FBC Chattahoochee

Urban Atlanta Impact Initiative-Mission Upper West Side is
A cooperative effort of Urban Atlanta Impact Initiative, Atlanta Metro Baptist Association and FBC Chattahoochee to intentionally plant healthy, reproducing congregations in the Northwest sector of Atlanta inside the perimeter (ITP) that produce community transformation by:

• Praying for lost and unchurched people on a regular basis,
• Engaging unreached people in small groups,
• Sowing – sharing the good news and the truth of Scripture in every way possible, and by
• Harvesting – developing contextual evangelistic strategies, conducting intentionally evangelistic events, following up and assimilating new believers into Bible Study and worship, and developing reproducing Jesus followers.

Our Goals

• Revitalize the ministry of FBC Chattahoochee through community transformation
• Plant at least 7 churches in the next 5 years.
• Begin at least 10 Cell and or House Churches in the next 5 years.
• Begin at least 15 Bible study/fellowship groups during the next 5 years.
• Conduct at least 25 significant servant evangelism/acts of kindness events during the next 5 years.

Our Focus
Our focus is to begin intentionally missionary congregations among the people (English speaking and non-English speaking) living in apartments, condos, and single family housing communities ITP-UWS. These congregations would be led by missionary pastors who have a vision and real desire to intentionally reach unchurched and disconnected people.

The Need ITP-UWS

• Approximately 125,000 people live ITP-UWS.
• There are 5 SBC Churches with an average weekly attendance of approximately 250 ITP-UWS
• Over 75,000 people living ITP-UWS have no religious affiliation.
• Over 90,000 people ITP-UWS are not church members.
• Over 100,000 people living ITP-UWS do not attend church.
• 43% of the population ITP-UWS lives in rented housing. Typically 95% of those living in multi-housing/apartments/condos do not attend church.
• 26% of the total households ITP-UWS have children. Baptists are traditionally “better” at reaching married couple households with children.
• Singles and single parents are the fastest growing people groups ITP-UWS.
• ITP-UWS 7% of the total population is birth to 5 years of age; 8% of the total population is 6 to 11 years of age; and 7% of the total population is 12 to 17 years of age.
• Presently 22% of the adult population ITP-UWS is married.
• People of Hispanic origin (2,515 increase), Asian heritage (1,374 increase) and Whites (9,144 increase) are projected to be the fastest growing ITP-UWS population segments between now and 2013.
• The median age of people living ITP-UWS is 31.7 years of age. This is considerably less than those attending most Baptist churches.
• ITP-UWS 6% of the adult population has less than a 9th grade education. 8% of the adult population dropped out of school between the 9th and 12th grade. 42% of the adult population has a college degree or higher.
• Many ITP-UWS Baptist church members do not live in their church neighborhoods, do not reflect the “people groups” living in their church neighborhoods, do not impact their church neighborhoods, do not penetrate the lostness in their neighborhoods, and do not know or relate to those persons who make the decisions that affect the neighborhood.
• Many ITP-UWS Baptist churches are dying, declining, or plateaued.

Birth of a Dream
When Jim Haskell was called as pastor of FBC Chattahoochee in August of 2008, he began to build relationships with the community surrounding the church facilities. At the same time, he became involved in the Urban Atlanta Impact Initiative which had been formed a few years earlier under the direction of Joel Harrison and Lester Cooper along with Fred Pitts and Tim Wolfe. Through prayer and the convergence of the need he discovered in the community along with the vision of the UAII leaders led him to begin seeing his field in a different light. He discovered many unchurched adults nestled snugly in their neighborhood “pockets” with no developed relationship with residents of other “pockets” in their community.

The vision then emerged to lead FBC Chattahoochee use its facilities as a “community center” in order to facilitate community building and at the same time to become a “church planting church” which would be the catalytic leader in creating a community transformation cluster in the Northwest Sector ITP through the planting of indigenous, organic, reproducing churches that would reach into the various “pockets” identified in their community.

Our Partners
FBC Chattahoochee, Urban Atlanta Impact Initiative, Atlanta Metro Baptist Association, Georgia Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Our Leaders

• Jim Haskell-Strategist and Coordinator, FBC Chattahoochee Pastor
• The People of FBC Chattahoochee
• Advisory Board

• Everett Anthony-President Urban Church Leadership Consulting; Former Executive Director of the Metropolitan Chicago Baptist Association
• Dave Brown-Member and Deacon Vice-Chair FBC Chattahoochee; CFO Northwest Exterminators
• David Bunch-Former Executive Director of the Colorado Baptist Convention; Former Assistant Vice-President of Missions for the North American Mission Board
• Hilda Clayton-Missions Leader and Prayer Coordinator FBC Chattahoochee
• Joel Harrison-Lead Missionary and Executive Director Atlanta Metro Baptist Association
• Jim Haskell-Coordinator
• Darlene Kirchner-Personnel Committee, Missions and Prayer Team FBC Georgetown, TX
• Bob Shaw-Deacon Chair FBC Chattahoochee; Chair of Development Authority of Fulton County, GA
• Maxine Wakefield-Co-Chair Finance Committee and Prayer Leader FBC Chattahoochee
• Charlotte Watson-Minister of Missions FBC Georgetown, TX
• Mike Whelan-Baptist Campus Minister Georgia Tech

Church Planters

• Nathan and Christina Tran – The Reflection Community (Vinings Beltway)
• Gregory and Erica Sinkfield – Empowering Life Christian Church at Washington Park

Church Plant Communities

• Paces Ferry
• Vinings
• Chattahoochee
• Commons Crossing
• Moores Mill
• MidWest
• Atlantic Park
• Vinings Beltway
• Washington Park

©UAII-MUWS 2009