Jon & Kathie Rich
Church Planting Director                    jrich@mwcma.org

We will:

Challenge pastors and existing healthy churches within the district to actively pursue involvement in church planting as parent churches.

Challenge existing churches within the district to partner in supporting the church planting movement through sustaining prayer, generous financial gifts, and giving of people to church planting projects.

Identify individuals who have the giftedness, natural talents, personality traits and passion to be both church planters and leaders in a church multiplication movement.

Diligently assess and support all assigned and potential church planters through personalized coaching.

Identify communities and people groups within the district that do not have a reasonable chance to hear the gospel and enlist the involvement of the district family in taking the message to those communities through church planting. 

Develop a funding strategy that involves individuals and churches throughout the district in providing a sound financial base for a church planting movement.
 

South Asian Friendship Center
South Asian Fellowship 
Church Planters: Samuel and Debbie Naaman

Nearly four years ago a ministry know as the South Asian Friendship Center was launched in the little India section of Chicago by Samuel and Debbie Naaman and a team of gifted and impassioned missionaries to this South Asian community. Out of this evangelistic outreach center, a house church was birthed in 2001 called the South Asian Fellowship. Future dreams include the expansion of both of the original ministries as well as additional house churches scattered throughout this unique neighborhood. 

New Plant - Family Empowerment Centers of Chicago
Church Planters: Scott and Natalie Manke

Scott and Natalie bring a history and wealth of experience in urban church planting with them from New York City where they were a part of a Church Planting team in the Bronx. Plans are being formalized for a new plant in Rogers Park, a community located in the extreme northeast part of Chicago. As the Mankes make plans for relocation into the target community by the fall of 2002 they are also hard at work seeking out and building a ministry team and searching for a ministry center location. The Mankes can be reqched via e-mail at Fscottmank@aol.com.

Higher Calling Community Church
Church Planters: Don and Mindy Pittman

In the midst of a personal health crisis for Don, the Pittmans, in obedience to God’s leading, launched Higher Calling Community Church in October of 2000. Although Don is still diagnosed with an incurable form of blood cancer this young church is impacting the eastern side of Indianapolis with the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Declaring to all that will listen, that regardless of life's circumstances, God has a Higher Calling for every individual. In just 16 months of public services this church has seen in excess of 40 people accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior, and another 60 plus rededicate themselves to His Lordship. 

International Bible Fellowship Church
Church Planters: Amos and Mary Miamen

International Bible Fellowship was birthed out a vision given to Amos and Mary by God to reach into the lives of African immigrants arriving in the United States. Out of that initial vision a church was birthed and expanded to include a variety of African nationalities as well as a host of other individuals from countries across Europe and communities across the breadth of the United States. Although still a young church IBF is already considering the birth of another ministry in another Chicago suburb.
 

Life of the Vine Christian Community
Church Planters: David and Rae Ann Fitch

David and Rae Ann moved to this northern suburb of Chicago with a dream to reach into the lives of young families often referred to as the post-modern generation. With a focus on building meaningful relationships, developing community and a commitment for using the arts in worship this ministry is at the threshold of presenting the “church” to the community in a new and exciting way. Following a year of effort in building an initial team, Life on the Vine Christian Community launched public services January 13, 2002.

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