Come plant a church in Ann Arbor, MI. I can help!!

Ann Arbor is located in southeastern Michigan, about 40 miles west of Detroit. It is home to the University of Michigan along with the national headquarters of Dominos Pizza, Google AdWords, WeatherUnderground.com, and many other computer technology and bio-tech companies. Ann Arbor's population is 113,934 while the Ann Arbor metro population (which includes adjacent Ypsilanti, home of Eastern Michigan University) is 225,461. Ann Arbor is consistently ranked by national magazines as one of America's most educated cities and as a great city in which to live. Like many university towns, Ann Arbor is very politically and socially liberal. Notably, in 1974 it was the first city in the United States to elect an openly gay official.

Demographically, Ann Arbor is majority Anglo (73%) with a rapidly growing Asian population (12%). It is projected that over the next twenty-five years the age demographic with the largest growth will be 65+ (+280%) while residents age 18-34 are projected to decline by almost 39%.

For additional rankings and stats, visit http://chrisblackstone.com/ann-arbor-stats-rankings/.

Ann Arbor is woefully bereft of gospel-centered churches. Dying mainline churches that preach a gospel-less social gospel predominate. Ann Arbor and its surrounding county have less than 6.5% of the population attending evangelical churches and the city of Ann Arbor is classified as 33% religious, which includes all manner of spirituality. There are 17 evangelical churches in town of which

• 15 of the 17 are English-speaking
• 13 of those 15 are focused on the community-at-large (vs focusing on University of Michigan students)
• 11 of those 13 have been in existence for more than 3 years

Conversely, there are almost as many "open and affirming" churches in Ann Arbor as there are evangelical churches.

There has been recent energy around church planting in Ann Arbor, with 2|42 Community Church, Mosaic Church, and The Green Room all launching in the last three years. However, there has not been a Reformed church planted in Ann Arbor in almost thirty years.

Ann Arbor is very hard soil. Many residents have no exposure at all to professing Christians or the gospel outside of media caricatures and anecdotal stories. It is not unusual to encounter someone who has never set foot in a church. For these reasons, a church planter coming to Ann Arbor needs to recognize that the work will likely be slow, requiring patience and perseverance. The planter should be comfortable in academia, understanding the university culture and its endless quest for knowledge that doesn't necessarily seek after universal truth. The planter should be prepared to face significant opposition related to issues of gender and sexuality. Finally, because there is so little knowledge of Scripture, the planter will need to place a priority on expositional preaching as a way to educate the populace about the truth of God's Word and the grand narrative of Scripture.

I grew up in Ann Arbor, and after graduating from Wheaton and working near Washington, D.C. my wife and I moved back to Ann Arbor in 2006 feeling called to plant a church. During our time at two different churches in Ann Arbor, God has reinforced that specific call on my life. Through my studies in the inaugural class of the Resurgence Training Center in Seattle, I have had opportunities to learn from some great teachers and leaders and to participate in a cohort with other prospective church planters. I believe that God has called and equipped me for church planting, but I also acknowledge my lack of recent leadership experience, specifically regarding raising up and equipping leaders and disciple-making. I currently work in Ann Arbor at an interactive agency as a Production Manager.

I desperately want to see Ann Arbor transformed by the gospel, which in no way compares to how much God desires that this town be redeemed for His glory. Because "He must increase while I must decrease," I am willing to do almost anything to help facilitate the planting and reproduction of thriving gospel-centered churches, even if that means serving the church planting work of other men. I am particularly equipped in the areas of administration and organization and I want to serve you as a church planter in any possible way, whether in those areas or others. I have made connections with many local churches and church planting representatives across the region and will gladly connect you with them.

Based on a recent church planting assessment it has been suggested that I may be better suited for a role other than a lead planter. While I would be foolish to discount that input, I do believe that I am called to plant churches in Ann Arbor. I also recognize, however, that my plans may be different than God's and I believe that one of the best ways I can continue to seek God's call on my life is to be part of a church plant here in Ann Arbor while supporting other local church planters in any way possible.

If any of this interests you, please contact me. I would encourage you to pray that God would give you insight into whether He is calling you to Ann Arbor, MI to plant churches. I would also love to talk with you, hear your story, and share more of my story and vision for the gospel-transformation of this town. May God be glorified as we seek Him and trust Him, ministering so that those who are lost would find Him and know Him.

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." Isaiah 6:8