Rancho Update & Facility Hunting

Praise the Lord for a very generous gift from the Arch Ministries golf tournament at the National Church Planting Conference last week! With these funds, the gifts from the people of Grace in Menifee, and a few gifts from others, we have close to $20,000 for startup costs in Rancho (part of this we will need to use to supplement the True’s salary).

The Rancho team is busy looking at facility possibilities for the launch of Sunday morning services this fall. Pastor Eric sent me a note about the interesting comparison between the Rancho/Menifee search results from loopnet.com. As of today, if you search for available industrial / office / special purpose lease space, you get:

• Menifee: 8 results
• Rancho Cucamonga: 241 results

This does not make it simple to find an (affordable!) facility in Rancho, but it does highlight the challenge in Menifee. Thank you for interceding before the throne of the One who rules and owns it all. His way is perfect!

My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness

On a rainy day in December of 2002, David Wilkinson and I drove the streets of Rancho Cucamonga. We were looking for a place to plant a church – a place to get started serving the Lord in Southern California, with the dream that the church plant might have reproduction in its DNA. Maybe that first church could plant another church. Maybe in God’s kindness a vibrant church planting movement might develop in Southern California. We ended up in Menifee, about 45 minutes to the southeast, where God allowed us to get started.

Today, on a beautiful sunny day seven and a half years later, I walked the streets of Rancho Cucamonga. In my hands was a stack of invitations to Grace Bible Church of Rancho Cucamonga – starting in the fall of 2010, with a Sunday night Bible study that has already begun. I put one of those cards on the first door, and paused just a moment to look at it: “Grace Bible Church of Rancho Cucamonga.” A big smile flowed from my heart to my face. My heart is filled with thankfulness.

Rancho update: Sunday nights & website

Grace Bible Church of Rancho Cucamonga’s website is now live:

www.graceofrancho.com

More importantly, the Sunday evening Bible study is “live” as well!

Rancho Cucamonga: a Gateway?

Over the last several days, I’ve had the opportunity to consider once again the needs and opportunities in Southern California as a whole. I’ve been preparing a powerpoint “tour” of Southern California to use at the Heritage Bible Church Church Planting Conference on Sunday, February 21. This is the first time that I have carefully considered the I-10 corridor that runs from Rancho Cucamonga to Los Angeles. It’s about 35 miles of freeway, running through about 15 cities with a population of well over a million people. Rancho acts as a “gateway” city from the Inland Empire into that corridor of church planting needs. Here are some of the cities along the route:

• Upland 72,000
• Montclair 36,000
• Claremont 35,000
• Pomona 150,000
• Chino 83,000
• La Verne 33,000
• San Dimas 35,000
• Diamond Bar 57,000
• Walnut 30,000
• Covina 47,000
• West Covina 105,000
• Baldwin Park 77,000
• La Puente 40,000
• El Monte 120,000
• Rosemead 54,000
• Alhambra 86,000
• Monterey Park 61,000

Miracles of God’s Provision

Praise the Lord for two couples that are following His leading to come west and invest in lives for Christ’s sake here!

Tim & Lisa Smith are planning to spend the summer with us in Menifee, helping out especially with the Rancho church plant. They are currently part of Faith Baptist Church in Taylors, SC, and Tim would like to be involved in pastoral ministry in a church planting setting in the future. Tim & Lisa have three children.

We are thrilled for the Lord’s provision of the Smiths to help the Trues through a very busy summer.

Eric & Heidi-Jeanne Rea are planning to move to Menifee in the fall of 2010. Eric is on the music faculty at Bob Jones University and serves as an assistant to the pastor at Grace Bible Church in Greenville, SC. Heidi-Jeanne is also a musician and writer who currently works in the testing department of BJU Press.

We knew that this fall we would need significant help in both music ministry and pastoral care. Once again, the Lord has amazed us with His provision by burdening Eric & Heidi-Jeanne to come serve here.

If you know either of these couples, I hope you will do all that you can to encourage them as they take these steps of faith!

GBC Church Planting Update Video

On Sunday, October 25 we had a congregational meeting to update our church family on the church planting plans. We videotaped the meeting, and excerpts are now available online at sermonaudio.com