Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Not your grandpaw’s Cadillac
I had a conversation with someone the other day that really got me thinking. The conversation had to do with whether or not the Kannapolis campus was either never going to grow or not make it at all. You see this stemmed from my past experience in a new church.
In 2003 I helped start a brand new church (TFP). I loved this church and the people in it. However, after four years we closed the doors. The church just never grew and our pastor did not want to be part of a church that was just about the people in it. He wanted to lead a church that reached to those outside the church who did not know Christ. This was the second hardest time of my life. It was even more difficult for my pastor. There are many reasons why it didn’t grow but I will not get into all of them right now. I want to tell you what I see that is the difference between the new Kannapolis campus of High Rock and TFP.
First of all, this is not an autonomous church plant. TFP was autonomous. Here at High Rock we have the support of hundreds of people already attending. We have a group of people who already believe in the vision of High Rock and will serve where they are gifted and needed. The campuses of High Rock also have the support of pastors with experience in the style of church that we are. Since all the campuses are the same (DNA) it makes it much more efficient to plan sermon series, worship music, community events, marketing campaigns, media content for messages, dramas, stage design sets, and on and on. We have people who are willing to do these things no matter what campus it is because we are one church with three locations.
Second, our location. There are not many churches in the Kannapolis area that have the same style that we have here at High Rock. There are so many people that do not connect with traditional church and need a place to meet God and people who love God. Our style of church will at least take away some of their excuses for not going to church. Also, our location allows the Kannapolis team to stay in contact with the Salisbury and Denton Campus. This is the vision of our campuses. To stay connected with one another because “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NCSB). The more campuses we have working together the stronger the entire church will be.
Third, and this is the biggest part of why I believe the Kannapolis campus of High Rock will not ever close its doors. God has given a vision to our lead pastor Ray to plant a church in Kannapolis. He has given Ray a burden for the people in that area to know Christ. Ray went to high school about 4 miles away from where Kannapolis currently meets. He has a passion to see the community change and this is the driving force that keeps all of us going. As easy as it would have been to say “we shouldn’t start the campus right now because we are in a shaky time. It’s not a good idea” he didn’t allow that. Why should what our perfect God has started be stopped by imperfect men? Then our campus pastor resigned and another shake up happened before the church was launched. This was another chance call the whole thing off. But again Ray was committed to this and encouraged us to continue the good work God started. Ray is a strong leader that lives a life of faith and the pastors and staff of High Rock feed off of that. I am not saying that my pastor at TFP was not a good leader or not called by God. Not at all. Planting a church is hard and you never know if people are going to come or how to get them to come. Ray has already experienced this and still wanted to plant the campus. Ray is 100% committed to seeing the Kannapolis campus be all that God wants it to be. He is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make this happen. Ray has faith. That is, Ray knows that God has made promises and believes that God will stick to those promises. Ray is committed to this and so am I and the rest of the pastors and staff at High Rock.
That’s why this ain’t your grandpaw’s Cadillac.
Doug Duggins
In 2003 I helped start a brand new church (TFP). I loved this church and the people in it. However, after four years we closed the doors. The church just never grew and our pastor did not want to be part of a church that was just about the people in it. He wanted to lead a church that reached to those outside the church who did not know Christ. This was the second hardest time of my life. It was even more difficult for my pastor. There are many reasons why it didn’t grow but I will not get into all of them right now. I want to tell you what I see that is the difference between the new Kannapolis campus of High Rock and TFP.
First of all, this is not an autonomous church plant. TFP was autonomous. Here at High Rock we have the support of hundreds of people already attending. We have a group of people who already believe in the vision of High Rock and will serve where they are gifted and needed. The campuses of High Rock also have the support of pastors with experience in the style of church that we are. Since all the campuses are the same (DNA) it makes it much more efficient to plan sermon series, worship music, community events, marketing campaigns, media content for messages, dramas, stage design sets, and on and on. We have people who are willing to do these things no matter what campus it is because we are one church with three locations.
Second, our location. There are not many churches in the Kannapolis area that have the same style that we have here at High Rock. There are so many people that do not connect with traditional church and need a place to meet God and people who love God. Our style of church will at least take away some of their excuses for not going to church. Also, our location allows the Kannapolis team to stay in contact with the Salisbury and Denton Campus. This is the vision of our campuses. To stay connected with one another because “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NCSB). The more campuses we have working together the stronger the entire church will be.
Third, and this is the biggest part of why I believe the Kannapolis campus of High Rock will not ever close its doors. God has given a vision to our lead pastor Ray to plant a church in Kannapolis. He has given Ray a burden for the people in that area to know Christ. Ray went to high school about 4 miles away from where Kannapolis currently meets. He has a passion to see the community change and this is the driving force that keeps all of us going. As easy as it would have been to say “we shouldn’t start the campus right now because we are in a shaky time. It’s not a good idea” he didn’t allow that. Why should what our perfect God has started be stopped by imperfect men? Then our campus pastor resigned and another shake up happened before the church was launched. This was another chance call the whole thing off. But again Ray was committed to this and encouraged us to continue the good work God started. Ray is a strong leader that lives a life of faith and the pastors and staff of High Rock feed off of that. I am not saying that my pastor at TFP was not a good leader or not called by God. Not at all. Planting a church is hard and you never know if people are going to come or how to get them to come. Ray has already experienced this and still wanted to plant the campus. Ray is 100% committed to seeing the Kannapolis campus be all that God wants it to be. He is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make this happen. Ray has faith. That is, Ray knows that God has made promises and believes that God will stick to those promises. Ray is committed to this and so am I and the rest of the pastors and staff at High Rock.
That’s why this ain’t your grandpaw’s Cadillac.
Doug Duggins
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