Integrity Church | Greenville, NC

• Ben Tugwell
• Feb 18, 2010
• Series: Church Profiles

Planter Profile:

Briefly describe your story of your call to plant a church

When I was eighteen God began to stir in my heart a desire for missions. My first exposure to missions was to help a new church plant in New England. At that time I remember thinking, "this would be cool" but never thought I would ever do something that risky.

From that point I dreamed of what it would be like to be apart of a church plant. In addition, I knew that Greenville, NC needed the Gospel. For years, I would even pray that God would send a church planter to Greenville. And finally, at age twenty-eight, God allowed my family and I to answer my own prayer by coming here to plant.

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

Do the opposite of what I did and you will be better off! I was over ambitious and we just started meeting... no core group, no systems and structures, nothing! BIG MISTAKE! However, through my folly, God was still gracious by sending us the right people to have a solid core. This process took about a year.

If you are going to plant:

- Plant with a TEAM

- Be able to CLEARLY articulate your mission and vision

- Have your systems and structures in place

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

Our biggest problem is cultural-Christianity. It seems that everyone in our city has "prayed the prayer" to get "saved." Yet there is no heart change. I personally believe that the de-churched is perhaps the most difficult to reach. Dealing with the older brother's pride is a great challenge.

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

I found out about Acts 29 through the Summit Church in Durham. They have been a great support for us and we are forever grateful.

The biggest benefit of being in the network is the one-on-one coaching that you get from guys that love Jesus.

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

1) Fight pride (because God really hates it).

2) Ask yourself these questions:

- Am I qualified to be a pastor (according to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1) and would many other godly men affirm that?

- Am I being missional right now?

- Am I gifted to plant and would others affirm that?

Evangelism is the beginning process of making disciples. Therefore, relational evangelism is the most effective way to make true disciples of Jesus.

How do you pastor your family?

By being a servant leader to my wife and son. My son is three years old and my heart for him is to one day follow Jesus. My way of showing him Jesus is to teach him of a Great God rather than what it looks like to be a good moral Christian.

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

Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer

How can we pray for you?

Pray for us to be humble like Jesus.

Church Profile: Integrity Church
Launch Date: September, 2007
Location: Greenville, NC

Mission, Vision, Values of Church

Mission:

“Integrity Church exists to know Jesus and to make Him known to the city of Greenville and to the remote places of the world”

Vision:

- We will be a growing church.

Through the Gospel, we will to reach 1% of the population of Greenville within 10 years. This means that we will be diverse and we will look like the city of Greenville (a city within the city).

- We will be an expanding church.

We will reach Eastern NC with the Gospel through planting new churches.

- We will be a sending church.

We will equip missionaries to go a spread the Gospel to uttermost parts of the world.

Values:

Everything that we do is filtered through the Gospel

What is your philosophy of community in your church and what does that look like practically in your church? Of evangelism?

Scripture tells us that the early church "devoted themselves" to one another. Which means that relationships were not accidental but intentional. People were doing life together. They were meeting in homes and pointing each other to Jesus... which is how we make disciples.

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

God has allowed me to see constant growth, support, and encouragement in my personal life and the life of our church.