city church proposal

8/14/2019 City Church Proposal

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Wilmington has a diverse population of

approximately 73,000. As Delawares

largest city, Wilmington serves as the

business and cultural hub of the region.

Pro-business legislation enables the city

to attract corporations from around the

world. A growing arts community is led by

a variety of theaters, museums, and

galleries as well as by the expanding

Delaware College of Art and Design and

city art loop. Riverfront development and

other downtown projects have created a buzz for a city seeking to reinvent itself.

New businesses, coffee shops, and restaurants are emerging. The historic Queen Theater will soon be

restored into a music venue that will engage diverse populations with quality entertainment through

the nationally recognized World Caf Live. The LOMA (Lower Market) district has been designed as amagnet for the creative community. A diversity of designers, architects, retailers, and artists are being

attracted to the city with the hope of redefining it. The future looks promising. In fact, Wilmington was

recently named one of the top five North American micro-cities of the future by Foreign Direct

Investment Magazine.

The story of a city bursting with hope, however, is not the whole story.

For many, the future does not look so promising. Like every urban center,

Wilmington is a tale of two cities; it is a small city with big city problems.

Its proximity to four major cities on the Northeast corridor makes it

particularly vulnerable to drug trafficking. Crime is a significant problem,

evidenced by the record number of homicides in 2008. The gap between

rich and poor is alarming. Almost half of Delawares AIDS cases are inWilmington, contributing to an AIDS rate in Delaware that far exceeds the

national rate. Greed, poverty, sexual brokenness, crime, racism, lack of

education and other injustices have vandalized Gods intentions of peace

and wholeness for the city of Wilmington.

With our words and our lives, City Church will tell Gods story the story of Jesus coming to rescue us

from sin and renew our broken world. We want to humbly join the conversation about our citys future,

commending this story as the ultimate resource for urban renewal. Our vision, therefore, is to see

Gods storyof redemption shape the story of our lives, our church, and our city. We dream of agospel-driven movement that cultivates diverse followers of Jesus who experience and extend Gods

grace, demonstrating to our city that God is really among us. We dream of a movement where

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Jason Sica was born in Wilmington and raised just outside the city. He attended elementary school in

Wilmington, and his first exposure to urban ministry came in this city as a high school student. During

college breaks he participated in

outreach efforts in Wilmingtonwith All Nations Fellowship, a

multiethnic church plant of the

Heritage Presbytery. Jason holds a

Master of Divinity from Covenant

Theological Seminary, with a

concentration in urban ministry

and contemporary culture. As a

seminary student, he worked as

the Senior High Youth Director at

Grace and Peace Fellowship in

urban Saint Louis. Aftergraduating, he returned home to

Delaware where he served for a

summer as a pastoral intern with

All Nations Fellowship. He now serves as Assistant Pastor for Outreach and College and Career Ministry

at Faith Presbyterian Church in North Wilmington, where he has been on staff for four years. He has

continued to involve himself in urban ministry in Wilmington during this time.

Jasons wife, Katie, was raised in Western Pennsylvania. She graduated from Geneva College with a

degree in communication disorders before working as a speech therapist in the Saint Louis city schools

for two years. Katie is now a photographer and enjoys tutoring at Urban Promise in Wilmington.

Jason and Katie have been married for seven years; they have two young girls, Kylie (age 4 ) andNaomi (age 3). The Sicas love cities and have been captured by the diversity, vibrancy, and need of

Wilmingtons urban landscape. Jason and Katie have been approved for church planting by the Acts 29

Network. In addition to going through the Acts 29 boot camp and assessment, they have also

participated in Global Church Advancements church planting training.

Our denominational affiliation is with the Presbyterian Church in America. Oversight will be provided

by a provisional session (advisory team) consisting of elders from the Heritage Presbytery. Jason will be

coached by a seasoned church planting coach who is a Teaching Elder in the Philadelphia Presbytery.

We are also connected to the Acts 29 Network, the liberti church movement, and the Mosaix GlobalNetwork. Acts 29 exists to start churches that plant churches. Mosaix is a network committed to

inspiring unity and diversity through the development of Christ-centered multiethnic churches. Liberti

is a multiplying church movement in the city of Philadelphia.


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City Church will be a congregation not simply for ourselves, but for our friends and neighbors who do

not yet know Christ. While we desire to see the gospel unite the diversity of Wilmington, our hearts are

especially burdened for those who are presently disconnected from Jesus and the life of His church. We

long to see our spiritually disillusioned friends and neighbors find deep belonging in a community ofgrace where the gospel is proclaimed and demonstrated.

A post-Christian climate is emerging in Wilmington. Although there are many churches dotting the

citys landscape, few are evangelical and missional. A growing number of congregations are closing

their doors each year due to an inability to bring in new members. Many people today are disinclined

toward the church. Some have never ventured into the doors of a church, confident that Christianity

has nothing relevant to say to their lives. Others have been exposed to church, but want nothing

further to do with it because of the hypocrisy, religiosity, and coldness they encountered. We desire to

start a congregation that is accessible to these kinds of people the unchurched and dechurched. We

want to be a church where the skeptical, the burned-out, and the broken encounter the welcome of

Jesus in the context of authentic relationships.

Many members of the creative community

that the city is seeking to draw downtown

fall into this category of unchurched and

dechurched. These individuals desire to be

part of a larger effort to bring about change

in the city. Generally speaking, they are

ethnically diverse, progressive in their

thinking and lifestyle, and spiritually distant

from the truths of Christianity. They are

open to new ideas, however, and are also

the future leaders of the city. If the gospel

is to take root and change the fabric of

Wilmington for Gods glory, these emerging leaders and shapers of culture must be reached and

brought into the life of the church. Many of them are unreached in the sense that they have never

heard a credible proclamation of the gospel (a clear message of grace) nor ever seen a credible

demonstration of the gospel (grace embodied authentically). As part of our overall mission to seek the

good of the city we believe it is strategic to reach members of this creative community with the gospel

so that they in turn will commit themselves to bringing Gods Kingdom to life in the city. Imagine what

God could do through these individuals if their lives were permeated with the gospel and they used

their creativity and influence to help make the city of Wilmington a place increasingly characterized by

mercy, justice, and righteousness.


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We will achieve our mission by being gospel-centric, multi-cultural, and city-focused.

Gospel-centric - The gospel will be the central, unifying reality for our congregation. The

gospel (good news) is the story of how God has entered into human history to rescue and

redeem His broken creation from sin through Jesus Christ. This good news of rescue will be the

guiding priority for everything we do as a church. Gospel centrality is ultimately what makes a

diverse church work since Christ alone has the power to unite people from a multiplicity of

backgrounds. The gospel puts us all on equal footing as we come to terms with our spiritual

poverty and the fact that we all need Jesus just the same. When we build our identity on race

or class, we tend to look down on those who are different from us. When we build our identity

on the person and work of Jesus, we are humbled and empowered to embrace others. The

gospel therefore provides a unifying identity in Christ and enables people to turn from theidolatries of self, tribe, and race. Out of such personal and congregational renewal, urban

renewal flows as Gods people participate with him in mending the brokenness around them

and restoring wholeness. With this in mind, we will stress both the personal and social impact

of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God to rescue and transform individuals, but it is also

the power of God to restore all of creation.

Multi-cultural - We will embrace and celebrate the cultural diversity of our city and seek to

enhance one another through our God-given differences. We want to reflect the diversity of

Wilmington while enjoying Christ-centered unity. We believe this will serve as a provocative

witness to Gods story of redemption. In an increasingly diverse society like the one in which

we live, multi-cultural churches are needed to bear witness to the power and relevancy of the

gospel in a world that is skeptical of truth claims. We plan to work towards the formation of amulti-cultural church in three primary ways:

1. By establishing a diverse launch team

2. By raising up diverse leaders to serve in the new church

3. By seeking a unifying sound in our music that is born out of the diversity of our lives

City-focused Our mission is not just the building of a great church, but the building of a

great city. We intend to gather followers of Jesus from around the metropolitan area and

deploy them on a mission to serve Wilmington in a city-directed movement. We will be a

resource church for the city, calling people to sacrificially invest their lives and resources for

the good of the city. We will equip people to live out the implications of the gospel in the arts,

in business, in education, in urban planning and community development. We will also be city-positive, viewing Wilmington with hope as the gospel changes our attitudes and actions toward

the city and its residents. We will equip and encourage one another to share the gospel and

make disciples in their spheres of influence. We will be advocates of human restoration by

embodying Christs ministry of bringing dignity to race, gender, and culture. We will challenge

each other to act with justice, integrity, and mercy in our various vocations. We will work to

train and mentor men and women for ministry that addresses the social and economic needs of

our community. We will call people to love their neighbors through civic responsibility.


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The Biblical Story: There is a drama that sweeps across the pages of the Bible. This drama is the true

story of the world the narrative of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and New Creation. The unifying theme

of this narrative is the gospel the good news of what God has done in Jesus to redeem people from

every culture and renew our broken world. This story of good news is our story; it transforms who weare (identity) and what we do (practice). We will seek to view everything God, people, and place -

through the lens of this story. We will be a church that celebrates the power and purpose of the story

God is telling, helping people to find their unique place and role in it.

Community: Living the biblical story as our own re-orients us toward people. The Christian journey is

a community project, not to be lived in isolation from others. In fact, God Himself is a relational being,

a community of three persons (Trinity). As those made in His image, we are designed for relationship

with others. Freedom in Christ overcomes our fundamental slavery which separates us from God and

people, making us less than human. This freedom leads to a new love for God and for others, and

therefore, a new community in which God is making us truly human.

Mission:Living the biblical story as our own launches us into mission with God. We are compelled to

testify to the reality and presence of Gods Kingdom in our city. Our community will be one that

welcomes the spiritually disillusioned. We will not retreat from the brokenness of the city, but will

enter into it redemptively with the hope of the gospel. We will extend mercy and promote justice on

behalf of the poor and marginalized. We desire to ignite a movement by empowering Christians to live

as missionaries with the resource of the whole gospel for the whole person and city.

Authenticity: Living the biblical story as our own sets us free from the need to fake it by

pretending to be something were not. We will be upfront about our brokenness and the fact that we

dont have it all together. We will seek to be a community known for honesty, transparency, and

vulnerability as we pursue a humble reliance on Jesus and His rescuing grace. We will strive to create a

culture of grace where honest questions can be asked and real life struggles can be admitted.

Diversity: Living the biblical story as our own enables us to

embrace those who are different from us. God loves diversity. As

the Master Artist, He created the world with a variety of peoples

and cultures. We will celebrate this diversity and seek to unite it

in the gospel. We will encourage people to value their God-given

uniqueness while also appreciating people from other cultures. We

desire to see God form a new humanity that is unified in diversity.

Creativity: Living the biblical story as our own compels us to

make culture and to bring Gods Kingdom to life around us. Wewill value artistic expression and encourage creative endeavor in

the life of our church. Our desire is to see gospel saturated

imagination and creativity unleashed in service to God and

neighbor. We will celebrate the diversity of Gods creativity and

rejoice in the unique gifts He has given each of us to tell His story

of redemption. We will promote the arts as they have the power

to unify people from diverse cultural backgrounds.


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Our strategy will be incarnational rather than attractional. An attractional church grows mainly through

the front door as people ordinarily come into the church because they are drawn to the programs thatare offered. Such an approach works well in more churchy contexts where people are attracted to

what the church has to offer. An incarnational church like the one we plan to start grows primarily

through the side door. People come in through relationships that are established outside the walls of

the church. In fact, most of the ministry happens outside the church building. We want to be known

more as a movement than a place. The church is not a building we go to, but a people who go. Our

efforts will be concentrated on getting people to live as missionaries with gospel intentionality within

their relational networks. We must go to where the people are and engage them on their turf.

We plan to be a center-city church with inner-city concerns. We will work from the inside-out,

extending our influence outward from the city-center as we grow and expand. An emphasis will be

placed on serving and meeting needs. We will involve ourselves in ministries and organizations that do

mercy and pursue justice for those on the margins of society. A hit and run approach to ministry willnot work. We believe that God is calling us put down roots and love this place. Credible gospel living in

the context of authentic relationships will be the primary influence in drawing people into our church

community. We do not pretend to be the citys savior. We want to approach the city from a posture of

humility. God is already at work in Wilmington. We simply want to get in on what he is doing.

Central to City Churchs philosophy of ministry is the belief that evangelism

at its best is a community project. The unchurched and dechurched need

multiple opportunities to observe the gospel as it works itself out among

those who have been transformed by Jesus. Our task then is to create a

culture of grace in which the spiritually disillusioned can process the gospel

and try it on. Our hope is that the gospel proclaimed from our mouths will

be intelligible and compelling because of the gospel demonstrated through

our lives. The logic here is that transformed lives are both the greatest

argument for and the greatest explanation of the gospel. Christian living

that authenticates the gospel message in this way is a persuasive apologetic

in an increasingly post-Christian setting like ours. Those outside the church

need regular contact with authentically human ambassadors of the gospel.

Evangelism will not be a separate department of ministry, but rather something that shapes the whole

of our life together as a congregation. The most natural way for people to be introduced to City Church

will be through friends and neighbors inviting them. For this to be effective, the worship service andoverall church environment has to be one in which regular attenders are comfortable and enthusiastic

about bringing their unbelieving friends. We will work hard to cultivate a bringer mentality among

City Church people. We will communicate the gospel with clarity, seeking to be comprehensible to the

unchurched and dechurched among us. We want City Church members to always be strategizing about

bringing their non-Christian friends, knowing that they will hear the gospel in meaningful ways, but

also be treated with dignity and respect at the same time. City Church will be safe place for people to

express their questions and doubts as they investigate what it means to be a follower of Jesus.


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( s).

DoxologicalTo be fully human in the biblical sense is to experience the freedom of worshiping theliving God in contrast to the idols that enslave us. Our goal, therefore, is to engage in an authentic

worship of God in our corporate worship that is characterized by gospel centrality, celebration, and

freedom. We believe this doxological focus will enable us to be relevant to both believer and

unbeliever alike. We will seek to make what we do in worship accessible and comprehensible to

everyone. We will explain theological terms and the rationale behind what we do in worship. We want

believers to say, This is just the place for me to bring my unbelieving friend in order to expose them

to the gospel in meaningful ways. Our expectation is that non-Christians will be present at every

event we hold so we will work hard to create an environment that is welcoming to them. The goal is

not to be seeker driven but seeker comprehensible. Our aim is provocative worship like what Paul

outlines in 1 Corinthians 14. Our prayer is that unbelievers would sense the reality of Gods presence

among His people and exclaim God is really among you! (v.25).

Diverse - Our worship style will be contextually relevant for Wilmington, reflecting the diversity of ourcosmopolitan environment. Practically, apart from choice of music, this means that our worship team

will be multiethnic. We will strive for an eclectic, urban sound that unites the diversity of our city

around the worship of God. We envision this sound being a fusion of jazz, gospel and rock. The music

will be mostly contemporary even as we take more traditional hymns and jazz them up . We will

pursue excellence in the quality of our music as an expression of our commitment to the arts, but most

importantly as an acknowledgement of Gods worth.

Dialogical - Our worship service will be liturgical, yet informal and contemporary. When we use theterm liturgy we are talking about the structure, not the style or music of the service. The service will

follow a Christ-centered narrative movement as the good news of Jesus is rehearsed and re-presented

each week. This narrative movement will follow a dialogical or conversational pattern whereby God

speaks through His Word and we respond in praise as His people. Liturgy will serve to carry a gospelstoryline that expresses the drama of redemption throughout the movement and flow of the service.

Liturgies will be crafted with creativity so as to proclaim the gospel afresh each week, building bridgesfrom the biblical story to the everyday stories of the gathered worshipers. Practical, grace-centered

preaching will do the same. Creeds and prayers from around the world will be used to promote thediversity of Gods global church.

The service as a whole will represent a drama that works towards a climax in the celebration of the

Lords Supper. The liturgy leading up to communion will be anticipatory, pointing towards our

experience of Gods grace in the sacrament. We will celebrate the Lords Supper weekly, emphasizing

our constant, ongoing need for Christ and His transforming grace. Communion will be a unifying reality

for us as a congregation, demonstrating Christs reconciling work. What we all share in common,

regardless of race or status, is our desperate need to receive Gods grace. As believers from diversebackgrounds come to the Table each week because of the welcome of Christ, the gospel will bebeautifully displayed for all to see. The gospel will be proclaimed in word throughout the service with

communion serving as a tangible picture of the gospel. The dialogical nature of receiv ing Gods grace

through His Word and responding in praise will conclude with Gods people being sent out into the

world to engage in all of life worship. As we re-orient ourselves to Gods grace during corporate

worship, we then move into the world to extend grace to our neighbors and live for Gods glory. We

will stress that worship involves both adoration and action. There is a fluid relationship betweenworship on the Lords Day and the activity that takes place throughout the rest of the week.


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The gospel is not something Christians have and others need, but something everyone needs all the

time. As a result, we will preach the gospel not only as the means for conversion, but also as the means

for growth. There will be a Christ-centered, grace orientation to our approach to spiritual formation

since the gospel is more about identity transformation than behavior modification. Our approach will

also be holistic as we look to move beyond just teaching information to creating environments toexperience the gospel and put it into practice. We want our city to have a foretaste of redemption asoutsiders witness God working in and through us. We believe a transformational community like this

will attract people and create opportunities to invite them into Gods story. Our expectation is that the

gospel renewal in our lives will spill over into the streets and neighborhoods of our city, resulting in

urban renewal. Lastly, we are committed to developing gospel-driven, missional leaders who will serve

as pacesetters in the church. These leaders will be trained in the art of applying the gospel to

themselves and in the skill of engaging the culture around them with the gospel.

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We believe this is where church really happens. Here people come together to experience Gods

presence in community with others. These groups are safe places for people to journey in the hope ofChrist together through Bible study, discussion, prayer, fellowship, and service. These groups will meet

in neighborhoods and establishments throughout metro Wilmington. They will serve a two-fold purpose:

1) To provide community in which those who are already followers of Christ are nurtured and

challenged to live in the gospel and to live out its implications.

2) To provide community in which those who are not yet followers of Christ are welcomed and

invited to process and discover the gospel.

Most unchurched and dechurched people come to faith in Christ through a process (a series of mini-

decisions rather than one big decision made on the spot). They need multiple exposures to the

gospel. Often conversion to community precedes conversion to Christ. Aware of these dynamics, we

will work to create space and freedom for people to observe and be in process. Community groups

represent the Front-lines of discipleship where the gospel gets pressed more deeply into our lives.

.

The gospel shapes a new culture, a

whole new city as Gods people

create and cultivate the city with

the dual aim to glorify God and bless

their neighbors. We intend to engage

the city by thoughtfully applying the

gospel to our urban context. Retreat

and separation on the one hand, and

accommodation and syncretism on

the other, are not options for us. We

plan to equip followers of Jesus to

understand the culture of our city

and to live distinctly public lives as

disciples in the neighborhood and in


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the workplace. Underlying our approach to cultural engagement will be the belief that because the

biblical story is true, it has something meaningful to contribute to every aspect of life. We will

celebrate the arts, music, sexuality, literature, and seek to serve God with all of our gifts, abilities,

and opportunities. All of these things are often exploited and used selfishly, and yet all can be used to

love God and people and serve effectively in this world. We desire to do all things with excellence for

Gods pleasure.

One way we plan to impact our city is by training people to view their work through the lens of Gods

story. We will be intentional about equipping people for service in their vocations, helping them to

connect their faith to the whole of life. We want people to have a biblical vision that sees every aspect

of life as valuable and spiritual. Another way we will engage our city is by implementing a ministry

called provocations. The goal will be for provocations: provoking conversation at the intersection of

faith, life, and culture to give us the opportunity to converse with our diverse neighbors in public

venues such as:

City forumsThere are few places in our culture where we can come together for reflectionand thoughtful conversation on the issues of our day. City forums will be an effort to fill thatvoid. The purpose will be to offer engaging presentations and discussions on current cultural

topics from a Christian perspective (possibly incorporated into the city art loop).

Film/book discussionsWe will have thoughtful discussion about the worldview presented inthe film/book and how that view aligns with our own personal view and that of the biblical

story. We will also discuss the artistic quality of the film/book.

Arts Outreach As a church that promotes creative endeavor, we will celebrate and engage

the arts in a variety of ways. Participation in the monthly art loop will be one possible vehicle

for doing this. We will actively seek to create community for artists in our city.

.

We want to have a visible presence in the city.

God calls us to contribute to the overall good of

our community by living out the implications of

His grace. This grace makes us outward in our

focus, giving us hearts intent on meeting the

needs of others. We will work to restore

wholeness in our communities by serving in

practical ways alongside churches, organizations,

and ministries. City Church people will be

challenged to serve in a variety of ways in

shelters, as mentors and tutors, and as active

members of neighborhood associations to name afew. The gospel frees us from our own personal

dramas, empowering us to serve others from a

place of mutual brokenness. We do not serve in order to relieve guilt or earn Gods favor. We enter

into broken lives because Jesus has done so for us. We will treat the hurting with dignity and respect,

as those who bear the image of God, not as problems to solve. The biblical story calls us to seek the

peace and prosperity of the city in which God has placed us. We want to be stewards and caretakers of

creation in ways that honor God and lead to human flourishing.


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The importance of place will be talked about frequently - particularly how God, people, and place

intersect. It is on this particular patch of land called Wilmington that God calls us to put down roots

and demonstrate to others that His redemption has come to our lives. We plan to live in city

neighborhoods, eat in city restaurants, and do life in general among our city neighbors. With the size

and dynamics of Wilmington being what they are, there is tremendous opportunity for the gospel to

bring about the personal, social and cultural renewal that we envision. We dont just love Wilmington

for what it is now, but for what God is going to make it through the power of the gospel.

.

God is always moving His people

forward, taking the gospel into

new places and neighborhoods.

We want to ignite a movement.

One church alone cannot changethe city. Our dream is to

multiply and plant future

churches in and around

metropolitan Wilmington. With

this in mind, recruiting and

training future church planterswill be a priority for us. We

would love to have

apprenticeships for church

planters, regularly having men

in the chute ready to go out

and plant, even if it is outside

of Wilmington. Honoring our commitment as a member of the Acts 29 Network, ten percent of ourannual budget will be set aside for church planting once we start meeting weekly for worship.

.

We believe that reaching out to college students and including them in

our community is a big part of our calling and identity as a church. Wewant to be a church that includes college students not just as

wallpaper, but as active participants and leaders in our community. It

is important for students to get plugged in and meaningfully involved

in the life of a local church. Colleges are some of the most missionally

significant places as people gather from a diversity of places,

worldviews, and lifestyles. We will focus our efforts on the Delaware

College of Art and Design and the Delaware Technical and Community

College. Our hope is that a number of students would catch a visionfor the city and put down roots as they seek to live for its good as

students and possibly even beyond. Our vision is to eventually have

communities established on these campuses through which students

can investigate Christianity and be plugged into the life of the church.


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Below are a few things that will determine whether or not City Church is fulfilling its v ision

There are people coming to Christ for the first time (conversion growth)

There are people being renewed in their faith (apprehending Gods grace)

There is increasing diversity within the congregation

There are gospel-centered, reproducing disciples being made

There is a zeal within the congregation to love and serve the city in practical ways

There is a growing belief that our presence in the city makes it a better place

NOTE: Dates are suggested as target dates and are subject to change

October 2009

Regular launch team meetings will begin for prayer, planning, and preparation

January 2010

Jason will start full-time, provided the necessary funds are raised

Easter 2010

Weekly public worship will launch, provided God has gathered 40 or more people

Please email [email protected] if you are interested in partnering with us.

For all our strategizing and preparation, City Church cannot succeed without the Spirit of God

driving the mission. Your prayers are vital to this work. We are seeking prayer partners who will

commit to a season of prayer for this project. Despite our brokenness and weakness, we believe

God will use His people as we depend on Him daily for all of our needs.

You can sponsor this church plant financially. Our budget for three years is approximately

$415,000. In addition to church expenses, this covers compensation for the full-time church

planter, a part-time music director, and a part-time administrator. Your support can be in any

amount. We prefer 3-year pledge commitments but are also seeking one-time gifts. All funds are

being raised under the Heritage Presbytery during this phase of the project.

A more detailed financial document is available upon request. Checks should be made payable to

Heritage Presbytery. PLEASE MEMO EVERY GIFT: CityChurch. Your tax deductible contributions

may be sent to:

Heritage Presbytery Treasurer

2312 Lighthouse Lane

Wilmington, DE 19810
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

city church proposal

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