Imagine Church Global - Exponential

Project: Imagine Church Global
Leader: Justin and Janae Klatt

Purpose

Imagine Church Global exists to help people who are unable to attend traditional church models, find consistent, face to face, Christ-centered community wherever they are located.

Project Categories

Digital Engagement and Technology Models and Methods
Disciple Making and Church Engagement
Methods and Models for Mobilizing Everyday Missionaries

Micro Models and Expressions
Other – Innovative, unique projects that may not fit in an identified category but still fulfill our mission of church multiplication

Big Idea and Overview

Imagine Church Global is a collective of organically-led communities that gather either online or in a local venue to help cultivate community discipleship and an authentic relationship with Jesus through interactive teachings, discussion and worship. Working toward this statement took many phases, research and development, trial and error, to attain this culture. We started in May 2017 in Phoenix, AZ, with a core group of team members devoted to planting a church. The first phase was a lot of research + development. For eight months, we worked with team members in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Oklahoma, and New York City, to try a new way of doing church. At the end of June 2018, we shifted from R+D and took several months to regroup, debrief, test new technology and refine our vision and mission field. After this stage, we launched our current model in February of 2019.

Customer / Mission Field Context

Imagine Church Global’s mission field is people who do not have access to the traditional church model. Whether they have limited access to a church because of their career or active lifestyle, or they are restricted because of physical health, remote location, incarceration, or deployment, Imagine Church provides an opportunity for consistent, face-to-face spiritual community.

Goals and Desired Outcomes

Help isolated men and women around the globe find a spiritual, Christ-centered community wherever they are.
Train, empower and release everyone to influence their local communities for Jesus by providing accessible, face-to-face community discipleship.
We desire to cultivate a culture of Jesus’ followers dedicated to personal growth and discipleship.
To help followers of Jesus see the “missional” possibilities around them, love their communities with bravery, and invite others into community with Jesus and others.
Help reduce the barriers for families and individuals to attend church together who would not usually be able to participate in community due to location or physical limitations.

Results and
Impact

We began with one community in 2018 and now have eight communities meeting, with several more in the launch pipeline.
In the last three years, we have had people attend face-to-face communities in 5 Continents, 12 Countries, 54 States, and over 270 Global Cities.
We currently have five women in the pipeline to receive their pastoral license.
Here is a story that represents other significant stories in Imagine: Sue, John and Jennifer are family members who live in 3 separate cities/states but have attended Imagine Church together for the last two years. Sue (mom) attends church from her adult living community in Chicago, Jennifer (daughter) is a flight attendant who attends from wherever she is located, and John (son) has begun attending from his home in a different suburb of Chicago after the community prayed for him for over a year.
Multiple physically restricted or bed-ridden men and women attend our communities. We have several who have joined from hospital beds or cancer treatment facilities.
Our worship team is a full-time traveling band, and they send worship songs from around the US. This story is a measurable result because it demonstrates that church does not have to happen in one location but can be accessible from around the globe.
In the last three years, we have had dozens of families or individuals who have been relocated and have had to change states or cities, but they have not had to change their church community.
We have seen baptisms take place around the country in partnership with other churches and local leaders. This example demonstrates a decentralization of leadership and a multiplication of disciples of Jesus.
The Core team and Community Builders (community leaders) of Imagine Church are distributed nationally throughout nine states. This data also demonstrates the multiplication of leadership and discipleship.