What we read here is the reason that Handlebarsforheaven and HCBC are made to work together. We both believe in growth and spreading the word.
Our Purpose Statement fuels our Vision: That every man, woman, and child in Greater Austin has the chance to experience the life-changing reality of Jesus Christ because they hear the Gospel from the lips of someone at a Hill Country Bible Church.
What began as one church of 17 believers has grown into a movement of thousands of growing disciples engaged in nine vibrant Hill Country Bible Churches. Each church is committed to the passionate and sacrificial pursuit of the Vision. However, it will take tens of thousands of growing disciples in many different types of these missional congregations throughout Greater Austin to see the Vision become a reality.
"The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches." C. Peter Wagner Church Planting for a Greater Harvest
"...new churches are more likely to reach more people and to grow in size than are long established parishes. Perhaps the simplest explanation of this pattern is that new congregations are organized around evangelism and reaching people not actively involved in the life of any worshiping community." Lyle Schaller 44 Questions for Church Planters
HCBC Strategy to reach the 1.4 million people who call Austin home:
- By multiplying disciples
- By planting churches that are:
- spiritually vibrant and
- strategically located
- By partnering with like minded ministries
Are there already enough churches in Austin?
- Less than 17% of the people in Austin attend church
- Only 8% attend an evangelical church
- Church attendance was down 18% from 1990 to 2000 despite a net gain of 89 churches
- To keep up with the growing population it was estimated there needed to be at least 415 new churches over that 10 year period
In pursuit of the Vision to reach Austin and utilizing our strategy of planting churches, we have established a Church Planting Training Center to prepare Pastors to team with growing disciples and plant strategically located churches throughout Greater Austin. Click here to view information on our Church Planting Training Center Residency Program. |