H A Z L E T O NCHURCH PL ANTING PROSPECTUS

LENDORSEMENTS

I have served as a pastor in Northeast Pennsylvania for almost 30 years. I can tell you from personal experience that this region is desperately in need of healthy, mission-focused churches like Restored Church. Our staff and congregation have been privileged to work alongside Restored Church – they are already doing amazing work in Wilkes-Barre. I am confident that Hazleton will be changed by the Gospel as they send a team to that nearby city. Please consider investing in this team with your prayer, service, and financial support.

MARK STUENZI LEAD PASTORPARKER HILL CHURCH

Actualmente me encuentro sirviendo como pastor y plantador hispano en Steamtown Church, y desde mi llegada a Pensilvania, he tenido la oportunidad de relacionarme con Restored Church y su equipo, y francamente es motivante ver la excelencia y compromiso en la predicación del evangelio a los que necesitan oírlo.

Tengo la oportunidad de conocer al pastor Danny Gonzalez y estoy feliz que haya aceptado el llamado del Señor, y que haya tenido la voluntad de mudarse desde Florida con su familia para trabajar en Hazleton junto a Restored Church. Sé que el gran corazón de Danny y su compromiso al Reino, le permitirán cosechar mucho fruto en su labor.

Currently I am the Hispanic Pastor and church planter at Steamtown Church, and since my arrival to Pennsylvania I’ve had the opportunity to befriend Restored Church and their team. Frankly, it is motivating to see their excellence and commitment to Gospel-preaching for those who need to hear.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet Pastor Danny Gonzalez, and I am happy he has accepted the call of the Lord by moving from Florida with his family to serve in Hazleton alongside Restored Church. I know Danny’s great heart and his commitment to the Kingdom will allow him to reap much fruit in his labors.

MARCELO CASTRO PASTORSTEAMTOWN IGLESIA

LENDORSEMENTS

I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with Danny Gonzalez for the last several years. Danny has been a vital part of our ministry leadership team and pastoral staff. Both Danny and his wife Alejandra have been a blessing to our church. Danny is a very earnest and devoted man. He has a firm resolve and a very strong faith. You can tell by talking with him that this is a passion that burns bright within his core. His commitment to Jesus and His Church is a source of strength for many.

JASON FEVIG PASTORHARVEST BIBLE CHAPEL

The leadership of Restored Church has proven that they can innovate and communicate. Better yet, they have proven the capacity to manage the blessings that God brings without squelching the work of the Spirit. Their new venture in Hazleton will reflect these same qualities, and Clarks Summit University is proud to encourage and support their work.

JIM LYTLE PRESIDENTCLARKS SUMMIT UNIVERSITY

It has been our joy to watch the journey of Restored Church as they have defied the odds and placed a vibrant, effective church in a radically under-served area. We are so pleased to have them join us in reaching yet another under-served area as they come to Hazleton. Restored has demonstrated the ability to love people when they’re hard to love, serve them when they’re hard to serve, and do all of that while remaining biblically faithful. I believe God is going to do great things through Restored as they help lead the effort to reach Hazleton, just as he has in Wilkes-Barre.

SCOTT FETTEROLF PASTORLIVES CHANGED BY CHRIST (LCBC)

L CHURCH WHY

PLANTING?byTIM KELLER

We want to be true to the Biblical Mandate.

We want to be true to the Great Commission.

We want to renew the whole Body of Christ.

“Planting new church is the most effective evangelistic methodology known under heaven.” - Peter Wagner

Jesus’ essential call was to plant churches.

Paul’s strategy was to plant urban churches.

New churches best reach new generations, new residents, and new people groups.

New churches effectively reach the un-churched.

New churches bring new ideas to the whole Body.

New churches are one of the best ways to surface creative, strong leaders for the whole Body.

New churches may be ‘evangelistic feeders’ for a whole community.

LHazleton is a city of 25,000 people with overwhelming spiritual and sociological challenges along with incredible potential for the gospel! In 2017, NBC Nightly News called the greater Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton area “the most unhappy place in America.” The Barna Group lists the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area (with Hazleton just to the south) in the top 20 least Bible-minded metro areas in America.

A major heroin epidemic is running rampant in this city along with rising crime and gang activity coming in from NYC, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. Poverty is a serious issue for many in this city as well. 40%-50% of Luzerne County’s children live in single-parent homes. Only 5% of Luzerne County residents claim to be Evangelical.

The challenges this city faces cannot be understated, but in spite of these struggles Hazleton is ready for God to move! 40% of Hazleton’s population is now Hispanic, and there is a massive need for a center-city, multi-ethnic, Latino-cultured church plant. We want to be a part of what God is already doing in Hazleton with fresh vision, passion for evangelism, and focus on multi-ethnic ministry.

WHY HAZLETON?

Church Planting Mentor

Director of Project Jerusalem (Baptist Bible Seminary)Leader/coach for 12+ church plantsOver 40 years of ministry experienceD.Min. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

DAN NICHOLSChurch Planting Coach

Church planter – Restored ChurchCertified coach – Gateway LeadersABWE missionary to Northeast PAM.A. from Clarks Summit University (D.Min. in process)

LEADERSHIP TEAM

DR. KEN DAVIS

Lead Church Planter

5 years of pastoral experience – Harvest MiamiBilingual, strengths in evangelism & discipleshipM.A. from Clarks Summit UniversityD.Min. from Liberty UniversityD.Ed. from Southern Seminary (in process)

ANDY TRITTOutreach Director

2 years of launch team leadership3 years of pastoral experienceLong-time resident of HazletonM.Div. from Baptist Bible Seminary

DR. DANNY GONZALEZ

LEADERSHIP TEAM

KEITH WAGNERMissional Champion

Community group leaderHusband to Jen & father of 7U.S. Marine Corps veteran

LLMISSION

LVISION

Multiplying followers of Jesus

To give every man, woman, and child in Hazleton, PA repeated opportunities to hear, see, and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

MISSION & VISION

No Perfect People Allowed

The truth of the gospel shows us that no one has it all together. If we are nothing without Christ, then we have no right to view ourselves higher than anyone else. So as a church, we will always view others as higher than ourselves. We will provide a community where genuine authenticity is developed rather than discouraged.

In the City, For the City

We exist to give every man, woman, and child in Hazleton repeated opportunities to hear, see, and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ. So we will be actively involved in the life of the city in order to show the love of Jesus in reality rather than theory.

More and Better Disciples

Both evangelism and discipleship form the mission of the church. God is in the process of rescuing sinners from the curse of sin and training believers to be more like Jesus. So we will communicate the good news of Jesus with our lives in order to reach the lost and aggressively develop committed followers of Jesus.

Church Multiplication

We believe the best way to reach a specific geography is to plant new churches while strengthening existing churches. So we will plant churches that will each, in turn, reproduce more churches while engaging existing churches as partners in the gospel.

Gospel-Centered

We’re sinners. Jesus came. We can be rescued through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus. We are daily motivated by the grace and mercy of God the Father, through Jesus, in the power of the Spirit. So as we fall deeper in love with Jesus we will live our lives for God, not ourselves, and communicate the gospel in every aspect of life.

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LMINISTRY PHILOSOPHY

Groups

God

There is one true God who has always existed, still exists today, and will exist forever. He is Creator and Ruler of everything (Gen. 1:1, Deut. 6:4). God exists as one unified essence while at the same time co-existing in three distinct eternal persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:20, Matt. 3:13-17).

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ has always existed as God. He is Creator and Sustainer of the universe (John 1:1, Col. 1:15-17). Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in a godly young virgin named Mary (Matt. 1:20, Is. 7:14). Jesus came to earth fully human and fully God at the same time (John 1:14, 1 John 4:2). He restricted some of his rights and privileges as God (Phil. 2:5-11), but he maintained complete deity and sinless humanity while he lived on earth. Jesus claimed to be God, accepted worship, and forgave sin (Luke 5:17-26, Matt. 16:16, John 10, John 20:28). He died as our substitute taking the wrath of God for us on the cross (Romans 5:8-9). Jesus’ bodily resurrection from death is the foundation of the Christian faith (1 Cor. 15).

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has always existed as God (Acts 5:3-4). He is not an impersonal force, but instead a person who has intellect, (I Cor. 2:10-12), will (1 Cor. 12:1), and emotions (Eph. 4:30). To believers, the Holy Spirit regenerates our previously dead souls (Eph. 2:1-5). He lives inside us (I Cor. 6:19). He spiritually baptizes us into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13, Eph. 4:4-6). He seals us as a guarantee of our salvation in Christ (Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 4:30). He also unifies all of us who are true Christians (Eph. 4:1-3). The Holy Spirit transforms us and makes us more like Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). While acknowledging that God can do anything He wants, we do not corporately practice the sign gifts.

Humanity

Man was created by God on the sixth day of creation in sinless existence and perfect relationship with God (Gen. 1-2). Man was made in the image of God and has value (Gen. 1:26-31, James 3:9). Man has a spiritual existence (soul/spirit) and a physical existence (body) that simultaneously coexist here on earth.

Bible

We believe the Christian Bible is complete and made up of 66 books, including 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. The original words that the authors of the Bible wrote down are directly from God and thus without error (2 Tim. 3:14-17). The finished product of the original manuscripts were inspired (2 Pet. 1:12-21).

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Salvation

The Bible teaches that man is spiritually dead and in desperate need of salvation (Rom. 3:10-12, Eph 2:1-3). God’s wrath remains on all people because of their rebellion against him (John 3:36). He is holy and just; he must punish sin (Ps. 5:4-5, 1 Pet. 1:15-16). But because God is also loving and gracious, he sent Jesus Christ to earth to take the wrath of God as the righteous substitute for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16, John 1:7, John 1:29, 1 John 2:2, Rom. 5:8, 1 Tim. 2:3-6). The only means of salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ’s perfect life, substitutionary death, and resurrection from death (Eph. 2:4-10, Rom. 3:21-26).

Church

The church is the body of Jesus; he is the head of the universal church which includes all believers in Jesus (Col. 1:18). He is also the head of the local church (Eph. 4:4-6). The Bible has ultimate authority in the local church (2 Tim. 3:14-17). Every local church should be self-governing (1 Pet. 5:2). Every individual believer is a member of God’s royal priesthood because of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5,9). Members of the local church must be saved and baptized by immersion after salvation (Acts 2:42-27). There are two offices assigned to the local church: pastors and deacons (1 Tim. 3:113). There are two ordinances assigned to the local church: baptism by immersion and communion which are sacred memorials for believers (Matt. 28:19-20, 1 Cor. 11:23-32). The purpose of the local church is to train, encourage, and strengthen believers while representing Jesus as ambassadors to unbelievers (Matt. 28:19-20, Eph. 4:1-16).

Future Events

We believe that at any time there will be a rapture of the church (I Thess. 4:13-18), then a great tribulation (Matt. 24), the second coming of Jesus (Rev. 19:11-21), a literal kingdom on earth that is ruled by Jesus and lasts for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1-7), a rebellion of Satan after the millennial kingdom (Rev. 20:7-10), a final judgment of all people (Rev. 20:11-15), and an eternal state of joy for believers and torment for unbelievers (Rev. 20:15-21:8).

Sin

Sin is anything that opposes God’s nature, character, or communicated moral standard. Every man and woman is a sinner by nature and by choice (Rom. 5:12). We inherit a sin nature as a result of the fall in the garden. We are totally depraved and cannot meet God’s standard of goodness on our own (Rom. 3:10-12). Sin leaves us totally unable to save ourselves from its darkness and terrible consequences (Eph. 2:1-3). Hell is a place of eternal torment and existence apart from God for those people who are not rescued from sin through faith in Jesus Christ (Matt. 25:31, 41, 46).

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Spring - Summer 2018 (Pre-Launch) ST

RAT

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& T

IMEL

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Continue demographic research on Hazleton. Continue “Community Felt Needs” surveys to connect with un-churched people.Outreaches in local parks to connect with families. Mobilizing launch team for missional living.Develop & multiply community groups.Continue to meet with city leaders and community leaders.Continue meeting with area pastors in Hazleton area. Utilize outside mission teams to help with large community outreaches. Continue fundraising, networking, and vision-casting with partner churches.Continue launch team recruitment.Train Launch Team for Grand Opening responsibilities.Establish team of ministry leaders.Advertising for Grand Opening. Launch Preview Gatherings on Sundays.Grand Opening target – September 2018

Fall 2018 (Post-Launch)

Intentionally follow-up with Grand Opening guests. Dissolve the Launch Team and formalize permanent Leadership Team.Continue to develop leaders and launch new community groups.Execute assimilation plan.Establish church membership.Continue fundraising efforts.Improve Sunday Gathering quality.

2019

Establish Deacon Team.Continue to partner with like-minded, gospel-centered churches in the area.Establish leadership development pipeline. Reach a goal of 12 community groups. Implement Next Steps process. Planning & praying toward planting a new church. Partner with mother church to expand the reach of Restored University for regional church leadership development.

2020

Reach a church membership goal of 100 members.Equip, train, and empower new leaders while launching new ministries. Mobilize church members to evangelize through “MyCircle.”Identify potential church planting target locations.Develop leadership team through dynamic team-building opportunities.Continue community group development & expansion.

LPROPOSED BUDGET

2018Sunday Gathering..............................................................................................$3,000.00Restored Kids.....................................................................................................$2,000.00Community Outreach......................................................................................$26,000.00Facilities...........................................................................................................$13,000.00More & Better Disciples...................................................................................$14,000.00Administration...................................................................................................$5,000.00Staff..................................................................................................................$36,000.00

Pastor Danny Gonzalez........................................................................($30,000.00)Coach Dan Nichols.................................................................................($6,000.00)

Total...........................................................................................................$99,000.00

2019Sunday Gathering..............................................................................................$3,000.00Restored Kids.....................................................................................................$2,000.00Community Outreach......................................................................................$16,500.00Facilities...........................................................................................................$15,000.00More & Better Disciples...................................................................................$14,500.00Administration...................................................................................................$6,000.00Staff..................................................................................................................$50,000.00

Pastor Danny Gonzalez........................................................................($50,000.00)

Total.........................................................................................................$107,000.00

2020Sunday Gathering..............................................................................................$2,000.00Restored Kids.....................................................................................................$4,000.00Community Outreach......................................................................................$14,000.00Facilities...........................................................................................................$15,000.00More & Better Disciples...................................................................................$15,000.00Administration...................................................................................................$7,000.00Staff..................................................................................................................$50,000.00

Pastor Danny Gonzalez........................................................................($50,000.00)

Total.........................................................................................................$107,000.00

3-Year Total...........................................................................................$313,000.00

Give online here: http://restoredchurch.org/give Select “Hazleton” under “Giving Options.”

L PARTNERS

Restored Church (Wilkes-Barre) is our sending church. Restored officially launched in September 2013. We will be their first daughter church plant! As our mother church, Restored (WB) has agreed to allow us to align with their name, 501(c)3, mission, vision, and core values while allowing us to explore new outreach opportunities, sermon series, organic leadership, multi-ethnic culture, and contextualization.

RESTORED CHURCHWilkes-Barre

Project Jerusalem is a division of Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Under the direction of Ken Davis, Project Jerusalem has planted nine churches in North Eastern Pennsylvania! Restored Church (Hazleton) receives coaching, mentoring, and facilitation services from Project Jerusalem.

Both Restored Church and Project Jerusalem have already invested thousands of dollars into launching Restored Church Hazleton.

PROJECT JERUSALEM

The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) has over 1,200 missionaries around the world. They also have a large network of partner churches that has grown to over 4,000 support churches around the United States. Dan Nichols is a North American missionary with ABWE, and Restored (Hazleton) is connected with them through Dan.

ABWE

The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches include 1,300 churches around the globe who are dedicated to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are grateful for the financial support of the Baptist Builder’s Club for Restored Church (Wilkes-Barre) and their continued support for Restored Church (Hazleton).

GARBC

LPRAYERPrayer is a privilege! We value prayer support above anything else. Join us on our knees for the city of Hazleton. We realize that we can’t change people; God’s Holy Spirit does. In light of that, we are asking that God would work in such a powerful way that it’s undeniably obvious it’s all about him!

HELP PLANT

LPARTNERING

We need people who are willing to move to Hazleton and be a part of the launch team – especially those who are bi-lingual in Spanish & English and totally buy-in to our mission, vision, core-values, and ministry philosophy. If you or someone you know is interested, please email danny@restoredchurch.org.

LFINANCING

God’s called us to raise $313,000 (3-year plan) to give every man, woman, and child in Hazleton repeated opportunities to hear, see, and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please see the budget page for more specific information. You can give online here: http://restoredchurch.org/give. Make sure you select the “Hazleton” option under “Giving Type.”

LNETWORKINGMaybe you can’t partner with us or give financially, but you might know someone who can! We need people to connect us to others in their spheres of influence who are passionate about the gospel and willing to pray for us, join the launch team, or help fund this vision financially.