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The following are people who have influenced this ministry plan or that we are consulting for advising and accountability:
Greg Laing
Current Lead Pastor of PGCC, www.pgcc.org, PAOC BC/Yukon District Leadership Team
Greg has been walking with Jeff for the last seven years and has affirmed his call to plant this church. Greg and other PGCC Pastors and leaders have influenced Jeff's experience and philosophy of ministry. Greg and Jeff have been meeting on a biweekly basis for ongoing encouragement, advising, prayer and communication.
Lawrence Rae
Former Senior Pastor of PGCC
Lawrence has also been walking with Jeff for the last seven years and has been a great mentor. Jeff was able to relate with Lawrence very well and share ideas and vision. Lawrence is able to understand Jeff's ideas and passions. He too affirms Jeff's call to plant this church. Jeff and Lawrence continue to chat on an infrequent but regular basis.
Mars Hill Church
Being the fastest growing church in the spiritually cold church climate of the Pacific Northwest, this church has had much influence on Jeff's approach to this church plant. The More than 12 launch team is slated to visit a service for research in August or September 2008. Edgar Lapeciros, Ethnic Ministries, PAOC BC/Yukon District - Has been tracking with Jeff and been a great sounding board for outside the box strategies and a helpful source of coaching, counsel, prayer, and encouragement. George Werner, Mission Canada (PAOC) - As Jeff and Matthew met with George in late July 2008, George mentioned if our PAOC BC/Yukon District asks for help, only then can Mission Canada help with supporting this church plant. George invited us to a Mission Canada conference in Montreal later this year and may have Matthew DJ or our worship band lead worship. He mentioned there are no other churches he can think of that are aiming to do what we are, or that we can model ourselves after. He encouraged us to pray hard and to keep going strong. He did recommended researching www.frwy.com, although there would likely not be anything there too different. Missions Canada is mainly interested in supporting domestic missionaries and new ways of doing missions, not necessarily church planting. In his view, the H.A.V.E. restaurant in the Downtown Eastside that develops unemployable people into entry level cooks that can work in restaurants is exactly what he thinks the church should be doing. He indicated that there may be funding in this type of ministry. George advised about having a position on and a procedure for dealing with risqué art if that should ever be displayed at Chapel Arts. He encouraged us to think about safety for children and youth as well as safety of art in the building from the risk of damage from children and youth. He strongly suggested having a strategy for when cultures collide (i.e. dealing with the mentally ill) and noted the importance of community buy-in. George left us with questions: How do we do ministry in the immediate geographical location of Chapel Arts when no one lives in the area? What is our niche? Is it a celebration of joy in the midst of pain, confusion and a lack of hope?
Harvey Trauter
City Axis
Harvey directs an initiative to support church planting efforts in all the major urban centres of Canada. He has been tracking along with Jeff periodically over the last year and half right from the initial discernment process of whether or not to plant a church, where would that would be and what that might look like. He has been source of encouragement and prayer.
Norm Funk
Lead Pastor of Westside Church (a fast growing young church in the Burrard area of Vancouver), www.churchonthewestside.com
Jeff and Matthew met with Norm, Mennonite Brethren Pastor of a young adult church, in July 2008 for consultation and relationship. Norm advised us to not forget to plainly "preach Jesus," where in his view most Eastside missions are offering food in His name but forgetting to preach His message. Spiritual nourishment is needed, not just physical food. Norm asked us to let them know if there is any way Westside Church could be of help. We are in the process of proposing ways to take him up on that offer. Norm also suggested we meet the lead Pastor Chris from their church plant Reality Vancouver, which is roughly at the same stage as us. He also invited us to a regular church planter's cluster they lead where we could meet other local church planters. Lastly, Norm also recommended two books entitled "Planting Churches in a Postmodern World" and "Surprising Insights from the Un-churched."
Ron Jasper
Christian entrepreneur
Ron is a local businessman with a heart for Christ and the Downtown Eastside. He noted that the leader of Vancouver Eastside's Union Gospel Mission (UGM) is leaving this year, so we are aiming to set up a meeting to understand what has been learned from his time directing the UGM. Ron encouraged us "not to reinvent the wheel and to ask questions from those who have been in the heart of the Downtown Eastside mission field."
Bruxy Cavey
Bruxy is the teaching Pastor of one of the largest churches in Canada, which is located in Ontario. Like More Than 12, it too was planted to reach people who dislike church. Bruxy is planning to meet with Jeff and Matthew in the coming weeks for a consultation. Bruxy wrote a book called "End of Religion" and has offered for us to speak to some of his team members, and ask questions and learn about the development of The Meeting House and how it may relate to More Than 12. |
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