Media Outreach

pic by santi_b

We just got back from Ohio.  I remember when we had our first trip to the Cleveland, Ohio area, we were thinking that we would immediately know the section of town that we would be planting in.  Then, when we got there, we found out that there were 76 suburbs that would be considered the “Cleveland Ohio Area”.   I remember thinking: “You gotta be kidding me: 76 suburbs.”  So, we began our search for where to plant.  We visited and found 6 cities that we thought might be compatible with what we are called to.  We came home and prayed about where and then made plans to go back again 4 months later.

This time we took a couple of our team (the only 2 at that point) with us.  We looked at the areas, drove around, prayed, talked to people.  We came home again, prayed and looked at the material that we had acquired.  Cleveland Magazine has an annual review of all of the suburbs and rates them according to schools, real estate, security, community activity, and etc.  It was very helpful.  As a side note, there is also a great site that offers research on states and cities as it relates to church and church growth in areas.  Check out www.theamericanchurch.org, the $20 you spend is worth the info and will give good insight into the trends of your area.  So, we thought we had narrowed it down to 2 cities with an emphasis on one.  The frustrating part is that through prayer I couldn’t seem to get confirmation on the primary city.

On this last trip, I found out why I couldn’t quite get confirmation on that city.  After spending some time there, we realized that that city just isn’t going to work (not going into why right now, but trust me here).  So, I was thinking that we were back to square one again, but this time, we had some great contacts (definitely intentional on this 3rd trip).  We met with some of the pastors in that area that were church planters and are doing very well.  They were all over a thousand members, knew the city very well, and oddly enough, they were excited about us coming to help in the work.  God really worked these connections out effortlessly for us.  We met some great people that were Christians, with ministry background, which had moved and were looking for a church to connect and get involved.  They were a referral from a pastor that I know in Arkansas.  We met with another 2 couples that were in the same boat and that we actually knew when we were kids.  We are now down to 2 cities again and are very excited about the direction that God has given us so far.

So, what am I really saying here with this elevator version of our exploratory trips to the launch city area?

1. Take as many trips as you can to the launch city.  I had people pushing me to go, and I am glad they did.  To be honest, finances and time were a concern, but any time and finances you could spend here is well worth it.  We even had to raise the money for our last trip to the Cleveland area, because we couldn’t afford to go. People stepped up, and it was great to see that kind of support this early on.
2. Just because God calls you to a city does not mean that it is where you are supposed to start. Many times it is just to get you to move in the right direction and once you get in the right area, He gives clearer direction.  I had never heard of the cities that we are actually looking at planting, even though I grew up an hour away from there.  He is the Alpha and the Omega … what happens in the middle is sometimes a bit foggy and sometimes He only shows us the beginning and the end.
3. Pray for Divine connections when you go to the city. I believe that God is Jehovah Jireh, our Pro (ahead) vider (vision – seeing), the one who sees ahead of where you are and prepares things in advance, so that when we get there connections and direction are not an after-thought, but a fore-thought in the heart of God toward us.  Pray, like in Ephesians: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling…”

If you are in this stage of the game, have fun with it and embrace it; it is a fun part of the journey.

Blessings,

Sean Alexander

www.venuechurchonline.com
www.venuechurch.blogspot.com