Watch this Full Episode -- https://youtu.be/TcWkNGVzVvU
--
Ever wondered what drives someone to plant a church despite witnessing firsthand the sacrifices and uncertainties it entails? Join us for a compelling conversation with Trey Van Kamp, a fourth-generation pastor who launched his church at just 24 years old. He shares his personal journey, heavily influenced by his father's bold decision to sell everything and plant a church during Trey's childhood, and how those formative experiences prepared him for the path he would eventually embrace.
--
Tithely provides the tools you need to engage with your church online, stay connected, increase generosity, and simplify the lives of your staff.
With tools like text and email messaging, custom church apps and websites, church management software, digital giving, and so much more… it’s no wonder over 37,000 churches in 50 countries trust Tithely to help run their church.
Learn more at https://tithely.com
Watch this Full Episode -- https://youtu.be/TcWkNGVzVvU
--
Ever wondered what drives someone to plant a church despite witnessing firsthand the sacrifices and uncertainties it entails? Join us for a compelling conversation with Trey Van Kamp, a fourth-generation pastor who launched his church at just 24 years old. He shares his personal journey, heavily influenced by his father's bold decision to sell everything and plant a church during Trey's childhood, and how those formative experiences prepared him for the path he would eventually embrace.
--
Tithely provides the tools you need to engage with your church online, stay connected, increase generosity, and simplify the lives of your staff.
With tools like text and email messaging, custom church apps and websites, church management software, digital giving, and so much more… it’s no wonder over 37,000 churches in 50 countries trust Tithely to help run their church.
Learn more at https://tithely.com
Hey guys, Frank here with another episode of Modern Church Leader. I'm back with Trey Van Kamp out in Arizona. This is Trey's second time on the show. We were trying to figure out when the first time was but years back. You were on and we talked a lot about YouTube, but you're also a church planner, so we're going to talk church planning today.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me on. Honestly, I'm more passionate about the conversation around church planning, so I'm all in Excited man.
Speaker 2:It's going to be fun. It's going to be fun, let me know. It seems like the internet demons are going crazy.
Speaker 1:I just noticed a lag.
Speaker 2:Hopefully we're all right A little bit, but let me know if it's lagging on my side. I think it's recording us both but a little bit. But let me know if it's lagging on my side. I think it's recording us both, but all good, we're going to get through this. Tell us a little bit about your story when it comes to church planting. When did you plant the church and how did you get into ministry at that level? When did God put it on your heart to go become a church planter?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I'm a fourth generation Southern Baptist pastor.
Speaker 2:Oh nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I grew up normal. My dad didn't become a pastor till I was 12. So I like to say I had like a normal childhood and then everything got flipped upside down. But when I was 12, he brought us into the house and he was like a successful businessman. We were pretty not like wealthy, but we were well off. And he's like hey, life's about to totally change. We're selling everything, we're kind of moving, we're going to plant a church. I'm like what does plant a church mean? What's this have to do with gardening? And so, yeah, we started like four weeks later. It's hilarious my dad's strategy was within a month he found a school, put up a sign, free pancakes on Easter Sunday and we started with like 40 people.
Speaker 2:It's just hilarious now, because there's so much strategy that's put into place. Free pancakes you should bring that one back.
Speaker 1:I know, I know, yeah, so yeah, that really began my journey of just understanding church life, where my calling is in it, and I really began to pray every morning, every night God, what is your call in my life and about? When I was 13, I surrendered my life to ministries. There's like a Discipleship Now conference. So that's when I so since I was 13, I've kind of known that's my trajectory. But then through high school, started to preach some and all that went to California Baptist University for college and I remember telling my friends specifically I want to do ministry, just not church planning. I'll do anything. I was literally willing to move to Malaysia and be a missionary rather than plant a church, and part of that is just because some of the baggage of seeing my dad.
Speaker 1:There's just a lot of pain that comes with church planning. There's a lot of instability. It just seems like it's easier for people to just come and go because there's no again. There's no place In my mind. You're a church plant until you have a building. So we actually my father's church was portable for 14 years, and so I remember my senior year in high school.
Speaker 1:I had to sell my truck that I earned money. I bought the truck when I was 16, but we had to sell it that summer in order to pay all the bills because the recession hit during that time and it was so tough and I was like you know what? I blamed it on a church plant. If we were in part of a bigger church, my dad's salary would be taken care of. I wouldn't have to get rid of my truck. So I just remember thinking Lord, I love you, I want to do ministry, I just don't want to plant a church. And also my dad like. More and more I live life, the more I recognize how much I'm like him. But in my mind, I'm so different than him. So he's the architect, like he's a church planner, entrepreneur, hustler. I'm like I like to read, like all these books back here, like I like to write and think. So I'm like I must not be a churchliner. So I tried to do missions. Those doors closed. I did a revitalization while I was in college as a youth pastor, and I realized that's not my speed either. And so, long story short, yeah, in 2016, I had been married to my wife for three years. At that point, I was 24 years old and we launched a church in a movie theater and we actually launched the church in my hometown where I grew up and so here in Queen Creek, arizona, in the Southeast Valley of Phoenix. So I'm really grateful that I eventually planted a church.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I did know a lot from seeing my dad go through stuff, so I wasn't surprised when heartache would come. I wasn't shocked when the facility guy says, hey, you're not allowed in this building anymore. You got to go find it, you got to rent something else because you're not allowed in here. I kind of knew that was a part of it when our trailer got stolen like, yeah, my dad's trailer got stolen a decade ago too. This is a part of the process, so some of that helped a lot. Finally, once I was able to really accept that call but I know I was only 24, to really accept that call, but I know I was only 24, but it was like a long in my mind. It was like a six to eight year battle, like Lord, anything but plant a church, right.
Speaker 2:And did you? So you're 13,. You kind of know, okay, I want to go into ministry, or that's kind of how you're feeling. You're feeling called to that. Did you go to college, work a normal job and then one day go, all right, I'm going to go plant a church, or were you doing ministry jobs the whole?
Speaker 1:time. What was the path through high school? Yeah, so I was really lucky because my dad really began to peek behind the curtain for me. I was able to see a lot of the ministry workings and he would. It felt like he was consulting me. He was obviously not, but he was hey, what would you do in this situation? So in high school especially, he would kind of just show the dynamics of church leadership and help me.
Speaker 1:But 13, again, I gave my life to the ministry and then, 16, I got licensed to preach. So I began preaching like once a month in different areas. I started a ministry in high school. So I had some of that experience. But also my dad's like hey, like I poured concrete every single summer. He's like you're going to learn what hard work is. And so I did that every single summer. Still do it now as a side job.
Speaker 1:And then I actually umpired for two years. My dad was like hey, if you're going to be a minister, you for two years. My dad was like hey, if you're going to be a minister, you're going to deal with hot-headed people with terrible tempers and you're going to learn at an early age of 15 how to deal with that. So from 15 to 16, my first job was to be an umpire. I hated baseball and I especially hated baseball after that. But it was like so many good life skills from learning that. So I'm really grateful I had some experience outside of ministry. But yeah, once I went to college I immediately became a youth pastor and did a lot of that. So I really did do a lot of fast tracks. When I graduated from college at 21, I immediately became an associate pastor for my dad's church and that was the process of prepping me getting my team together to launch three years later. So that's kind of like the quick timeline.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, yeah, very cool man when you got married, did your wife know you were going to be a church planter? Yeah, so we started dating when we were 16. So she knew I always was going to be a pastor of some sort. And yeah, she was just here for the ride. Man, she's been amazing. We really wrestled with that. So we were part of the North American Mission Board.
Speaker 1:So they have know test where they take the wives like aside and ask is this your call in life? And we always got scared because she's like I didn't have like this divine moment like my husband did, but she's like I just know I am called to go wherever he goes and I'm going to be his support. So, and she's done wonderfully and honestly. So, like when we started our church, there's about eight other guys that you know, kind of we kind of started around the same time around this area and there's only two of us left and so it has been grueling and there's been really hard days. Anybody who's a church planner knows. But yeah, my wife has just been there for the long haul. She's done incredible.
Speaker 1:We were both really nervous Are we ready for this? And I think that's what you should be. You should have that humility. I probably can't do this because the people in that you know that crew who were like so confident they're not here anymore. You know, like there is something about having that weakness and humility of going. I honestly, if the Lord doesn't do what only he can do, that I know this won't work.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, no, I totally, totally makes sense. So you planted where you grew up or near where you grew up. Yeah, why'd you decide there versus going somewhere else?
Speaker 1:You know, because a prophet's not accepted in his own hometown.
Speaker 1:So I thought hey, let's make life really good. No, honestly, yeah. So I was in California for college and I had a lot of opportunities there, but I just felt a draw to come back home. Vance Pittman he's a mentor of mine. He often says, like God doesn't call you to a church as much as he calls you to a city, and so I just really felt, um, a burden for my city. So it's a lot of LDS Mormons live here and they're incredible people, fun to be around, um, but obviously poor theology and so uh, so I really care about them.
Speaker 1:A lot of my story is leading LDS to Christ, and then also there's just a lot of nuns, just a lot of people that aren't interested in religion at all. And so, yeah, I just thought, man, these are the people I love, and I also think there's something about planting in a place where, even if the church doesn't fail I'm sorry, even if the church fails you're going to stay there, because I really think so much. So I'm, I think so much of my ministry success. You know, fruit that we're starting to see now is because I was just like, where else will I go? I'm just going to stick it out, like I'm going to go as long as I can. I really just seen the Bible so much about endurance and pushing through those beginning seasons, and so, yeah, I can really feel bad for a lot of my friends who planted around the same time.
Speaker 1:You know their families in Kentucky or Arkansas or Florida and it gets really lonely, and so I love the fact that I'm born in the West, so this is like a really unreached area. It's like why I'm just going to plant where I'm at because, um, both grandparents are here, so we have babysitters for the kids, so there's just a lot of good stuff with that. There's also a lot of baggage, though. You know some people remember me as a teenager, so they're not coming to my church, you know. So, like there's some groups of people it's like I get it. You remember me in diapers, so you know you do you go to that other place. So there's been some disadvantages, but there's just been a ton of advantages as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I get it. So you're eight years in what are some of the biggest you know.
Speaker 1:I don't know surprises or shockers along the way. I was surprised how quickly we did not grow, if that phrase makes sense. I was kind of, you know like, experienced a lot of ministry success up to that point. So I just thought for sure we'd at least hit 200 quickly. And we didn't, and it was just like that was super humbling. I also am surprised. I thought I can do it alone. So when we launched I had no other associate pastor or no other team with me and so that was just honestly moronic.
Speaker 1:That first year was just tough because it was just me and my wife and so we learned a lot. So if I were to do it over again, I would have had the launch phase, like the prep phase, be a whole lot longer. But at the same time I think I'm not. I'm who I am today because of those mishaps and that pain that we went through. So I almost you know I wouldn't trade it for the world but also I'm like man, like how dumb were we?
Speaker 1:You know, like we started with like $5,000 in our account and we were like in the church account and like, hey, let's, let's start a church, and so I know so many you know just totally do it the opposite way and I think it's. It's better. Like, my dad's church isn't too far away from mine as well, so when we launched he sent 10 people with us. Nowadays people send like 400, you know and um, but my dad's church was only 220 people at that time and once we launched they got land and a building and so a year later they jumped to like 1,000. But when we started, when they launched us, they only had 200.
Speaker 1:So it's not like I can take many with me anyways. So, yeah, we just started in all the wrong ways, but I think my character is better as a result. So therefore, I'm really grateful for all of it. Yeah yeah, there's a lot of what not to do, for sure, but we're still here. So that's what I'm really proud of. Just that we've had the perseverance, the tenacity. We never stopped learning. We're constantly realizing hey, that was a mistake, let's just not make it again.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, realizing hey, that was a mistake.
Speaker 1:Let's just not make it again, and so, yeah, god's been gracious to us as a result.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that. What about things that have gone well along the way? What are some things that you can remember? It doesn't all have to be at the beginning, but just along the eight years. What are some things that you're like, oh, whether you got it right because you planned on getting it right or you thought of it, or it just kind of happened you know what I'm saying and God showed up. But, like what are some of the things that you feel like really worked for you guys?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So something I'm really pumped about right now, we have this. We have like this discipleship plan for our church called Formed by Jesus. So formedbyjesuscom is like the website where we hold it, and so we're really doing a lot of practice-based discipleship. So for the popular level, it's like John Mark Comer's doing a lot of that right now. I've kind of connected with him and some of those guys back in 2017, 2018, and began to implement it kind of in 2019.
Speaker 1:But the last few years we've gotten really organized. So last year we did a focus on Sabbath scripture, then simplicity. This year it's hospitality, peacemaking and generosity, and so we're like in the middle of the peacemaking practice right now and it's just been really cool Like so, like for three months we're saying, hey, we are followers, we're practitioners of the way of Jesus, and like there's a lot of stuff we could do and we need to do. But like right now in this season, let's focus on like hospitality, like we're hospitable people, so we celebrate all the wins. Did you host somebody this week? Did you go to somebody's house in arizona?
Speaker 1:We're like it's super hot out here, so, if you've heard, and so in the summer, like everyone just closes their garage, nobody hangs outside right. So it makes it really hard because in the winter we always feel awkward because it's like, well, I didn't see you all summer. I summer, I forgot your name. So let's just so like there's a lot of weird things about Arizona because nobody's from here too. A lot of people don't know each other. It's very isolated.
Speaker 1:So we've really found a lot of success of like guys saying the big win is just like getting to know your neighbor's names, like let's start there. And they're like, wow, this is so great. So it's been really cool to really just focus on those really tangible things, to really help our people really take their next step and following the way. So we've just seen a lot of fruit from that. Honestly, I feel like our church has grown since then, like our vision is really clear, like we've really been able to determine this is what I'm grateful for I now know who we're not. You know, like when we first planted our church, I was trying to figure out who we were, but I didn't know all the way who we weren't. And now, kind of ministering to our people, understanding our context more, like I'm very comfortable mentioning to people the things that we're not, which I think is like a really good sign of clarity and moving in the right direction.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how'd you figure those things out?
Speaker 1:Yeah, by trying to be those things and realizing we're bad at it.
Speaker 2:Right. You know what I'm saying Give me a few, give me your top three.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think one thing is like realizing maybe I don't even know if we're trying to ever become a big church Like we don't really. Like you know, I think like a lot of even smaller churches use megachurch models and systems and it's like that's not us, like I don't even know if I would like that. So some of that like hey, some systems, we need to have systems, for sure, and we're getting better at those, right, but there's other things we're like no, we're gonna make that part always personal, you know what I'm saying. Like we're gonna make it where I'm always the one reaching out, so, so that's one thing. Like, hey, you're gonna be known at this community.
Speaker 1:Like, after your first sunday, I will know your name, right, when you come in, I'm gonna say hey, john, you know um, so that's one thing. Another is that we're practice-based community, so we're not ashamed of that. So like, in other words, we're not here just to give some pick-me-up, um, on the weekend, uh, just to come in. Like, no, we like we practice this thing together and so we hold each other accountable. Uh, we give each other a lot of grace, but there's a lot of effort that we put in.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Even just kind of our music, just the way our music is. And by God's grace, when we started our church there was only two churches in our whole city. There's a lot now because it's a growing city and there's a lot of mega churches and it's wonderful. So it's like, hey, if you want that kind of music, you want that kind of music, you want that kind of style, like go to it. That's just not who we're, that, we're not that and we're okay with that and we root for those guys. And I just like that idea that the kingdom is an ecosystem and we are just a type of church. We need a church this whole city. Our church can't save the whole city, so we're very comfortable Shout out to those churches who do those things this is our church, we do these things, and so that's just been like helpful and encouraging for our people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I imagine you know, being the lead pastor. It kind of alleviates pressure too. What do you mean?
Speaker 2:Like you know, if you feel this pressure, oh, it alleviates pressure on me when I realize like, oh, absolutely Self-imposed pressure, not pressure that anybody's putting on you per se, but, like you know, like feeling like you need to be like somebody else or like some other church or anything like that, if you can get comfortable where you feel like this is what God called us to do, this is who I am and this is how church looks, and like I feel great about that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, amen. So like a big, so I wrote a book right there, non-anxious Pastor. And like, yeah, yeah, amen. So I wrote a book right there, non-anxious Pastor, and that's a thesis of mine. I really think we're in an anxious culture, constantly comparing and worrying, and I think the more pastors can just be content with who we are and who we're not, and non-anxious and just enjoying the moment and being relaxed and present on a Sunday, that really does make an impact for your congregation. So, yeah, if anything, probably the who were not thing was most helpful, just for me. So I, you know, when I saw other churches doing well, I'm rooting for them, I'm not like, oh no, that should have been us, um, and when they're like, hey, how come your church isn't that? It's like that's just not what we're called to and that's you know. So, yeah, that's so true, it's relieved a lot of pressure on me for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 2:What we were talking before and you said, uh, just in the last little bit, you feel like you guys are growing, maybe, maybe more than in the past or more than any other time, and you're, you're working on some things. So what, what's what's changed or what do you see different in the last year or so?
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, so we've grown like, uh, for the in the like. So we launched into our new building, uh, 15 months ago and we've grown by 100 since then. So, aka, we've doubled in size, right. So that's cool. So we've gone from one service to two service, two services, which is cool.
Speaker 1:I think it's a couple things. I think our teaching is very, um, intentional. We have a vision with our teaching. So, like in my mind and I don't know if this makes sense but our vision isn't so much here's the type of building we're building. Our vision is here's the type of people we're creating and so, like, when we give our people this three year trajectory with these nine practices, I think it's really giving people oh okay, here's the on-ramp and here's how I join and here's what we're doing next. So I think it gives people.
Speaker 1:I think that's another way of being a visionary, right, and so I think the vision has been very clear. It's not just random series. Everything builds on top of each other. So that's been really encouraging and really fun. So, like all of this year 2024, we packaged the whole year as the whole vision was how to make friends and love other people Within. That is the practice of hospitality, peacemaking and generosity, and then, when we're not doing those practice series, we're going through the book of Acts, and so I just I think that clarity has been helpful. Also, though, have you heard of Mike Santiago, the Breaking 200 course that he does?
Speaker 2:I have heard of it. I don't know a lot about it though yeah.
Speaker 1:So he's, you know, different stream than I think he's. Simply, he's a god. We're, you know, north american mission board, uh, sin network, southern baptist, but um, we just, we just picked up some of his playbook. Uh, super grateful for him. So every first sunday of the month we do party with the pastors, and every second sunday of the month we do a growth track, and doing that has, literally that has been the game changer, um, so the party with the pastors is after each service, so we just transition to two services and easter, so it's 20 minutes. So with the promise, hey, if you're new, your first step should come to the party with the pastor. It's only 20 minutes long and we give you refreshments. It used to be pizza, but now we have an early service, so now it's like bagels, you know.
Speaker 2:So Pancakes, bro, pancakes.
Speaker 1:Pancakes I forget.
Speaker 2:My man. What is going on so funny?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, but for 20 minutes. That first Sunday is just like the vision of, like our core values. This is what we do, this is who we are, and so, yeah, so that's like we're always pushing that, and so I think it gives people a good opportunity to meet us, to talk to us, but also for us to describe again who we are and who we're not. And then the second Sunday of every month is growth track, which is essentially here's what our groups are and how you can join one and here's all the different ways you can serve and you can start today. You know so, and so that's been really good. Like we have I'm just embarrassed now the first few years of our church plan. It was so organic, like, hey, if you want to serve, just come talk to me, or just come talk, go talk to our kids director, and just people win it Right, cool, I'll just never do that. And so, yeah, improving those systems have just been night and day. It's just been really helpful retaining people. So it used to be. It took about six to nine months to get people plugged in. Now it's like two to four months. They're serving one sitting, one and doing all of those things. So really cranking that up keeps them in and I think we've made a shift in our understanding.
Speaker 1:I saw this on Instagram the other day. I thought it was really good. I think we've made a shift in our understanding. I saw this on Instagram the other day. I thought it was really good. I think it's a really famous pastor, but I don't remember his name. But he said in the 90s content was king right, because it was hard to come across a good preacher. Content was what it's all about. But nowadays it's about community. People don't have that. In the 90s they had community. Today they don't. In the 90s they didn't have content. Today we have more than enough content. So we've really leaned into like, oh, we're integrating you into our family and look, sunday sermons, great, whatever, but it's about doing this thing together. And so we're trying to really create more systems to get people plugged in and connected. From the crowd to the community, to the core is kind of the language that we use.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, that has just been. It's not like my preachings changed. It's not like you know, the logo got better. We still do the same ad, but like that has helped us tremendously. I'm like making those visitors stick.
Speaker 2:Why do you think that is Like, why did doing those couple of? Because you mentioned really two things, two classes, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I don't know, I feel like it's helped people Again, we help make the decision for them. It's just kind of okay. Here's another thing. Here's a tip. This is for people, right, who are like planning churches maybe right so another tip we just started adopting. So here's the third trick that we trick. Whatever you want to call it. I think it's better on ramps is the quick answer.
Speaker 1:I think it's hey, and if you miss first Sunday it's great. You know what? We got it again the next month, the first Sunday thing, every four or five weeks. You could always get plugged in. I think that's comforting to people. I think people take that up on that offer. But the latest one we came up, we again saw another church. I think it was Vintage LA. They do this thing called the Stick Six Challenge. Have you heard of the Stick Six? No, bro, it's so great.
Speaker 1:So we're telling people, hey, finding a church is hard. So we do this like in the welcome part. Finding a church is difficult. We get it Like there's just a lot of pressure and you just don't know if you got it right. But we get it Like there's just a lot of pressure and you just don't know if you got it right. Here's our offer to you, our challenge for six weeks come to our church for the next six weeks. Here's what you're going to experience within the next six weeks.
Speaker 1:Every first Sunday is part of the pastor. Every second Sunday is growth track. Every third Sunday is communion, you know. So we just kind of like lay out some of the things Right and like look, this is a hard decision. You'll never be able to make that decision based off one Sunday. You know. Maybe you know I had a bad day or you had a bad day or whatever, but after six weeks we really think you'd be able to make that decision and if we're not the right place, please let us help you find another one. There's plenty of gospel centered churches here. We love them, we're for them. Let us help you Right. And so that's been helpful for people because they're like, honestly, like yeah, one of the weeks, the first Sunday, I thought, nah, maybe. But we came two more Sundays and we're like this is it Right? But he's like we would have never known that if we just gave you that one shot. So they really appreciated that challenge.
Speaker 2:I love that because it's kind of just asking people to do something, and it's not like they're raising their hand or filling out a card or whatever, but you're just, you're literally just asking, putting it on their mind, and then you know if a family comes, the spouses, you know, have a chat or whatever.
Speaker 2:But yeah, just asking, I feel like kind of makes a big impact, like, hey, give us a shot if you're new, give us a shot for six weeks. And then they like think about that versus going whatever, whether it's good or bad like they, they go and then they like think about that versus going whatever, whether it's good or bad like they go, and then they kind of don't, there's nothing pulling them back, right. Yeah, like yeah, maybe there is. But you know, the ask is like a way to make sure everybody feels like pulled back just from doing that and you said, oh, we got the plan laid out so they know what's coming next week, maybe growth track is coming and they want to go jump in like they can Exactly.
Speaker 2:So, I think that's super cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and part of our vision statement is we don't make attenders, we make disciples. So we're always saying kind of like, hey, to make attenders cool, we can make this great service and you'd be blown away, but that's not really our win. So come for a while, you'll see how we're actually like practicing this thing. So another thing that's been helpful is for our hospitality series, trying to think if I can show you a photo on my phone and onto the camera. But we came up with this like ping pong ball display and so we put it together where we would have 734 ping pong balls. We'll fill this up perfectly based off of Luke 734, which the son of man came eating and drinking. So this whole thing about how he's come to be hospitable with us and so we're supposed to be hospitable to others. So let's see if you can see this. But it's really been catching on. Oh, there it is. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:See, it says set the table.
Speaker 1:Yeah, although it's backwards for you, but it says set the table and yeah, so it's 734 mil. So these are all the ping pong balls. So every Sunday they mark their name on it and drop it in. So it's just another way of like saying hey, we're participating together.
Speaker 2:They put their name on it, put the ball in for what. What do they have to do in order to no-transcript, beginning when we were chatting before the episode. But you guys are, you're in two services. You move from one building back downtown, so now you're in a new building for the last year or so, um, and are you? Are you doing a sort of a building fund type of project now? Or like looking to get into a building or starting to think about that, like tell?
Speaker 1:me about that totally um you know, yeah, if you want to give. It sounds like you sound really passionate about this?
Speaker 2:I'm not seeing it up for you um, no, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's kind of so. The quick story is that we started in a movie theater things went well, but there's never a good spot for kids. We made it work. We started to find momentum. Covet hit just like the rest of everybody. Really, we lost 70 of our people. People, I mean it's crazy, yeah, because we couldn't find a place to gather. And then we finally found a place, but it was another church and it's on Sunday night, so that just killed all momentum. It was so hard. I mean, those were grueling years. There's two years of doing that. And then we found the school back in the area. So the theater is like downtown Queen Creek, which is like a good, like good downtown, you know, and so the school is like right by it. I mean, you can throw a rock to the theater, you know well, if you're Uncle Rico, but you know it's close enough. And so Napoleon Dynamite reference, that's old.
Speaker 1:So my millennial is showing and so, so, yeah, we're back in that area. So the church that we were meeting at was like way down South, 15 minutes the other direction, so that was so it almost felt like we were relaunching. So I had three goals. I said, okay, first goal is to fill up the first service, like pack it out. So it took like eight to 10 months to do that, so we're packing it out. Finally, then I was like, okay, now we need a couple months to roll out to our team. We're going to go to two services. Which services? Which is big, because we've never been to two services. So a lot of our people have been saved at our church. So for me it's like I grew up in church. We've done two services all the time serve one, sit one. All of that's natural to me, to these people. They're like what, what does that mean? How do we go to two services? So we had to really take our team leaders through it. So then I said, okay, our next goal, which we're in the middle of, is to completely fill both services. And so right now we have one of our services is already about 80% capacity, which is great the early service of all services, and then the later service is about 50% to 60%. So we need to really work on that.
Speaker 1:So the idea was we pack out both of these services. Our budget should reflect we can get really aggressive about getting land and building a building. So I knew, with the size we were at in the spot we're in, we could not afford a building loan with just one service filled with people. So, yeah, so last Sunday somebody came up to me, a random guy, and he was like hey, what's your plan? So I just told him that. I just told him everything. I told you. So now we're in the middle of the two services, but now we're starting to meet with a realtor because we're really believing that these two services will fill up soon. He's like cool, yeah, yeah, yeah. So you have a building fund. I'm like, yeah, I've never really on these other things first. So I didn't think anything of it. And then my finance guy called me later yesterday afternoon and was like hey, we just got a $42,000 check for a building fund. I was like, let's go.
Speaker 2:Okay, praise the Lord.
Speaker 1:So I'm assuming it was that guy. I don't know who it was, but let's go. So I'm super pumped, super grateful. So now we do have a building fund, you know, and uh so, yeah, we're excited.
Speaker 2:I feel like share that good news. That's a solid nod to uh, you know, you didn't even say anything and didn't even say that's the best kind of building campaign. Yeah, wait till you say something yeah, and isn't that great.
Speaker 1:I'll be able to start with that momentum like, hey, we already have this much in it, right um? So yeah, we're excited about that. The queen creek is a very I don't. Queen creek is like one of the fastest growing cities in america, which also means it's getting very expensive, right, so that thought's a bit overwhelming. Per acre is nothing like it used to be. So my dad bought property. It was like 20 000 an acre. Now it's I don't even want to know. I think it's near the near the million dollars and it's like definitely downtown.
Speaker 1:It's like insane so you'll try to go downtown somewhere, I imagine, if you can yeah, lord willing, we want to be as close to that area as possible, because that's like, yeah, because we're able to reach people from like different parts of like gilbert and chandler too. So, yeah, anyways, thanks for asking. I'm excited about it, pumped about it and again, I didn't even have to say nothing, so that's my favorite kind of campaign so far, that's so good.
Speaker 2:Well, before we wrap what? What's a few things that you would tell the new church planner or somebody that's thinking about church? You've been on an eight year journey. You've gone ups and downs, you stuck it out. You know you're seeing some great things happen right now, but what would you tell the new church planner?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would say I never understood the phrase, but I totally get it now. People overestimate what they can do in a year, underestimate what they can do in a decade. I think when God there's a book, God, there's a book, the Making of a Leader by Robert J Clinton. I would have them read that and realize, especially if you're younger like me, by God's grace he doesn't use us, he loves us. And so what I really love is now, when I look at the story of eight years, I hated it just of never having a huge success story, just slowly growing and then losing people and then growing a bit more. You know three steps ahead, two steps back. But when you read that book you realize, oh, God wants to do something powerful in me before he ever does something powerful through me. And so I think, realizing that church planning is a long game, God, God thinks in decades, we think in days, and so being very slow. And I have seen people start with a huge flash and a huge crowd and it dwindle away almost just as fast, Right. So I think there's something. I think there's something about being a lot wiser than we did and starting with more people than we did.
Speaker 1:But I wouldn't be too discouraged, starting small and being slow. What is that in Zephaniah? Do not despise small beginnings. So stay faithful, give at least a decade of your life to it and enjoy it. I'm just really grateful I at least had the mind to know. I think, because I'm a pastor's kid, I need to enjoy my kids. My family is so much more important than ministry. I know that to the core of my being and I think being a pastor's kid helped me learn that lesson fast. So it's like oh, at the end of the day, I would much rather have a thriving, healthy, happy marriage and family than a church. So work on that, first and foremost in your own soul, and just be grateful for all the the different parts of the journey.
Speaker 2:It's a long one. Yeah, yeah, amen, man, I love that, I love that. Persevere through it all, man, longevity is a big deal, right?
Speaker 1:Longevity matters.
Speaker 2:And I get. It's like most things. You don't, you don't see at the beginning, like you were saying, you know year one, you want to do big things, but it doesn't happen. But you stick at something for 10 years and you have a far better chance of success if you're thinking in 10-year periods versus one year. So I love that, trey. It's been great man. Thanks for coming on the show.
Speaker 1:Thanks so much, frank, appreciate you.
Speaker 2:Where should people go to find your website and where they can give to the building fund?
Speaker 1:My guy. Yeah, so you can learn about me at treyvancampcom, but our church is just pcchurch and you can do the next steps button on the bottom to give to the building fund if you would so desire. But I imagine these other church planners probably won't be doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. You never know, we'll try to get it out to everyone.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that other guy was doing this either. You know yesterday's check, so you never know what's gonna happen. But yeah, pcchurch, I'm super pumped.
Speaker 2:I landed that short url yeah, so so good yeah, that's where you can find us awesome man. Thanks trey. Thanks for coming on the show, thanks guys for listening and we will catch you next week on another episode of modern church leader. See ya.