Emergence

As you probably know, the Board of Elders of Jacksonville Chapel voted in July to plant Emergence as an independent church. This, of course, raises questions that certainly warrant an answer. We'll be adding more information as time goes on, but the Elder Board has prepared a list of F.A.Q.'s to address some general questions at all campuses.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to to Steve Hawthorne, the Pastor of Development at Emergence.

1.    After several years of a multi-site model, Chapel leadership has decided to plant Emergence as a distinct, independent church. What was the main reason for this decision?

As described in the July 11 letter from leadership, the main reason for this decision was our passion to do what is best for the progress of the Gospel in North Jersey.  As Emergence has developed and matured, it became clear that keeping Emergence under the umbrella of Jacksonville Chapel was shifting the leadership of JVC to function more as a denomination than a local church.  The decision to plant Emergence will allow both churches to most effectively advance the gospel in North Jersey and allow leadership to more effectively focus on ministry..

2.    How long will it take for Emergence to become a fully independent church?

Emergence is the process of applying for non-profit, 501(c)3 status, and our hope is to complete this process by the end of 2011. Since the Chapel’s fiscal year runs January –December, the most logical time to separate financially is at the end of 2011. But our hope is that Emergence will move and begin ministering out of their new location this fall.  Please join us in praying that God will speed the completion of the construction and open the door for this exciting step soon!

3.    Does Emergence have the financial stability to be a self-sustaining church?

The past several years have provided Emergence the opportunity to be nurtured by Jacksonville Chapel as they have developed financial stability.  Emergence has been self sustaining for the last three years, and is in a good position to function as an independent church

4.    Will this decision necessitate any changes to our (Jacksonville Chapel's) By-Laws?

No.

5.    How does this decision affect the Reaching Further capital campaign?

As we shared at the beginning of 2011, our goal is to finish the Reaching Further campaign by the end of this year. By God’s grace, the Chapel family has already contributed over 1.1 million dollars to the campaign…which means that the costs for the Emergence relocation are completely raised! Therefore, all of the remaining funds that are raised (approximately $350,000) will be devoted to building the future of Jacksonville Chapel—including improvements in our Student Ministry facilities & worship center in Lincoln Park, improvements to our Crossroads (Spanish) Campus in Wayne, and investment in our Rwanda partnership. Even after Emergence moves from Lincoln Park, Emergence will continue to promote and receive donations for the completion of these important projects.
 

6.    If I am a Jacksonville Chapel member who attends Emergence and makes the move with Emergence, how will my church membership be affected?

Because of the requirement for a quorum at the Jacksonville Chapel Annual Meeting it is important to have an accurate record of membership.  This fall, Chapel members who attend Emergence will be given the opportunity to move their church membership to Emergence. This will be a clear, simple process.

7.    How will staff be affected by this decision?

We do not foresee any direct effect on staff as a result of this decision.  Those staff who have served at the Emergence campus will now serve at Emergence Church, and staff who have served at Lincoln Park campus will now serve at Jacksonville Chapel.

8.    How will this decision affect the Chapel’s supported missionaries?

This is a crucial issue, with several factors to balance. Right now, Emergence offerings represent about 20% of Chapel missionary support. Although Emergence hopes to “adopt” some missionaries from the existing Chapel missionary family, they also plan to develop their own family of missionaries in keeping with their unique vision. Therefore, the Missions Committee is working with the Chapel Board to determine how to make the best possible funding decisions in support of our missions program.  If any reductions need to be made our goal will be to keep them modest. 

9.    How will this decision affect the Chapel’s budget for 2011? 2012?

As mentioned above, we will continue to function with a shared budget for the remainder of 2011. Our goal is to separate the two churches financially in 2012.

10.    For the past several years, Emergence and Lincoln Park campuses have shared a Student (Nxt-Gen) ministry. How will this be affected?

For each church to develop in a healthy way, there will no longer be a shared student ministry.  Emergence plans to offer Middle School ministry on Sunday evenings, and High School ministry will take the form of missional communities (small groups) and large group gatherings. Jacksonville Chapel will continue offering both High School and Middle school ministries on both Sunday mornings (large group gatherings) and Sunday evenings (small group discipleship). At both churches, students will be equipped and sent out to serve in our communities and around the world in the name of Christ.

11.    How will Children’s Ministry be affected?

Both Jacksonville Chapel and Emergence will offer full children’s ministry on Sunday mornings at their respective locations.  Children’s ministry at the Chapel will continue to run under the leadership of Bekah Worth Director of Children’s Ministries, and at Emergence under Nate Nakao, Director of Children’s Ministries - Emergence.  The coming move will create great volunteer opportunities at both churches, so if you have a passion for the spiritual development of kids, this is a perfect time to step up and get involved.

12.    Will any ministries continue to be shared between Jacksonville Chapel and Emergence?

While there won’t be any formal sharing of ministry, we foresee friendly collaboration on ministries such as Overcomers in Christ (addiction recovery) and our Rwanda partnership.

13.    How will this decision affect our Board of Elders?

Several of our elders are Emergence attendees. Those elders will finish their service on the Chapel Board at the end of 2011. This will mean that at the 2012 Annual Meeting, we will replace those open seats to meet the By-Law requirement of twelve elders.

14.    Why can’t we all just stay together on Jacksonville Road? Couldn’t we build bigger buildings or add more services?

There are several reasons this is not possible. Logistically, the Jacksonville Road location is limited by traffic, parking, and sewage capacity.  But just as importantly, we believe that Emergence’s new location on Riverview Drive in Totowa is the ideal location for Emergence to continue the mission.  It is centrally located, expandable, has plenty of parking, and we have established a strong relationship with the building’s owners.  We firmly believe this is God’s perfect provision!  Although the separation will be difficult, let’s remember that if we are faithful to God’s call of spreading the gospel, we should always expect growing pains.

15.    This decision seems to be forcing some families to make a tough choice. Why are we putting families in this hard position?

We realize that some families, who have attended at both sites, will have to make a tough choice.  But in reality, the recent Board decision is not the main factor that puts people in this position.  Remember that the decision to relocate Emergence was made more than three years ago.  While the recent decision (to plant Emergence) potentially makes the decision more difficult for some, the choice of where to attend was a choice we all knew we’d face.  Again, growth brings growing pains…and we thank God for the growth!

16.    Is there a “real story” of some kind of interpersonal conflict that has led to this decision?

No.  By God’s grace, the leadership of Emergence and Lincoln Park share strong relationships of respect, trust, and friendship. We look forward to continuing the friendship in the days to come.

17.    Will Jacksonville Chapel continue to be a multi-site church?

Yes.  We are completely committed to our Crossroads (Spanish) multi-site.  In addition, we remain open to God’s leading in beginning future multi-site expressions of Jacksonville Chapel.