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Young Church Wastes No Time Planting Another
TORRANCE, CA (December 23, 2005) - Even the recipient of Life Covenant
Church's generosity says the congregation's effort to help him and his
church plant "just doesn't make any sense."
The 130 attendees of Life Covenant, which is only two and a half years
old itself, have contributed nearly $30,000 over the last several weeks
to the planned Culver City church.
"We're on a high and just enjoying the moment," says Doug Lee, pastor of
the Culver City plant. The church already has 21 people committed to it,
even though formal core group development doesn't start until January.
Tim Morey, pastor of Life Covenant, received unanimous approval from his
board to have the congregation commit $40,000 to the church plant. Morey
told the congregation that he would like to fully fund the $40,000 by
the end of the year.
"I thought he was crazy," says Lee. Morey, however, has believed that it
will happen, even though the church is comprised mostly of young couples.
"We've wanted to be a church planting church from the beginning," says
Morey, adding that the congregation has church planters in training at
the church. The congregation has been able to support itself and now the
new church because of its commitment to sharing the gospel, he adds.
Wayne Carlson, director of church planting for the Pacific Southwest
Conference, says he is not too surprised at Life Covenant's generosity.
"It's so much a part of their vision," he says. "They started it with
that kind of commitment in mind."
Lee made a presentation to the congregation on the church plant and then
Morey told them what the leadership had agreed to do. A special offering
was taken. When Morey emailed Lee the next day to tell him the church
had raised $25,000 in that one offering, Lee could hardly believe what
he was reading and recalls, "I was floored." Since then, another $5,000
has been contributed.
Lees says he is amazed at the pace at which the church plant has come
about. He had visited the church at the invitation of a friend last
December. He told Morey of his vision, and it so happened that the
church had been praying for a church planter to support. By this past
June, Lee had completed his church planter training through the
Evangelical Covenant Church.
"It's been a radical, radical process," Lee says. "Aside from the money,
even without that offering, we were so amazingly blessed by the kind of
support we have received through prayer, resources and training. I think
for me, I have two feelings – just feeling overwhelmed, feeling really
blessed, and just an awesome sense of responsibility."
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