Charis Community Church | Normal, IL

• Jon Bricker
• Apr 7, 2010
• Series: Church Profiles
• Categories: Church Planting Articles

Briefly describe your story of your call to plant a church 

God saved me in 1999 as a senior in college. Over the course of that year I had a strong burden to preach the gospel and make disciples. This burden grew as I began a college ministry on the campus of Illinois State University in 2002. Over the next 5 years, my ecclesiology eventually caught up with my missiology, and I sensed God's calling for me to help plant and lead a missional, gospel-centered church in our community.

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

Planting in faith and the Spirit rather than in unbelief and the flesh. I realized after the first year that I had not been trusting God to plant the church. I thought it was all up to me. This led to fear, anxiety, insecurity, and manipulating through guilt those I was called to love and serve. I continually need to check myself and repent and be called back to the grace of God, so that I can minister out of faith instead of out of fear.

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

Believe the gospel deeply, repent of the sin of wanting to be something apart from what Jesus has made you and called you to, and follow God wherever he leads.

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

I listened to a sermon by Driscoll and was immediately drawn in to his contextualized, expository preaching (at that time he was preaching through 1 Cor.). Then I found out that there was a whole network of reformed guys who saw themselves as missionaries, loved the church and were planting missional, gospel-centered churches. They had put words to what I'd been feeling for a long time.

The biggest benefit to being in A29 is the support and help the pastor/planters give. They truly share resources and wisdom freely. A very generous network of churches!

How do you pastor your family? 

I try to be a model of a gospel-shaped man by loving them, praying with them, reading the Bible and talking about it with them, and asking for forgiveness when I inevitably blow it.

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

The Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll.

How can we pray for you?

You can pray for Charis that we would stay faithful to Jesus and the mission he's called us to.

Church Profile: Charis Community Church
Launch Date: August, 2007
Location: Normal, IL

Mission, Vision, Values of Church 

To reveal the whole gospel to the whole person for the sake of the whole world.

What is your biblical perspective on authentic community, and evangelism? How is this practically seen in your church? 

Evangelism and discipleship is most effectively done in the context of communtiy. In Charis, we evangelize and make disciples primarily through our Gospel Communities (communities of people formed by the gospel, for the gospel, empowered through the gospel), and Tripods (gender-specific groups of 3 people formed to help one another apply the gospel to real life issues and sin).

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

Seeing people repent their of sin, turn to Jesus in faith, and begin to learn what it is to live in light of the gospel. I have seen this in my life and in the life of our church.

Please add any additional information that you would like to communicate to those that would be reading this on the Acts 29 website.