THE REST OF THE STORY

2020 — 2024

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.


1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT)

Dear Friends,


The story we’re telling together these days feels rather miraculous given everything that’s transpired since the world turned upside down in early 2020. Some good and difficult things have happened along the way.


Although our circumstances have been challenging, we’re doing really great work helping Heightsers Learn from Jesus and Love like Jesus. And over the next five years we will make even more progress on helping us all Live as Jesus.

 

In fact, we’ve never been more clear about WHAT we do and HOW that happens, WHEN it’s working, and WHERE our story is headed. You’ll see what we mean as you keep exploring below.


But the question that really begs to be answered is WHY. WHY do we invest so much time, energy and money in our Big Dream?


Because we believe the good news Jesus offers is bigger and better than just going to heaven when we die. He’s inviting us to live in God’s kingdom RIGHT NOW, to participate in what God’s doing RIGHT NOW. 


But most of us don’t very well know how to live this new life, do we? We don’t know how to join in on what God’s doing. But Jesus does! 


Which is WHY we must Learn from Jesus how to Love like Jesus and Live as Jesus. Jesus is the natural way to say “yes” to the good news of the kingdom!


And that is WHY our work together matters so much, friends. We’re helping people discover nothing less than a whole new way of living, of finding their role in God’s dream HERE and NOW. 


We can’t imagine a more meaningful story to live in. As more and more of us choose to live in love, God’s kingdom will come, his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.


We’re so grateful YOU believe and share in this story, too. But read on. Because this tale isn’t over yet, and like any compelling story, there are always new risks...


Bryan, Greg, Jeremiah and Leslie

Leadership Team

Lawrence shares how our church helped save his marriage

We’re living a good and beautiful story together!

WHAT

Our big dream

We equip people to become an unstoppable source of God’s love that changes our world.

HOW

WE EQUIP PEOPLE TO BECOME IN...

Gatherings

→ Sunday Worship

→ BBQ and Baptism

→ Fall Family Festival

→ Summer 573 Breakfast

→ GoKids at the Waterpark

→ Neighbor Day

→ HangTime

Jeremiah shares the power of gathering

Groups

Lenny shares how a group is changing his life

→ Get Real Groups

→ Younique Groups

→ Younique Primer

→ SYMBIS (couples)

→ Intentional Parenting

→ Enneagram

→ Axioms Groups

→ Grace & Truth Groups

→ Serving Teams

WHEN

Real change happens when we...

Learn

from

Jesus

I notice God at work in and around me.


I choose what I want more.


I surrender to God’s love.

Love

like

Jesus

I bring my true self.


I embody grace and truth.


I proclaim good news.

Live

as

Jesus

I make my unique contribution.


I live by design.


I bless my neighbor.


I guide someone to learn, love and live.

10

Practices for Becoming

Our good and beautiful story has had some plot twists lately...

The COVID pandemic moved us online for 15 Sundays in 2020.

We transitioned from multi-site to one church and one team.

We consolidated Sunday gatherings in Fredericktown after 15 years. 

We reduced our pastors by 40% and other staff by 25%.

Rising inflation has had an economic impact.

But that's NOT the whole story!

  • We concluded more than 10 years of effort to design and implement a discipleship strategy.

  • We launched small groups to equip Heightsers with the toolkit that supports the Ten Practices for Becoming.

  • 212 people have engaged with a group, including 86 people in Get Real Groups and 25 in Younique Groups, our most intense and life-changing environments.

  • We taught on the book of Revelation and completed the first half of a two-year journey through the Sermon on the Mount.

  • Most Heightsers who attended our Farmington gatherings have continued at Fredericktown.

  • We began offering our entire Sunday gathering online.

  • Engagement with Sunday worship gatherings has remained fairly consistent, despite the pandemic and people attending less frequently. 


Average Weekly Attendance

Best of all, 53 people said "yes" to new life in Jesus with baptism

But one significant hurdle could alter the rest of our story

Our financial support is decreasing, below expenses, and below average.

Giving has decreased compared to attendance.

Average Weekly Attendance

VS Average Weekly GIVING

Giving no longer covers expenses.

Average Weekly EXPENSES

VS Average Weekly GIVING

Giving is below the average for churches our size.

national average ANNUAL giving

vs. Our 2023 Giving

Source: Church Law and Tax by Christianity Today.

But that story can’t continue forever...

So what can we do to keep telling our story?

Let’s practice consistent generosity in 2024.

Everybody can!

Practice Consistent Generosity

1. Start giving
    (30 givers @ $25/week = $750)


2. Give consistently

    (20 givers @ $25/week = $500)


3. Give generously

    (14 givers @ $25/week = $350)


If we all give, we will...

Reverse our trajectory of the past four years



Fully fund our ministry plans this year


Return to dreaming about the future

Greg gets excited about a game changer!

Our story can’t have a future if we don’t pay for the present.


THE NEXT CHAPTER COULD BE OUR BEST CHAPTER 

Living As If Jesus Were Me

Five-Year Vision (2023-2028)

How would Jesus live if he lived in the 573? The pace of life has exhausted our capacity to answer that question and we rarely have time to partner with others who share God’s dream for the world.


Coupled with the fact that our friends and neighbors are losing trust in people and institutions of faith at an alarming rate, are we even still confident how to share with them the good news of life in God’s kingdom?


Because people are still hungry for meaning and significance that more activity and stuff simply can’t supply. The vacuum of reliable faith structures has left many longing for a fresh expression they can believe in. 


They just need a clearer path to their bigger story. And we need a new imagination for connecting with our neighbors in meaningful ways and for connecting our neighbors with God’s love. 


By 2028 we will equip Heightsers to know and make their unique contribution to God’s good dream for their church and community, to live their one-and-only lives with the intentionality they deserve, to bless their neighbors in ways big and small, and to guide someone else to learn, love and live, too. 


We will activate hundreds of disciples to flesh out their faith in real life and in real time. We will connect Heightsers with others who share their commitment to be an unstoppable source of God’s love that changes the 573 and beyond. And we will celebrate more people becoming new disciples of Jesus as they see and experience God’s love flowing through us. 

Practice Time

One-Year Vision (2023-2024)

Nothing matters more to the realization of our Big Dream than people who are Becoming Human Again. We will prioritize personal transformation in a world of distraction by increasing awareness of and engagement with our Ten Practices for Becoming.

Bryan shares about the future!

The rest of the story continues AS we turn the page to 2024.

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