Church Planting Mission

Led by a 6-member Pastoral Elder Team, a 10-member Pastoral Council, and a 40-member Congregation, we are planting a new church called “Community ConneXions Church.” We are seasoned and mature Christians with varied religious pasts---Protestant, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Catholic---and we feel called to a particular vision. At this season of our lives, and after all our rich, spiritual journeys, we have a sound doctrinal vision for a new kind of church. We want to serve the world with a church that would be a place of “ConneXion” for all in the name of Jesus Christ, regardless of Christian faith backgrounds, and do so in a way that it would earn the respect of those who lack a faith background or come from a different religious background. We want to do so in a way that especially makes faith possible for Generation Z and millenniums, living in tandem with “boomers” who are there to help guide their way. We want to make a positive and tangible difference in every community we serve. We hope these communities will be impacted by our presence and become a better place because we’re here for God’s people.

Our Purpose

Community Connexions Church is a public place of worship and educational services. Its activities are directed exclusively toward religious, charitable, and educational purposes in Miami County, Ohio. (Matthew 28:18-20) 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Our congregation has committed and dedicated their lives to God and supporting what God leads us to. Together, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are the Body of Christ. We recognize the significance and power God has inspired in each and every one of us at Community ConneXions Church. We love one another, as Christ loves us, and we are in Communion with Christ and His people. We lovingly welcome those who would like to join us.

John 14:16 16
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

Planting a New Church

Led by the Holy Spirit, in November of 2016, a group of Christians began meeting, praying, and reading Scripture. For many months, meeting nearly every week, sometimes two and three times a week, we became a very strong group of followers of Jesus Christ, praying for our church and community. We became a group known as the “Pastoral Council.” We were open to what God was calling us to. Together, each of us prayed and dedicated our lives to Jesus Christ. Many took part in a day of prayer and fasting. This began as a group of pastors, ministers, and lay people. In January, we found ourselves being led to become “fishermen of men” and spiritually teaching the Word of God in our community. We formed a “Just Men” group, who met every Saturday for breakfast; just a bunch of men sharing their daily lives and faith in God! How awesome is that? This group of men met each week and had anywhere from four to 12 people participating. By April, we had formalized and invited the community to a 12-week Faith Journey program. People from the community were interested and joining us every Monday night to grow in their faith. At times, we had 32 people on a given night!

Little did we know, in May of 2017, six of the original Pastoral Council members would grow to ten people to share how God was calling each of us to plant a new church! We continued to meet every week, praying, reading Scripture, and sharing what God was calling us to do. We all had similar visions for this new church. Our calling seemed to intercept our daily lives and put us on a new path! We felt a burden for the un-churched and a heart to improve the overall level of ministry in our community. We were suddenly empowered by the confirmation that about 35 more people were supporting us, all of which confirmed to us that this was a True Calling; we were being Called by God to plant a new church. We knew this was an immense Calling – bigger than ourselves. When God says “Come, follow me” it was impossible for us to ignore – the Calling was undeniable.

Matt 4:19-20
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

As we continued to meet, we shared our visions. We would like to share, with our community, a few excerpts of these visions: We Shared Our Visions - God’s Calling to Plant a Church (June 2017). We see a magnificent vision from our loving and Holy God, who wants us to participate in planting a new church that is “ancient-modern” – real and authentic. Every young adult is trying to figure out why they exist, asking himself or herself “what is my purpose in life?” Our church will teach from the Bible with truth, valuable wisdom, and insight. We are not led by “man,” we are led by God and the Living Word, with the wisdom from pastors, ministers, scholars, philosophers, and learned people. We feel called to Outreach...not just “programs” but a real response to help and respond to the needs of the community, the poor, homeless, needy, and widowed. We will not spend our resources on an elaborate building; instead, we will look outside the church walls and help God’s people in our community.

To participate with the Holy Spirit, building a diverse community of Christ followers who will love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, strength, and their neighbors as themselves. We will live out this vision by gathering regularly for passionate worship, individual and gathered study of God’s Word and prayer, and as we live our daily lives looking for opportunities to make new or renewed disciple of Jesus Christ.

These shared visions, along with those from 35 others, we saw our Purpose, which in turn, helped us develop our final Vision and launch our Mission:

Our Mission

As followers of Jesus Christ, we intentionally navigate out into the community, disciples making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), showing the love of Jesus, giving bread and help to the lowly and poor. We will invite them to break bread and worship with us. When they come, we will teach God’s Word, mentor and give guidance to the un-churched and baptize new Christians, so they will inherit the promises and realize the infinite power of God.

Today

We are a Christian community, Elders, Pastoral Council Members, and 40 active, true followers of Jesus Christ, inviting people to join us in building God’s church...not a building, but the Body of Christ - God’s people are the Church.

Ephesians 4:12
12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Romans 8:31-32:
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?