Aaron, LCC ’04, LCS ’08 and Tracy (Tickner), LCC ’01, Monts are planting a new church in downtown Seattle. Read how God is working in their lives.
The professors and faculty at Lincoln Christian successfully fanned into flame a passion to take risks. It should be no surprise that we found ourselves in the enviable position of planting our second church on the West Coast. Back in 2007, we left the comforts of friends and family to embark on a journey to plant a new church in downtown San Francisco. Here we are 10 years later on a similar journey, planting a new church in downtown Seattle. To say that our journey has been easy would be laughable (in fact, I contributed a chapter to the book 10 Count: True Stories of Defeat and Triumph Among Today’s Christian Leaders about the down and out moments of ministry). Yet through it all, it has been beyond rewarding: the adventure of a lifetime…and we’re just getting started!
The types of churches that God has called us to plant are for the spiritually traumatized, those who, through past experiences and encounters, want nothing to do with Jesus or the church. It is a hard road filled with twists and turns, ups and downs and turnarounds, crazy and wild, good, bad, frustrating, exciting and awful all wrapped up in a bow of “wow, we get to do this!”
The people we have baptized over the years in this work have been nothing short of miracles. I think of Gary and Kat, Kristel and Elliot, Robert, Aaron, Adam, and on and on. Their stories have been filled with pain, but because of God’s work through these new churches we have seen redemption and resurrection in their lives and in their stories. Planting churches in the city is slow work. It takes patience and perseverance, plus a faith to know that God will do beautiful and impossible works in your very midst, works in which you get to play an integral part. Seattle has required and will continue to require such a posture.
Thirty-seven percent of Seattleites are self-described atheists or agnostic—the highest percentage of a population within the country, and yet only 3% of the city’s population are practicing Christians. The work before us is immense but the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus, filled with grace and understanding, hope and peace, can break into and through some of the darkest and hardest hearts and minds. This is why we are here: to continue the good work that so many churches have been doing faithfully in the city for decades and to partner with God to reveal the true face of Jesus to a wondering world.
Another LCU alumnus, Trevor Grindle, LCU ’14, is also joining us in this endeavor and together the three of us long for your prayers and your support. You can learn more at seattlepartnership.org where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter and prayer team. If you or your church would like to learn more about what we are up to and how you might financially support us, you can contact me at aaron@seattlepartnership.org.
The work of starting a new church and strengthening the presence of the Gospel in the heart of a city takes a team of prayer partners and encouragers, as well as financial partners and supporters. We want to invite you to join us as a financial partner, a prayer partner, or by becoming a part of this amazing work of God in Seattle.