NETWORK LEVELS
We believe the local church is God's "Plan A" for reaching the world.
First Baptist Concord has been uniquely positioned to geographically saturate East Tennessee with a faithful Gospel witness for many years. To best accomplish this desire, we have created the Rise865 Network that will be used to establish a network of community-focused churches throughout East Tennessee. We desire for every community in East Tennessee to have a gospel-proclaiming church ministering in its neighborhood. Our vision through this healthy church network is for struggling churches to be revitalized, new churches to begin, and the kingdom of God grow throughout area code 865. Our goal is to make disciples of 1% of the unchurched population in area code 865 by 2030. We believe a healthy church movement is the key to accomplishing this goal.
The Rise865 Network is a group of like-minded SBC churches that learn from each other and work together to accomplish the Great Commission. There are three levels of networking:
CAMPUS | CONGREGATION | FAMILY CHURCH
CAMPUS
CONGREGATION
FAMILY CHURCH
CAMPUS:
A Campus functions as a localized expression of Concord's mission, vision, values, and ministry philosophy. A campus will be strategically located to reach a different geographical area and serve as a ministry hub. This level operates under the authority of Concord and focuses on high replication of Concord’s identity and DNA. This level remains a part of Concord and will not be autonomous.
CONGREGATION:
A Congregation is a church in area code 865 that seeks to leverage the unique strengths and foundational ministry philosophies of Concord to reach its neighborhood. This can be an established church or new church that operates under the authority of Concord. This is about creating, not cloning. As we multiply and the Gospel goes out, our approach will look different in different neighborhoods. A congregation will be focused on contextualization for the local neighborhood while maintaining overall convictions and DNA of Concord. This level remains a part of Concord and will not be autonomous.
FAMILY CHURCH:
A Family Church is a church plant or established church looking to partner with Concord for support, resources, cohorts, and training. Family Churches will also partner with Rise865 to plant and replant churches in 865. They align with the Rise865 axioms of collaboration, adopt the mission and vision of Rise865, and join in the effort of reaching 1% of area code 865 with the gospel by the year 2030. This level maintains autonomy, but there is a high level of interdependence.
WHAT DOES THE RISE865 NETWORK DO?
- Resources - Access to proven resources developed by Concord
- Training - Develop a customized training strategy to equip lay leaders
- Coaching - Personalized coaching and development for pastor and staff team
- Cohorts - Connect leaders in similar contexts within a structured environment
NETWORK AXIOMS
- Bible-based - We submit to the Bible as our final authority in all matters of life and faith.
- Doctrinally Southern Baptist - We participate in the Southern Baptist Convention by partnering with like-minded churches to advance the Great Commission.
- Postured for growth - We are churches seeking to reach lost people for Christ and we work every day to inspire people to follow Jesus.
- Passionate about disciple making - We are churches who invest in disciple-making efforts to become multiplying churches for the glory of God.
- Love for the local community - We meet physical and spiritual needs in our community and manifest the presence of Christ in our community.
- Invest in the next generation - We believe the future of the church is bright and invest int he next generation to carry out the Great Commission today and tomorrow.