"The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches." (C. Peter Wagner)
We, at South Delta Baptist Church, have decided to plant a church campus in South Surrey BC to publicly launch formal services in early 2010. We are excited that Pastor Mark Clark and SDBC both feel that God has identified him from our community as the Campus Pastor.
Village Church be a campus of SDBC for an undetermined amount of time which means it will exist under the Eldership of SDBC - we will be one family - sharing stories, resources, and people - doing our best to expand the kingdom of God around the GVA in communities of love, faith and hope - faithfully preaching and living for the fame and glory of God in Jesus, in unity.
Pastor Mark has identified and gathered a Core Launch Team (CLT) to help serve and develop the plans for the church. The CLT (16 people) meet every Tuesday night at 7pm to pray, plan, study and dream about the direction God is leading them.
The Plan
-Pastor Mark moved into South Surrey in March 2009.
-CLT started meeting in April 2009 (weekly).
-The CLT will get involved in community events (Summer 2009).
-Community Groups will launch in different locations in South Surrey (Sept. 2009).
-Community Groups will all gather together for times of connection and vision-casting once a month from Sept - Dec.
-Soft Launch #1: Christmas Eve Service
-Soft Launch #2: January
-Soft Launch #3: February
-Begin public church services Feb./Mar. 2010.
Some Facts about Surrey
The slogan for the city seems fitting for our new church - the slogan is "City of Surrey: the future lives here." Surrey is BC'a second-largest city by population after the city of Vancouver. The six "town centres" comprising the City of Surrey are: Fleetwood, Whalley/City Centre, Guildford, Newton, Cloverdale, and South Surrey.[2]
Surrey’s name came from Queen Victoria. She had named New Westminster, thus it is called the Royal City. In England, across the Thames from Westminster is the County of Surrey. It seemed appropriate that across the river from New Westminster there should also be a Surrey. Surrey was named by the first Clerk of the Municipal Council, Mr. H. J. Brewer, around 1880. "Due to the geographic similarity of this district to that of County Surrey in England, in relation to Westminster, I suggest it be named Surrey, British Columbia."
In 2007, the population of Surrey was 461,150, a 17 percent increase from the 2001 population - Vancouver itself boasts of a population of 611,869 - Surrey, many believe, will bypass Vancouver in population in the next five years - it is the second largest city in BC and the fastest growing in the province.
Religious affiliation
- 25.8% No religious affiliation
- 19.2% Sikh
- 16.2% Roman Catholic
- 11.0% Protestant
- 6.4% Other Christian
- 2.9% Muslim
- 2.8% Hindu
- 1.9% Buddhist
We are excited as a church to be doing our best to listen to Jesus and to the moving of the Spirit as he calls churches all over the world to plant other church-planting church so we can reach as many as possible with the life changing message of the gospel.
We will keep this blog up to date as to what is happening in regard to this exciting venture - please pray for us as all involved are fully dependent on our gracious God.
