Let’s plant a church.
This page was created to offer information and insight into my effort to plant a church in partnership with Hobson Road Community Church and the Assemblies of God.
“It is an honor to be trusted by God and others to plant a church in the Chicagoland area. I am enlivened by this opportunity and am expectant that God will have his way and be glorified. Chicago is primed for a move of God and I believe that we are being positioned to be a part of it.”
- Garrett Black
The new church name and logo.
It’s finally here! Check out the blog post link below to learn more about why it’s spelled wrong.
Are you called to be a financial partner?
In addition to prayer support, we have opened up an avenue for those who are called to support us financially. We have set a goal of $50,000 to be raised by March of 2022. We have made a commitment that we will trust the Lord to provide through people like yourself. Church planting is one of the greatest works that God can call us to do, which makes it such a privilege to partner with him financially.
What we’re up to right now.
We’ve started our efforts by ceasing our efforts. Each month, a group of us get together one Sunday evening out of the month and intercede on behalf of the church plant. This is open to those who have committed to planting and those who are just there to support us.
Our next prayer meeting: TBD
Location: Hobson Road Community Church
About Garrett Black
How I got here
Not only did I never think I would have ended up in ministry, I certainly never thought I’d be planting a church. When I studied advertising in college, I could see my future ahead of me as a strategic planner at some prominent ad agency in Chicago, but God had different plans altogether.
Skip forward a couple of years and I’m on staff as the Youth Pastor at Hobson Road Community Church after finishing a year of school at Bethel’s School of Ministry in Redding, California. After a couple more years, Dan Martinson began to ask me what I saw in my future about ministry. As we spoke, Dan shared some of the different qualities and dispositions he saw in me and said that they added up to be a church planter in his eyes. I had never thought about it in that way and so I took it to the Lord in prayer. It wasn’t long before I felt the Lord agreeing with Dan’s assessment and so I started moving in that direction.
My view on church planting
Check out this sermon I preached at Hobson Road Community Church on January 10, 2021.
FAQ’s
When are you planting?
At this time, we’ve narrowed our launch window to early 2022. The reason why it’s a window and not a specific date is because we’ve opted for a soft launch that happens slowly over time versus a hard launch date that rolls out on one specific weekend. We believe the soft launch will be much more effective for training our team and building spiritual synergy together.
Where are you planting?
We have decided to plant our church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. If you’d like to learn more about this, please read the blog post about it here.
What are you doing right now?
Although we are a ways out from planting, the process has already started in the most important way - prayer. On a monthly basis, we are meeting on a Sunday evening to pray and intercede for the process of church planting. Over time, this prayer meeting will meet more frequently and eventually become the format for our soft launch.
Can I donate?
Absolutely! We are currently accepting donations by clicking here. If you identify your gift as going to our Planting Partners Fund, 100% of your donation will be added to our planting funds.
How are you accountable?
This endeavor is currently set up as a Parent Affiliated Church. This means that Hobson Road Community Church and Lead Pastor Dan Martinson will serve as the covering for the church plant until we become fully autonomous. As part of this setup, HRCC’s board of deacons will also serve as our board. I (Garrett) highly value accountability, so I’m looking to add it, never to subtract it.
Can I get involved?
Of course! If you have specific questions, feel free to hit that contact button below!