Restore Church Planting Prospectus

THE NAME & MISSION OF RESTORE CHURCH ...................................................................................................... 1

THE VISION OF RESTORE CHURCH ........................................................................................................................ 2

ABOUT CENTRAL DETROIT .................................................................................................................................... 3

ABOUT MIKE ......................................................................................................................................................... 4

DOCTRINE ............................................................................................................................................................. 6

HOW IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN? ........................................................................................................................ 7

TIMELINE ............................................................................................................................................................... 9

APPENDIX 1: WHAT IS GOSPEL CENTRALITY? ............................................................................................................. 10

APPENDIX 2: WHAT IS A MISSIONAL COMMUNITY? .................................................................................................... 11

Mike Hanafee 971.246-4165 [email protected]

PLANTING PROSPECTUS

1

THE NAME

The Bible is the story of God restoring His Kingdom on earth through the work of Jesus.

In Revelation 21 we see something radical—God’s future redeemed world and universe

is depicted as a city, the New Jerusalem. What began in a garden will end in a city

where a restored multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language will enjoy

God together forever!

At Restore we are committed to building not just a good church, but a great city by

bringing physical, racial, and spiritual restoration through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are seeking no less than a restored city, a Detroit that looks increasingly like the

city to come!

THE MISSION

To display and declare the gospel to every man, woman & child in the 48202 and 48206

zip codes multiple times in multiple expressions in order to see people discipled to Jesus

& deployed by Jesus so they can be the church on mission saturating Detroit with Christ.

2

THE VISION

To plant a gospel-centered, incarnational, missional, multiplying movement for

all people through the discipleship & deployment of indigenous converts.

Gospel-centered—This is not the first on a list of core values but our CORE VALUE

from which all the others flow. Our message is not moralism, not pragmatism, not

political agendas, but who Jesus is & what He has done. We are made right with God

by Him & we live out our relationship through Him. Unbelievers and believers need

Jesus. The Gospel is not the ABC’s of the Christianity but the A to Z of Christianity.

Incarnational—In the ultimate missionary act God became man & lived among &

served humanity in the power of the Spirit before giving Himself a sacrifice for

sinners. As those sent by the “sent one” (Jn 20:21) we want to follow His example not

only by living in Central Detroit but by serving & becoming part of central Detroit.

Missional—Though the word “missional” has become a bit of a buzzword there

really is nothing new or sexy about the concept. Missional living is simply about

Christians living intentionally in community before and with the greater community

in ways (I Peter 1-3) that demand a gospel explanation (I Pet 3:15). Every believer is a

paid full time missionary (we just get our check routed in different ways!) and is to

wrap his/her life around mission with others in intentional community.

Multiplying movement—Our marching orders are unarguably clear—“in going

make disciples” (Matt 28:19). This demands not only multiplying disciples but also

multiplying churches in partnership with others who champion this kingdom

advancing passion. As the missional communities that will compose Restore Church

grow, some will become new churches through which the gospel advances across the

neighborhoods and outward.

Discipleship & deployment of indigenous converts—We are not bringing a

church into central Detroit (the Potted Plant approach) but organically building a

church within central Detroit (the Native Soil approach). Gospel movements that

experience lasting traction are those that emphasize discipling and deploying new

converts from the local soil. Therefore we put a high premium on both formal & life

discipleship through our missional communities and, incrementally, but in significant

ways, deploying new Jesus followers. We disciple new believers by bringing them on

mission with us, we deploy new believers by going on mission with them.

3

ABOUT CENTRAL DETROIT

Known as the “crown jewel of the Midwest” during the post WWII car manufacturing

boom, Detroit enjoys a very very rich industrial, architectural, athletic, and musical

legacy—from Henry Ford to the Fisher Building, from Joe Louis to the Eastern Market,

from Aretha Franklin to the waterfront, and many other people and places. Covering an

area the size of Boston, Manhattan, and San Francisco combined, Detroit has much to

offer. I loved and enjoyed the city as a child and I love and enjoy the city as an adult.

Author and apologist Francis Schaeffer called humanity “The Glorious Ruin.” There is

indeed a glory to Detroit! At the same time, many would acknowledge with one glance

at the schools, governmental corruption, neighborhoods, past (and current) race

relations, crime statistics, and the conditions of many of the residents that Detroit is

profoundly broken. Some have even go so far to say that Detroit is beyond restoration.

But God, who is over all and able to breathe life into dry bones, is moving on Motown.

With many eyes on Detroit as the test case for the future of the post-industrial rust belt

4

city several interesting things have happened. A new, no nonsense, and reforming

chapter in city government is being written as Dave Bing (former Detroit Piston star) has

taken office. A strategic initiative (NEXT) has been launched to reinforce & redevelop 6

distinct neighborhoods. Federal funding is being deployed. Grassroots community

betterment organizations are emerging (ModelD). Several companies are moving into

Detroit among which are some high-tech businesses. A $430 million public light rail

system has been proposed for Detroit with construction scheduled to begin late 2011.

Of course, apart from the gospel, such revitalization will only be cosmetic and not

genuinely transforming. But we believe these are waves of opportunity upon which the

gospel can advance in and through Detroit, and that we are called to join others who are

seizing this great moment to make known the saving fame of Jesus.

Specifically, God has lead us to plant Restore in the Northend & Boston-Edison

neighborhoods of Central Detroit. Within the 48202 & 48206 zip codes (with a

combined population of 52,000) nearly half the households are under the poverty line &

over half the working age population is either unemployed or not in the labor force.

{statistics from PerceptGroup} Northend, under considerable urban blight with a high

concentration of unwed mothers, is 1 of the 6 neighborhoods targeted by the NEXT

initiative. The average income in the Northend is $20,708. Boston-Edison, while still

experiencing a real measure of blight is a bit more economically stable. More recently

people are beginning to move into Boston-Edison because of its history and culture,

solid housing stock, and proximity to Wayne State and the downtown district.

We believe we are getting in on something really big for the advance of the gospel to all

peoples in central Detroit! We believe that God has a people for His name in these

neighborhoods (Acts 19:10) who will become a movie trailer (I Peter 2:9-10) for His

everlasting gospel celebration by all peoples (Revelation 7:9-12).

ABOUT MIKE Raised in the Detroit Area I fondly remember every spring my mom taking a day off from

work & me out of school to attend opening day at old Tiger Stadium. In high school I

spent much time in and around Detroit playing sports. After attending the College of

William & Mary, I served as an infantry officer in the USMC, and in 1996 in God’s saving

mercy I became a follower of Jesus. Upon completion of a 5 year tour I began what I

thought was a career in production management. But God had other plans (recognized

by others first) in calling me into full time ministry. After graduating from seminary with

5

an MDiv (2001) I served as an outreach pastor in South Bend, IN before serving as Pastor

for Preaching and Vision at Grace & Truth Bible Church in Hillsboro, OR.

I see the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 as a picture of my spiritual journey. Prior

to conversion I was very much the younger brother in “reckless living.” For a season

after conversion I had a very “elder brotheristic” view of the Christian life in which

tradition trumped truth and daily standing with God was about personal performance

rather than the Father’s infinite love for His children. In God’s continuing mercy I have

come to see that the Christian life is informed by the gospel, fueled by grace, and

focused on Jesus. As Tim Keller puts

it, “We are far more sinful and

flawed than we ever imagined and

yet far more loved and accepted by

God than we ever dared hope for!”

Outside of Christ Himself, my

greatest blessing is God’s gift in

Susan who has been an integral part

of my journey of faith. We met and

married in North Carolina while I was

serving in the Marine Corps. We

have a blast with our five fun-loving

children—Kevin (14), Carolyn (10),

Ian (9), Claire (7), and Emma (4). You

can often find the kids piled on me,

and Susan reminding us not to break

anything in the house.

We are passionate about the

sufficiency of the gospel to mobilize ordinary Christians (like us) to be on mission and

joyfully go all out to make Jesus known. A few years ago I was preaching a series

through Acts and was gripped by Paul’s words in 20:24, “But I do not account my life of

any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I

received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” We desire to

cross the finish line with lactic acid built up in our legs, lungs burning, sore and spent,

believing this will make the eternal celebration of Christ’s victory all the sweeter!

6

Joining us in this call and passion are

longtime friends and now formal ministry

partners Clete and Ruth Bontrager. The

Bontragers are extremely dedicated

servants who constantly connect with

and make a difference in the lives of non-

Christians. Clete and Ruth have four

beautiful children—Katie (15), Kellie (14),

Clete (8), and Clay (6). Clete owns an

internet hubcap business which he will

relocate with his family to Detroit.

Clete and I have had a very busy spring

and summer of 2010. On a March

scouting trip we spent 10 days driving

nearly 1500 miles in and around Detroit.

In addition to finding confirmation for

our ministry area we forged several new

relationships with churches, Midwest

church planting organizations, and individuals. In April, Susan and I completed the Acts

29 Network church planting assessment process and I was approved as a full candidate

without conditions (http://www.acts29network.org/plant-a-church/). In May, Susan,

Clete and I attended Soma School for church planters at Soma Communities in Tacoma,

WA (http://www.somacommunities.org/learners/soma-school/). Later that month I

spent a week in Denver at an Acts 29 church planters bootcamp and for ministry with an

inner city church. In June, Clete and traveled again to Detroit to follow up with previous

contacts, make new contacts, and look at houses. On June 30 I transitioned from my

responsibilities as Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Grace & Truth. In July, Susan and

Ruth traveled with us to Detroit for further preparation for our move.

DOCTRINE Restore Church affirms:

The Confessional Statement of The Gospel Coalition

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/about/foundation-documents/confessional/

The Doctrinal Statement of The Acts 29 Network

http://www.acts29network.org/about/doctrine/

7

HOW IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN?

PRAY This is not just something we are supposed to say before we get onto the money thing.

We desperately need many, many people to pray for the birth and growth of Restore

Church! Church planters face much spiritual warfare—so please pray for the Hanafee &

Bontrager families. We are way over our heads, but find great confidence in the reality

that God loves to use clay pots to show his power! Pray that key relationships will be

made that open up doors for the gospel. Pray fervently that God would ignite by His

Spirit at Restore the five-fold chain reaction we see in the book of Acts—empowerment

(2:1-4), proclamation & harvest (2:36-41), community formation (2:41-47), mobilization

(6:1-4, 8:4), & multiplication (9:31). Please pray for the sale of the Hanafee home in

Oregon. Pray for God to gather in these next months to Restore Church those called to

advance the Gospel in Detroit. Pray that given our current economic climate the needed

money would come in. Pray. With God, all things are possible!

8

$-

$100,000.00

$200,000.00

$300,000.00

$400,000.00

$500,000.00

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Total

Yearly Giving Needs

GIVE While it is said planters in impoverished urban contexts like ours need upwards of seven

years to become self-sustaining, the goal is for Restore Church to be self-sustaining after

year four. This means, to get Restore Church off the ground, we need $105,000 a year

for four years. The money goes toward Mike’s salary (housing, health insurance, etc),

administrative costs, outreach, training, special projects, & facility rental.

In order to meet our four-year goal

of $420,000, Restore Church is

looking for churches and individuals

to join us as financial partners. Some

have the resources to give boldly

and consistently over the entire

four-year stretch, while others may

commit to a portion, while still

others can only commit at this time

to a one-time gift. In the life of a young, missional church in our context, truly every

dollar makes a difference! You can give online securely at www.resdetroit.org or email

me directly ([email protected]) about mailing a check to Restore Church.

SHARE Please forward this church planting prospectus to anyone who might be interested in

what we are doing.

JOIN There are some who might consider moving

to central Detroit. Do you dream about

doing something new and lasting for God’s

glory and your joy in Him? Do you want to

try the impossible in utter dependence on

and hope in the God of the impossible?

Pray about moving to Detroit, getting a job,

starting a business, or raising money & being

an integral part of Restore Church. Already

we have spoken with several who have

expressed interest. We’d love to talk!

9

TIMELINE

August 2010 – December 2010

Fundraising

Complete house renovation—1626 Boston Boulevard

Move to Boston-Edison Neighborhood of Detroit & weave ourselves into the

community as much as possible via neighborhood parties, kids’ activities, etc

Develop relationships with community and church leaders

Establish relationships with street people, the homeless, and the poor

Gather leadership and launch teams and begin meeting as a missional community

(Restore Group) for vision, prayer, planning and study of The Prodigal God

Research and plan neighborhood projects to create legitimacy in our community

January 2011 — May 2011

Continue gathering and training leadership and launch teams as a Restore Group

Restore Group Study 1 & 2 — The Gospel-Centered Life & Total Church

Restore Group Neighborhood Project 1 & 2

Explore creation of community proximity space (“third place”) by leadership team

member, Clete Bontrager

June 2011 – August 2011

Accelerate to 1x a week neighborhood cookouts

Restore Group Study 3 —The Story-Formed Way (Soma). Ramped up effort to have

many locals & non-Christians commit to & participate in this 10 week study

Restore Group Neighborhood Project 3

Transition into 2 Restore Groups

September 2011 –

Begin preview worship services

Continue Restore Groups as the front door into the Restore Church community

At 40 committed adults, plan & publicize launch & ongoing weekly worship services

10

APPENDIX 1: WHAT IS GOSPEL CENTRALITY?

In the earlier part of my Christian life the gospel was like a door—it’s only utility was

telling other’s how to get in. And when the guilt of performance driven life became

particularly heavy, I would look back at “my decision” to stab at assurance. Functionally

the gospel — the good news of God’s grace for sinners through Jesus’ perfect life,

sacrificial death, and resurrection, and His gospel gift of the Holy Spirit — was relegated

to the past. A living relationship was subtly replaced by tradition, moralism, & self-

effort, all in the name of Jesus. In God’s continuing mercy I came to see that the gospel

is not just the ABC’s of Christianity but the A to Z of Christianity. The Gospel is not just a

door we walk through at one point in time. It is a home we live in. A greenhouse we

grow in. A hospital where we are healed from the affliction of sin. An armory where we

are armed for the fight against sin. A banquet table where we celebrate Jesus’ victory

over sin. You could go on & on! Out of this we forged a statement a few years ago at

Grace & Truth regarding a gospel-centered church. A gospel centered church is a church

where every aspect of faith & practice is deliberately grounded in & energized by the

redemptive work of Christ.

Real change—genuine transformation that frees us in the heart from the bondage of

idols so that we can walk in the ways of Christ—cannot happen apart from the gospel of

grace. Therefore at Restore Church all of our teaching, worship, outreach, social

activism, and discipleship will be honed in on the gospel. We are committed to:

• Reading and teaching the entire Bible in light of the gospel. All of the stories of the

Bible exist to point us to the hero of the overarching story of the Bible, Jesus.

• Preaching the gospel to believers, not just unbelievers.

• Leaders applying the gospel to themselves first; leaders must be lifetime repenters.

• Cultivating a leadership culture marked by ever increasing “gospel astonishment.”

• Being known for an atmosphere of grace; gospel‐centered churches are safe places for

seekers, skeptics and those outside of the faith.

• Producing people who don’t just know the doctrine of the gospel but who love the

person of Jesus Christ.

11

APPENDIX 2: WHAT IS A MISSIONAL COMMUNITY?

In the last few years God has transformed my view of the church. I came to see that

though we are to gather to worship God and celebrate His gospel, we don’t go to

church, we are to be the church 24/7. Our weekly worship services, while a great

privilege and very significant, will only be a small slice of church life. We are not to have

an inward focus on a place but an outward focus as a people. I came to see that the

church ultimately exists not to draw other Christians by having a better product, but to

bring God glory by partnering with Him for the work of the great commission. The

mission of God is to restore all things to Himself in and through the work of Jesus Christ.

As the people of God we are empowered by the Spirit of God to participate in all of life

in the mission of God!

At Restore Church, missional communities (Restore Groups) are the primary means

through which we will mobilize people together to live a life on mission. A missional

community consists of a committed core of believers who live out the mission of God

together in a specific area or to a particular people group by demonstrating the gospel

in tangible forms and declaring the gospel to others—both those who believe it and

those who are being exposed to it. To clarify, a missional community is NOT primarily a

small group, Bible study, support group, social activist group, or weekly meeting.

Our hope is that every person who is committed to Restore will be fully involved in a

missional community and eventually the missional communities will multiply and

together form new churches in the city. We believe God is still more committed to His

mission being accomplished than us having our preferred worship experience.

Each Missional community will:

1. Be led by a team committed to leading, shepherding, equipping and organizing a

community on mission.

2. Grow together in understanding and application of the Gospel to who we are

(Identities) because of God’s work in and through Jesus.

3. Live out the weekly rhythms of a family on mission together.

4. Identify, equip and release new leadership to begin new missional communities.

Adapted from Soma Communities

For a sample of an actual Missional Community covenant

http://www.somacommunities.org/mediafiles/soma-life-sample-covenant.pdf