The Axis Church | Nashville, TN

• Jeremy Rose
• Feb 18, 2010
• Series: Church Profiles

Planter Profile:

Briefly describe your story of your call to plant a church.

Eight years ago I prayed for the Lord to allow me to plant a church. I heard nothing. Five years ago the Lord led me to leave the full-time ministry to attend seminary and learn how to plant a church. Three years ago while vacationing with my wife for three days, I read Polhill's "Acts" commentary, the book of Acts and Driscoll's "The Radical Reformission." during those three days, I knew that God was leading me to something new and adventurous. A year and a half ago God called me to a time of prayer where I felt Him say to me, “there is a new work that you will be opened to.” What convinced me to start a new church is what I felt in my heart. I know that the best way to spread the fame of God is through church planting. I know that this call is so real to my heart—so real that I cannot see myself doing anything else. I know that to do anything else would be disobeying. Moreover, I am called to reach a specific demographic—the post-moderns who are not being reached by most established churches.

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

Financial burdens were and are weighty. Also the entire not-for-profit status (501c-3) process was and is nerve-racking. Early on in our parachuting into Nashville, I commuted from Charlotte, NC to Nashville, TN at least once a week for three-four days to work at my two part-time jobs, to network and to learn my new city. This was all very tough on my family...very tough.

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

I become involved with Acts 29 by first hearing rumors of a "crazy preacher in Seattle" and then reading his book, "The Radical Reformission." In reading his book I was drawn to learn more about this network of like-minded men who were committed to the gospel and loved their cities.

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

We parachuted in and knew absolutely no one. I networked with pastors, baristas and restaurant owners. Also, I recieved several emails of people who found us on the A29 candidate site and wanted to hear more.

Biggest benefits of being in the network?

Wow. Well, during the assessment I was taught that not only is the gospel a "story" it is also active and at work teaching & convicting me everyday. The gospel was a line you crossed or a box you checked--it wasn't active or beneficial other than to "get saved." The gospel-prohibiting scales were removed from my eyes during the assessment through the Holy Spirit and the four men who cared for Jill and I so deeply. They pastored us. With out the assessment process, I am uncertain what type of church I would have started. That frightens me and also gives me great reason for JOY.

Another benefit of the network is the real sense of a brotherhood. When one hurts, we all hurt. My needs and concerns are taken seriously. It is great to know that you have friends who are walking the trenches of church planting with you. They are such great friends they actually feel like "fans."

Another benefit is financially. I have received one time gifts and monthly support from three other A29 churches. This is uber-encouraging.

Also, the Network has provided me a church planting coach. My coach is just a few steps in front of me in regards to family, church planting and so forth. He is a rock in my life. At first I was very skeptical of the whole coaching idea. Now I am a huge fan of it.

Finally, I have benefited from "referrals." Several young adults who have visited the A29 website find us, email us, and thankfully visit with us. This is in large part how we were able to gather our core.

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

Pray.

Meet with other men who have planted or who are in the middle of church planting.

Pray some more--this time with your wife.

Search your heart for your motivation to plant a church.

Fast and pray.

How do you pastor your family?

I seek to take advantage of everyday questions and comments that can be turned to Christ. I pray with my children. I discipline my children--seeking to teach them love, grace and the gospel. We read the “Jesus StoryBook Bible”, we use catechisms, and we pray together both as individuals and together as a family. This is still a work in progress. I am pleased to see where we are with this and very excited about where this is going!

How can we pray for you?

I need wisdom and grace to persevere. I must continue to preach the gospel to myself--pray this for me. Pray for my time with the Lord, my kids and my wife. We need more funding--pray for this. Pray also for the future elders of The Axis.

Church Profile: Axis Church
Launch Date: September, 2009 
Location: Nashville, TN 

Mission, Vision, Values of Church

MISSION:

To become a Christ-centered community which exists for the glory of God and the good of the city by extending hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

VALUES:

Biblical Theology – We will have a proper/biblical/accurate understanding of the gospel. We will know/teach what it takes to follow Christ in obedience. We will know/teach how to daily live free from slavery and alive to Christ. We will know/teach the gospel and the grand missio dei.

Biblical Leadership – These leaders will be qualified according to Scripture, called by God and worthy of “follow-ship”→as we all follow Christ.

Biblical Missiology – This is living out the missio dei. We will seek to be thoughtfully engaged with our city/various cultures; seeking justice, mercy, joy and generosity in our missionary lifestyles. We will seek to be authentic believers acting as the one who we believe in.

Biblical Preaching – We will carefully and strategically teach/preach—not simply “our perspective”—but the truth expounded from Scripture with a proper hermeneutic. This will be both practical and biblical.

Biblical Partnership – This is keeping people accountable to living free from slavery and idols—alive to Christ and His mission. This encompasses training others in the hope of Christ and developing them into true community-minded, missio dei-guided missionaries.

Always Biblically Reforming – Our cultures determine our systems, styles, sound and ethos of our gatherings—not in ALL ways but largely. This requires us to be fluid in some of our “traditions.” We will keep the freedom to call “audibles.”

VISION:

Our ultimate vision for the Axis is to see the gospel transform everything. We want to see the gospel change us as individuals, change us as a church, change our city and change our world.

If Christ so wills that we have a building one day, we hope it will serve Nashville as a multi-purpose community center of sorts serving as a resource for the arts, a place for conversations about commerce and the politics of our city, and most of all, as a voice for the light, life, and hope of the gospel.

We are committed to becoming a church planting church. Meaning that we will do our best to see others raised to leave our church and to start other churches.

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

We strive to look and act like that of the early Christian church (Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-37). Practically, that looks like family. We seek to do all things together. We share together, celebrate together, eat together, pray together, weep together, and so forth. This family dynamic is not cultish but definitely counter-cultural.

One of the biggest issues we actively fight is not JUST existing for the "inner-community" (i.e., The Axis Church) but also for the "outer-community" (i.e., the Germantown neighborhood, Nashville).

When properly lived out, the inner-community should look so attractive to the outer-community, compelling the outer to find out more about our true, authentic, other-seeking, inner-community.

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

My relationship with my wife is so wonderful that I must believe it is because of the Lord. Our three kids love The Axis and continue to display a desire to know more about Him. God's grace led us to the neighborhood we live in and to the school for our kids to attend.

God has led many creative and gifted people to our church and several entrepreneurs who love Him and Nashville.

I am close friends with Ray Ortlund and have been blessed to work along side him at his church, Immanuel Church. Words cannot accurately describe the blessing this is to me.

I have such a wonderful and caring coach in David Thew. This has been and is a substantial blessing.