Phase Three of Our Transition Begins

Having completed my first full year at Bay Hills, I have so many thoughts and emotions as I look back at 2023. Most of them are filled with joy and gratitude. It seems like yesterday I was being commissioned as Senior Pastor. Yet, in just a short time, I already feel like a fully integrated member of our community. It’s really quite remarkable how quickly this place has become home! That said, we are still only part-way through a typical transition timeline. Transition to what? Full onset, sustainable revival of our community! Let me outline it for you.

What do we mean by accelerate in Phase Three? Well, it means this is the phase you, the congregation, will feel and see the most. The previous two phases occurred mainly behind the scenes and were invisible on a typical Sunday morning. However, having shored up the base, we can now accelerate the front-facing implications of our transition. So, what does Phase 3 include? I’m glad you asked! Every church vision has obstacles. Our vision for revival is no different. There are at least three major revival-ending hurdles we need to address in Phase 3:

1. The Soundness of Our Budget (To be addressed in 2024)

• Budgeting to actuals, not projections
• Budgeting to percentages, not dollars
• Budgeting to margin, not capacity

2. The Strategy of Our Community (To be addressed in 2025)

• Organized for mission, not fellowship
• Organized by strategy, not preference
• Organized in communities, not facilities

3. The Stability of Our Location (To be addressed in 2026)

• A facility we can invest our resources in
• A facility we can invite our neighbors to
• A facility we can involve our community with

The season ahead is chock-full of excitement, and it's all because of Jesus. Beginning with breaking ground on a new campus! In mid-2022, we warned you that revival was coming. As we turned the page to 2023, we welcomed everyone to witness the obvious signs of revival around us. Now, in 2024, we will begin asking you to grow our revival beyond the confines of the gathered church. A revival that moves beyond Sunday services or mid-week small groups. Instead, we will equip you to carry revival with you as the scattered church. As we scatter across our community throughout the week into the places we live, work, and play, our capacity to reach, connect, and grow others will be exponentially greater. I guess what I’m saying is this…

…we are the revival.