Church planting – Page 3

My Second Church Plant

Posted on December 18, 2014 by johnmarkum

I didn’t understand this when I set out to plant LifeCity Church – I couldn’t have understood. But I would quickly experience a tension that I believe every church planter encounters. This tension if not understood will lead to frustration, disappointment, and ultimately defeat. The reality is this:

Every church planter actually starts two churches. Allow me to explain… Continue reading “My Second Church Plant”

First Egg Hunt from LifeCity Church!

Posted on April 24, 2014 by johnmarkum

I wrote this earlier to all of the parents and families who came to our Easter egg hunt Saturday, the 19th. 56 families (150+ people!) came out for our egg hunt! We look forward to being a church that continues to engage families and bring community together…

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Dear friends,
Wow… wasn’t that fun?! We had an amazing time with our first ever Community Easter Egg Hunt! This wouldn’t have happened without the hard work of several volunteers, and we’re so grateful to all of those who committed time to making this event so successful.

This event is the first of many efforts our new church is organizing to bless our community and show the love of God. We know that you may have different preconceived ideas of “church” depending on your personal experiences. So I want you to understand something about LifeCity Church – we love this community! No matter where you are today with faith, God, or church, LifeCity is a place where you can feel at home.

Our church officially launches in September, but right now we are meeting every Sunday, 10:30am at Montague Elementary School, right here next to where we had the egg hunt. This means you can visit us any Sunday morning and see if LifeCity Church could be a place for you and your family to get connected. The same care and organization we put into our children for the egg hunt is exactly the way we treat children on Sunday mornings. We call it KidsTown, and we know your kids will have a great time there!

Let me give you four more reasons why you should consider checking out our church:

Relevant. We know what life in the South Bay is like! We get the pressures and demands of trying to balance work, family, and finances. That’s why we teach in a way that makes a difference in your weekday, not just a guilt trip on Sunday.
Casual. There’s no dress code. We trust that you know how to dress in public. So relax and come to church in sandals and board shorts for all we care! We’re more interested in what’s happening in your life than in your wardrobe. And if you feel compelled to “suit up” anyway, we’ll still let you in.
Upbeat. One of the things we say all the time about our church is “We speak life!” So we try to keep our church exciting, positive, and encouraging even when dealing with tough life issues. You should leave our church more encouraged than when you came.
Engaging. We don’t believe in pressuring people to do something they’re unsure about. So when you decide to take your next step, we’re ready for you! We have small groups, volunteer opportunities, and a vision to impact the entire Bay Area. Get involved however you would like.

Whether or not you ever visit LifeCity Church, you and your family matter to us just the way you are. From my family to yours, if we can ever do anything to be a blessing or encouragement to you, I hope you’ll know that you can turn to us. We’ll keep you in the loop about future events that we’re hosting, and perhaps I’ll see you and your family on a Sunday sometime soon.

Blessings,
Pastor John

My life these last few months…

Posted on November 30, 2013 by johnmarkum

So if you’re a faithful follower of my blog, you’ve probably been frustrated by the lack of new posts since about August. Hopefully, if you are a faithful follower of my blog, you’ve correctly assumed that I’m busy with the beginnings of LifeCity Church, the church plant we moved out to California to launch. Whether or not you’ve given me the benefit of the doubt, or if you’ve even noticed, I’ve come to the point where I’ve decided that it has been long enough, and this was something I should return to doing. So time to get back on the blog-wagon and update everyone! In a reasonably short post, here’s what’s gone down in our life and ministry in the last few months:

Our daughters started school at the local elementary school on our street. They’re doing great! Tiff and I have been able to connect with several parents in the school also, many of whom have begun getting connected to LifeCity.
Our church is excited about the future God has for us and our community! We’ve begun meeting weekly for an in-house Bible study (aka “house church”) to build our core group, identify potential leaders, and develop people who are becoming this new church. We’ve got several people coming, and our children’s ministry (KidsTown) gets rave reviews from the families who have come!
Tiffany has restarted her Pampered Chef business, something she use to really enjoy, and which also gives her more ability to connect with people in our city. It also gets me more kitchen toys to play with…
Our entire Launch Team who relocated here have all found jobs and housing and have done a great job, not only by serving in needed areas, but in bonding with one another and reaching out to strangers to build new friendships and connections.

Much, much more to share about all that God is doing in our family and ministry right now. But you’ll have to follow the blog to keep up with us!

Blessings,
Pastor John