The Scoop
Just wanted to give you a heads up regarding what is going on with The Bridge church plant.
In June I was contacted by Aaron Santini, a church planter planting “The Crossing” with CrossWay Chapel (a local church planting network associated with Mountain View Com. Church in Fort Collins), he wanted to meet like minded church planters and he had heard about me through Acts 29. After meeting a few times and discussing our vision, goals, and plans we began to discuss the idea of joining our efforts for the sake of the Kingdom. It is almost uncanny how similar Aaron and I are in theology, philosophy, and vision. So after a few months of praying and getting to know each other Aaron and I have decided to join The Bridge and The Crossing…in fairness to one another we have decided to change the name of the new church (which was really difficult for me because I absolutely love the name The Bridge =)
That is however a small sacrifice for what this joining of efforts is going to bring to the Kingdom. The new name will be “Missio Dei” which means mission of God in Latin. Both Aaron and I felt that this name encapsulates our theology and the vision of our church plant very well and will also create some great opportunities to share the gospel when people ask what in the world “Missio Dei” means. =)
The Crossing has been meeting in Aaron and Rita Santini’s home for about 6 months and they have about 40 adults and 20 children attending. Starting this Sunday evening we will begin meeting together at the Evangelical Covenant Church at 6pm. We will continue with our plan of holding a series of preview services (third Sundays of Oct, Nov, and Dec) and launching on Sunday January 17th at 10am at the TR Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge. The joining of The Crossing and The Bridge will instantly give both groups critical mass and great momentum as we will now have approx. 60 adults and 30 children to launch the church with, not to mention the multiplication of servants, gifts and leadership abilities that both groups will bring each other.
Aaron and I are a lot alike but we are also very different in our gift sets. Aaron is passionate about small groups (we will call them Life Groups), discipleship, and pouring into men (the ground war). I am gifted as the big picture guy and overseeing things like administration, media (website, audio video stuff), marketing, and our mission will be my responsibilities (the air war).
Aaron and I will share the preaching duties and work together to formulate a preaching schedule ahead of time. We will teach through books or passages of Scripture so it will be very easy to keep continuity while also creating some variety in preaching style and perspective.
Aaron and I are both passionate about church planting and our vision is to plant churches up and down the 1-25 corridor and beyond. There are approx. 4.5 million people in the front range region and we believe that church planting is the most effective method in reaching these people with the gospel. In order to make this vision happen we must train young men to be pastors and leaders and therefore Missio Dei will have a Pastor’s School where men can be equipped to lead as elders both at Missio Dei and elsewhere as church planters.
Please keep Missio Dei and all that is involved here in prayer. We have some other big decisions to make in the near future and we are excited about all that God is doing and is going to do!
Heart for the City
During our gatherings on Sunday nights we are studying through the book of Nehemiah. One of the reasons I chose to teach through Nehemiah as we are establishing The Bridge here in Fort Collins is due to Nehemiah’s heart for the city of Jerusalem. When Nehemiah heard the news of Jerusalem’s plight he sat down and wept for many days. His heart broke for the condition of his city.
When was the last time your heart broke for the condition of your city? Nehemiah was simply displaying the heart of His God. A heart that compelled Jesus to humble Himself by taking on human flesh and then willingly become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). This was Jesus’ mission…to restore humanity and all of creation back to its created goodness (Gen. 1:31 cf. Rev. 21:5).
It is my desire to plant a church here in FoCo that is on this same mission with God (John 20:21). A church with a heart that bleeds for the city, a city filled with broken and devastated people who desperately need to be restored and redeemed by their Creator.
Will you join God on this mission?
Here is a poem written by Francis DuBose that really captures the heart of what it means to be missional (Thank you to Tommy O’Keefe for making me aware of this great piece).
I choose the city…
Not simply to live in it,
to see it,
to hear it;
But to touch it;
yes, to embrace it,
to hold it,
To feel the wild glory of its
pulsating soul,
To move over its wide,
hurried broadways,
To stand stilled and sobered
at the nowhere of its dead-end streets,
To be trapped with it in its
pain and problems,
To be at once chilled by its ill
and covered with its confetti.
I choose the city because I choose God,
Because I choose humanity,
Because I choose the divine-human
struggle–
The struggle which will be won
Not in the serene path through
meadow and wood,
among the bees and birds, and flowers,
But in the city street
Made by the hand of man
Through the gift of God–
Main Street: the final battle field,
The scene of the ultimate struggle,
Where man chooses right
Because he is free to choose wrong.
Babylon, dirty and daring–
Babylon, yes–
Babylon today–
Tomorrow…
The New Jerusalem!
Great Trip
My family and I just returned from a quick trip to Fort Collins. Well our time actually spent in Fort Collins was short but the 18 hour drive each way made it seem like a journey.
We had a great time meeting with people, looking at homes to rent, and exploring the area. The kids absolutely love it there and Andrea and I are becoming more familiar with the city with each visit. On Tuesday we traveled up to Estes Park in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. All I can say about that is wow!
I had an extremely busy week meeting with contacts and people that are interested in the church plant. Each visit we’ve had there has been full of divine encounters that continue to serve as confirmation for God’s call upon us to pull up stakes and begin a new work in Northern Colorado.
One of the most amazing things about Fort Collins is the unity amongst the pastors in the city. I have met with a few of the pastors, and have received several emails from others, and one thing is consistent among each of them; they are Kingdom minded. Not one of them has said, “Fort Collins has plenty of churches.” or “What do you think you’re going to do that we aren’t already doing?” I applaud these men for putting Jesus and His Kingdom first…it’s sad that it’s so rare but in a church climate where pastors fight over church hoppers like two dogs with a bone, these men stand out as unique examples of what the Church should really look like. One such man is Reza Zadah. Reza is the young adults pastor at Timberline Church in Fort Collins. He has gone out of his way to welcome me to the city and offer his help in whatever way he can. Thank you Reza!
Oh…on the home front we did find a house to rent that is available at the perfect time, and the owner is allowing us to live in the house for 2 weeks rent free! The home is located in West Fort Collins…about 5 minutes from Old Town and 5 minutes from Horsetooth Reservoir. Perfect!
I anticipate that the next 6 weeks in Prineville will go by extremely fast. Rory and I will work together in transition for about a month. It should be a great time working together and learning from one another. I hope that I can pass a few things along that I’ve learned in my time here and then before you know it we’ll be off to our next adventure.
It’s sad, exciting, and scary all at the same time.
What If?
For the last few months my preaching in the gospel of Luke has centered on the concept of mission. That is being on mission with God. As someone who has been involved in pastoral ministry for over a decade now, I think it is safe to say that many Christians are not on mission. They’re on a mission…career advancement, more money, bigger house, living vicariously through their child’s athletic achievements…but it’s not God’s mission.
What if every Christian, or even most Christians, were on mission? What if Christians were as passionate about Jesus and the gospel as we are the myriad of other activities that choke the life out of us (can anyone say farmtown?).
Please don’t get me wrong…I love sports (just ask my wife). I’m passionate about the things I enjoy but what if we could direct some of that passion toward the Kingdom?
My family and I are moving to Fort Collins to plant The Bridge Church in mid-August. Part of my focus is going to be reaching young men, getting them on mission, and then setting them free to use their God given masculinity, drive, and passion to further the Kingdom of God in Northern Colorado. I’m praying for 100 young men to make Jesus famous in Fort Collins and on the campus of CSU.
Will you pray with me? Will you join us in being on mission with God in your community? Will you begin investing your God given time, talents, and treasures in things that will advance His Kingdom instead of your own? (Luke 12:13-34)
What if…
Update
Wow…it’s been two weeks since I’ve written a post here. Life is pretty much a blur right now. I returned from the Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor’s Conference Saturday evening (the conference was a blast by the way), as soon I landed we met with some friends who moved away a few years ago and happened to be in town visiting family. As soon as we hugged them and said goodbye a family who is praying about joining the church plant in Fort Collins arrived from out of town to meet with us over the weekend. We had an awesome time getting to know them and praying for God’s will for their lives. Since their departure for home, on Monday after breakfast, I have been going non-stop trying to balance pastoring Calvary Chapel Crook County, the transition of the new pastor, and preparing to plant The Bridge in Fort Collins.
Speaking of the transition, the elders and I have selected Rory Rodgers, youth pastor from Calvary Chapel Corvallis, as my replacement here. He will begin Monday July 13th; he and I will work together for about a month. During which time he will teach the Wednesday night Bible study through the Old Testament and I will continue preaching on Sunday mornings. He will officially take over as Lead Pastor on Monday August 17th.
My last Sunday here at Calvary Crook County will be Sunday August 16th. After which time my family and I will be moving to Fort Collins to begin The Bridge Church plant. We are extremely excited for all that God has in store here in Prineville, as well as the great work He is going to establish in Northern Colorado.
Please pray for my family as we make this transition. Please pray for Rory, Lindsey, and little Russell as they move to Prineville. Pray for Calvary Chapel Crook County during this time of pastoral change. Finally pray for Fort Collins and The Bridge!
Here is a link to our plan for the next 6 months of The Bridge church plant.
The Bridge Website
We’ve put up a website for the church plant. It’s real basic at this point.
Check it out at www.thebridgefc.com
Name for Church Plant
I’ve settled on a name for the new church plant in Fort Collins, CO.
The Bridge
I really like Emmaus Church but there is a Nazarene re-plant in Fort Collins called “Emmaus Road”, so that’s not going to work.
Therefore…The Bridge it is.
The implications fit very well into the core values of the church.
1. It points to our Man – Jesus…He is the Bridge that mediates God and man (1 Timothy 2:5)
2. It points to our message – The Gospel…God’s plan of redemption to bridge the gap between death and life (Romans 6:23)
3. It points to our mission – To make disciples…to bridge the chasm between the church and the lost culture it exists in (Matthew 28:18-20)
Thank You for praying for The Bridge and Fort Collins.
*I added the logo, what do you think?
Church Plant in Fort Collins
I wanted to write this post sooner but I’ve been insanely busy since we got home from Colorado Sunday night.
Andrea, Carson, and I spent last week in Fort Collins networking and meeting with dozens of people in preparation for planting a church in Fort Collins, CO.
It was an amazing trip…we made many connections, found a few families who are praying about joining us in the work, connected with a musician who is very excited about helping us in the area of worship and arts.
On the way home Andrea and I were just rejoicing at the incredible doors God is opening up for us there. We absolutely love the city and are extremely excited to establish another strong gospel influence there.
Please continue to pray for this adventure.
1. Pray for the transition here at Calvary Chapel of Crook County
2. Pray for the Lord to continue to put a team together to join us in the work there.
3. Pray for provision for this church plant.
If you would like to support this work financially you can email me at rscouch@gmail.com
On the Road
Andrea, Carson and I are in Fort Collins all week meeting with people and getting a better feel for the area as we continue to make progress in planting a church here.
The drive wasn’t too bad, we left Sunday around 5pm (PST) and arrived in Twin Falls, ID at about 2am (MST). We would have arrived earlier but we stopped by the home of the CC pastor in Burns, OR and ended up staying there for about an hour. We didn’t get on the road until almost noon on Monday and arrived in Fort Collins at about 8:30pm.
Thank you for praying for us in this adventure…we are excited about all that God has in store.
Here are some pics…
Church Names
I am kicking around a few church names for the church plant in Ft. Collins, CO.
1. Prodigal Church – The word prodigal actually means “reckless spendthrift” and defines not only us as sinners who have ruined our lives by spending all that we have with reckless sin but also our God who gave everything to redeem us.
Our youth pastor, Chad Carpenter, has a custom t-shirt business called Prodigal Threads – MySpace and Facebook but I actually thought of this name before he named his business…weird.
2. The Bridge or The Bridge Church – This name is much more common and not nearly as creative…of course it speaks of the fact that Jesus is the bridge (Mediator) between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5)
3. Missio Dei Church – Again not original but I love the meaning (Mission of God). This is one of those Latin church names that either labels you Reformed or Emergent for which I’m neither.
4. Mission Church – Could go with the English version…there are churches everywhere with this name including a new church in Bend.
5. Restoration Church – The whole point of God’s mission…to restore mankind to His intended purpose (Genesis 1:26).
6. Refuge Church – The word refuge means…shelter, aid, protection. All things that describe Jesus and the gospel as He shelters us from judgment, aids us in our greatest need (forgiveness) and protects us from the consequences of our sin by taking God’s wrath upon Himself.
7. Paradigm Church – A paradigm is a something that serves as a pattern or model and also it defines the worldview of a community; both of which have great implications for the purpose of the church.
*Updated Names -
8. Emmaus Church or Community (Bob Sweat) – Jesus showed the disciples that the Bible all points to Him on the Emmaus road.
9. Regeneration or Regeneration Church (Bill Walden) - speaks of conversion and the work of salvation
Let me know which one you like best or if you have a better idea let’s hear it.
Church Plant in Ft. Collins
Most of you know that my family and I are planning on moving to Ft. Collins, CO in the next 3-6 months to plant a gospel centered, Jesus focused, missional church…that cares more about God’s glory than man’s happiness. Holding tightly to the text of the Word while desiring to engage the context so as not to become an isolated subculture but a city on a hill.
Fort Collins is a city of about 140,000 people (the metro area is closer to 300K) and the home of Colorado State University.
We are going to miss the people of Calvary Chapel of Crook County, the city of Prineville, and all the friends and family we have here in Central Oregon. It’s been an amazing ride here in Prineville…we have seen lives radically changed, a wonderful church planted, we have made many friends (and only a few enemies), and added our two children to the Couch family.
Please keep us in prayer…here are some specific ways you can pray.
1. The transition of pastors here at Calvary Crook County (the search for a new pastor, his transition to becoming the lead pastor).
2. The church body (please pray that the enemy will not gain any traction in the lives of people in our body during this transition).
3. The church plant in Ft. Collins…
a. Conversions to faith in Christ in the Ft. Collins region
b. A team of like-minded Christians to join with us in this work
c. Inroads into the community and the university to engage the culture with the gospel
d. Provision
If you would like to support this church plant our contact information is in the drop down menu above.
For Jesus’ fame,
ryan
Announcement
If you were in attendance at our mid-week service last night you are already aware of this. If you weren’t I wanted to catch you up on what is happening in our church and my family.
About 8 years ago I was standing outside of Calvary Chapel Redmond asking God to confirm what I was sensing was a call to plant a church here in Prineville. Confirm it He did and about 6 months later – Andrea and I along with Dave and Laura Gagermeier began a Bible study in a local home. About 6 months later on May 5th 2002 about 30 adults gathered in the library of the Ochoco Elementary School for our first official Sunday morning service.
Over the last 7 years there have been many ups and downs, much fruit, and tremendous challenges. Many have been converted to faith in Jesus Christ; many of you have grown in your relationship with Jesus. What began as the call of God and the vision to establish a strong Jesus centered, gospel preaching, Bible focused missional church has turned into an amazing community of believers that is making a deep impact on this city for Jesus’ fame.
Andrea and I came to Prineville out of obedience to Jesus. We knew He was calling us. We now know He is calling us elsewhere. We love this church, we love each of you very deeply but we love Jesus more and we must obey Him above anyone or anything else.
Over the last few years God has been stirring in my heart to plant another church, but not having any direction we just waited and prayed. About 3 months ago I received a phone call from a friend of mine who pastors a large church in Denver, CO. Through that conversation, and a trip to Colorado in March, the Lord has confirmed to Andrea and I that he is calling us to plant a church(es) in the Northern Colorado area.
Andrea and I have made this decision after much prayer, and with a clear sense of God’s call and an understanding of the sacrifice this will be. We have counted the cost of leaving this wonderful church, the great friendships we’ve made with many of you, and this great community. We have poured our lives into this work and we will leave part of ourselves with you. We want you to know that we love you, and this is most definitely the most difficult thing that both Andrea and I have ever done.
Please remember that Jesus has and always will be the Senior Pastor of this church. He founded this church, He loves this church, He died for this church, and He has a great future in store for this church. What is good for Andrea and I will also be good for this body. As your pastor I want you to understand this transition in light of the Kingdom of God. I want you to see this as sending our family not losing our family. We will all spend eternity together but until then we are on a mission, a mission to spread the gospel around the entire world. Our mission is calling us somewhere else…but it’s the same mission that I’ve been challenging you to embark upon right here in Prineville. My hope and prayer is that you continue to pursue Jesus’ mission for you in my absence because you are not serving me you are serving Him! You are His slave…that means your life is dictated by Him. You are on mission with Jesus and He will never leave you nor forsake you!
We do not have a definite timeline. We have our house on the market and we are praying along with the elders and other leaders for God’s perfect timing in this transition. The elders are considering a few men to take my place as Lead Pastor and you will be kept abreast of all future decisions. Please keep our elders in prayer as they make this decision. Please keep myself, Andrea, and our children Kaitlyn and Carson in prayer as well.
I love you!
If you have any questions please direct them to me or one of our elders. Each of us can be contacted from the church website here.
If you would like to hear the audio from last night’s service it will be available soon in the media player here on my blog and on the media page of the church site.