Blueprint 2012
Posted by lukeflener on 01/15/2012
LISTEN to Blueprint 2012
DOWNLOAD the Blueprint 2011 Annual Report
Our mission at Ethos Church is simple. We exist to Love God, Love People, and Awaken a Movement. Our mission is the filter by which we organize our time, our energy, and our finances. Everything we do at Ethos Church is for the purpose of fulfilling the mission that God has set before us. Our yearly Blueprint serves as one tangible way for us to fulfill our mission.
In the year ahead we prayerfully plan to share the gospel, plant new churches, feed the poor, care for orphans, invest in impoverished communities, and fight the war on sex trafficking. Blueprint 2012 will serve as a catalyst for helping us Love God, Love People, and Awaken a Movement locally and globally.
Our Blueprint 2012 consist of 5 Major Focuses.
1. GOSPEL Church Planting, Training, & Resources
2. BASIC NEEDS Food, Water, & Shelter
3. COMMUNITIES Kids, Family, & Education
4. MEDICAL Supplies & Relief
5. MERCY Orphans, Widows, Human Trafficking, Poverty, & Addiction
Within each of these 5 Focuses, there are many tangible goals & projects we will be tackling in 2012. To get a sense of where we are headed in 2012, please download the Blueprint 2012 Packet at the top of this page.
In Conclusion.
One of my favorite stories in all of Scripture is the story of Nehemiah. After seeing the plight of God’s people, in faith, Nehemiah set out to make a difference. With a broken heart, a little faith, and a courageous Spirit, one man put together a BLUEPRINT for rebuilding the walls, and restoring the faith of God’s people.
Most people have great ideas, but few people see those ideas through to completion.
As a church family, there are many injustices in our world, our country, and our city that break our hearts. Yet we believe that much like Nehemiah, with broken hearts, a little faith, and a courageous Spirit we too can put together a BLUEPRINT for rebuilding the walls, and restoring the faith of the people in Nashville and beyond.
I pray you will have the faith to ACT courageously and GIVE generously as we seek to Love God, Love People, and Awaken a Movement.
Dave Clayton, Leader of Vision & Teaching
2011 Ethos Church Annual Report, Blueprint 2011 Recap
Posted by lukeflener on 01/11/2012
Hello.
2011 was an amazing year at Ethos Church.
On January 16, 2011, I stood up in front of our church family and presented our 2011 Blueprint (our plan for how we would fulfill our mission in the year ahead). It was an amazing day as we dreamed together about what it was that God might choose to do through us in 2011.
Together we dreamed about sharing the gospel, planting new churches, feeding the poor, caring for orphans, investing in impoverished communities, fighting the war on sex trafficking and so much more.
As I look back on 2011, I am blown away by God’s faithfulness and grace. With God’s help, we were able to meet or exceed every major goal we set. Together we saw more people meet Jesus, more churches started, more people served, and more money given in the past year than any other year in our church’s short history (3 years).
Although it would be impossible to share every number or tell every story, I think it is important for us to take a few minutes to reflect on some of the tangible ways that God was at work among us. Here are a few numbers and stories to give you a broader look at God’s work among us in 2011. Enjoy.
Love,
Dave Clayton Leader | Vision & Teaching at Ethos Church
Ethos is Turning 3
Posted by Dave Clayton on 10/03/2011
On October 23rd, Ethos Church will be 3 years old.
It was just a few short years ago, that 12 people gathered in a living room off of Shackleford Drive to pray and dream about a new church family in the heart of downtown Nashville. It wasn’t long before that little living room could no longer hold our church and so we moved — first to a coffee shop, then to a park, and then finally to the Cannery.
As we approach our 3rd Birthday, it is hard to believe all of the things we have seen God do. The group of 12 has now become more than 1500 strong. One little house church has become more than 60 house churches scattered all across our city, and in April of 2011 we planted two churches and a school in India.
We’ve seen God heal people physically and spiritually, marriages reconciled, friends and neighbors baptized, parents and spouses return to Jesus, babies born, life celebrated, and so much more. It has been an incredible 3 years, and I can’t wait to see what the next 3 years will hold.
As we approach our 3rd Birthday there are two main ways that we are going to celebrate Jesus and the last 3 years as we gather:
ONE : BAPTISM SUNDAY
We can’t think of any better way to celebrate our 3rd birthday than by giving you the opportunity to take the next step in your relationship with Jesus publicly through baptism. On October 23rd, you will be able to be baptized at all of our Sunday Worship Gatherings. If you would like to be baptized or would like to find out more about baptism (…more)
TWO : CLEAN WATER
Last year we celebrated our birthday in a big way by giving our birthday away to provide clean water in 4 villages through Charity Water. Last October, on one Sunday, you gave more than $20,000 to celebrate Ethos Church turning 2. This year, we are praying we can give even more. On October 23rd, 100% of our offering will go to dig clean water wells through Charity Water, who just celebrated their 5th birthday by kicking off the campaign featured in the video below.
There are 3 ways we are asking every person in our church to participate in this celebration :
ONE : PRAY
Spend time praying about what God would have you give towards our clean water project. Our goal is that every man, woman, and child in our church will spend the next 3 weeks asking the Lord what he desires for us to GIVE.
TWO : SHARE
Share the story of Clean Water. Tell people about what we are praying God will do through us on October 23rd. Tell everyone you know (i.e. Friends, Co-workers, Parents, etc) and invite them to help us. On October 4th, we will relaunch www.AwakenaMovement.com, a site designed to help you share this part of our mission with people outside of the Ethos family.
THREE : GIVE
Give Generously. Give Sacrificially. Give Joyfully. 100% of the funds given to our Awaken a Movement Fund, and 100% of every donation given on October 23rd will go to provide clean water. You can give online HERE.
What a great 3 years it has been. I can’t wait to celebrate on October 23rd. I love our church, and I truly believe the best is yet to come.
Love you guys,
Dave Clayton
Vision and Teaching | Ethos Church
The Run For Mercy 5K – Join Team Ethos
Posted by Ethos Church on 09/27/2011
The Run for Mercy 5K is a Family Run/Walk to benefit Mercy Ministries in Nashville.
One of Mercy Ministries biggest annual fundraisers is on October 22nd, 2011 in Maryland Farms – the Run for Mercy 5K. We have created a Team Ethos to participate in the race to help support this awesome ministry. The cost is $20 per person, and you will be guaranteed a t-shirt if you register before the end of September.
How to Sign Up
Go to www.runformercy.org/Nashville5K2011 to register, and be sure to join Team Ethos.
Follow the instructions on the website and feel free to contact Brooke Akin at bakin27@gmail.com or 476-3358 (cell) if you have any problems or questions. The race is family-friendly and so much fun. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to support an incredible cause!
About Mercy Ministries
Mercy Ministries is a Christian residential program for girls ages 13-28 who are struggling with life controlling issues such as eating disorders, depression, self-harm, alcohol addictions, and unplanned pregnancy. The girls apply on a voluntary basis and live in the home for an average of six months. While living there they receive Biblically-based counseling, life skills training, and transitional services free of charge. Mercy Ministries raises all of their own money and does not take any from the government in order to be able to teach the girls about the healing power and freedom found in Jesus Christ.
Sign Up for a House Church
Posted by Brandon Steele on 09/06/2011
Sign up on Sunday
We will be having sign-ups again in the lobby this Sunday for all who are still interested in joining a House Church. We will be available then to answer your questions and help you in any way we can.
Sign up online
You can also sign up to be a part of a House Church online. Simply look through the packet House-Church-Handout-2011, and email your top three choices to brandon@ethoslove.com. Even though we ask you to send us three choices, you are only committing to be in one of those House Churches. We ask you to send your top three choices in case the first two are already full.
For more information on House Churches, go to www.ethoslove.com.
Sign Ups and Chairs
Posted by Luke Flener on 08/24/2011
Good afternoon. I hope you all are having an awesome week so far. I am still fired up after our time together on Sunday. I love worshipping God with our church family. I would like to take a couple of minutes to share a few really important things and solicit your prayers as we look towards the next couple of weeks at Ethos Church.
HOUSE CHURCH SIGN UPS
This Sunday, you will have the opportunity to sign up for a House Church. Ethos started as one house church of 12 people nearly 3 years ago, and I still believe the greatest way to get connected to the work of God and the people of Ethos Church is by connecting in a house church. This Sunday, you can sign up for a house church before or after all four of our worship gatherings. Simply stop by the orange tent in front of the Cannery, and one of our House Church volunteers will help you sign up. For more info on house churches, go to ethoslove.com/connect/house-churches
SPACE ISSUES
Many of you have been asking what we are planning to do in regards to space. This past Sunday, we had nearly 1400 people gather to worship God across our 4 worship gatherings. It was incredible, but this meant that many of you were standing, or sitting on the floor during our 10:45AM, 5PM, and 7PM Worship Gatherings (our 9:15AM still has a little breathing room). As we continue to pray through what is next, we have come up with a couple of solutions that will allow us to stay on mission with Jesus and within the fire codes at the Cannery as we seek God’s wisdom on what’s next. Here are a few ways you can help.
9:15AM WORSHIP GATHERING
We currently have space for about 150 people to join us on mission at the 9:15AM Gathering. If you are an early bird, it would help us greatly if you could help us free up some space at the other worship gatherings by joining us early. We only need 150 of you, so let us know if you are willing (questions@ethoslove.com / put 9:15AM in the subject line).
MORE CHAIRS
As of this Sunday, the room will be set up a bit differently to accommodate approximately 100 more seats per service. The room will be a little tight, but this will allow you to still invite your friends and family without worrying about them sitting on the floor in day old beer. If you or someone you know would like to help us purchase some more chairs you can do so by giving at ethoslove.com/give/give-online.
PARKING
If you are able to carpool, please do so. This will help us greatly with traffic flow. Also, just a friendly reminder, we are now being charged for using the big parking lot connected to the Cannery. If you can give an additional $1 per week in the orange GIVE boxes it will help us cover the cost. We have been falling a little short on that each week, so please remember to throw in an extra buck on your way out.
PRAYER and FASTING
I really believe God is up to something incredible within our church family, our city, and beyond. Our leadership team and staff are praying diligently that God will help us see what His plans are for Ethos as we seek to reach more people in this city. Can you please join us as we pray and fast for God’s guidance? Just pick a day, or several days each week, and just go for it. We can’t wait to see what the Lord might have in store.
INVITE EVERYONE YOU KNOW
Finally, invite everyone you know to come be a part of what God is doing at Ethos. (Not your friends on mission at other churches.) Don’t allow a crowded room to be your excuse for not sharing the love of Jesus with your friends that do not yet know him.
What a great time to be a part of God’s church here in Nashville. I believe we are only seeing the beginning of what God desires to do in us and through us for His glory … in Nashville, and far beyond.
See you Sunday!
Photo Recap: Kids Day in the Park
Posted by Luke Flener on 08/15/2011
Thanks to all who helped make Kids Day in the Park 2011 a success. Over 700 backpacks filled with school supplies were given away. Here’s a look at all the fun the kids had!
2011 Blueprint Update – May
Posted by Luke Flener on 05/06/2011
The Ethos Church 2011 Blueprint focuses on three spiritual areas; The work God will do in ME, The work God will do through us out THERE in the world, and the work God will do through us right HERE in our city. It’s our plan for the mission before us.
LISTEN HERE to our Blueprint Plan
CHURCH PLANTING
As of April 30, 2011, we have planted & assisted in the planting of 17 churches.
On April 24th, 20011, we launched two new Ethos Churches in India (Basirhat and Gaborda).
As of April 2011, we have partnered with Kairos Church Planting to assist in the planting of 15 churches (13 in the US and 2 Internationally) in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island, Tennessee, British Columbia, and Australia.
ORPHANS
As of April 30, 2011, we have sponsored 58 children. Our goal is to sponsor 20 children every month through the end of the year.
On April 25, 2011, we launched the first Christian school in Basirhat, India that is currently blessing 50 children and their families.
FOOD RELIEF
As of April 24, 2011, we have provided 2.2 million meals for those suffering from extreme malnutrition.
MEDICAL
In the month of February, we collected and purchased more than 6,000 medical supplies to fully meet the annual needs of the clinic we are working with in Guatemala.
In July of 2011, we will be sending a team to work with the clinic in Guatemala. Currently the team is full.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
In July 2011, Ethos Church will partner with several organizations to help in the recovery and rehabilitation of women and children impacted by Sex Slavery. We will also work alongside of organizations positioned to prosecute those involved in this crime against humanity.
KIDS OF EAST PARK
In April, one of our house churches headed up an initiative at Ethos to raise money to fund a field trip for the Kids at Warner Elementary that could not afford to participate in the annual field trip.
HOMELESS FRIENDS
Each week numerous volunteers from Ethos Church serve at the Hobson House and Campus for Human Development
This spring, our church helped provide housing, jobs, counseling, transportation, and relational support to those looking to transition away from life on the streets.
Ethos Church India
Posted by Dave Clayton on 04/10/2011
When Ethos Church held its first services in the fall of 2008, our vision was bold yet simple. As a church we set out to change the world by Loving God, Loving People, and Awakening the movement that Jesus began.
Quite simply, this meant that we would see ourselves not simply as a group gathered for church services, but instead as a group of people gathered with Christ, ready to change our city and the world.
Over the last couple of years, we have seen this vision come to life as our church has served in neighborhoods all across the city, helped plant churches all across the country, and blessed thousands of people all across the world with food, clean water, medical relief, and the good news of Jesus Christ. We have seen this gathering of people grow from a handful of friends, to more than a thousand people ready to change the world as we follow Jesus together.
2 NEW CHURCHES & a SCHOOL
On Easter Sunday, Ethos Church is going global. We are moving beyond the confines of downtown Nashville as we plant two new churches (Ethos Basirhat and Ethos Gaborda) and a school in the eastern most corner of India (on the border of Bangladesh).
The first church plant located in Basirhat, India will be led by Sandip Chatterjee and his team. His associate minister Piyas Dey will be handling most of the day to day ministry as Sandip helps launch the second church. In addition to launching the church in Basirhat, we will be building and staffing a school that will teach local trades and skills (i.e. basket weaving) and assist adults in becoming more literate through reading programs. Currently Basirhat is 60% Hindu, 28% Muslim, and 2% Christian. It is going to be incredible to watch Jesus change Basirhat through our new church there.
The second church will be located in Gaborda, India, not far from the border of Bangladesh. This is a dangerous area, as human traffickers often cross the border in this area resulting in many women and children becoming victims of sex trafficking. Our new church will be working towards providing education and practical work solutions for children and women that will ultimately help protect them from becoming easy targets for human traffickers. We believe Jesus has big plans for his church in Gaborda, and we can’t wait to watch what he does there.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
There are 3 practical ways you can help.
ONE : PRAY. You can pray for Sandip, Piyas, their families, and the two local teachers we will hire to run the school. There has never been a Christian church in either of these places and we believe the enemy will look for ways to stop them at all cost. Pray for these great folks who are joining our team here at Ethos to Awaken a Movement and advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ in India.
TWO : GIVE. As you can imagine it takes money to build a school, fund a church planter’s salary, and hire school teachers. If you would like to help with this effort we would welcome your financial support. You can GIVE online HERE.
THREE : GO. In the months and years to come, our hope is to take teams from Ethos to visit our churches in India. If you feel God calling you to go and be a part of this work, let us know by emailing us at questions@ethoslove.com. If you are interested in going on a short term trip through Ethos Church, just hang tight, we will provide info regarding that as it becomes available.
Thank you for joining us on this journey as we strive to LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE, and AWAKEN a MOVEMENT.
Blueprint Update: February
Posted by Luke Flener on 03/04/2011
On Sunday, January 16th we discussed our spiritual goals for Ethos Church in 2011. If you missed the message you can listen to it HERE. Our spiritual goals are focused in three areas : The work God will do in ME, The work God will do through us out THERE in the world, and the work God will do through us right HERE in our city.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES (THERE)
In February, we had a goal helping out THERE in the world by partnering with Health Talents International to supply over the counter medicine, educational support, and physical aid to the people of Guatemala. Our goal was to supply finances, resources, and teams of people from our church family to assist in the efforts. So how’d it go?
* In the month of February, we collected and purchased more than 6,000 medical supplies to fully meet the annual needs of the clinic we are working with.
* In July of 2011, we will be sending a team to work with the clinic in Guatemala. (Currently the team is full.)
ORPHANS (THERE)
Ethos Church will sponsor 200 children through Compassion International and will assist families as they seek to adopt children living without parents.
* As of February 2011, we have sponsored 20 children. Our goal is to sponsor 20 children every month through the end of the year.
WHAT’S NEXT?
As with every month, in March we will provide another opportunity to sponsor children through Compassion International. Also, we will focus on church planting. Be on the look out for ways to help in these areas, as Ethos Church seeks to fulfill the mission of Loving God, Loving People, and Awakening a Movement one brick at a time.
