Redemption Heights Church

a gospel community on mission to philadelphia and the world

god speaks clearly and consistently through the bible.

Dear FriendsWe believe the church faithfully being Jesus’ 50 universities. The city hosts 7 Fortune 1000body is the greatest gift we can give to Philly. companies. The fastest growing age group isAs Philadelphians encounter our church, we 20-35 year olds. In fact, Forbes recently namedpray they are challenged to lift their eyes to Philly as the best city for millennials! A triptheir redeemer, Jesus. through the city winds past beautiful murals. Philly is one of a few cities with a professionalPhilly is a city with great history. American franchise in all four major league sports.autonomy was established in Philadelphia bythe Declaration of Independence in 1776. Only The need is great in this strategic city. Somea few years later the American Constitution research indicates that only 6% of therhwas signed in this historic city. It served as population is evangelical and as much as 50% of the city is unreached with the gospel.the first capital of the United States. As thebirthplace of America, Philadelphia can lay Recognizing that while it may be difficult toclaim to many firsts: the first school, library, “compete” with professional sports or cityfire hall, zoo, U.S. mint, turnpike, and medical amenities, what people are actually yearningschool, to name a few. But a lot has changed inthe last century and a half. Philly is currently for is true, gospel community. Philly doesthe largest city in Pennsylvania, the 2nd largest not push us beyond the gospel but drives uscity on the East Coast, and the 5th largest in back to the gospel, demanding we live as theAmerica. genuine body of Christ for the city.Philly is a city with great diversity. 45% of the Therefore, we come unapologetically as thepopulation is white. 43% of the population church: a gospel-centered community onis black. Almost 13% of Philly residents were mission for Jesus to the city of Philadelphiaborn in another country. and the world. Jesus has called us to make disciples and he has chosen the local churchPhilly is a city with great culture with more than as the means to make that happen. For the good of the city and the glory of God.

Interest Building the team Getting to Launch Move A potential launch team member Summer 2018 || 10-15 people indicates a desire to plant in Philly. This happens at a formal interest Our team will relocate to meeting or through contacting Philadelphia. This time will focus one of the existing team members. on lifestyle adjustment and enjoying our new city.Interview Next, they participate in an Fall 2018 || 15-30 people Learn informal face-to-face or phone interview (focused on determining We will continue Launch Team the calling, character, and training, engage new spheres of competency of the interested influence, and develop evangelistic individual and see if they fit the contacts (to be invited into our chemistry of the existing team. homes for meals and Bible Study).Assess Following the interview and a time Winter 2018-19 || 30-50 people Engage of prayerful consideration, they complete an online assessment As the gospel is shared and people that examines their testimony of come to Christ, informal networks faith, theology, and discipleship will be developed into small history. groups. In addition to Launch Team training, public interest meetings will begin.Covenant Finally, they sign a launch team Spring 2019 || 50-100 people Gather covenant. This covenant is a helpful reminder of what is As small groups grow and multiply expected of the launch team and we see a critical mass of member and, in return, the church adults, we will begin to gather for and her leadership. public worship in the city.

Our leadership TeamAt Redemption Heights, doing leadership Biblically isimportant. Healthy leadership focuses on teaching,equipping, and protecting the church. Therefore, wevalue shared leadership and are trying to build it intothe ethos of the church from the start.Mark and James are the initial core of our pastoralteam. Having both gone to the College of William andMary, they are friends and share a bit of a nerdy streak.Mark has been married to Whitney for more than adecade and is the dad of Jackson, Abby, and Joshua.With degrees in history, Biblical languages, andtheology, Mark has a heart for teaching the Bible,years of pastoral experience, and varied skills thatmake him suited for church planting (such as musicand graphic design). Mark’s hobbies include watchingmovies, beard growing, and enjoying bad puns.James grew up outside of Washington D.C. He hasa degree in psychology and business. His ministrybackground has focused on discipling collegestudents. He loves teaching God’s Word and seeinglives transformed by the gospel. In his free time youcan find James reading, playing Nintendo, or watchingthe latest Marvel movie.

Diverse unity is a picture of the gospel’s power Fun Facts About Philly• Philly is home to the nation’s first hospital, university, zoo, bank, and daily newspaper.• Philly’s famous Liberty Bell was originally called the State House Bell.• NFL players named Philadelphia Eagles fans the most intimidating in the NFL.• Philly is one of the most diverse cities in America at 45% White, 44% Black, and 8% Hispanic.• A quarter of the U.S. population lives within a 5 hour drive of Philly.• Philly is called the City of Murals, hosting the most public art of any U.S. city.• Of the 100 questions on the U.S. citizenship test study guide, half the answers are found in Philly.

Why Philly?Need.Philadelphia is experiencing a comeback, as its population has grown to 1.6 millionin the city and more than 6 million in the metro area. Despite such growth, Phillyhas been identified as the 15th least churched city with only 6% of the populationbeing evangelical and more than 50% unreached. As the population continues togrow, the need for gospel-centered churches grows too.Influence.Philadelphia has a cherished history and a powerful cultural legacy. As an urbancenter, it provides a unique contribution in sports, arts, entertainment, business,education, and more. With the influx of millenials and more than 300,000 collegestudents, the city’s impact is far-reaching. In addition, 13% of the city’s populationis foreign born. The nations are coming to Philly!Calling.God has been preparing our hearts for this journey through personal experiences,family history, and previous ministry opportunities. Our hearts are drawn to thepeople of Philly. Our specific gifts along with the unique culture and opportunitiesof the city create a promising convergence. In the end, however, it is not our giftsbut the power of the gospel and the call of God that motivates and sustains us.

We are driven by our mission to make disciplesGospel The gospel is not simply the means of conversion; it shapes all we do. It is the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that reconciles us to God and adopts usThe Gospel into his family. In a larger sense, it is the story that God has been telling of redeeming all of Changes creation from the power of sin. It transforms our hearts and shapes our behavior. The gospelEverything is the word we speak to bring unbelievers to faith and believers to maturity. The Christian community is created by the gospel, for the gospel. There is no part of our lives that escapes the transforming power of the gospel.Community Since the Christian community is created by the gospel, its unity displays the principles of the gospel. The people of God live under the reign of God and display God as king in theirThe Local Church community. The Christian community is the pilot-plant of God’s eternal kingdom. We are Is God’s Plan A committed to sharing life with one another as a church family. The Bible repeatedly shows that discipleship occurs primarily in the context of Christian relationships. The true fruit of the gospel should be displayed in our living rooms and friend groups before it is championed in our public worship services. Mission The mission of God’s people is driven by the gospel and accomplished by the community of faith. God has given his people the opportunity to be the voice of reconciliation and theEvery Member public display of the gospel. Every Christian is a missionary. As such, we seek to love our city Is a Full-Time and the world as we recognize that our community does not exist for itself. We desire to Missionary speak the gospel and demonstrate the love of Jesus in real and practical ways. As the gospel transforms our lives and our church, we believe it will multiply into our neighborhood, city, nation, and to the ends of the earth!

The church is a family before it is an organization

Prayer is our first option, not our last resort generosity fuels the mission

Will You Join Us? Our Vision for Partnering Pray. We are seeking partners to invest in Redemption Heights Church. Partnering provides individualsPrayer is the faith-stretching engine of this and churches an opportunity to tangiblyentire endeavor. Would you commit to partner participate in the mission of God. By partneringwith us through consistent, specific prayer? you will have a front-row seat in the churchPray for God to bring our team favor in the planting process, remind us we are not doing thiscity of Philadelphia! alone, and provide financial stability so we can focus on evanglism rather than fundraising. We Send. want to be free to live in, gather in, and minister to the city of Philadelphia. We are looking forWe need the generous, faithful, and sacrificial like-minded, faithful partners. Can we count onfinancial gifts of individuals and churches to your faithful support?plant this church. Your gifts allow us to focusall of our efforts on sharing the gospel and Live Gather Gogathering the church. (Personnel) (Operating) (Mission) Go. Partnership Goal of $750,000Does this mission excite you? Maybe God is | covers 3 years of ministry |calling you to go with us to make disciples inPhilly. Would you consider walking in faith andinvesting your life for the good of the gospelin the City of Brotherly Love?

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