by Manda Gibson

FRESNO - For close to a decade, Josh De La Rosa dreamed of planting a church. On Oct. 14 he saw that dream realized at the first service of Orangecrest Community Church in Riverside. It's one of eight Southern Baptist congregations planted that day in California - and among 97 planted during 2007.

Of the 97 total church plants, 32 are Anglo or multi-ethnic, 15 are African-American and 50 are language churches. In 2008 the California Southern Baptist Convention church starting group hopes to start 120 new congregations.
The goal is for these new church plants to be missional churches that plant other reproducing churches, said Ross Shepherd, CSBC new church starting specialist.

Joe De Leon, church starting group leader, hopes every existing church in California will get involved in church planting. While some churches may choose to start another church on their own, other groups of churches might work together to start a church. Still other congregations can share their resources - like buildings, computers and printers - with a church plant. Some churches may pray for a new church plant while others might care for a church planter's children one day a month so he can spend time with his wife.

Orangecrest Community Church
De La Rosa knows the value of a strong partnering church. He was sent out from Church in the Valley in Diamond Bar, where he served as administrative pastor before he sensed God telling him it was time to go and plant a church.
The pastor encouraged congregation members to consider whether God was calling them to be part of the Orangecrest Community Church launch team, and four key families from Church in the Valley, including the De La Rosas, formed the initial team.

Since moving to Riverside, the launch team has been building relationships in the community. Team members have started a team in the city's softball league, gone swing-dancing and line-dancing, joined moms' clubs, and even taken cake decorating classes.

They also have done large-scale outreach events - like holding a movie night in a park, giving away ice cream, and sponsoring a pizza night at a local restaurant. They've advertised through direct mail, posters, door hangers and a local movie theatre.

"God gives us one opportunity to launch and we wanted to launch as big as we could to reach as many people as we could," De La Rosa explained.

The church has held monthly preview services since October, and its first weekly service was Feb. 10. Most weeks they've averaged between 60 and 80 people, and they've built a core team of around 20 people.

Orangecrest Community's ultimate goal is to create a healthy community, where people have the kinds of relationships God has designed them to have. That's something non-Christians can't find anywhere else, De La Rosa asserted.

7 San Diego
7 San Diego also launched Oct. 14 in Chula Vista. The area is 82 percent unchurched, said Jeremy McGarity, lead pastor.

The church's goal is to see broken people made complete in Christ. That's why they chose "seven" to be part of their church name, McGarity explained.

"It's God's perfect number, the number of completeness," he said.
7 San Diego has found creative ways to reach community members. The congregation originally met at a new local high school, and for the school's first home football game they made t-shirts commemorating the game and threw them to fans. Another day they held a free car wash for the community.

At 4 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving, 7 San Diego members gave coffee and donuts to people lined up for Black Friday sales at Wal-Mart. In December they held a Kids Matter Safety Fair in partnership with local highway patrol officers.
"It was awesome to hear the community - how thankful they were," McGarity said.

7 San Diego averaged around 160 people at each monthly preview service and started holding weekly services in February. Along the way they've been supported by their sponsoring church, Shadow Mountain Community in El Cajon. Shadow Mountain has offered financial support and help connecting with other church partners. Additionally, they've sent volunteers to help with services.

"We couldn't do what we're doing now if it were not for our sponsoring church," McGarity said.

His vision reaches beyond 7 San Diego, though.

"When we talk about reaching lost people here and raising up people to serve, one of the areas we really want to focus on is raising up leaders to plant other churches," McGarity said. "That's something that's really part of our heartbeat."

To learn more about becoming part of a new church plant, contact the CSBC church starting group by phone (559.229.9533 x. 262) or by e-mail (click here).at 559- 229-9533, ext. 262.