What is the vision?
In December of 2008 while on vacation with my wife down in Florida, I was stirred one night with a vision: to bring forth a vibrant, exciting, relevant church to (drumroll)… Hartsville, SC. “Why Hartsville?” I’ve been asked. Well, why not Hartsville?
My belief is that Hartsville is a wonderful town and yet despite there being over 100 churches in our local area, there are very few places of worship that engage young adults, families, “displaced” Christians, and “non-believers” who want to do more than just show up for a Sunday morning.
THE LIVING CHURCH (what’s the opposite of a “dead church”?)
To borrow from a hymn:
“The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple,
the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.”
Many people confuse the word “church” with a building… not so! The church is us: living, breathing bodies that are the hands, feet, and voice of the Gospel, helping to change lives for the better!
THE FIVE ELEMENTS
The caring church… caring for others is a command from Christ
The encouraging church… supporting one another spiritually, emotionally, physically
The healing church… repairing the damage from a broken world
The influencing church… each member is a missionary to their homes, workplace, etc.
The doing church… ministry is being done rather than just talked about
THE NEED
Growing larger everyday, there is a number of adults in the area that are out of touch with the “church world”, as well as Christians and non-Christians (”seekers”) that feel that their current place of worship is not engaging them in every area of their life. That’s where we hope to come in!
Can we say we’re really doing enough to reach the city of Hartsville, when there is a growing number of people that have grown disillusioned with the idea of “church” and fail to see God as the solution to their problems? We could be doing so much more to reach them!
For this reason, we aim to be a welcoming place of worship, fellowship, restoration, and truth!
WORSHIP
TLC will have contemporary/modern, vibrant worship… an exciting but intimate atmosphere! Modern style worship has been put on the backburner for the majority of churches in Hartsville. However, we would not be “modern” for the sake of being modern, but rather we feel that music is an important part of worship and we want to bring our best to the table.
And much more than just the music, worship is an important time of connecting with God, glorifying Him, and listening to what He’s trying to tell us!
We’re open to how people wish to worship and believe, as long as it fits within the core Gospel. We want to be a comfortable worship environment for just about anybody… Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc. (and of course, those that are “none of the above”) are all welcomed! A “New Testament church” for today!
THE MESSAGE
Preaching is relevant, practical, approachable, and “down to earth”, but completely Bible-based. No sugar-coating or lovey-dovey messages. The Gospel and the Christian lifestyle would be voiced strongly, but in a non-dogmatic manner.
If someone hears God’s truth communicated in a way they can understand, they are more likely to accept it rather than reject it. This has always been my mode of operation, in communicating holiness through love, hope through Christ, and grace through forgiveness and patience.
COMMUNITY CARE
Community minded, where outreaches, a health clinic, a daycare, and a food bank (and supporting such ministries currently) would help serve the needs of the needy at the same time giving a sense of community appreciation to the church members. (getting outside of the “frozen chosen” mentality that traps so many churches)
These “compassion ministries” are an integral part of the church, as well as the lives of the members. The concept of “investing in people” is our lifeblood… helping to turn around lives that are lost to addictions, financial crutches, and sinful lifestyles.
We will not be held back by racial, social, or economic barriers… a true church involves all segments of the community, just as Christ embraced every kind of person!
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?
While this would be a “hometown” venture, it would be a serious effort to bring a purpose-driven, relevant, modern church to Hartsville. Again, there are very few local churches that seem to recognize the need for having a welcoming atmosphere where both “seekers” and serious Christians can feel at home. A church should bear no resemblance to a country club!
With a growing downtown scene and Hartsville being home to Coker College, I feel that there’s an emerging young adult and family demographic that goes unmet to a large degree.
In many southern towns, there is sometimes the “traditional” or “old school” culture of church that dominates the scene. If we offered something different and followed this vision (in God’s will) it can be a dramatic success for the glory of God!
There is much more to it than all of this, believe it or not, but this is to serve as a summary of what we’re looking to do.
If any or all of this sounds exciting to you, by all means, get on-board! Pray with us, plan with us, rejoice with us, as we get this church off the ground!
Blessings,
Pastor Chris
