HOPE CULTURE CHURCH LOUISVILLE

A NEW CHURCH LAUNCHING IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

ON FEBRUARY 2, 2014

HopeCulture.tv

“There is nothing like the local church when the local church is working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited.”

Bill Hybels

Starting a church creates shockwaves in a community. A group of people, not limited by the entrapments of 'doing church' but instead passionate about 'being the church,' is unleashed on a city to share God's love, forgiveness and hope. The results are exciting and God's family grows! Upon hearing Craig and Sarah Johnson's vision to start a church, I immediately became interested in what God was up to. Could the residents of Louisville use a faith community of hope, restoration, love, grace, wisdom, and divine connection? I would dare say, 'yes.' We watch with great expectation.

Jeremy DeWeerdt, Lead Pastor, Rockford First

What you see before you is the start of an amazing adventure. We are currently in the beginning stages of launching Hope Culture Church and would love for you to take a few minutes to hear our story. We are inviting you to join us as we endeavor not just to build a church, but to cultivate a culture of hope through Jesus Christ in Louisville, KY. Regardless of where you currently are in your spiritual journey, may you realize that there’s always hope!

Hope Culture ChurchLaunching on 02.02.14

“And I said to him, if it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in

your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my father’s

sepulchers, that I may rebuild it.” Nehemiah 2:5

I believe there are certain 'seasons' in which God's favor and provision are intensified on certain aspects of His master plan. I believe this is the season for planting new churches that will reach new people in new communities. I have known and worked with Craig and Sarah Johnson for many years and consider them two of God’s choice servants. The community where they plant and pastor a church will be wonderfully blessed by their ministry.

Kemp C Holden, Chairman, Worldwide Missionary Evangelism

our story

In my experience, great stories have been told and retold for thousands of years. King Soloman was right when he said, "There is nothing new under the sun." We are about to go to a city we have never been, to reach people we have never met, with a message that is as old as time itself. How exhilarating!

As my family and I started to pray about making Louisville our home, we felt that there were two paths for us to take. We could follow a "Jonah Call" and rather than go to our Nineveh we could try to run away from it and go on a cruise. But there's a difference between Jonah and us - we WANT to go to Louisville. In fact, our reaction was quite the opposite of Jonah's - we had never been there but could not get the city out of our minds. We made a decision as a family: The next place we live MUST be a city we are proud to be from. We have to love our city! We decided to follow a "Nehemiah Call". If you're familiar with the references both Nehemiah and Jonah were called to cities they had never been to before but there were very different responses to the calling.

As I tell our story, realize, our story is not a new story. In fact, there are parallels in our story of launching a new church in Louisville, Kentucky and in the story of a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia named Nehemiah. Listen to Nehemiah's words out of the book that bears his name:

Nehemiah had a burden. Maybe you can relate… A burden is something you cannot shake, it nags you, prods you, frustrates you, and moves you into action. See, you didn't choose the burden, the burden chose you! It's deep within your soul, and if you'll open up your heart, God can turn your misery into ministry! That is why the Johnson's are moving to Louisville. There is an inescapable burden in our hearts to cultivate a culture of hope in that city. We are following a "Nehemiah Call" to our Jerusalem. If you're still reading this one of two things is probably happening…

1 You are thinking about your Jerusalem, your burden, and what you must do! (Don't shy away from it, embrace it!)

2 You are considering helping us with our burden.

A few months later, Nehemiah was in the presence of the king and the king asked him what was wrong (the burden had been weighing on Nehemiah). His response is incredible:

Hanani, one of my kinsmen, came with certain men from Judah, and I asked them about the surviving Jews who had escaped exile, and about Jerusalem. And they said to me, The remnant there in the province who escaped exile are in great trouble and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its [fortified] gates are destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I sat down and wept and mourned for days and fasted and prayed [constantly] before the God of heaven… O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and the prayer of your servants who delight to revere and fear your name (Your nature and your attributes); and prosper, I pray You, your servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah did not get to Jerusalem without help. In fact, if you know the story, you know not only did the king send him, he resourced him. King Artaxerxes made a decision that day to link his story with the story of Nehemiah, the rebuilder of Jerusalem. We would be honored if you would consider linking your story with ours. As you read through these materials, prayerfully consider how you can help us cultivate a culture of hope in Louisville, Kentucky.

And I said to [him], if it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my father's sepulchers, that I may rebuild it.

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The world is desperate for the love and hope that only the Church can bring. Church planting is one of the most effective ways to bring that love and hope to a community. In so many ways, Craig’s leadership, gifts and personality will lend him to being one of the most effective church planters I know.

Dan Matlock, Lead Pastor, Church Planter, Eikon Church

Start with Why.Nehemiah went to a city he had never been to. He went there to help people he had never met and he did this because there was an inescapable burden in his heart. Nehemiah had a purpose. God used him to rebuild the broken down walls of a city in ruins. Today our cities may not be in physical ruins, but there is a rebuilding effort that must take place. I would go as far to say the church is in the middle of the greatest rebuilding effort in history. It just so happens that the location is in the hearts and lives of the people who inhabit our cities.

The people of God have lost their reason – they have lost their purpose. And I believe it is our job to help them find it. The book of Ecclesiastes, chapter three tells us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy]“… Which tells me that long before we ever knew God, He hardwired us to want to know Him. There is something inside of us that is crying out for something larger than life, deeper than anything we have ever experienced before. People are searching for something to hope in. One philosopher put it this way, “There is a God shaped hole in all of our hearts.”

There is a culture that was created before you and I were born. This culture is counter everything we have always known. The book of John, chapter twelve says it like this… “And I, if and when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw and attract all men [Gentiles as well as Jews] to Myself.” It’s a culture of hope in which: Jesus Christ changes EVERYTHING! The tragedy is, many people have not recognized God’s cry in their hearts. They are missing His true purpose for their lives. Maybe they simply misunderstood God’s purpose or maybe they are avoiding it. Either way, someone must tell them! “Jesus Christ did not just die for you, He conquered death for you. You do not have to wait for heaven to experience hope and purpose, you can start to experience it now. Jesus Christ is not just in stories on the cross, Jesus Christ is on the rise!”

our vision

There is a culture of hope in which: Jesus Christ changes EVERYTHING!

our Mission

What We do.There is only one mission for the (global) Church. The church exists to fulfill the statement Jesus made over two thousand years ago recorded in the book of Matthew, chapter twenty-eight, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you..."

Our goal is not to change or improve upon this mission, rather, to pursue it within our context. The Apostle Paul tells us in the book of Ephesians, chapter one, "It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone."

Every person deserves not only to know Jesus Christ as their risen Lord but to know how to live their life in the best possible way. We are designed for glorious living. We are wired for purpose. In creating a Hope Culture our desire is simple: We live with purpose and teach others to do the same.

“we are made in the image of god; we carry within us the desire for our true life of

intimacy and adventure.” John Eldredge

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Craig Johnson is one of the finest young ministers I've ever known. His passion for planting churches is contagious and I totally support his God-given zeal.

Dale Yerton, President, Living Faith, Inc.

A STRONG FOUNDATION A GREAT TEAM

A CULTURE CHANGING CHURCH+ =

The book of Proverbs tells us, "Many are the plans of a man's mind, but it's the Lord's purpose for him that will stand." This is not an indictment on planning, rather, an encouragement to make detailed plans that have the ability to adapt at any point in the journey. Our plan is simple, we want to spend a year building up to our official launch. During that year our team will move to the city and develop our church toward launch. Within six month of our launch we will have consistent Launch Team meetings and strategically move toward our first public service in February of 2014.

strategy

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1 - WeekendsAt Hope Culture our weekends are the main thing. This is where we gather in a life-giving environment to honor God shoulder to shoulder. Our weekend environment is tailored for our first time attenders. This is where we encourage our dream team and regular attenders to invite their friends. Through worship and relevant teaching of the Word of God, our goal is to make the Gospel tangible to those who do not know it.

2 - Next StepsWe want to encourage every person at Hope Culture to ask themselves three questions about their spiritual life: 1) Where am I now? 2) Where am I going? 3) What is my next step? Our discipleship track is designed as our "next step" for first time attenders. This will include a four step process starting with discovering who we are as a church, then teaching the basics of what it means to follow Jesus, identifying unique gifts and strengths, and finally finding a place to serve through The Well.

3 - The WellThis is the Leadership Team Meetings of Hope Culture. If you are serving in any area within our church you are a part of the The Well! Because you make so much happen for others we wanted to create an environment that is just for you. As leaders we spend a lot of time pouring into others that sometimes we miss out on being filled back up. These meetings will be a relaxed, no-nonsense style of teaching and worship that cuts through any fluff. The goal of these times are to teach deeper truths about what it means to follow Jesus and lead others.

Our five focuses. 4 - mentoring relationshipsSmall gatherings of Christ followers meeting on their own, doing life together, studying the Scripture together, and serving the community together, are not a new phenomenon. In fact, in the first few hundred years of the church these kinds of groups were all that existed - they pretty much were the only way to experience church. Luke describes this kind of Group Life in Acts 2: 42-47 and throughout the years of church history the values of these types of groups hasn't changed. At Hope Culture you'll find the same healthy, leader-facilitated, groups of people that Luke wrote about two thousand (plus) years ago. This is Group Life.

5 - Church Planter DevelopmentThis facet of Hope Culture will take some time to develop. Our dream is that one day we will be a church that develops church planters and sends them out all across this globe. The dream is simply this, called individuals, future pastors, will join our team with the intent that they spend a minimum of one year with us learning and developing in order to take the Gospel into their new context. Our desire is to send them out, their God-given dream, their God-given plan, with our mentorship and support will transform our nation and our world.

structureBelievers who invest their hearts, time, families and finances in building the local church deserve to have confidence in church leadership. People are looking for leaders who conduct themselves with integrity and respect when making decisions that affect their lives. With that thought in mind we have chosen a structure based off of the model provided by the Association of Related Churches.

In a world of stalled and declining churches, is a culture of people who are looking for a place to go and search for truth in a safe place. Craig and Sarah Johnson are transplanting their family to go create and develop that safe place for people on a quest for truth.

Drew Epperson, Lead Pastor, Second Place Church

the right structure will set the stage for

success.

HOPE CULTURE IS ACCOUNTABLE WITH OUR FINANCESAt Hope Culture we practice giving for the support of Christ's Body, the church, as God commands. We recognize that giving 10% of our income is the minimal Biblical standard of giving. Many people love to give to God, but need to have confidence in the methods and purposes used by the organizations to which they give. Therefore, there are a great number of people willing to give if they are able to see honesty, integrity, and genuine spiritual values reflected in the lifestyle of their church leaders. The giving of offerings is worship to Jesus Christ and is an expression of the relationship between the individual giver and the Lord. Funds are not "income only", they are worship, and must not be considered as a business transaction, but as an expression of gratitude toward God.

Hope Culture structures our budget off of the following principles:

• 10% of everything we receive will go back into missions (local, national, and global).• Only 35% of our budget may go to buildings, maintenance and upkeep.• Only 35% of our budget may go to staffing.• 20% of our budget will go directly into ministry and outreach.• Our budget will be based of of 90% of the total income of the previous year in order to

create margin and alleviate any financial pressure of our church.

Hope Culture is guided by eldersElders refer to the core team of leaders led by the Lead Pastor. This team oversees the day-to-day ministry and operations of the church. These leaders serve the congregation and are responsible for the development of the spiritual life of the church. Each elder must serve as the primary protectors and encouragers of a positive spiritual climate within the church body. They serve in neither a governing nor a corporate capacity, but a spiritual capacity to create and maintain stability in potentially negative situations.

All elders are responsible to model a godly lifestyle, provide a prayer shield for the members, defend and protect the integrity of the church, pray for the sick, mediate disputes, counsel, and represent the church to the community.

Hope Culture is protected by trusteesThe Trustees are members of the congregation, appointed by the Lead Pastor, to oversee the finances and direct the provision of facilities needed by the church. They provide counsel to the Lead Pastor regarding major financial commitments to the church.

Hope culture is strengthened by overseersThe Overseers are pastors of respected congregations and ministries who love Hope Culture and its Lead Pastor and are willing to provide spiritual protection to the church. They may be called in to help in accountability matters relating to the Lead Pastor if requested to do so by the Elders or Trustees.

Hope Culture is...

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how to help

Great leadership and a passionate commitment to Christ is crucial in moving the kingdom of God forward. Pastor Craig and Sarah Johnson are more than exceptional leaders, and committed Christ followers; they are a dynamic 'force' that God will use in significant ways. I not only believe in Craig and Sarah from over 13 years of personal ministry experience, but I trust the call of God on their lives. They are worth investing in… Hope Culture is worth investing in because God is worth investing in. If you feel like God is up to something and now is the time to push God's kingdom forward, partnering with Craig and Sarah is a strong step in that direction.

Josh Mayo, Young Adult Pastor, Author, Victory World Church

“unless the lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.

Pslam 127:1

Pray for us.We need prayer! We can come up with the perfect strategy and prepare but as Psalm 127 tells us, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." Please pray for us daily. Jesus will build His church, but He does so through the faithful work, service and prayers of His people. Prayer is not a part of the work God is doing, prayer IS the work God is doing.

participate, Join the team.Do you want to be a part of something greater than yourself? Are you a dreamer, builder, missionary, or faith-filled risk-taker? Please pray about joining us. If you're in the Louisville area Pastor Craig would love to meet with you and personally share his heart with you. We have couples and singles moving from all around the nation to land in Louisville, Kentucky to help us launch Hope Culture. We would be honored if you chose to take the leap of faith to join our team and be one of them.

For more information about becoming a part of the Launch Team check out our website, Launch.HopeCulture.tv.

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Partner with us.Hope Culture is believing that we will be a self-sustaining church by the end of our first full year of public services (February of 2015). In order to make this happen we need to raise a total of $143,500. We are looking for churches and individuals to partner with us. This may include regular, monthly giving, quarterly giving, or a one time gift until we launch in February of 2014. In the life of a young, missional movement in a new context every dollar makes a difference.

Please consider giving with us at one of the following levels:

one time.........................$20,000 one time.........................$10,000 one time...........................$5,000 one time...........................$1,000 monthly (1 Year)...............$250 monthly (1 Year)...............$100 monthly (1 Year).................$50 monthly (1 Year).................$25*A breakdown of our expenses may be found at Launch.HopeCulture.tv.

together we can make a difference.

When God places a dream in a man's heart, there isn't anything that can keep that dream from becoming a reality. Pastor Craig Johnson has a God-given dream… a dream that will have eternal impact for years to come. May God's perfect plan be revealed and experienced to its fullest capacity! (Jeremiah 29:11)

Terren Anderson, Senior Pastor, Life Church

From time to time God orchestrates significant relationships and great things happen. In 2004, our lives intersected with the Johnson's… It was a great day. For those who are graced by God as He orchestrates such an intersection for them, I am absolutely confident that it will be a great day.

Ed Huie, President, Echo Ministries, Inc.

What We Believe...We believe that the entire Bible is the inspired word of God and that men were moved by the Holy Spirit to write the very words of Scripture. Therefore, we believe the Bible is without error.

We believe in one God who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who became flesh to reveal God to humanity and to become the Savior of a lost world.

We believe that all people are created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him but become alienated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, people are incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through their own efforts.

We believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for forgiveness of sin. Therefore, God freely offers salvation to those who place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as the sufficient payment for their sin.

We believe all Christians should live for Christ and not for themselves. By obedience to the Word of God and daily yielding to the Holy Spirit, every believer should mature and be conformed to the image of Christ.

We believe that the church is the body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the head. The members of the church are those who have trusted by faith the finished work of Jesus Christ. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by loving Him and making Him known to a lost world.

We also subscribe to the Nicene Creed and the Apostle's Creed.

appendix one

Meet Our Pastor...Craig is first and foremost a husband and father who also happens to be a pastor and church planter. He was born and raised in Northern Illinois where he met his wife, Sarah. Starting in ministry at sixteen years old, Craig got his first taste of what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and never looked back.

After serving on the leadership team of one of the largest youth ministries in the United States at his home church, Rockford First, Craig spent three years as a missionary in Copenhagen, Denmark. There he led the first Master's Commission, a hands-on, ministry training school for future pastors and leaders, in Europe. While in Copenhagen, Craig made one of the best decisions of his life and married the love of his life, Sarah Maier.

From Denmark, Craig and Sarah moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas to start a similar hands-on, ministry training school at Harvest Time. After over seven years of ministry at Harvest Time, in multiple roles including Youth Pastor, Executive Pastor and Discipleship Director, Craig and Sarah listened to what they consider a "Nehemiah Call", to plant a church in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Johnson's are blessed with a daughter (Finley) and just welcomed the newest addition to their family, a son (Arri).

appendix two

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I believe with all my heart that the church is the hope of the world. We need more leaders willing to invest their lives into a community for the cause of Christ. I cannot think of two better people that fit the description of leaders willing to invest in a community than Craig and Sarah Johnson.

Corey Baker, Lead Pastor, First Assembly West

Frequently asked questions...Why Louisville?

Long story short... We are old-school. We did not make this decision based on market size or demographics (not that those are bad things). We believe that when the Holy Spirit prompts you, you should follow. We had never been to this city before July of 2012. We did not know one person here, yet we were inexplicably drawn here. If you want to hear more of our heart read our story here: Launch.HopeCulture.tv/Story

Aren’t there enough churches in Louisville?

As long as there are hurting people that do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ there can never be too many churches. We are not in competition with any church in the Louisville area (or in any area for that matter). There is only one church and that is the church of Jesus Christ – we just happen to express that in many forms. That means, if you love Jesus, we’re all on the same team!

While according to Barna Group's 2013 City Study 23% of Louisville's 670,000+ market size is unchurched, only 23% is what Barna defines as a Captive Christian (born again). This leaves an astonishing 54% in a religious wilderness. We have some work to do!

Who are you associated with?

ARC is an association of relational churches working with church planters, church leaders, and churches in transition to provide support, guidance and resources to launch and grow life-giving churches. Hope Culture is an ARC Church plant for 2014. ArcChurches.com

Worldwide Missionary Evangelism is a fellowship of ministers with a global network of ministries. It is the desire of WME to see The Great Commission fulfilled in our generation. The desire of the WME network is to help ministers work together toward fulfilling their destinies with excellence. "We believe we can accomplish things together which we could never do alone." Pastor Craig is an ordained pastor with WME. WMEInc.org

appendix THREE

HopeCulture.tv

“i thank god in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the very first day until now.”

Philippians 1:3-5