SoulSearch Movement

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SoulSearch... A church planting movement in Kansas City, Kansas Lead/Founding Pastor Curtis Young

Slide 2: 

DISCLAIMER This proposal is actually the result of years of thought, prayer, and research. I believe the ideas contained herein will be effective. Having said that, I must issue a word of caution to all who view this; this is not a static, rigid plan. I like to think of it as a living document that is flexible and changing constantly. Every day, SoulSearch is moving towards its ideal form-which I know can only be accomplished through the journey because what I seek is elusive, constantly flashing a new angle. The real plan is to reinvent what it means to follow Christ, to confuse and provoke, to pay attention to things ignored and reexamine those things we think we know. Change is good. Yet, I am well aware that if I only change strategies or music styles or whatever without shifting the church’s focus, I will end up with the same result as every other irrelevant church out there. If I’m focused on how to do church, even if I find more Scriptural ways to do it, instead of focusing on Jesus as the Head/Cornerstone of the church, I will still miss out on what He is doing. Put another way, it’s not about church…it’s about Jesus. If I can show people how to enter his love, abide in Him, and let them watch Him change me, we will discover the dynamics of Christ building his church through us, all around us. And people will see His heart, and see my heart, and we’ll all join God in his redemptive work in the world… and we’ll help others become what God designed them to be… and we’ll become as well… and things will never be the same… SoulSearch…you are not far from the Kingdom of God

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Hear what others are saying about Curtis and Nancy: “God is going to do something amazing with Curtis to benefit the Church.” –Dr. Charles Boswell, Senior Pastor, Immanuel Baptist “One of the greatest indicators of a church planter’s success is his ability to cast vision. After meeting Curtis, I would leave my church right now to serve with him and follow his vision.” –Mark Bjorlo, Senior Pastor, Journey North Church “Curtis is uniquely gifted to do God’s work with a fellowship of believers and the yet to believe.  That is where he belongs.” -John Pedotto, VP Branch Manager, Charles Schwab “I believe that God is going to do something just awesome with Curtis and Nancy. I love the vision they have for the church.” -Walt Moser, Director of Church Planting for Converge Heartland “Nancy has a quiet strength that’s noticeable. She doesn’t talk much, but when she does speak everyone listens.” -Dr. Jerry Dahl. Strategic Team Makers Inc “I am honored to be involved in Curtis’ life. He has an apparent love for God and passion for the lost. I can think of no one better equipped to plant a church.” -Dr. Daniel Rupp, Church Strategist, BCNM “Curtis is a man after God’s own heart. He has a beautiful wife that clearly loves and respects him. His preaching is clear and powerful, and his ministry overflows with God’s grace and truth. Surely, none can doubt the hand of God on him and his family.” -Rev. Steve Harrell, Senior Pastor Word of Life Church The senior founding pastor of SoulSearch is Curtis Young. Curtis and his wife Nancy have been married for eight years. Curtis was born and raised in Chicago, but has lived in Santa Fe for the last 13 years. Nancy has lived in Virginia and San Diego, but has spent the last 20 years in Santa Fe. Curtis has a degree in Theology and Nancy has a degree in Early Childhood Education. They have four sons, three with them and one with God. Curtis has been redeemed for 12 years and in pastoral ministry for over 8 years. Nancy has been redeemed for 19 years, led a women’s study for two years, and served as a Children’s Ministry Director for two years. Curtis’s passion is to evangelize the unredeemed, develop committed harvest workers, and see new churches developed which will reach every generation with the gospel. He is very passionate about seeing leaders trained and released in order to impact the culture with the gospel. Curtis and Nancy are committed to the planting of new churches. They believe that the most effective means under Heaven for evangelism, discipleship, training new leaders and releasing workers into ministry is the establishing of congregations which will in turn sponsor and plant new churches.

WHO SoulSearch?(the target) : 

WHO SoulSearch?(the target) Specific Target People: Those in their twenties and thirties (realizing that, at first, this is the group we are most likely to attract), likely to have kids. Those who possess a similar attitude and way of thinking about life and the present cultural situation (generally more postmodern in outlook, not necessarily any specifics with regard to age). Those who are interested in life, its challenges and its questions; who would like an opportunity to slow down and reflect, and who seek out some form of intentionality and purpose. Those who are broken, those with questions, and those who have been shut out/burned by the Church in the past. Those inside and outside the Body who see God as dead; those who see the Church and Christian life as boring; those who see the Church as full of hypocrites; who look for hope in other things (like the liberal social agenda, Buddhism, Islam, any other cults, or radical skepticism).

WHAT SoulSearch? : 

WHAT SoulSearch? THE VISION SoulSearch is a community of the redeemed, striving to reunite God with his missing children, reconnect people with each other, and restore creation to God’s original design. We are a church planting movement, a cooperative of churches that serve to expand God’s Kingdom, support our communities, and love our cities into a relationship with Christ. THE MISSION The Lord has put his Spirit in us, and He has appointed us to share the Gospel with the unredeemed. He has sent us to restore, through Christ, the lives of those who are broken and beaten down. He has chosen us to tell the hurting and harassed that they can be free and to show people how to find the Truth. God has sent us to lead the oppressed to Christ that they might be free; and to announce that, this very day, His love and mercy are available to all who desire them. THE VALUES God- He is the Source. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. Through Him all things were made and, without Him, nothing that is would be. Growth- We are a living body. All living things grow. We invest in each other to ensure that we are all advancing in our spiritual journey. Service- Christ came not to be served but to serve. We, as his followers, seek to emulate his character by going out to share his love with the world. Relationships- We are an interdependent community of close relationships…people doing life together to share in each other’s hurts and victories. Others- Part of doing life together is sharing hurts, struggles, and concerns. We all pitch in to ensure everyone’s needs are met. Mercy- Just as God extended grace to us, we must do the same for others. We do not harbor grudges or bitterness, but actively work to reconcile damaged relationships. Agreement- We all work together with one vision and set of shared values in mind. Joy- Living for Christ is difficult at times, but it’s also a blast. We remember to live our lives with the joy and expectant wonder that redemption brings.

WHY SoulSearch? : 

WHY SoulSearch? Many people have asked, “Why Kansas City? Isn’t Kansas one of the most churched states in America?” While it’s true that Kansas, with weekly worship attendance at 22.7% of the population, is above average nationally; Wyandotte County’s attendance of 19% is well below the state average, as well as the national average of 22%. In fact, if the attendance of Wyandotte County was projected across the state, Kansas would rank in the lower half of all states nationally for weekly church attendance. Further, while the Kansas City metro area (which consists of Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Johnson, and Miami counties) saw a population increase of over 100,000 residents from 1990 to 2000, and worship attendance increased by 35,000 people in that span, the percentage of the population that attended worship services decreased over that same 10 year span. Wyandotte County, specifically, experienced a 15% decrease in attendance at worship services countywide (both Johnson and Miami experienced increases of less than 10%, Leavenworth also experienced a decrease of 21%). In addition, Christian attendance is increasing for all groups in the Kansas City metro area. However, the percentage of the population that is attending church is declining; A major factor limiting the future growth of the Christian Church is the small net gain in the number of churches in the Kansas City area (the net gain equals the number of new churches started minus the number of closed churches). There was a net gain of 37 churches over the decade. Since closure rates of churches tend to remain constant, the low numbers reflect a smaller than normal number of new churches started. However, to keep up with the growing population of the Kansas City metro, there would have needed to have been an additional 192 more churches started from 1990 - 2000. In order to rectify that discrepancy, and account for new growth since 2000, 355 more churches would need to be started by 2010.

WHERE SoulSearch? : 

WHERE SoulSearch? The SoulSearch movement will begin in the Kansas City metro area, in Wyandotte County. The population of Wyandotte County as of the last census is 154,915. The population is extremely diverse as shown below: Regional trends forecast the most rapid increase in population to occur among Hispanics, with a projected increase of 17.7% by 2014, and in the 8-27 year age group, followed closely by the 28-48 year age group. The most recent census determined that the median age in Wyandotte County is 32.3. Wyandotte County residents are, overall, not as educated as most population groups. Amongst adults aged 25 and older, Wyandotte residents’ educational attainment is well below that of neighboring Johnson County, as well as the national average: As a result, only 22% of the population in this region is employed in Management, Public Administration, Educational Services, Health Services or other Professional Services. Expectedly, the median household income is $47,468, well below the national average of $67,918. WHERE SoulSearch?

WHERE SoulSearch?(planting) : 

WHERE SoulSearch?(planting) Aside from Kansas City, there are ten other cities in Kansas with a population of 40,000+: Wichita 361,420 Overland Park 169,403 Topeka 122,642 Olathe 118,034 Lawrence 89,852 Shawnee 59,958 Manhattan 51,707 Salina 46,458 Lenexa 45,681 Hutchinson 40,668 SoulSearch has identified these cities as principal cities due to their size and intends to have a church planted in each of these cities by 2025. Due to their proximity to Kansas City, as well as their explosive growth, there will be new churches planted in Shawnee by 2013, Lenexa by 2015. Next we will plant in Olathe/Overland Park by 2017, Lawrence, Manhattan, and Topeka by 2021, and Wichita, Hutchison and Salina by 2025. Further, there are 14 cirties with a population of 15,000+. SoulSearch intends to have a satellite campus in each of these areas by 2040. More specifically, there will be satellite campuses in Leavenworth and Leawod by 2017. In addition, SoulSearch will begin its global movement by the year 2020 with a focus on Africa, India, China, and Germany.

HOW SoulSearch?(ministry) : 

HOW SoulSearch?(ministry) As stated in our mission, we believe that God has appointed us to share Him with the world. There are five vehicles we use to proclaim Him, and to deliver His grace and love to people: JourneyMates - Our small group ministry and the lifeblood of the movement. Covered in more detail on the next slide. Carnivale - These are big, fun, social activities that the entire community is invited to like block parties, car shows, and concerts. They embody our values of Joy, Relationships, and Others. PathWays - This refers to all of the lifestyle and age based activities we will offer like participation in local bowling and softball leagues, youth trips to amusement parks, a zoo trip for parents with young children, or a ladies night out. These activities embody our values of Joy, Relationships, and Others. Salt and Light - Any service that we engage in for the community falls under this heading. Whether called servant evangelism, or community service, these activities embody our values of Growth, Service, Relationships, Others, and Mercy. Encounter - These are those “first touch” moments, where we are introducing people to our community and God. So things like The Gathering (our weekly worship service), open houses, marketing, and witnessing belong here. These embody our values of Joy and Growth. We believe that all of five of these vehicles embody our values of God and Agreement because He is the reason and purpose behind them, and none of the five could ever be accomplished without unity and agreement.

HOW SoulSearch?(small groups) : 

HOW SoulSearch?(small groups) In my experience, people are converted to community before they are converted to Christ. Therefore, building and maintaining healthy small groups is crucial if we want to make a difference in people’s lives for Christ. Our small groups must continually seek to embody the life of the Kingdom, the gospel community, so that we can invite others into it. This begins with the core team. The small groups will meet each week in homes, taking off one month a year (not all the same month) and probably some time at the holidays. One week a quarter they will take a Sabbath. It is imperative that we be involved in training and equipping, and not merely teaching (or even discussion). We must be involved in training people to be authentic Christian disciples (people who grow and change, pray, give, serve, love, engage, etc.). It is necessary for housegroups to periodically focus outside of themselves to remain healthy, and doing this is critical for the members’ discipleship. Once a quarter each group will do something which has an outward focus (service project, intercession, watching a missions video and praying, open house, hosting a dinner for strangers, etc.) An internal focus is also vital for a healthy group. To this end, once a month the groups will do a fun activity together

WHEN SoulSearch? : 

WHEN SoulSearch? April 2009 Visit Kansas City to meet with church planting partners scout out possible locations for weekly worship gathering connect with potential leads from New Mexico relationships find housing get a feel for area and specific needs Finalize agreement with Converge Heartland Develop promotional materials, create logo, website, and printed materials May 2009 Pursue relationships with area churches (ongoing) Continue to build relationships with partner churches (ongoing) Identify and develop relationships with key community leaders (ongoing) Launch website and other first touch marketing techniques June 2009 Complete First Steps training Complete Financial Peace University Curtis moves to Kansas Settle into community Prayer walk the neighborhood and target area (ongoing) Get to know neighbors July 2009 Nancy and kids move to Kansas Settle into community Have an open house for neighbors Have two open houses for potential partners Begin to purchase/acquire equipment for worship services (ongoing) Network within the community (ongoing) Develop connections with the unchurched (ongoing) Attend community functions and make connections (ongoing) Complete development of the inner workings of the church’s ministry system Written assimilation plan JourneyMates (housegroups) guidelines Servant evangelism Carnivale (block parties, etc.) Encounter (lifestyle groups) The Gathering August 2009 Develop church calendar Plan servant evangelism Plan open houses for core group Plan 3 Carnivale events prior to launch Reflect days off, holiday leave, etc. Have two open houses for potential members Finalize teaching plan and schedule for housegroup

WHEN SoulSearch? : 

WHEN SoulSearch? September 2009 Begin weekly meetings with housegroup (ongoing) Start looking for Worship Leader, Children’s Ministry Director Start looking for next housegroup shepherds Begin looking to secure space for The Gathering Open house for prospects October 2009 Continue search for Worship Leader, Children’s Ministry Director Continue search for next housegroup shepherds Develop training program for new housegroup shepherds Continue search for The Gathering space Open house for prospects November 2009 Finalize choices for Worship Leader, Children’s Ministry Director Begin training program for next housegroup shepherds Offer Cornerstone course Choose and secure space for the Gathering Develop Christmas Eve worship service Open house for prospects Build teams for various ministries (children’s, worship, setup, signs, etc.) December 2009 Plan out monthly gathering for January Develop sermon for monthly gathering Have Christmas Eve worship service Train workers for specific ministries Initiate more aggressive marketing strategies Continue training program for shepherds (ongoing) Develop follow up strategies for visitors January 2010 Have monthly Gathering Plan out monthly gathering for February Follow up with visitors Servant Evangelism event Open house Develop sermon for monthly gathering Review Gathering and make adjustments February 2010 Have monthly Gathering Plan out monthly gathering for March Follow up with visitors Servant Evangelism event Open house Develop sermon for monthly gathering Start preparing housegroup to multiply Review Gathering and make adjustments

WHEN SoulSearch? : 

WHEN SoulSearch? March 2010 Have monthly Gathering Plan out gathering for Easter (public launch) Follow up with visitors Servant Evangelism event Open house Develop sermon series for launch month Multiply housegroup Crank up marketing efforts, saturate target area Review Gathering and make adjustments April 2010 (Launch Month) Begin weekly gatherings (ongoing) Review Gatherings and make adjustments (ongoing) Start weekly discipleship meetings with shepherds (ongoing) Start training program for undershepherds (ongoing) Follow up with visitors (ongoing) Meet with steering committee Develop budget for upcoming fiscal year Promote start of lifestyle based groups in June May 2010 Open house for prospects Offer Alpha course Church meeting to approve budget Plan leadership retreat End of school Carnivale event Promote start of lifestyle based groups in June June 2010 Leadership retreat Start lifestyle based recreation groups Develop new summer sermon series Make new timeline for fiscal year 2010-2011

SoulSearch Partners : 

SoulSearch Partners If you feel God leading you to partner with SoulSearch, prayerfully consider supporting us in one of four (4) basic ways: People – Is God calling you to join the movement? If you’re a church leader, is God calling you to let us cast the vision in your congregation to see who He might be leading to join us? Prayer – Is God calling you to join with us as a prayer partner so you can petition Him on our behalf? Paper – Is God leading you to support the movement financially with either a one time gift or a monthly commitment? Products – Has God blessed you with items that you no longer use or need and you would like to give them to us? For more information on how to partner with SoulSearch, contact us at soulsearchmovement@gmail.com or send a text message to (505)231-6583.