EastPointe – Planter David Houchin

EastPointe meets at East Tucson Baptist Church on East Speedway Sundays at 11:00 am. Oasis Church at Rita Ranch is our sponsor church.  In the last year Eastpointe has moved to another location. The lower rent has enabled us to become more financially stable. Two families of 4-5 have had to move due to husbands in the military being transferred. For each family that has moved on we have gained another family excited to be a part of a community of believers eager to serve the people of Tucson. We are starting a small group bible study for the youth this month.  For the first time, we have a full band leading worship with some phenomenal people. Eastpointe is growing and we are blessed to be a part of God’s plan for His ministry.

The Foundry – Planter Ashley Evans

We meet Sundays at 5pm at Corona Foothills Middle School in Corona de Tucson.   Our local sponsor church in Tucson is 22nd Street BC.  Our Sending Church is Biltmore Baptist in Asheville, NC.   The Foundry celebrated its 2nd anniversary in August of this year.  Over the past year The Foundry has seen has seen numerous new families join the church, developed a strong Leadership Team, led in local mission and ministry projects and become a strong presence for Christ in Corona de Tucson.  We have launched new discipleship groups for men and women and continue to have a strong youth ministry.  We look forward to God using us to continue to reach our community as well as new work areas in Tucson as we seek to be a church start that starts churches.

Epic Church – Planter Jake Rasmussen

Epic Church meets Saturdays at 5:00pm at North Swan Baptist Church at Swan and Glenn.  Oasis Church at Rita Ranch is Epic’s sponsor church. God has allowed for Epic Church to develop leadership and the launch of consistent small groups. We have counted it an honor to serve the University of Arizona though a partnership with Campus Crusade and Christian Challenge. With the help of our association we have hosted numerous Block Parties in mid-town Tucson. We were blessed to send 7 members on short-term mission trips both in the US and overseas. We are thrilled we have an association standing with us as we lead with the Gospel to make Jesus’ name great in Tucson and beyond.

Grace Community Church – Planters Steve Chamblee and Jay Huffstetler

We meet on Sundays at 10:30am at Old Vail Middle School in Vail.  Our sponsor church is Hope Baptist Church, Las Vegas NV.  We are celebrating our one year anniversary this Sunday.  We have grown in the last year from 65 regular attenders to over 120 attenders each week. We continue to see people profess their faith in Christ and proceed in believers baptism.  We are about to embark on our second international mission trip to Peru.  God continues to bless us in our endeavor to reach Vail, Tucson, the West, and the World.

Legacy Church – Planter Chase Delperdang

We meet Sundays at 10am at Butterfield Elementary School in NW Tucson.  Our sponsor church is MVBC.  Over the last year we have seen tremendous life change in people across the community. We have been able to partner with Butterfield Elementary and serve them and serve the community through with them. Our Sunday attendance had tripled and we have new small groups being started every semester. God is good and is reaching Tucson through Legacy.

Tanque Verde Cowboy Church – Planter Steve Lindsey

We meet at Rocking K Ranch Saturday Nights @ 6:00 o’clock.  Our sponsor church is Canelo Cowboy Church.  We turned one year old on August the 21st.  We baptized 4 people on the 25th of September, our first baptisms.  We are averaging between 50-60 people on Saturday nights.  We’ve started a Kids Korral children’s ministry and that’s been good.  We are going to start the winter season of our Ranch Family Fun Days on the 30th of October and try and reach more of the rodeo type folks and bring them to a saving knowledge of Christ.  We help sponsor and work the Cowboy Church Ministry’s of Arizona’s first Rodeo School in Sierra Vista this summer which resulted in 3 salvations.  And we only put one in the hospital!  We sponsored a fund raiser benefit for a family whose 5 year old son had heart surgery.  We raised about $8.000.00 and 300 people attended and heard the Gospel.  The greatest thing is watching people grow in the Lord and start bearing fruit!

Nepali Church – Planter Tristan Dyer

We meet at the hall we rent at Fountain Plaza Apartments. 2345 N. Craycroft Rd. We meet on Sunday mornings at 10 am. And then each Tuesday night we all meet again at 6pm, but at various homes of the families who attend.  Rincon Baptist Church is our sponsor.  The plant progressed quickly in the beginning.  Our first service was in the 2nd week of January 2010, and we soon grew to an average of 28 people in attendance. Since then we have lost several members, but we have also gained some new families.  So our attendance has stayed roughly the same.

Worship Catalyst – Leader Austin Ryan

Worship Catalyst has been helping support church planting in the Tucson area for over three years now.  In this time they have worked with over 50 churches in Arizona and Nevada develop and disciple worship teams for church plants (As well as established churches).  Over the past twelve months Tucson has worked with music and creative arts leaders in over 25 local CBA churches.

GOALS:

In the next five years we plan on planting at least 15 churches.  In order to do this we will need sponsor churches from our association who would be willing to bring these plants under their church in order to help them start off strong.  We will also need MANY partner churches that will be willing to partner in one or all of three ways.  Pay: This would mean that you could help out financially on a monthly basis (Even $25 a month helps).  Play:  This would mean that you periodically loan members to the plant in order to help with services or events.  Or Pray:  This is the most important way that you can partner with a new plant.

Our goal for this next year is to plant 5 churches.  While we do have a few sponsor and partner churches already identified we are in immediate need for more.  We believe that healthy organisms reproduce.  If you want to promote health in your church we believe that planting is just the thing.  Please prayerfully consider being involved in one of our church plants.  Let us know if you are interested.

We have identified 10 areas that we would like to see new church plants located in the next few years.  This is by no means an exhaustive list.  This is just a start.  If your church would like to be a part of planting in one of these areas or an area you may have identified let us know.  We also are interested in starting language churches.  (See Hispanic Report for Spanish-speaking church planting goals.)  If your church is interested in this also please let us know.

POTENTIAL TARGET AREAS:

West Valencia (Valencia near Casino Del Sol)

East Valencia (I10 heading towards Texas and Valencia)

West Tucson (West of I10 between Speedway and Ina)

North Tucson (Sunrise Corridor)

Gladden Farms (Marana)

Dove Mountain (Tangerine Rd)

South Green Valley (I19 and Conoa Ranch)

Downtown

Rio Rico

Nogales

Ben Barfield, Church Planting Strategist

• Contact Ben Barfield, CBA Church Planting Strategist
• Visit the Catalina Baptist Association main site
• Visit the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention church planting page
• Visit the North American Mission Board church planting site: Church Planting Village