Aletheia | Tampa, FL

• Aaron Proffitt
• Mar 29, 2011
• Series: Church Profiles
• Categories: Church Planting Articles, Latest News

Briefly describe your story of your call to plant a church

My “call to ministry” passage of Scripture is Ephesians 4:11-12 and it is in those verses that I realized in 2002 that God specifically gifted me to do what I do. God in fact Himself gave to the church some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. My belief is that to plant a church, you need to possess all of those qualities. I am communicative, I love to teach, I love to start new things, I get bored easily, I love challenges, I love to take risks, I get uncomfortable when I'm too comfortable, I love to evangelize, I love to Shepherd, and I love to be a part of the vehicle that God has chosen to use to fulfill His commission, the church.

How did you build up your core? What advice would you give to guys in the core-stage?

The Holy Spirit obviously had the dominant role in helping me to discern through who to choose to be a part of my team. Over the previous decade, I planted and pastored a church in Virginia and invested in hundreds of lives there. When it came time for me to fulfill the calling to leave Virginia and move to Tampa to plant the next church, these people who I had poured into for 8 years saw the vision and jumped on board.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in planting your church (and/or currently facing)?

We found it very difficult to find other ministries in the area that would welcome us and partner with us. There seemed to be an air of competition and this really made it difficult to acclimate those first few months.

How did you become involved with Acts 29? What have been the biggest benefits of being in the network?

The biggest benefits of being a part of the Network at this point are the community aspect that exists with everyone, and the like-minded emphasis that we share with A29 in the areas of church planting and evangelism. We have received the most overwhelming welcome since the moment we started the application process. All of the people we have interacted with have been humble, gracious, and super encouraging. And being able to really cast our vision of planting more churches in the future to a Network that is doing that very thing is refreshing!

What advice do you have for men who are wrestling with the decision to plant? 

Make sure you are called. Church planting is brutal and not very personally rewarding. But to see Christ transform lives and communities is a process that nothing else can compare to.

What’s the most important thing you’d want to share with a new church planter?   

Make sure you surround yourself with not only a competent core team, but a competent leadership team. Good leadership will help you through those torturous early days in the plant.

How do you pastor your family?

I shepherd my family by pointing them to Christ in our every day lives. This comes out in the way I deal with conflicts; and the way that I elevate my two boy's mom and demonstrate that love that God has called me to demonstrate; and the way that I teach my boys about grace and mercy in disciplinary moments; and the way that I prioritize Jesus first, then my wife, then my children, and then everything else.

Outside of the Bible, what is the most helpful book you have read for church planting?

My dad Dave Proffitt's soon-to-be released book: "In The Trenches: Ten Vital Reminders to Assist Church Planters"

Church Profile: Aletheia Church
Launch Date: August 2009
Location: Tampa, FL

Mission, Vision, Values of Church 

We are a church who desires to target the University of South Florida and the surrounding Tampa community, using a Biblical model which combines relevancy and orthodoxy, in order to spiritually mobilize a generation for Christ.

Core Values:
Win [Connecting a person with God through a message that is specific in its content, and intentional in its delivery, to present the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ.]
Baptize [Publically demonstrating of one’s new life in Christ]
Disciple [Diligently developing apprentices of God through systematic instruction and influence.]
Equip [Identifying Biblical tools, and transferring necessary skills as a catalyst for a life of service to God]
Send [Mobilizing individuals as God’s agents for Kingdom purposes]

Beliefs:
1. One God who is Trinitarian, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit [Matthew 28:19, 1 John 5:7]
2. One Lord who is Jesus Christ, God and Savior [Acts 2:36,38, 1 Timothy 3:16]
3. One Spirit who is God, indwells and fills every believer and empowers the Church [Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 5:18, Acts 1:8]
4. One Faith whose components are repentance of sin and belief in Jesus Christ as the only means of Salvation presented through God’s Holy Word, the Bible, which is inspired, inerrant and infallible [Acts 20:21, 1 Corinthians 15:2-4, Acts 4:10,12, John 14:6, 2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 1:21, Psalms 19:7, Matthew 5:18]
5. One Body which is called the Body of Christ, the Church, the reflection of the Savior in the world today [Ephesians 1:20,23,3:21, Hebrews 10:24-25]
6.One Baptism which is demonstrated both through the Spirit’s indwelling and by water [Romans 8:11, Acts 8:36-38]

What are some examples of God's grace that you have seen in your life and/or the life of your church?

2 years ago, my wife and I lost our perfectly healthy 5 and a half week old son to SIDS. Obviously, at the time, it was a devastating blow, but we have seen God work through that tragedy to show His grace. 16 months later, we were given another little gift, another little boy, name Asher Nathaniel Proffitt.

How can we pray for you?

We need a new facility. We are growing out of our current location and we need to be more centralized to the surrounding community. Pray also for the development of our young guys. They are all really young but are showing so much promise.