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Asheville Hope Community Church Plant Profile

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Pastor Search Team: 
Adam Boyd, Brad Burlingham, Mark Jackson, and Megan Sanchez. Alternates: Amy Lewallen and Heyward Adams

We desire to seek Jesus Christ first in our lives. Through the Holy Spirit, we also desire to regularly point and restore one another to Him while we seek the flourishing of the neighborhoods where God has called us to dwell and pray to the Lord on its behalf. (Jeremiah 29:7) Out of the hope laid up for us in heaven, we desire to love our neighbor so that the gospel might bear fruit and increase in Asheville and Buncombe County. (Colossians 1:5-6) Because God is bringing brothers and sisters in Christ from all sides of the Asheville Area to Hope Community, we want to worship centrally in our city and go out from there to walk and abide with the unchurched. This is spelled out more below. Yet in all this, we are prepared for a church planter who will develop a vision for this church and lead us in it.

Our Profile 1.jpg

Background - Many of our core attenders at Hope Community have a common bond from worshiping together for years as members and leaders at Trinity PCA in Asheville. Living life in a relationship with Jesus was emphasized in preaching and a spiritual renewal was experienced. In 2021 the entire session of Trinity (nine elders) decided to leave that fellowship over a differing vision for the church, and started worshiping together. Our group wanted strong biblical teaching and living, not letting theological propositions prevail over people's needs, or cultural and political predispositions come before new testament Christianity. We carry forward the positive thrust and vision of the Gospel of Christ. We desire continued renewal and growth in Jesus to let our lives display love to other believers and to our communities.*​

Mission - To follow Christ in His mission by and through the fixing of our eyes and lives on Him, the loving of our brothers and sisters in Him, and the loving of the world and the lost.  

Belief Statement - We embrace Biblical and Historic Christianity as expressed in the inerrant Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and as summarized in the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds. Additionally, we affirm the five tenets of the Protestant Reformation: Scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and to God alone be the glory. Believing that Scripture is our authoritative guide in faith and practice, we endeavor to understand and apply it in all that we do. We are called to grow in faith and holiness, and see the ongoing process of sanctification as part of each believer’s calling. Our foundation in the knowledge and truth of the Word, we seek to engage the world around us. (Also see Appendix A – Essentials)

Vision and Values - Our vision is that we would be a family which is united in Christ and that values:

Fixing our eyes and our lives on Jesus

  • Lives of grace and righteousness through Jesus that are led by prayer, repentance and faith and an acknowledgement of our brokenness and our continuing need for the Gospel.

  • The preaching and teaching of the Word that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, would ignite, invigorate and transform and strengthen our love for God and our neighbor.

Loving our brothers and sisters in Him

  • Experiencing grace more deeply as we live out our faith in a relationship with fellow believers by engaging each other in humility to pursue unity, loving each other through differences and commonalities to grow as a family in the Kingdom of God unified by one Spirit. (1 Cor 12:12-13). 

  • We want cross-generational investment in each other through discipleship, hospitality, teaching children, community and small groups and support networks.

  • Leadership that is decisive, shepherding, communicative

  • By the organic work of the Holy Spirit, becoming a church that moves towards unity in our diversity on all levels in humility, grace, love, acceptance, empathy, inquiry, brokenness. (I Cor.12:12-13)

Loving the world and the lost

  • Engaging the world and its cultures through all avenues of preaching and teaching, and encouraging our members to pursue personal spiritual growth through loving and sharing the Gospel with those around us, thereby being transformed. We desire to actively pursue the marginalized and grow in understanding their perspectives and needs. These marginalized include, but would not be limited to, those identifying as LGBTQ+, racial minorities, those in poverty, the homeless, single mothers, fatherless children, the unborn and those with special needs.  

  • Welcoming all and enfolding visitors quickly into fellowship; to eat and drink with our neighbors, loving individuals and families personally and close up with a transparency that allows unbelievers to know both our flaws, our needs and our Savior; that we be trustable and attractive.

  • The sharing of the Gospel in Asheville and the world beyond through both financial support and tangible ministry.

Denomination – We will wait some time before considering denominational affiliations. However, we do intend the ecclesiastical government to be representative or presbyterian.

Approach  

In all of our interactions we will look to rely on the Spirit to provide us with grace, mercy, love and good judgment.  We wish to embrace the idea that believers should be united in the essentials of the faith while demonstrating compassion, understanding and latitude in the areas where our Christian liberty and our conscience allow us to hold potentially differing views. We desire the leadership, shepherding, and other ministries of the church to consist of men and women who are encouraged to use all of their spiritual gifts to love, guide and build up the body of Christ. Our intent is to have the opportunities for women to serve the church in such capacities of adult education, deaconess, worship, administration, and shepherding.  We desire the office of elders and deacons to be composed of men and that women serve as deaconesses. We believe that women’s input is equal to that of the men in the church. Therefore we desire that elders seek the counsel of wise women in the congregation as they conduct the work of the church.

* Our group comes out of a church split of Trinity PCA in Asheville.  The pastor resigned in July 2020.  The remaining nine elders, with church consultant Chuck Frost, attempted reconciliation, and then resigned together to begin this work in January 2021.  About 70 additional members have followed them into regular Sunday meetings since that time.

Demographics of Hope Community

We are a 40-30-30 church.  40% are couples over 50 (most with many years of prior experience in church leadership), 30% are couples with kids of their own also having been very active in church, and 30% are kids ages 0-20.  Perhaps 10 members have been involved in prior church plants.  But none are in this work as deliberate church planters!  We are the result of a church split, where a new congregation was plan D, not plan A.  We have about 3 middle-aged singles, and one black couple from a Missionary Baptist background.  There may be at most 10 other adults who have spent the majority of their prior years in non-PCA churches. There may be a dozen or so people who are regularly attending, but on the verge of being de-churched or even completely disillusioned with the church.

APPENDIX A

Essentials of the Faith

 

Position on Scripture:  All Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks. On this sure foundation we affirm these Essentials of the faith:

 

· We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To Him be all honor, glory and praise forever!

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· Jesus Christ, the living Word, became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Mediator.

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· The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.

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· Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifies them in His sight. Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.

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· The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord.

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· Jesus Christ will come again to the earth—personally, visibly, and bodily—to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

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· The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

 These Essentials are set forth in greater detail in the Westminster Confession of Faith.

 

[These “Essentials” are taken from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church denomination]

APPENDIX B  - Demographics

Demographics in Asheville, Buncombe County and Some of Metro Asheville

  • Estimated population July 2019 - Asheville - 92,870

  • Estimated population Metro Asheville - 462,680 (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison)

  • Estimated population Buncombe County - 261,191

  • Metro population has been on a downward trend since 2014

  • At least since 2009/10, more and more people are emigrating to Henderson and Madison Counties rather than Buncombe and Haywood Counties. The region overall is losing more migrants to the Greenville-Spartanburg area than any other region. 

  • By 2040, the region (Asheville MSA + Transylvania County) will be home to over 630,000 people -- nearly 40% more than in 2010. This is an increase of about 178,000 people or the addition of two cities the size of Asheville. 

Race (Buncombe County)

  • White - 77.9%

  • Black - 11.2%

  • Native American 0.4%

  • Hispanic - 6.8%

  • Asian - 1.7%

  • Native Pacific Islander - 0.3%

  • Two or more races - 1.9

Education Asheville​​​​​​​​​​

  • High School Diploma - 25 years+ - 91.7%

  • Bachelor’s Degree or higher - 25 years+ - 48.9%

Buncombe County​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • High School Diploma - 25 years+ - 91.7%

  • Bachelor’s Degree or higher - 25 years+ - 40.1%

  • High School diploma by race - 93% White, 60% Hispanic, 90% Black (largest race populations in county)

  • Asheville City Schools encompass 22 public elementary, middle and high schools. Asheville also has 43 private schools. Eighteen high schools are recognized on U.S. News & World Report's Best High Schools rankings.

  • Buncombe County Schools has 44 public elementary, middle and high schools.  

​Economy​​​​​​​​​​​

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  • Between 2014 and 2028, the greatest net growth in terms of number of jobs in the Asheville area is projected to be in healthcare (Ambulatory Health Care Services: 4,300; Hospitals: 2,300), food services and drinking places (2,650), and professional, scientific, and technical services (1,100). 

  • Unemployment in Buncombe County April 2021 - 3.9%

  • Unemployment in Asheville April 2021 - 4.2%

 

Income and Poverty

  • Median household income (Buncombe County) - $55,448 (Fred)

  • Median income for full-time working millennials (Metro Asheville) - $37,473

  • Median home price (Metro Asheville) - $285,420

  • Millennial home ownership (Metro Asheville) - 39.9%

  • Poverty rate in 2019 was 12.2% in Asheville, 13.8% in Buncombe County 

  • The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 18 - 24.

  • Out of approximately 36,000 living in poverty, 74% are White, 14% are Hispanic, 12% are Black

 

Religious Membership in Buncombe County (2010)

  • Protestant - 108,439

  • Catholic - 9,014

  • Orthodox - 444

  • Other - 4668

  • Unclaimed - 115,753

Other interesting notes about the area:​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • 550 people sleep out (homeless) on any given night

  • 80% of homeless are veterans

  • 48.9% of county population are married

  • Buncombe County residents registered 75,009 Democrat, 45,130 Republican, 76,945 Unaffiliated, 1,501 Libertarian the 2020 election

  • In the 2020 presidential election, 59.74% voted Joseph Biden, 38.63% voted Donald Trump

Belief Statement - We embrace Biblical and Historic Christianity as expressed in the inerrant Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and as summarized in the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds. Additionally, we affirm the five tenets of the Protestant Reformation: Scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and to God alone be the glory. Believing that Scripture is our authoritative guide in faith and practice, we endeavor to understand and apply it in all that we do. We are called to grow in faith and holiness, and see the ongoing process of sanctification as part of each believer’s calling. Our foundation in the knowledge and truth of the Word, we seek to engage the world around us. (Also see Appendix A – Essentials)

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