UACP: Ministry Overview

Urban Atlanta Church Planting is…
A cooperative effort of Atlanta Association of Southern Baptists and Atlanta Metro Baptist Association to intentionally plant healthy, reproducing congregations inside Atlanta’s perimeter (ITP) that produce community transformation by:
• Praying for lost and unchurched people on a daily 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.

Urban Atlanta Church Planting – Our goals for the five year period 2009-2014...
• Plant at least 50 churches with traditional organizational structures
• Begin at least 50 cell and or house churches
• Begin at least 100 Bible study/fellowship groups
• Conduct at least 200 significant servant evangelism/acts of kindness events

Urban Atlanta Church Planting – Birth of a Dream…
Urban Atlanta Church Planting was born after much prayer and many discussions between Lester Cooper, Atlanta Association of Southern Baptists Associational Missionary, and Joel Harrison, Atlanta Metro Baptist Association of Churches Lead Missionary. Tim Wolfe, 1027 Church pastor, and Fred Pitts, Clairmont Hills pastor, became participants in the process at the request of Lester Cooper and Joel Harrison.

Urban Atlanta Church Planting – The NEED INSIDE THE PERIMETER (ITP) …
• Approximately 877,000 people live ITP.
• It is estimated that over 525,000 people living ITP have no religious affiliation.
• It is estimated that over 610,000 people ITP are not church members.
• It is estimated that over 760,000 people living ITP do not attend church.
• 41% of the population ITP lives in rented housing. Typically 95% of those living in multi-housing/apartments/condos do not attend church.
• Only 28% of the total households ITP have children. Baptists are traditionally “better” at reaching married couple households with children.
• 68% are single and 15% are single parents.
• 65% of the total population is under the age of 45.
• People of Hispanic origin (18% projected increase), Blacks (9% increase) and Whites (9% increase) are projected to be the fastest growing ITP population segments between now and 2014.
• The median age of people living ITP is 36.2 years of age. This is considerably less than those attending most ITP Baptist churches.
• 45% of the adult population has a college degree or higher.
• Many ITP 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 Baptist churches are dying, declining, or just holding their own. 92 of 160 Atlanta Baptist churches have closed or moved outside the perimeter since 1960.

Urban Atlanta Church Planting – 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. These congregations would be led by missionary pastors who have a vision and real desire to intentionally reach unchurched and lost people.

Urban Atlanta Church Planting – Our partners...
Atlanta Association of Southern Baptists, Atlanta Metro Baptist Association, Georgia Baptist Convention, North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, LifeWay Christian Resources

Urban Atlanta Church Planting – Some of our leaders...
• Samuel Aleman, Pastor, Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Metro Atlanta
• David Bunch, retired state convention executive director and retired HMB (NAMB) staff
• Joel Harrison, Lead Associational Missionary, Atlanta Metro Baptist Association
• Jim Haskell, Pastor, FBC Chattahoochee and Interim UACP Strategist
• Fred O. Pitts, Pastor, Clairmont Hills Baptist Church
• Tony Romans, Associational Missionary, Atlanta Association of Southern Baptist Churches
• Tim Wolfe, Pastor, 1027 Church

Urban Atlanta Church Planting – urbanatlantachurchplanting.com or uacp.net

© 2009 UACP – Atlanta, GA