling you to… Most planters who succeed plant in a city they are familiar with and one that matches their personal demographic. Lead Pastors tend to attract people that are like them as far as life stage, socio-economic status and education. You should add cities to your prayer list that have people like you. We are not saying that is where you should go, but you should at least begin praying about them as well. The other recommendations are steps in helping you plant your church. We look forward to getting to know you better and seeing what God is going to do through you. Objective Review From Online Exams

Your EAS score of 53 is below average for church planters and could possibly indicate some discomfort with risk-taking situations. We like to see scores of 58 and above for church plant lead pastors. While we are aware there are limitations to this test, we believe it is a useful tool in determining one’s entrepreneurial aptitude and comfort with taking risks. This doesn’t mean you won’t be successful in church planting but it means you will need to be aware of this as a potential weakness and seek to push yourself in this area. Your personality type is ENTA. ENTA’s are typically given “high church planting potential” due to their ability to see patterns easily and maintain many tasks at once. ENTA’s are creative thinkers, intellectually outspoken and can argue both sides of an issue. Your personality type is also confident in his or her abilities. The theme is innovation. This of course does not “determine” who you are, and you need to “own” that typology yourself for it to be considered valid. Furthermore, your DISC analysis indicated that you are a high “I” (Inspire) with a subtype of “D” (Direct). Certain studies show that “D’s”, particularly when paired with “I”, tend to grow “larger” sized churches faster than others. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ACTS 29 Areas of Strength

You have an obvious passion for church planting and doing ministry. Your wife is also a major asset. To be partnered with a woman who feels called to ministry herself is a major help. You carry yourself well and I can see people following you. Your communication skills are good and you’re theologically sound. Additionally, you like to dream, inspire and innovate. This is essential for church planting. A planter needs to be able to paint a picture of a movement or church that doesn’t yet exist and get people to invest time, resources and gifting to it, and I believe this is one of your strengths. Areas of Growth

Some of your references spoke to some trouble in dealing with authority. While this is normal for church planters and this is partly due to your call you should work through submission and humility while in your residency program. You don’t want to plant a church where you have no accountability and build an elder board of “yes” men. You should also work to gather a core. Your EAS score was low for a church planter, which means the bigger and stronger your core the better you will do. Guys will a higher EAS can start with fewer people and do well, while guys who score lower do better with a team of people to support them. We tell all planters to get as much time preaching as possible. While you have great potential, you need to get repetitions to sharpen your gift. Conditions Requiring Completion

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Please begin to work on the conditions below (listed in no particular order). While we have no hard and fast deadlines here, we expect that all of these conditions could take up to or more than a year to complete (esp. #2). Once these conditions are met and signed off upon by your assessment team, you will move from a “Candidate” status to a “Member” status. • Condition #1 – Join Austin Stone’s residency program and begin studying and planning for your church plant. [**Changed by assessment team, 01/2009: “secure an A29 trained coach and/or establish an “externship” relationship with an existing A29 church”; in process] • Condition #2 – Move to location and gather a core group of 40 people that are committed to your church plant [*Move completed; core group currently in process]. • Condition #3 – Figure out which city you are going to plant your church in. You should work to decide this in the next few months if possible. This has to be in place to begin gathering a core group [*Completed 01/2009]. • Condition #4 – Plan out your year 1 budget. Include your salary and a ministry budget so that your family will be provided for and your church can be launched well. You should also begin making a list of all potential fundraising sources and start building relationships with the [*Completed within this prospectus]. • Condition #5 – Read Biblical Eldership by Alexander Strauch and fill out questionnaire [*Completed 03/2009]. Recommendations

We also recommend you build a relationship with an experienced Acts 29 church planter to coach you when you plant your church. Finding the city you will plant in will be crucial in deciding who might be able to help you. You will want to find a coach you can get with in person if at all possible. Final Remarks

Finally, please know that we love you, and are confident that God has called and gifted you to plant a church. We are here to serve you, encourage you, and help equip you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us or give us updates on your progress or to run something by us. We welcome this kind of initiative and perseverance because we want to celebrate your spiritual growth along the way. In the meantime, we gladly welcome you to involve yourself in our regional events and national Boot Camps. It was a privilege to spend time with you and Jessica and we look forward to the growth of God’s kingdom. Please let us know if you have any questions about this assessment report.

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ben@fwcitychurch.org Ben Connelly’s cell: 817.229.6150

PO Box 470919 | Fort Worth, TX 76147 www.fwcitychurch.org (website coming July ’09)

““ BB U T S E E K T H E W E L F A R E U T S E E K T H E W E L F A R E O F T H E C I T Y O F T H E C I T Y W H E R E W H E R E II H A V E S E N T Y O U I N T O H A V E S E N T Y O U I N T O E X I L EE X I L E ,,

A N DA N D P R A Y T O T H E P R A Y T O T H E LL O R D O N I T S B E H A L FO R D O N I T S B E H A L F ,, F O R I N I T S W E L F A R E F O R I N I T S W E L F A R E Y O U W I L L F I N DY O U W I L L F I N D Y O U R W E L F A R EY O U R W E L F A R E . ”. ” -- JJ E R E M I A H E R E M I A H 2 9 : 72 9 : 7