“A gospel-centered community living on mission.”
Gabe Dodd | (770) 846-4600 | gabe@thebranchdahlonega.com
www.thebranchdahlonega.com | Twitter/Instagram- @branchdahlonega
Who Are We……………………………………………………………………..……… 2
Strategy …………………………………………………………………………………... 3
Timeline ……………………………………………………………………………….…. 3
Mission Statement Defined ...……………………………………………….….. 4
Our “Why” ……………………………………………………………………………….. 5
The Church Culture …………………………………………………………………. 6
We Need You! ………………………………………………………………………..7-8
Why Church Planting?............................................................................... 9
Meet The Team…………..……………………………………………………….10-11
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Who Are We?
The Branch Church is a “gospel-centered community living on mission” in
Dahlonega, Georgia. We believe that it is our role as a church is to equip the saints to
do the work of the ministry. (Ephesians 4:12) It is no longer up to the pastor and a
few people of the church to make disciples. It was Jesus’ intention in the great
commission for all believers to make disciples. We think that an authentic gracefilled, gospel-saturated community is very contagious. Life should not be done alone.
Discipleship should not be done alone. Community is more than a Bible study, it is
doing life with friends, neighbors, and colleagues. These communities are never
inward focused, but living on mission to show people the power of the gospel.
When we are living on mission, people come face to face with the saving work of the
gospel, and they are welcomed into community. The community is living on mission,
the gospel is spread, and the cycle continues. The cycle that was started by Jesus will
be lived out in Dahlonega and the world.
Gospel
•An individual/community living
on mission shares the gospel
with an unbeliever through
word, deed, and rhythms.
On Mission
•The community is constantly
living on mission looking for
ways to advance the gospel into
the community.
Community
•The unbeliever/new believer
gets invitied into community
and sees grace and love lived
out.
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Micro v Macro
Our mission is to be a “gospel-centered community living on mission” in a Micromovement and a Macro-movement.
Micro or Ground Attack
‘The gospel-centered community living on mission” will consist of eight to fourteen
people doing life together all over the city and county. They will meet not only meet
once a week for a Bible study but will also live in a gospel rhythm. That is, they will
plan their lives where they are doing life together and can invite others into their
rhythms. “Missional Communities (MC’s) are how we do church.”
Macro or Air attack
“The gospel-centered community living on mission” will be our weekly gathering. It
will be celebration, teaching, and responding to the gospel through tithing,
communion, and baptism. While this is important, we stress that living in
community is essential to grow in your faith.
Timeline
(This is a tentative timeline. The dates my be sooner or later.)
January 2014-August 2014- Meet weekly and grow as a core team/launch team.
During this time, we will be praying and training on Missional Communities, The
Branch Church’s Vision and Culture, and preparing for the launch of Missional
Communities and Sunday Gatherings in August.
August 2014- Launch Sunday Gatherings.
January 2015- Have 50 in Missional Communities (MC’s)
January 2016- Have 100 in Missional Communities (MC’s)
January 2017- Have 175 in Missional Communities (MC’s)
August 2017 - Plant second church in strategic college town in Georgia
January 2018- Have 250 in Missional Communities (MC’s)
August 2020- Plant third church in strategic college town in Georgia
August 2020 - Plant fourth church (from the second church planted)
***Every church will plant a new church every 3-4 years.
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What Does Your Mission Statement Mean?
Gospel-Centered
Sin separates us from God and from each other. God’s response to this was to take
on human flesh in the form of Jesus. Jesus lived the perfect life free from sin that we
could never live, died a death that we deserved for our sin, and rose again offering
us His perfect record in our place. We call this message the gospel and it is the
means by which God is reconciling the entire world to the way it was supposed to
be. This good news is the motivation for everything we do. To be gospel-centered
means to focus on Jesus, who he is and what he has done, not on who we are and
what we have done or will do for God. To hold this gospel message as “of first
importance” is what it means for one’s theology to be “gospel-centered.” Therefore,
our friendships, gatherings, service, events, and life are all centered and motivated
by the person and work of Jesus. The gospel saves us and sustains us. It is both the
means of meeting Jesus and the means of growing in Jesus.
Community
We worship a triune God, Who has eternally existed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In identifying the tri-unity of God, we recognize that God is communal. Bearing the
image of God, mankind is called to reflect this reality. We are called to be communal
creatures imaging the community of our Creator. The Christian faith is not intended
to be lived alone. We were made for community – relationship with God and with
each other. The local church is not merely a place that we attend, but a people to
whom we belong. The Bible calls us members of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
with the expectation that we contribute to the body for the glory of God and the
good of His people. Living in community is a radical call that involves getting messy,
being vulnerable, confessing sins, and growing in our relationship with the Lord and
one another. This is not just a social group, but a community encouraging one
another to transformation. When there is sin that is separating us from God and one
another, we push each other towards Jesus, who is the answer to sin. Community is
a place where it’s okay to not be okay, but not okay to stay that way. We love each
other, so we want to see each other grow.
Living on Mission
Some of Jesus’ last words to the church were to make disciples. Practically, that
means we want people who know Jesus to help more people know Jesus. We want to
see new Christians and maturing Christians. Jesus’ command to make disciples was
for all believers, not just a few. Living on mission isn’t putting aside an hour a day to
serve the community, but making it a lifestyle. In other words, living on mission is
not about doing different things. It’s about doing the same things differently. It’s
about bringing the gospel to bear on all of life for all people amid life’s normal
rhythms, things like celebrating, eating, listening, working, blessing, and suffering.
For too long churches have been known as places to escape from the culture of the
city. Our desire is to be a church that does life in and around our city and serves our
city in every way possible.
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Our “Why”
Why is The Branch Church here? Why do we exist? What motivates us to plant
churches? What keeps us up at night and what guides every decision we make?
People Matter
Your Story Matters
Jesus is Everything
1. People Matter – In Genesis 1:26, God says, "Let us make mankind in our
image.” So no matter who the person is, what they have done, what they have
not done, where they have been, who they aren’t, whatever- they matter!
They have value! Their life counts. People Matter.
2. Your Story Matters- Ephesians 4:12 says that the role of the church is “ to
equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
As a Christian, God has empowered you to live a life that counts. Evangelism,
baptism, and discipleship aren’t jobs for just the pastors, but for every
believer. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The great
commission is for all believers. God’s plan for the world is to “seek and save
that which was lost” (Luke 19:10) and he has invited us to play a part in his
story. Don’t sit on the sidelines: your story matters.
3. Jesus is Everything- We can never forget or move beyond Jesus. He is the
foundation. He is salvation. He is grace and truth. He is the reason we are
breathing and our hearts are beating. He is the love that surpasses all
understanding. He is our motivation and our closest friend. In Him, we have
the power to accomplish the impossible. Without Him, we are nothing. Jesus
is everything.
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The Branch Culture
1. Deep Roots- We are not going to be a quick, beautiful flower that dies in the
morning, but a slow oak that is strong and secure. We are focused on
the long term- we want to develop healthy, deep roots.
2. Real- We want to be naked! We don’t want to be a culture of fakers. We will be
H.O.T. (Honest, Open, and Transparent).
3. Confession- It is a lost art in our day. The Bible commands us to confess our sins
so we will. (James 5:16).
4. Honor- Out do one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10)
5. Teamwork- If we are for making much out of God and not ourselves, then
teamwork comes easy. We will protect each other’s back, not gossip,
and be a team focusing on the same goal.
6. Dream Big!- Jesus is a creative God that owns everything. We will dream God
sized dreams.
7. Multiplication- Disciples make disciples that make disciples. Leaders make
leaders that make leaders. Churches plant churches that plant churches.
8. Resourceful- Jesus changed the world while he was homeless. We don’t need all
this extra fluff. Be great stewards of what God has entrusted us with.
9. Accountability- We take sin seriously and we let our yes be yes and no be no. We
understand that we are human and need help staying on track. We
encourage people to hold us accountable.
10. Excellence- We do everything like we are doing it for the Lord. (Colossians
3:23.) We hustle. There is work to be done. We hustle on and off the
field.
11. Priorities- God. Family. Church. We will not put the church before our family.
We take Sabbath- weekly. We will retreat as a staff and church (either
entire church or Missional Communities (MC’s)).
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We All Have a Part to Play
Where can I plug into The Branch Church?
1. Prayer Support
We want to see a move of God so great in Dahlonega and through the
other churches that we plant that no one can take the credit it for it
except for God. We know that we are just a group of normal people
planting a church, but we serve a God that can literally do anything
through us. Please pray for us. Pray for wisdom, guidance, the city,
financial donors, leadership, our team, and those far from God. Pray
that God will move in a huge way and change our lives, the city, and
the South for His Glory.
2. Financial Support
We are starting this church plant from scratch. Because of that, our
goal is to raise $240,000 over the next 3 years ($80,000 a year). That
will pay salaries, rent, start up costs, etc. We know that after three
years, we may need some of you to continue to give. We are planting
in a college town and are not exclusively going to be a “college
church”, but are unashamedly going after the University of North
Georgia. We realize that college students don’t give to churches, but
that is an awful excuse not to plant churches in college towns. They
need Jesus, too! Then, after four years, we will be sending
missionaries all over the globe!
100%
$5,000
90%
$30,000
80%
$55,000
70%
$100,000
60%
50%
$135,000
$80,000
40%
Tithes
Donor Support
$80,000
30%
$80,000
20%
$35,000
10%
0%
2014
2015
2016
2017
$0
2018
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We need one-time givers but mostly monthly gifts from individuals,
families, and partner churches so we can keep our mission stable. God
has a big plan for Dahlonega, but it can’t happen without you. If you
can give, please email or mail your name, number, email, address, and
giving commitment to thebranchdahlonega@gmail.com.
You can mail checks to:
The Branch Church- P.O. Box 2424 Dahlonega, Ga. 30533
You can also give online at www.thebranchdahlonega.com.
3. Come With Us!
Move to Dahlonega and help us plant! We believe that the strength of
the church isn’t just how strong the pastors are but how strong the
average person in the church is. We need business leaders, stay at
home moms, “nine to five” employees, students, EVERYBODY! We
want to introduce people to the real Jesus not only on Sundays but,
more importantly, throughout the week!
If you know of any high school student looking for a great college to
attend or transfer to, encourage them to go to the University of North
Georgia! It is an incredible school and God is doing great things here!
Instead of students looking for what school they want to go to, lets
encourage them to pray and see where God needs them to engage in
ministry! We would love to be a place for college freshman to get
involved and make an impact for the kingdom!
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Why Church Planting?
(The following is adapted from New Church Initiatives, “Does the U.S. Need More
Churches? by Glenn Smith, http://nciglobal.org/morechurches/index.htm.)
The United States of America… a country known across the world as a Christian
Nation. “In God We Trust” is printed on every coin and bill, and church steeples
boldly darken our skylines. So why do we need more churches?
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Between 50 and 75 U.S. churches close their doors every week.
More than 80% of the churches in the U.S. have plateaued or are declining.
In the United States alone, there are over 200 million unchurched people,
making the U.S. the third largest mission field in the world.
Since 1991, the number of adults in the U.S who do not attend church has
nearly doubled.
The largest unreached people group in America are the twentysomethings.
51.9 million people in the U.S. between the ages of 20-38 are not connected
with existing churches. (Gallup Poll)
Eight million twenty-somethings alive today will no longer attend church by
the time they turn 30.
Our nation leads the world in every category of violent and domestic crime
and social decay. (Nationbuilder.com)
*Unless otherwise stated, these statistics are used with permission from Barna
Research Online.
We do not need more of the same type of church, but we do need new churches!
As Rick Warren says, “We need all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people.”
C. Peter Wagner says in his book, Church Planting for a Greater Harvest, that
church planting is “"the single most effective evangelistic methodology under
heaven."
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Lead Pastor/Church Planter
Vision/Teaching/Multiplication/Missional Communities
Gabe Dodd
gabe@thebranchdahlonega.com
@gabe_dodd
(770) 846-4600
Gabe Dodd is the lead pastor at The Branch Church. He has been in student ministry
for five years in Alpharetta and Gainesville, Ga. He fell in love with church planting
in college when he worked summer staff for three summers for a group called
PowerPlant. The group traveled across the country doing week long camps where
they connected youth groups to church planters in the certain city. Through this
experience, Gabe fell in love with church planting and all that it stood for. September
of 2012, Gabe and his wife, Bre, resigned as student pastor and told the Lord they
would plant anywhere. After much praying and traveling to the Northwest, God led
them to Dahlonega, Ga. They are very early into the plant but are very expectant that
God will do incredible things and draw many to Him. They are partnered with the
Chattahoochee Baptist Association and the North American Mission Board as a
SEND church planter. They have two kids, Aubryn and Grady.
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Pastor
Communication/Administration/Missional Communities
Kyle Worthy
Kworthy3@Liberty.edu
@kyleisaworthy
(404) 314-9266
Kyle Worthy is a pastor at the Branch Church. He is currently finishing his seminary
degree at Liberty University, where he will be focusing on New Testament studies
on the early church. Upon beginning these studies, Kyle fell in love with the early
church model and felt called to plant a church with a model that reflected those
qualities. Kyle had served in student ministry with his fiancé Jennifer Maddox, when
they asked the Lord to send them wherever to serve his Church. They will be
married this September and are eagerly looking forward to being a part of church
planting in Dahlonega, Ga. They cannot wait to see what God will do through The
Branch Church, and see the countless lives that the Lord will restore through His
Son’s love.
Pastor
Worship/Care/Missional
Communities
Matthew Thomas
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Mathom170@gmail.com
@mthomasmusic
(770) 539-4763
Matthew graduated from North Georgia University with an art degree in 2012 and
has since been leading worship for various churches. During that time he felt a
strong call toward church planting as an effective method to reach the unreached
and share the good news of the gospel. The Branch will be the second church he has
helped plant, and he's excited to see how the Lord uses it to reach the community of
Dahlonega, Ga.
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