Nuvo

Project: Nuvo Church

Leader: Patrick Holden

Website: nuvochurch.org

Purpose

Nuvo is creating space for people to explore and integrate faith through unique digital/physical expressions.

Project Categories

  • Church Planting and Funding Model
  • Digital Engagement and Technology Models and Methods

Big Idea and Overview

Nuvo began as a church plant with 3 families living in different parts of the country who wanted to launch in Columbus, OH. We believed we could leverage technology to build a launch team, donor base, and garner momentum from a distance before ever arriving in the city. What if it was possible to move to a brand new city and have a team of people excited and mobilized long before we arrived? We began this process Pre-Covid and then the pandemic forced us to deeply live within the concept even after we arrived.

We are successfully building that launch team in the Pre-Launch Phase (full launch September 2021). We utilize digital services, digital groups, in person- groups, and Pop-Up Gatherings in different parts of the city to attract and mobilize people to Nuvo. Our hope is to create a scalable model of in person gatherings, partnered with a unique digital presence to reach agnostics and people “de-constructing” their faith.

Milestones:

  • Launched first Pop-Up Gathering with 80 people 9 months before launch

  • 1.3 Million committed in a funding model spread over 4 years

  • 1/4 of the launch team would identify as agnostic or de-churched

  • Received this compliment: “This is the first time I’ve ever been to a church where I didn’t feel like I had to give disclaimers before I invited someone else.” – Josh

Customer / Mission Field Context

Columbus, Ohio is home to 2.1 million people, in the top 10 fastest growing cities for young families, and the #1 fastest growing cities for start-ups. The Atlantic said, “Columbus has more new businesses that grow to 50 or more employees in their first 10 years than any other major metropolitan area in the country.” Columbus is also a test market for several large companies because of it’s “All-American” city feel. As exciting as those numbers are, the truth is that you could fill Ohio Stadium (102,780) 9 times with the number of people who are disconnected from faith and/or the local church. Our target person would be one of those people. We call them Nuvo Nick and Nuvo Natalie.

NUVO NICK & NUVO NATALIE ARE…

  • Unchurched but might identify as “spiritual”
  • Entrepreneurial and hungry to grow their capacity and influence
  • 28-42 years old with an income between $80K-$250K
  • Married with young kids + dog
  • Socially active and willing to take risks
  • Globally conscience and cause driven – wanting to make a difference.

NUVO NICK & NUVO NATALIE LIKE…

  • The freedom to choose
  • Fitness and healthy food… and Crossfit
  • Vacationing with family to the beach
  • Listening/watching TED talks, Joe Rogan’s podcast, or non-fiction books on audible
  • Quality craft coffee, wine, beer and eating experiences
  • Using a Mac and staying active on social media
  • Clean & simple style
  • Visual communication
  • To check Yelp before going anywhere
  • Get news and important information on phone

NUVO NICK & NUVO NATALIE DO NOT LIKE…

  • Judgmental people and insincerity
  • Mediocrity, laziness, and cheap things
  • You to waste their time/resources
  • Being forced/coerced to do things
  • Assumptions without logic (back it up please)
  • Clutter or overly complicated stuff

NUVO NICK & NUVO NATALIE STRUGGLE WITH…

  • Feeling as though they outsmarted the faith they were handed as kids
  • Occasionally deal with doubts and questions about “the Divine”
  • Marriage, parenting, and loneliness
  • Pornography
  • Workaholism (Work & Home Balance)
  • Knowing how to manage money
  • Keeping healthy relationships
  • Identity issues (multiethnic, achievement)
  • Contentment
  • Long-term commitment

Goals and Desired Outcomes

  1. Create a scalable approach to live/in-person gatherings that models

    financial sustainability and fuels exponential versions of live expressions.

  2. Create an online presence that encapsulates multiple avenues of content offering and communal development.

  3. Provide helpful and thought-provoking content for the person who is currently deconstructing their faith and/or the person who would now identify as agnostic.

  4. Build a sustainable model that fuels internal campus-ing and external church planting with like-minded leaders in similar city situations.

  5. Develop discipleship pathways for kids/teenagers that equips them for a faith of their own after high school.

Results and
Impact

  • 80 people at our first Pop-Up Gathering.

  • 31.2 thousand video views to date through Facebook/YouTube.

  • The number of agnostics that currently attend our church and/or are on our launch team.

  • The effectiveness of our Cold Call Strategy through Facebook to build a launch team.