Faith2Next Update 4-19-17

The unmistakable reality is this.
God is up to something in us and around us at JCBC!

Now, with less than 4 months to the launch of our first ever multi-venue worship experience, I want to update our JCBC family on the exciting progress being made on several fronts.

Faith2Next Pledges
I trust that you know by now that our goal of $3.2 million in pledges has been reached and surpassed in the most exciting way. At the time of this writing, the total amount pledged is now $3,453,596.00.

Take a long hard look at that number.
That’s $46,404 shy of $3.5 million in commitments.
Put another way, that’s 108% of our goal!

You did that.
You…listening and responding to the call of God to step out in faith.

That’s not all!
Sensing the tremendous energy and momentum underway, more and more of our faithful and committed members who had not already pledged are doing so now.

As I shared on Sunday: You do NOT want to miss out on this moment!

Within the span of three years, when we are thriving in our multiple-venue worship experience and have become a debt free congregation, I want every family to be able to say, I was a part of making it happen.

If you have not made your commitment, let me call you to action once more.
You can make your pledge at www.Faith2Next.com

Construction Beginning This Month
As you are reading this blog, final documents are being signed for the construction of our multi-venue worship experience. By the end of this month we will begin to see renovations in our Family Life Center and upgrades to the technologies of our sanctuary.  The goal is completion by early to mid July in order to provide ample time for training and dry runs, prior to our August 6^th launch.

Search for our Contemporary Worship Pastor and Tech Director
Crucial to the success of our new multi-venue worship experience is calling the right persons to lead our contemporary worship service. At present, we are searching for a contemporary worship pastor and a tech director.

I am happy to say that our search is going extremely well.
We have met with some of the most gifted and capable leaders in our region.

The number one priority in our search, however, is finding the person whom God has prepared for JCBC. As I have mentioned in previous settings, our search is not a simple one. We are not merely looking for talent. We are not interested in finding the most talented musician or technician who can “wow” a crowd. But rather, we are seeking individuals whom God has been preparing “for such a time as this” to come onto our team, and become an integral part of the JCBC story.

As we consider the call of these individuals, we have assembled a focus group of JCBC leaders to join in the discernment process. All of these members have previously served on one of our special worship study task forces, and will be a tremendous help in calling these new leaders to JCBC.

These members are:
Tracy Bates (Chair), Todd Shiver, Mary Bryant, Tony Bligh, and Jon Thompson

Comprehensive Marketing Strategy for JCBC
One of the important steps in preparing for our multi-venue worship experience is to develop a plan for “getting the word out” about something special happening at JCBC.

To be sure, the absolute most effective marketing is “word of mouth.”
It is each and every member of our congregation bearing witness to friends and neighbors that God is up to something at JCBC, and they are invited to experience it!

Yet, there is much that can be done on a wider scale to promote the JCBC experience throughout our region. To that end, we have begun to speak with a variety of companies specializing in church marketing. It is our hope that one of these companies will be able to provide JCBC with the professional expertise of developing a long-range, comprehensive marketing strategy.

To assist in selecting the right company and employing the right plan for JCBC, we have assembled a focus group of JCBC members to work alongside our staff and Pastor’s Council through this process.

These members are:
Jeff Huett (Chair), Susan Grissom, Doug Thomas, Mari Beth King, Brett Hegi, and Brett Meager

With so many exciting developments underway, I’m asking you to join me in prayer.
Pray for the many, many details that must be attended over these several weeks. Pray that in all things (even in these weeks of preparation) God will be glorified, and Christ’s church strengthened, as we take our new and next steps of faith together. To God be the glory!

Have I told you lately how much I love being your pastor?
Well, I do.

Shaun King
Senior Pastor
Johns Creek Baptist Church