Twin Cities Church | Minneapolis, MN

• George Stagg
• Feb 17, 2010
• Series: Church Profiles
• Categories: Church Planting Articles

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

Four years ago I was helping train leaders from 9 church-planting groups in India. We were together for a month. I was motivated by their stories of God's work. I began praying fervently for God to powerfully use me as He saw fit. Some months later, He fanned to flame a desire to plant churches that I had possessed since I was 20. As I continued to pray, God provided opportunities for funding and a core group in Minneapolis through existing relationships. Our church had been planning for church planting for several years and with God's leading, the opportunity, the funding, and the commendation of our elders, we moved to Minneapolis in August, 2007 with another couple.

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

The biggest challenges have been God using various circumstances and people to break me down and to recognize that ministry is empowered and grown through the Word and Spirit of God, not through my knowledge, planning, or competence. I had knowledge of this, but God used the first two years of this plant to specifically deepen me in this understanding. Here's an example. I have been preaching for 13 years and have developed my style and ability to the point where people consider it one of my strengths. These past two years have felt like God holding back grace from me in this sphere and it has been quite difficult for me. Earlier this spring, after preparation for preaching a passage I was quite familiar with, I completely froze about 10mins into the message and had no idea what to say or do. I apologized and dismissed the congregation. It was one of the most humiliating and discouraging moments in my ministry. However, almost immediately, I sensed God telling me very specifically that this ministry would be built through His Spirit and power, and not my ability and knowledge. I confessed my sin, strive to repent of my pride daily, and continue to pray fervently for the work of God in our church and throughout the Twin Cities.

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

Prayer, existing relationships, networking with other churches.

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

Ethan Burmeister, pastor of Core Community Church in Omaha, has been a friend of mine since high school and spoke highly of the network and of its men. I was personally attracted to the missional and theological emphasis of the network and of its aggressive attention to church planting. To me, it seems like a great team of men that I would want to be associated with for years to come.

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

Talk to the elders of your church and the leaders who are around you. You are going to need the strong affirmation of a church community and a team of seasoned and experienced men to get you through the difficulties and pain of this most rewarding of experiences.

How do you pastor your family?

We pray daily as a family. We also work through passages of the Bible through discussion and memorization. Sometimes we use tools I write for the church and other times we simply work through a book or passage. We do this about 3x/week. Additionally, my family is involved in our hospitality efforts, which are substantial, to Christians and non-Christians. We take regular time to spend with other families in the church in non-ministry capacities to receive and give encouragement through loving relationships. We also make it a point to ensure that all family members are regularly involved in physical exercise. We joined the local YWCA and go swimming at least 2x/week as a family. My wife Anna has established a regular regimen to keep in shape and reduce stress. I work out regularly as well.

How can we pray for you?

At this point, we need the Spirit to appoint leaders. We are training leaders, but we want to work with those God is specifically leading and empowering.

Church Profile: Twin Cities Church
Launch Date: March, 2009
Location: Minneapolis, MN

Mission, Vision, Values of Church

Vision:

To advance the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Twin Cities by preaching the gospel, equipping households and leaders, and planting churches that engage the city in love and good deeds.

Mission:

To establish a multi-site church within the city centers of Minneapolis and St. Paul, resulting in the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the metropolitan area.

Values:

Gospel
The gospel of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection according to the Scriptures is the message of the entire Bible and the message to a hurting world longing for hope, peace, and fulfillment, i.e., salvation (Jn 5:39-40). Its promise to deliver a repentant mankind from its own evil and the Evil One is still as relevant and available today as it was thousands of years ago. Sin and its effects still enslave people, families, neighborhoods, cities, and cultures and turn created things intended to be beautiful into corrupting, confusing, and destroying powers. The Scriptures will be authoritatively preached and taught with an emphasis and connection to the gospel of Jesus Christ and its promise of deliverance from sin and its effects. The gospel of grace will be lived with confidence amongst the people of the world, seeking to love the City as Jesus loves the Church and the world.

Church
Church is God’s household, God’s community. The multi-ethnic creation of God in bringing Jew and Gentile together as His household is one of the mysteries of the New Testament and the central means through which God is working His eternal purposes and demonstrating His wisdom and grace to the spiritual realm (Ephesians 3:1-11) and the watching world (Titus 2-3). This household has a guiding administration that gives instructions on conduct and life as God’s community (1 Timothy 3:14-16). These instructions include teaching and patterning of personal, family, community, civic, and mission relationships. Through the following of this administration as the Church, God’s eternal works are accomplished in persons, families, churches, and the world. Through the church, people engage in the transformed and transforming community of God’s people and together grow in the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church. Teaching, modeling, and exhortation regarding the significance and witness of the church’s community life together, local and global, will be a primary priority.

Mission
Mission is a Spirit-directed and empowered initiative for the advancement of the gospel, the planting of churches, and the maturation of people into Christ-likeness, all for the goal of advancing God’s eternal purposes. Ralph Winter skillfully explains two “structures” for redemptive mission that have existed historically and which should exist in conjunction with each other at any given time for God’s purposes to effectively advance. In Acts, these two structures are apostolic missionary teams and local churches. Apostolic teams bear the burden of spearheading the gospel into the unbelieving world, starting churches, equipping leaders, and maintaining unity among churches (Acts 13:1-14:26; Acts 19:1-20:38). Once established, local churches bear the burden of living the attractive teaching of Jesus Christ in the world, which initiates grace to the unbelieving and degenerate world (Titus 2:5, 8, 10). Twin Cities Church will demonstrate both spheres of activity. An apostolic team will take responsibility for the “air war” in regards to the proclamation and expression of the gospel in the culture, the starting of churches, the equipping of leaders to shepherd those churches, and leading in seeking the welfare of The City. Local churches will engage the “ground war” by shepherding and equipping people in community settings that mature them to live attractive lives in their spheres of life and to participate in seeking the welfare of the City (Titus 2:1-3:11). As the Spirit leads and blesses our plans, we will expand throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro Area into other strategic cities across America and the world through sending and supporting leaders of other apostolic teams. Because we don’t see “church/mission” as the establishing of a single local church, but as an aggressive effort to multiply churches throughout the metro area, our mission will remain nimble, focus on leadership development, transferable processes and tools, and constant expansion by starting churches. Our model is not restrictive and is solely dependent upon the Spirit’s leading and provision.

More on Mission, Vision, and Values click here!

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

see above in "values"

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

We baptized six people last month, two of whom were my kids. God has miraculously provided inexpensive ministry spaces that abundantly meet our needs. God has provided faithfully for our needs as a family since we moved over two years ago--never going without a month's salary. God has blessed us with some great families in our launch team--families that I find it a great pleasure and honor to work with. God has shaped us as a family to minister in a place and to people that we never would have never planned or set our minds to. He has blessed us with joy and hope that continues to strengthen us each day. He has blessed us through other metro-area leaders and pastors who have befriended us and loved us. He has expanded our territories and influence in ways I would have never thought.