The City Church | Fort Worth, TX

• Ben Connelly
• Feb 19, 2010
• Series: Church Profiles
• Categories: Church Planting Articles

Briefly describe your story of your call to plant a church

Having grown up in Fort Worth, I have a deep love for this city. After my undergrad work, I moved back to be on staff and plant a church in the area, where we were for five years. When we realized there were 10,000 new living units being built in the downtown area, mostly focused on 18-30-year-old's, with a severe lack of Bible-preaching, gospel-centered churches in the area, we knew what God was doing in us.

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

Personal relationships and social media were key for us. I've eaten more lunches, and enjoyed more coffees and beers in the past six months, than the entire two years before that! And we set up a facebook site, and invited folks to invite their friends; over two month, we had 200+ "group members," which gave us immediate communication and allowed us to start meeting with people who joined the group. This was a fantastic "first" way to spread the word and find folks who were interested. I've also written nearly 100 blog posts, chronicling our journey, which has allowed people to learn about the church, model, vision, etc.

Since we had been in the area already, we had to fight the temptation to take leaders from other churches. So we instead focused on folks who were willing to "be the church" in a different manner, who were sold on the mission and vision, and many who weren't involved with any church for various reasons.

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

An over-churched area where people assume what a church is, and are completely comfortable attending a once-weekly event, as long as there's entertainment for their kids and a decent sermon. Finances (2009 was apparently not the best year to plan, economically!). Territorialism from other local pastors.

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

It's an incredible, godly, fun group of guys who have walked this path before, who are there to answer questions, provide much-needed encouragement, and who breathe life back into my soul during the tough moments in planting. Both spiritually and practically, a29 has been a lifeline during every step of this process.

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

Make sure you're called to do it. Make sure your wife is 100% on board; that's been the best thing possible for me. Surround yourself with other folks who don't love YOU as a person, but who instead love the vision for your church and will own it - it needs to be YOUR vision, but shared immediately, where it moves to OUR vision. Keep priorities: God, wife, family if applicable, then church - your identity, time, effort, etc. must stay in that order.

How do you pastor your family? 

Regular dates, check-ups with my wife (on her spiritually and on my husbandry), turn off my phone at a set time every night, day off, pray together several times daily, tell her she has the freedom to call me out when I"m not honoring her, asking other men to push on me

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

Total Church

How can we pray for you?

That our launch will be a good step in the right direction, for continued provision, for our family is we prepare to grow in 2010, for protection against false teaching/pride/etc. For our impact on Fort Worth; that we will make disciples boldly and well.

Church Profile: The City Church
Launch Date: January, 2010
Location: Forth Worth, TX

Mission, Vision, Values of Church

"We exist as communities on mission, for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth."

In a city with a church building on every street corner, but a hugely-disproportional unchurched population, our aim is to see communities of the church spring up in neighborhoods, condos, apartments, and dorms across Fort Worth, especially focused in the downtown area. Together we will love our neighbors, seek the welfare of our city, and seek the redemption of Fort Worth.

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

COMMUNITY: The church is a family. Families do life together, encourage/support/rebuke each other, meet each other’s needs (not just praying for each others' needs), and don't just hang out 1-2 times each week. The church is based in homes, mostly around meals, and while there is biblical preaching and leadership, we learn together "as we go"; as we do life together.

EVANGELISM: the city is the family of God, whom God hasn't yet redeemed. So we share meals and relationships with them as well; we invite them into our homes, throw block parties, and get to know neighbors as people, not projects. As we start to "do life with them" as well, we start having deeper conversations and praying that God will do what God does, and build his church as we try to make disciples.

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

We have a few homeless folks coming, who are fully accepted by our church family; we have strong leaders who get the vision and will lead well; folks are starting to get together outside of "church events," with each other and with their neighbors; 50+ in 6 months, in a unique model, is so encouraging - not because of the #, but because folks "get it" and are involving others.