WATCH
LISTEN
READ
We live in a fast-paced society that has roped the rear-view mirror from the windshield. Why is it that one of the most challenging things for us to do is to be still and reflect on God’s goodness? We get so busy being the Martha that we fail to be like Mary and sit at Jesus’ feet.
After going through (nearly) the first half of the book of Acts, I would argue that it is flat-out unbiblical to live the Christian life without looking back to see what God has done. Today, I want to glue the rear-view mirror back on the windshield. I want us to corporately celebrate the works of God in the first year of the life of our church and praise Him for what He has done. Can we do that together? And don’t get caught up in the numbers, but delight in what those numbers mean: God’s work through His people to build Ashe Alliance Church.
Outline
I – Review God’s work in year one
II – Rally around a guiding passage
III – Recognize the vision for year two
I – Review God’s work in year one
Where we began
Grace Covenant Community Church was pruned to five core members who prayed for a revitalization.
Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone was praying for wisdom in how to plant their first church.
After a year of devoted prayer, collaboration, and answering the call to serve, the Ashe Alliance was born.
We began with three numbers in mind: 1, 4, & 7.
1 Mission Statement
The mission of Ashe Alliance is to establish and grow a Christ-centered, biblically grounded, and servant-hearted community of believers who become and multiply committed Christ followers.
4-Core Goals
1. Love for God
2. Love for the Church
3. Love for the Lost
4. Multiplication
7 Core Values
1. Biblical Authority
2. Engaging Worship
3. Intentional Discipleship
4. Gifted Service
5. Joyful Generosity
6. Relational Evangelism
7. Devoted Prayer
1, 4, & 7 was the platform from which we launched this church.
Church Family
Initially, there were five core members.
Before I began full-time as the pastor, a handful of others had joined.
The average church size in the United States is 70 people, and 70% of churches are under 100 people. Just think about that for a moment. And, as churches grow, on average, 10% per year (though numbers will change with varying demographics and locale).
- Today, we have a core of 114 people who call Ashe Alliance home.
- 75 (members & dependents)
- 39 (regular attenders)
- That is over 2,000% growth!
Average Sunday attendance
- Began with 66 in January of 2023
- Increased to 2 services in March 2023
- Peaked at 147 in the spring
- Average 112 since we went to 2 services
Volunteers
- Began with 5
- 21 Volunteer Leaders
- 31 Volunteers
- 52 total servants who create the foundation of our church (outside of the chief cornerstone, of course)
- We broke the 80/20 rule that says 20% of the people do 80% of the work. We are closer to 50%!
We don’t have people who attend church; we have people willing to be the church.
We have people who take on the nature of a servant in Luke 17:10, saying:
10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ”
Ministries
1. Worship – 12 (2 leaders & 10 volunteers)
2. Encounter – 7 (2 leaders & 5 volunteers)
3. Children – 10 (3 leaders & 7 volunteers)
4. Youth – 4 (1 leader & 3 volunteers)
5. Events – 6 (1 leader & 5 volunteers)
6. Life Groups – 3 (3 leaders)
7. Men’s Ministry – 2 (2 leaders)
8. Women’s Ministry – 3 (3 leaders)
9. Prayer – 3 (2 leaders & 1 volunteer)
10. Finances – 2 (2 volunteers)
Missions
Local
• Ashe Pregnancy Center
• Ashe Really Cares
• Keep Ashe Warm
• Gideons
• Benevolence – 2 families helped with meals, diapers, and home supplies
International
• Samaritan’s Purse Int’l Relief
• Samaritan’s Purse – OCC
• Gideons
Missionaries Supported
• Serge Japan Missions – The Sink Family
• Remote Alaska Missions – The Pinnix Family
Elected Leaders
ELDERS
• We began with 4 Elders from ABF
• We Elected two from the AAC congregation
• One ABF Elder retired
• We now have 5 Elders
DEACONS
• We started with 0.
• We elected four men and two women who faithfully serve our church.
Growth
After seven months, we multiplied into two services, and before year one was complete, we signed a contract with an architect to map out a plan for the growth of our facilities.
You are a part of a move of God in Ashe County. He is establishing His church; you get to be a foundational part of it!
It’s new. It’s exciting. It’s only the beginning!
II – Rally around a guiding passage
1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Living Stones
- Verses 4-8 illustrate the church as a living temple that forms God’s house on a foundational stone
- Built to be a spiritual house (an illusion to the OT Temple)
- Jesus is the cornerstone of this new temple
Who we are
Exodus 19:5–6 ESV
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
We are called to participate in a second Exodus led by a better prophet. Moses led God’s people out of the slavery and bondage of Egypt to a promised land where they would represent God on earth. Jesus leads us out of the slavery and darkness of sin into the light of His kingdom, where we represent God to the nations.
What was once applied to Israel is now applied to the Church. We are not a replacement. We are the fulfillment of the New Covenant.
A Chosen Race. No one is here by chance. From eternity past, God saw you and said, “You are mine.” You are here because God has chosen you to be here! And you are His people – a group where skin color and country of origin carries no penalty or benefit. Once you enter into His kingdom, you are united and identified in Christ.
A Royal Priesthood. Priests intercede for the people as spokesmen for God. Similarly, we speak God’s truth to others (the gospel). They also offered sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. Jesus is that atoning sacrifice, so we no longer offer blood sacrifices, but we offer up our own lives as living sacrifices. Not those who are slaughtered on the altar, but those who deny self and submit to His authority daily.
A Holy Nation. Jesus said He came to bring the Kingdom. He is the King, and we are the subjects of that Kingdom, wondrously justified, sanctified, and glorified as purified representatives. Because there are no physical borders to this kingdom, we are in it wherever we are, and it can be made known through our moral conduct. We are a nation – a kingdom that is not of this world – and the kingdom is made known by its holy citizens. It is heralded through the good news and represented by how we live.
His Possession. We were bought with a price that is inconceivable to our carnal minds. Our lives are not to be spent on our own selfish pursuits. He bought us and gets the ultimate say in how our lives are to be lived.
God’s People. Though once we were not, now we are. Not only are we the citizens and subjects in Christ’s Kingdom, but we are also His children… family… heirs.
What we do
Proclaimers. We get the great privilege to declare His excellencies (praises, virtues, divine power) who called us from darkness to light.
Receivers. We were once alienated from God, but now we are His people. We were also once far away from His mercy (compassion, concern, receiving what we do not deserve), but now we have received mercy.
As we learn to be God’s people, we spread His fame.
III – Recognize the vision for year two
Now that we have reflected on what God has done in the past let’s align with what He wants to do through us in the future.
ABS to DDM
As we Abide, Behold, and Seek and so be filled… We Therefore Go to Declare, Disciple, and Multiply.
ABS
This focuses our efforts on our own personal relationship with Christ. How can we help others if we are empty? It is out of our overflow that we bless others. Think about how the airlines instruct adults to put the oxygen mask on themselves first before helping their child. If the adult doesn’t get the oxygen first, they could pass out and be useless to their children.
• We Abide – John 15:1-17
• We Behold – 2 Cor. 3:12-18
• We Seek – Matthew 7:7-8
and so be filled with the Spirit – early church
so that…
DDM
We therefore go and impact others, inside and outside of the church.
Therefore Go – before the command was the assurance of Jesus’ ultimate authority
• Declare
• Disciple
• Multiply
Initiatives
Filter through the mission statement, core values, and 4-core goals, then categorize them in DDM.
Declare
• 3-circles evangelism training
• Targeted outreach (Hispanic, law enforcement, single moms, etc…)
• Onramps from school systems
• Life Groups
Disciple
• Discipleship groups
• PT Mentorship
• Life Groups
Multiply
• Volunteer Trainings
• Weekender
• Missions – intentional growth in local and int’l support
• Life Groups
Conclusion
We started year one with three numbers: 1, 4, & 7, and God has richly blessed the work of our hands.
In year two, let’s move forward with the mission of 1 Peter 2:9-10, focusing our efforts to ABS and so be filled, so that we therefore go and DDM.