How we plan to plant from a church plant, 2 of 2

Trying for a fast start that is bivocational seems possible to us for a variety of reasons. There are some factors in my preparation including assisting at GBC Menifee and Southern California experience that will help. We are going to have a year to pursue core families in Rancho Cucamonga and research the area. So much work has already been done for us. We have from GBC a philosophy of ministry, constitution and covenant, website, design and print materials, discipleship and evangelism materials.

GBC Menifee provides us with experience in Southern California church planting, facility research, equipment and sound systems, transportation and storage solutions, and legal and financial matters. Moreover, we will receive people, encouragement, accountability, and resources from GBC Menifee as well as from other Southern California churches. There will be mission teams, advertizing through programs like “phones for you,” and raising of startup funds. We will also gain some practice and experience from other church plants in nearby areas.

Our efforts over the next year will be focused on gaining and training team members from Southern California and elsewhere. We will develop a list of needs and try to find financial supporters. Finding a way for the lab to function without me as soon as possible will be an important job. We will do a lot of communication via trips, web, phones, and meetings.

Above all, as with any church plant, only God in Christ can build His church in Rancho Cucamonga. We will seek with all our hearts and diligent efforts to be growing Christians useable by Him. Our prayer and labor will be for the spiritual growth of our present church family and their becoming good parents for the new church plant. We are determined to trust God’s provision and guidance as we seek to live for His fame. Knowing His unique greatness, valuing it (Him) above all else, and living to make Him known to others will continue to be our mission.

How we plan to plant from a church plant, 1 of 2

When Grace Bible Church of Menifee was started, the people and nearly all of the resources came from outside of Southern California. Over the long term, our goal is that both the people and the resources for new church plants in Southern California would come from within Southern California (this is what we mean when we use the word “indigenous”). But this won’t happen all at once. As we prepare for church plant #2 in Rancho Cucamonga, we have to admit that we don’t have all of the resources necessary to accomplish this on our own. We will need outside help. But at the same time, we are doing everything we can to make this a church plant from within Southern California.

As part of this commitment, we decided not to go on the road for years of deputation. We want to be an active part of GBC Menifee, gaining experience in Southern California and building strong relationships with the GBC family. This not only helps to prepare us for the next church plant, but even more importantly it increases the ownership of the church family at Grace in Menifee. In other words, it really helps the GBC Menifee family feel like they are an important part of this next church plant – and that is a big step toward “indigenous” church planting.

This model is possible because of our dental lab making up the income we need. Right now, I’m able to put 2 days out of 7 into the Church (including Sunday). That will obviously not be sufficient ministry time once the next church plant begins. However, we are working on a plan in the lab that would allow me to spend more time doing church planting work. When we start, our goal is to spend closer to 4 days out of 7 on church planting by GBC Menifee’s help, new families, outside support, and a trained employee or employees in the lab. This goal requires prayer and hard work raising more outside support and getting the lab functioning more without me.

We will seek to have a “fast start” to the church with the goal of a self-supporting church (little to no lab work) in about a year. In some ways this model/plan will be easier for our family than years of deputation. It will be a better stewardship of resources and our time. We hope it will lead to a more healthy church because of the connection with GBC Menifee. In other ways this plan will be harder on our family and church because of the bivocational transition, time, and uncertainties. It could be a problem if the church doesn’t become self-supporting quickly because it could require a long-term bivocational situation. Another challenge to the church would be the pressure to start fast.

Why Rancho Cucamonga, 2 of 2

As a landmark, historic Route 66 runs through the middle of Rancho and there is a beautiful outdoor mall (Victoria Gardens) commemorating that road and providing a unique attraction. Rancho is bordered on three sides by major L.A. basin freeways: the 10, the 15, and the 210. The 175,000 people are within 10 min. of driving from any place in the city. So also is as much shopping as would make any woman smile and any man drop from exhaustion.

Unlike many surrounding cities, there is still about 1200 acres of open land for developing and many large sections of new homes. The roads are laid out in a very predictable and convenient north and south grid with many of the roads stretching for miles beyond the city in either direction.

Ten-thousand-foot Mount Baldy provides a beautiful and towering backdrop to the city built on its gradually sloping base. The housing has sections of enormous and extravagant as well as small and modest, brand new and rather old, decent-sized lots and postage-stamp plots. But nearly every neighborhood has above-average maintenance.

Many, if not most, houses are connected by miles of sidewalks, and because they are so close together, canvassing will be very productive despite being exhausting because of the sheer numbers and hill-side terrain. The cost of that housing is more intimidating than outlying areas which will provide a real challenge for us and others in finding good long-term options. However, it is less than many other areas in Southern California, and we are encouraged with the knowledge that God can and will provide.

To our knowledge, there are no other Bible churches in the city, few Baptists, and no really like-minded works. There are one or two in neighboring communities, but not in Rancho. The neighboring works encourage us that ours can meet a need in that setting and the lack of churches in that sized city emphasizes the fact that there is a need.

We want to go meet what we believe is the need for a local church characterized by careful Bible teaching, Christ or gospel focused ministry, caring church family, and vibrant traditional worship. But even though there aren’t other similar churches in the city, Rancho is within reasonable driving distance from other like-minded churches that would be willing to help as they can. It would become another link in a growing chain of local churches and pastors committed to planting more churches in Southern California.

Where we will meet is a factor that on one hand provides the normal challenges of cost, kind, location, amenities, etc. and on the other hand has great potential and many options. There are numerous city facilities that are accustomed to renting to churches and have reasonably priced and decently stable options. The commercial and retail space is abundant, older/dying churches are an option, and land is still out there if God did a miracle.

We are grateful for the Lord's guidance and are excitedly trusting His wise providence to plant and grow a new local church in this particular Southern California city.

Why Rancho Cucamonga, 1 of 2

Believing that God leads through our prayerfully dependent and biblically informed thinking, desires, counsel, and plans, my wife and I, under the leadership of Grace Bible Church in Menifee, embarked on finding the place for the “next church plant” (really the first church plant or “daughter church” from GBC). Choosing a location has carried with it a wide range of factors, thoughts, and emotions. We are part of a church family looking for a place to start a new church and we are a family looking for a place to live. We are attempting to plant a local church and begin what we hope will be a Southern California church planting movement. We wanted to find a place that will support a “forty-years-in-ministry” mindset and allow us to have a fast start. We wanted something that is closer to the mass of people in Southern California (toward the city) and still tolerably affordable. We need a place not too close but not too far from GBC Menifee—one that is “just right.”

The factors kept piling up in our minds as we looked. We wanted something that fits our model of indigenous church planting in the city with a team. We wanted a place that has the right mix of economic classes and housing options. Having good driving access by many people from within and without the area is important. A desirable area for our family and team members would help. Communication with area pastors should be confirming. And we wanted a place that our pastor friends would agree with and encourage as a good choice.

Trying to find the perfect place with no negatives would be naïve. But even just trying to find the right place with the right mix of positives was challenging. However, in God’s providence, the answer has come like many others in our lives. The right choice became rather obvious both by the right characteristics and a clear process of elimination. Rancho Cucamonga became what we believe is the best choice for GBC #2.

That doesn’t mean that all our questions are answered, all our fears are allayed, or everything/anything will be easy and simple to work out. However, there is a great level of certainty that Rancho Cucamonga is both the right place and the only place for the first church plant from Grace Bible Church in Menifee. It is forty-five minutes of freeway driving from Menifee being both near enough to GBC Menifee for help and connection while being far enough away to avoid being an inappropriate drain on GBC Menifee.

Why church plant in SoCal with GBC Menifee? – part 5 of 5

Tim Lovegrove, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Menifee says, “When we strategize for foreign missions, our goal is indigenous church planting: native churches that are planting churches within that field, so that we don’t have to have long term dependence on foreign missionaries.

“That’s how we usually think about foreign missions: but we believe that ministry in an area like Southern California should pursue the same goal. Rather than long term reliance on church planters from the outside, we should pursue the long-term goal of having Southern California churches that are planting churches in Southern California. I believe that’s a healthy strategy just about anywhere, but it’s vital in a metro area of 20 million people. Occasional church plants from the “outside” won't suffice as a long-term strategy for making disciples here. A place this vast needs a vibrant church planting movement. So while our focus has been on this one church, our desire has been that this one church plant would be just the first step in a larger strategy.

“But how do we take the next step from one little church plant toward an indigenous church planting movement here?

“Obviously the next major step is to plant another church. But how that church is planted is very important. As much as possible, it needs to be a church plant for Southern California from Southern California. Rather than being just a stand-alone church plant started by outsiders, our desire has been that the next church plant would come out of the church in Menifee.

“But for that to happen, the Lord was going to have to do something very remarkable. He would have to bring another pastor who would come to GBC Menifee, serve in the ministry here for a time, and then go serve as the church-planting pastor when our church reaches out to plant another church. It would be even better if that person was a Southern Californian. To our amazement, and to God’s praise, He has been doing exactly that in Eric & Alicia True.

“Our desire is that someday there would be a vibrant, church planting movement within Southern California. We are thrilled to see the Lord providing for the next step.”


My wife, Alicia and I first visited Grace Bible Church in January of 2007. Through much interaction and two other visits in 2007, we became persuaded that the philosophy of ministry and the burden for a church planting movement in Southern California effectively promotes the commission of Christ. Having lived and ministered in California ourselves, we understand firsthand the need for healthy local churches. We share the vision for a church planting movement in Southern California, and believe God wants us to be part of what He is doing and will do here.

Why church plant in SoCal with GBC Menifee? – part 4 of 5

While Jesus was on earth, He promised to build His church out of these believing people. Before He ascended, Jesus told His disciples to go into the entire world with the gospel and make disciples, so that people from all nations would be added to Christ’s church.

Acts records how Christ built His church through the disciples’ aggressive church planting, which was the primary method for obeying the Great Commission in the early church.

As he planted churches, the apostle Paul prioritized cities because cities are strategic. Every city that Paul visited in Acts was a place of importance and influence. Surely this was not accidental.
Paul also prioritized team ministry. He names at least 15 coworkers. Though he could have been a ‘lone ranger,’ Paul worked hard at building teams.

What better place than Southern California with its more than 20 million people for these Great Commission priorities: church planting in the city with a team?

In 2003, Tim and Kristalyn Lovegrove and David and Heather Wilkinson went to Southern California with these priorities and this vision on their hearts. Six years later, God has raised up a self-supporting church in Menifee that is reaching out into the community, training men for leadership, and making a difference in lives every day.

Why church plant in SoCal with GBC Menifee? – part 3 of 5

Metropolitan Southern California is huge, with 20 million people in the Los Angeles Basin, San Diego, and the Inland Empire all running together in one mass of people. You can drive for hours and never leave this metropolitan area that is growing by more than 300,000 people a year. 20 million people . . . 20 million souls . . . 20 million eternal destinies.

It is strategic, with a powerful global reach; it is diverse, with vast immigrant populations from as close as Mexico, and as far as India; and it is an exceptional opportunity for gospel ministry. The stereotypical Southern California problems, like traffic, smog, and gangs, only highlight the opportunity: there are a lot of people here!

80% of Southern California’s growth comes through immigration, making it an increasingly ‘foreign’ mission field. In L.A. county alone you can find at least 50,000 people from Guatemala, Vietnam, India, Japan, Korea, El Salvador, the Philippines, and China. About 1/3 of Southern California’s population is now Mexican.

From beach towns to mountain resorts; industrial communities to ritzy suburban enclaves; retirement villages to young bedroom communities; Southern California is a brilliant mosaic of diverse people.

Every one of those people will live somewhere forever. Tragically, those without Christ are rebels against God and justly condemned to face eternal punishment.

But God lovingly designed and enacted a plan of salvation. Jesus Christ—God the Son became a man, perfectly obeyed God the Father, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven where He rules over all and from where He will return again to earth as Judge and King.
All who repent and believe this message will live forever in a reconciled relationship with God and escape His righteous wrath against them for their sins. This is “Good News” that needs telling!

Why church plant in SoCal with GBC Menifee? – part 2 of 5

If you were to come with me to Southern California and we hiked up the mountain beyond Bob Hope’s house (or better yet, flew up by helicopter since the mountain is over 10,000 ft. high), you would be looking out over a huge area with several valleys and beyond that the Pacific Ocean. You would see major freeways running like arteries through millions of houses and seamlessly connecting three major areas: San Diego, Los Angeles, and Riverside or the Inland Empire (see below). If it was a clear day and you looked closely, you could see Hollywood and Beverly Hills where so many of the rich and famous of this world have built their careers and their palatial homes.


But you could also look out and see an area called Menifee where two major freeways converge. In that place there is a group of people assembling together with a very different mission than the one that captivated me as a boy and captivates so many others. That group of people is Grace Bible Church in Menifee that we are privileged to minister with. They believe and practice the truth of Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

Our goal isn’t to become rich and famous. Instead we are committed to “Live for the fame of the true God.” We believe that Faithful followers of Christ will glorify God by knowing His unique greatness, valuing this above all else, and living to make it known to others.

As Christians, we know that we need to “Live for the fame of the true God.” But we often fail to realize that living for God’s fame doesn’t just happen. As a result, we often fail to effectively live for God’s glory. Therefore we need to plan for it and even be strategic: aiming to spend our lives glorifying God in the best ways we possibly can.

Ever since I was saved, God has increasingly changed my desires and dreams from living for my own fame and fortune to living for God’s fame. My wife Alicia has joined me in this pursuit, and we have done our best to make a plan to do that. In making that plan, we have attempted to consider God’s right place, right priority, and right people for us.

Why church plant in SoCal with GBC Menifee? – part 1 of 5

I was born and raised in sunny Southern California, a place called Palm Springs. Many days on the way to elementary school, our car would pass by a hill where the entertainment star Bob Hope had a house. I remember being so impressed with its mushroom-shaped appearance and the descriptions my classmates gave me of its size, swimming pool, tennis court, and other finery. I was fascinated by his fame and fortune and would dream about becoming rich and famous.

But I’m not the only one who dreams that way: many if not most athletes, actors, artists, business persons, scholars, and people from all walks of life live for fame and fortune/their own honor and enjoyment. And if you’ll be honest, the desire for fame/honor resides in you too. But self-promotion is antithetical to the teaching of Christ. Romans 11:36 says that everything is from and through and to God. Ephesians 1:12 says that we are intended to “be to the praise of God’s glory.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Life isn’t about us—it is about God. Revelation 4:11 says that God is worthy of receiving all glory and honor and power.

It is far better and more satisfying to live for the fame or glory of God than to live for your own fame and fortune or honor and enjoyment. But does anyone really live that way? Is that kind of life even possible in this world? Well, it is if you plan for it or make it your goal.