Planting

Collegiate Church Planting Collaborative Gracepoint Berkeley – October 21-24, 2013

Brian Frye

Short Version:

Event: Oakland Collegiate Church Planting Collaborative
Date: October 21-24, 2013
Location: Gracepoint Berkeley, 1265 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, CA 94502
Two Part Event:
- October 21-22 – By Invitation only: collegiate church planting network leaders.
- October 22-24 – Any pastor, planter, strategists or leader doing or interested in collegiate church planting.
Collaborative Format: Large group presentations, topic breakouts, small group learning circles designed to enhance shared learning, innovation distribution, and networking development.
Travel to Event: A limited number of airfare scholarships are available for collegiate church planters and pastors who would not otherwise be able to attend the Collaborative.
Onsite Travel: The Gracepoint Berkeley Church family will be handling transportation to/from Oakland Airport/Gracepoint/Host Homes during the event.
Housing: Collegiate church planters and team members will be housed (free of charge) with Gracepoint Berkeley church members. Recommended accommodations at participant’s expense: Hampton Inn Oakland Airport.
Meals: Onsite meals for event covered
Oakland Collaborative Registration – Registration for the OC is simple. Go to: Oakland Collaborative Registration Form.

Detailed Version:

I want to update you on some key developments in the collegiate/university church arena. Many of you took part in the Collegiate Church Planting Collaborative in the fall of 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky (Southern Seminary). Since that gathering, collegiate church planters have continued the conversation about expanding and multiplying collegiate churches. In Louisville, we knew of 20 collegiate churches in North America. Currently, we can identify 80 collegiate churches in North America!

The collegiate church conversation has also garnered a broader audience within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Earlier this summer at the SBC Annual Meeting (Houston, TX) and last year in New Orleans, SBC Messengers nationwide were introduced to collegiate church planting. Here is a little of what they saw:

The Resonate Church Story (Washington State Univ./Univ. of Idaho) – Video
Reaching Collegians through Church Planting – SBC Life Article
Collegiate Church Planting Interview w/ Rob Warren – Video

We’re now planning to bring together collegiate church planters/pastors again for a second collaborative. This coming fall, on October 22-24, 2013, Gracepoint Berkeley, one of our oldest and strongest collegiate churches, will host the event. Here’s why we chose Gracepoint:

Choice of Oakland as Site of the Collaborative – Ed Kang, pastor of Gracepoint Berkeley, and the Gracepoint team have very graciously offered to cover a majority of the costs and logistics associated with this type of gathering.
Meals & Housing – Gracepoint is covering all meals for the collegiate church pastors/leaders during the collaborative, and they have agreed to host participants in the homes of their church members.
Onsite Transportation – Gracepoint is transporting/shuttling all pastors/leader on the group from the Oakland Airport to homes and to the Collaborative meeting.
Prime Meeting Space – Gracepoint is providing meeting space at their spacious and impressive facilities in Alameda, CA (one mile from Oakland Airport).
Collegiate Church Videography – Gracepoint is providing the equipment, workspace, and team to capture and render onsite 40, 8-12 minute video discussions on collegiate church planting topics. And these will be available immediately post-event for use and distribution. This offer is a boon for us.
Gracepoint Philosophy & Commitment – Kang and his team believe in collegiate church planting at their core, and their vision is to see an Acts 2 church on every college/university campus in North America. They believe in you and what you do, and they are passionate about expanding your impact and influence. Candidly, we don’t believe there could be a better host!

The Oakland Collaborative (OC) – The goal of the OC is to elevate and accelerate leaders who are impacting student through collegiate churches. It will be a two-part event, held back-to-back. Part I (Monday noon 10.21 – Tuesday noon 10.22) is a closed event, designed specifically for those who are currently leading collegiate church networks. Part II of the Collaborative (dinner Tuesday 10.22 – noon Thursday 10.24) will be open for all those leading, planning, or interested collegiate/university churches.

Oakland Collaborative Format – The Collaborative will offer several learning platforms. Large group presentations from network leaders, midsize topic breakouts with specialty leaders, and small group shared learning workshops will all take place during the event. These platforms are designed to provide and enhance shared learning, innovation distribution, and networking development among collegiate church leaders and enthusiasts.
Oakland Collaborative Hosting/Housing Arrangements – During the registration process, Collaborative participants will be paired with Gracepoint Berkeley church members for accommodations. Not only will this host/planter arrangement will save significant funds, but it will also provide a stronger connections/networking between collaborative participants and Gracepoint leaders and families. If you would prefer other accommodations, feel free to secure them at your own expense. We recommend the Hampton Inn Oakland Airport because of its close proximity to Gracepoint.
Travel Expenses for the Collaborative – The only real costs that collegiate church planters/pastors should incur for the Collaborative are flight, and perhaps fuel and parking at/to airport of origin. A limited number of scholarships will be available for flights to Oakland. These scholarships are need-based and will be available on a first-come, first served basis. If you will need financial assistance to take part, please email Hattie Polischuk ([email protected]) ASAP. Hattie will then provide you with further details on information we need from you. If you do have the means to attend without scholarships, or if you can secure funding through ministry partners, please make every effort to pursue those channels first.
Challenge of Oakland Collaborative Timing – Some have already looked at the date and begun to stew. We understand this time block is a challenging window to be gone for 3-4 days. But we’ve reviewed schedules for churches, ministries, and partners, and there really is no time better than another.
Oakland Collaborative Registration – Registration for the OC is simple. Follow the Oakland Collaborative Registration Form link, and share a little about you, you ministry background, and what you want from the Collaborative. We’ll then follow up shortly to confirm your registration.