Christ Church | Gainesville, GA

• Joab Rico
• Apr 12, 2011
• Series: Church Profiles
• Categories: Latest News, Church Planting Articles

Briefly describe your story of your call to plant a church

I was born into a gospel family with healthy teaching and much affection. I was born from above at a very early age. My parents recommended I go to a college that would allow me to get under the ministry of John Piper. God called me to preach at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Then I went to Covenant Seminary, learned about church planting, met and married my wife Rebekah, and received discipleship. My wife, son Isaiah, and I moved to her hometown of Gainesville, Georgia in 2004. We began to serve in The Torch Urban Ministries with Angelo Velis and his family. God began to gather a group of missionaries who were hungry for God and burdened for the lost. Angelo and I began listening to Acts 29 content and attending some conferences. We sensed the call to plant with the network and started the process which culminated in approval at the Phoenix Boot Camp in November of 2010. Since the Boot Camp God has helped us meet our conditions in 3 months.

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

We built our core by starting several mission communities that began to spread around our city to reach young people in troubled neighborhoods. God used a gang ministry with drug problems, burglaries, fights, and several deaths to get attention for our service in the gospel. We began to pray that God would fill us with His Spirit, give us the broken, and raise up laborers to reach fields that were black, brown, and white for harvest. As God sent workers, we began a discipleship study accompanied by honest fellowship and swelling meal times and relationships. Then God opened our eyes for the need to do more than evangelism and discipleship. We began to see the need for hundreds of Christ-built churches to fully display and spread the gospel in all of its love and power to our community. God began to pour out his Spirit in response to bold Gospel prayer, practice, and preaching.

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

The biggest challenge has been to remain and grow satisfied in Christ by battling unbelief through treasuring God's promises, believing and enjoying the Gospel in fellowship with the Trinity, and moving out on mission to 'reach the lost and train the reached until all the lost are reached'.

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

Next, my Co-Pastor and I began attending conferences and sharing pod & vodcasts. We went to the 'Revive the Boneyard' meeting in Raleigh in conjunction with I became involved with Acts 29 through my pastor from college, John Piper. He invited Mark Driscoll to speak at the 'Truth and Postmodernism' Conference. My wife an I attended this together, and after hearing Pastor Mark, we began immersing into The Resurgence, Mars Hill sermons, and Re:Lit books. Advance the Church, and we knew that we wanted to join the network. We were also blessed by a regional event in Macon, GA put on by Pastor Keith Watson. It was there that we met Pastor Matt Adair, had a great conversation with Jonathan McIntosh, and these brothers helped us see the move of God in Georgia, and our potential part in it.

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

My advice to wrestlers is: Keep wrestling with Jesus like Jacob seeking the Lord's covenantal blessing more than anything else in life or ministry even if it kills you. I would encourage them that God has raised up wonderful men of God in this network to seek out for counsel. I would encourage the reading of Timothy Keller's manual, many of the Re:Lit resources, and the wide range of connections with the gospel movement to fuel the fire for national and world wide revival of the Gospel. Submit to the application process, pursue the Boot Camp, and do what you can to get connected with Tyler Powell who is wonderful man of God. He and your assessment team will have great wisdom in helping your heart for church planting. Also, don't despise the day of small beginnings.

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

First of all, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37L4). Then I would ask the questions that I was asked, "Are you called to church plant?" (many have asked this). "Does your heart burn for the glory of Christ and with jealousy for the conversion and completion of souls in and to Christ?" (Spurgeon). "If you don't plant the church would you be disobedient to Jesus?" (Tyler Powell on Acts 29 Application Phone Interview).
If you can give a threefold-amen to these, then I would say, "Don't despise the day of small beginnings, for it is 'not by might, nor by power, but by the Holy Spirit says the Lord of Hosts' and He who began a good work in you and called you will complete and do it (Zech. 4:10; Phil. 1:6; I Thes. 5:24).

How do you pastor your family?

I pastor my family going to Jesus with my sin, weaknesses, and desires. I seek him for my pleasure and blessing in Bible reading, prayer, corporate worship, church fellowship, and mission. I receive refreshment from the Gospel and reassurance of my new and eternal identity in Christ. Then I boldly and simply take the treasures of God to my family in morning prayer and evening devotions with Bible stories where we even act, live, and laugh them out. I take my family into the joy of the Lord through gathering for family meals, play times, bed time devotions, and joining with them to open our home to believers, nonbelievers, friends, and broken people. I seek my wife often for feedback and leveling regarding our schedule and marriage. I take my wife on weekly dates. I seek out two older, godly men for counsel often. I also discipline my children with loving correction, and I protect them through bold gospel living in repentance, faith, sp iritual warfare, and hard work. We enjoy lots of great time with my wife's parents who live down the street; they are my children's Lollie and Bear.

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

Confessions of a Reformission Rev. - Driscoll; Redeemer Church Planting Manual - Keller & Thompson;

Church Profile: Christ Church - Gainesville
Launch Date: Summer 2011
Location: Gainesville, GA

Mission, Vision, Values of Church 

Vision:
We are a family of gospel-driven, Christ-centered, spirit-filled witnesses for Jesus in Gainesville, Hall County, Georgia, and to the whole world.

Mission:
We exist to transform lives and change cities by making disciples and planting churches for the glory of God and the joy of his people through gospel worship.

Core Values:
1) Gospel doctrine
2) Prayer
3) Fellowship
4) Sacraments
5) Service
6) Mission

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

Our Heavenly Father saved me at a very young age and gave me a gospel family to grow up in. God trained me as my parents taught me to pray and tell people about Jesus at a very young age, and I saw fruit. God has given me an amazing brother, Sam Rico, who I saw live out devotion to Jesus as faithfully as anyone I've known, and we went through a lot of suffering and growth in Christ together. 'Did our hearts not burn' my brother.
God answered my prayers from childhood for a Godly wife and children. My wife is my best friend, Altogether Lovely, and my greatest partner in ministry. We share a lot of love, joy, pleasing-pain, passion and laughter together.
God has blessed our church plant with humbly-bold worshipers in spirit and truth. God has sent us Angelo Velis and his family who have been courageous gospel-fueled mission leaders and Jesus lovers. This family has served and inspired hundreds of people and many churches in our community and beyond. 25 eager prayer warriors laid hands on us to go to the Phoenix Boot Camp. Over 40 committed to the mission of Christ Church in 3 months. Pastor Dr. Robert 'Revival' Smart and Christ Church Normal, Ill, have blessed us with prayer, counsel, and a powerful ordination service on February 15th 2011. He has been our Summer Conference speaker for our 1st two meetings. We have seen God's mercy, message, and His manifestation of glory in Christ. Prodigals who haven't been to church in years are coming home. The good news is being boldly told in the streets an lanes by several men and women. A movement of prayer, worship, fellowship, and mission has been ignited. We have been re ceived by several of the Acts 29 Members and been blessed by their counsel and brotherly love: Powell, Watson, Adair, MacMahon, Early, and an old friend from college days Jonathan Dodson.

How can we pray for you?

Pray that we surrender to God-Father's mercy, preach Christ's message, receive the Holy Spirit's manifestation, and help advance the Church's mission for the glory of God.