Little Rock Church 1986-2006
Little Rock Church's journey began with a group of disciples in 1986 leaving the safety of a large urban church to explore God through worship and fellowship in small groups. LRC's history has been a testimony to God's faithfulness. The founding vision of LRC was to be a church that would "Fix our eyes on Jesus as the author and perfector of our faith". We have consistently followed Jesus on our path toward nondenominational Christianity. Many have chosen to join with us in this God-led journey.
Our journey began in 1986, but is far from over. God has many more steps in the journey for Little Rock Church. Our future is bright and our journey is just beginning. The past 20 years have been growing and maturing years and God's hand has been on LRC.
LRC has served as a model for many churches seeking nondenominational Christianity. We have been living testimony to God's faithfulness. In addition, God has used LRC in Southwest Little Rock to serve many families in need with food, utility assistance, and job training. Our church has also served over 200 families through the Home Away From Home ministry.
LRC finds herself twenty years later standing on ground that is solid. God has been good and we are a growing church with almost 20 house churches. A Godly group of elder/shepherds and a strong group of ministers lead the ministry and mission of Little Rock Church.
The future of LRC will also be a journey. God's call involves following him into a journey of faith. His Word will light our path and bring peace for our journey. As we enter into our next twenty years, God is calling LRC to consider our future. A key part of our future is to focus our planning for growth (numeric growth and spiritual growth). At the heart of God's calling for Little Rock Church at this time is a calling to turn outward and grow. We are to grow in the number of disciples. Grow in Spiritual maturity. Grow in our commitment to reach our community with the message of the Gospel. Grow in our commitment to help those in need in our community. Grow our campus to facilitate God-focused ministry. God is calling Little Rock Church to GROW!
As we plan for numeric growth, we plan to use church planting in strategic areas of Central Arkansas and multiple services at our present location in Little Rock to continue our progress in growing God's church.
At this point in our journey our leaders discern God's leading in four key areas:
- To pay off our current building debt of $215,000 to position our self for growth.
- To support our current ministry and growth by adding a multiuse building to our campus.
- To double our helping ministries.
- To plant a new church in Saline County.
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Goal: To build a new building that would serve as a gym/fellowship hall, adult classroom space, ministry storage areas, student ministry facilities, and full service kitchen.
Details: LRC would begin construction on a metal building on the west side of our current building that would be about 14,000 sq. ft. The building would include a gym that would also be used as adult classroom space and a fellowship hall. The building would include a student ministry area that would be 1500 sq. ft. and would allow for fellowship/worship and class space on Sunday morning. The food ministry would also have a room for storage of food items. Cick here to see blueprints of the new building.
Cost: Approximately $900,000 including building parking lot and furnishings. (This amount is an estimate.)
Action Plan:
- Pay off current debt
- Begin preliminary immediately
- Construction begins when current debt is substantially reduced.
- Goal for grounding breaking is March 2006.
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Why Grow our Campus?
We believe that the best way for LRC to grow in the future is to plant new churches in Central Arkansas as the opportunity arises and to utilize multiple services on our current campus. We believe that we should expand our campus buildings in order to fit our current ministry needs as well as create more room to add additional ministries to benefit the church family and reach the community.
We do not think it is best for LRC to build a bigger auditorium for several reasons:
- The cost involved would be very, very high and affect our ability to invest in outreach ministries.
- Our worship assembly would change in a much larger facility and we would lose a sense of an intimate worship setting.
- We value "Family" as a church and it is hard to keep a sense of family in a larger church.
We believe that we should build a new building in order to meet the needs of our current ministries and church needs including: adult classes, food ministry, fellowship meals, student ministry, and children's ministry (gym).
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Goal: To double the efforts our existing helping ministries (HAFH, Food Ministry, ALDN, and service/mission trips), and to dream new helping/serving ministries for LRC, and to aide existing ministries in the city that focus on meeting needs.
Details: In five years, we hope to double the number of apartments used for the HAFH Ministry to 20. (We have added one new apartment in late 2005.) We hope to double the number served by the Food Ministry over a five year period in the new building. We hope to also find ministries in the community that are helping those in need and assist them in this effort through member involvement and financial contributions.
Cost: Over a five year period, we seek to add $50,000 to the outreach budget ($10,000 per year).
Action Plan:
- To add two new apartments a year to Home Away From Home over the next five years.
- To add $10,000 per year to the Outreach budget over the next five years.
- Encourage LRC members to dream new helping ministries.
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Why Grow Our Helping Ministries?
We believe at this point in our history, God is calling LRC to increase our efforts in outreach. The outreach ministry has two components: 1) Helping Ministries (HAFH, Food Ministry, benevolence to non-members, and the prison ministry) and 2) Evangelistic Ministries (ADLN and Personal Bible Studies).
We hope to double both the total number of helping ministries and our commitment to each ministry within five years. For example, we hope to have a total of 20 apartments by 2010. We also hope to have a larger storage and ministry facility in the new building for the food ministry so that they can serve more people.
We also want to invest in helping ministries in the city that serve the poor, homeless, and underserved populations. For example, we hope to include a monthly contribution to The Compassion Center beginning in 2006.
Through Jeff Medders' leadership, LRC is set to continue to grow and reach those who are lost through friendships, house churches and personal Bible Studies.
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Goal: To plant a new church in Saline County by 2007.
Details: LRC would bless a team of 30-40 people called by God to plant a new church in the Benton/Bryant area of Saline County. The group will begin meeting as a prayer group on Sunday nights in January 2006. We would ask the group to pray and seek God's leading until the fall of 2006. In September the planting team would begin meeting at the LRC building for a time of worship separately from the rest of the church to experience the feeling of a smaller church family. In January 2007, the group would begin meeting in a Saline County location. We hope for a fully independent church by 2009. Until the church is fully independent, the plant will be under the leadership of the LRC shepherds and ministers.
Cost: Very little up front money.
Action Plan:
- Begin prayer group for church plant January 2006.
- Meet for worship at LRC in Sept. 2006.
- Meet in Saline Co. January 2007
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Why Plant a New Church in Saline County?
Little Rock Church believes that it is God's will to plant and develop new churches and church leaders in areas of need as seen in the New Testament. We believe that planting a new church in Saline County is God's will for LRC because:
- It is a good way to manage growth without investing in a large auditorium or having 2 services.
- Bryant was/is the fastest growing city in Arkansas for the last two years. The population of the area is growing fast while the number of churches is not growing fast.
- There is a need in Benton/Bryant for Bible based, nondenominational churches.
- Planting a new church is one good way to reach new people for God. New churches create new energy and excitement for the lost.
- We have members who have an interest in having a church in their local community. It can be difficult to invite Saline Co. residents to come to Little Rock for Sunday assemblies.
- LRC has experienced growth from that area for the last several years. In a sense, we are joining God where he is already growing our church.
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