A special offering will be taken up on April 28th!
One House With Two Rooms
In late 2024, Radiant Church plans on launching our first campus, making us a multisite congregation. This is a significant step forward in our ten-year dream to plant life-giving ministries in this coastal region, comprised of Manistee, Mason, and Oceana Counties. Over the years, we’ve used the @radiantcoast social media handle, but to us, it’s so much more than just a name; it is a continual reminder of our mission and impact strategy. Both campuses, Ludington and Hart, will carry the name, heartbeat, and culture of Radiant Church while adapting to the specific needs of the communities they serve. Our new campus will have live in-person worship, prayer, kids and student ministries, groups, pastoral care, and more. Hart will receive a high-quality live video feed of the message from Ludington each week, helping keep us united as one church family. Regularly, there will be opportunities (special events, prayer gatherings, groups, interactive messages, etc.) for our two campuses to do life and ministry as one family. We will be better together as we share volunteers, financial resources, leadership, new outreach opportunities, more people activated in their giftings/callings, and Kingdom testimony wins!
Pray. Plan. Participate.
Pray.
The most critical aspect of preparing for this significant milestone in the life of our church is prayer. We must faithfully pray for this new church before we have dates, locations, and specific tasks. Please begin standing in the gap for the people of Oceana County.
Prayer needs: the campus to become a reality, missional opportunities, favor with local leaders, a building, finances, the word to spread, spiritual breakthrough, wisdom, etc.
Plan.
Many important decisions have already been made, including planting in Hart and deciding who our campus leaders will be (see below). However, a mountain of details still needs to be figured out. Questions, patience, and suggestions are all welcome.
The first part of this year will be focused on finalizing and strengthening existing ministries and procedures at the Ludington campus so we can “export” who we are.
Participate.
In the coming months, we will communicate the financial, project, and volunteer needs as they arise. Several launch meetings will be held to keep our church informed. Stay tuned because there will be many ways for everyone to get involved.
Future needs: financial donations, renovation projects, launch team members, local missionaries, cleaning/organizing, volunteer training, moving, and much more.
ISAIAH 60:9
"FOR THE COASTLANDS SHALL HOPE FOR ME"
Our Potential Reach From Hart, MI
32,108 PEOPLE IN A 30-MINUTE RADIUS
Hart + Shelby + Rothbury + New Era + Pentwater + Whitehall + Montague
15.1% Hispanic and underserved • 13.3% live in poverty • 8.2% Veterans • 23.1% struggling with depression • 15% binge drinking • only 26% are “religiously affiliated”
Campus Leaders Robert & Monica Saxton
Psalm 147:3 ESV says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” In this verse, the original Hebrew for “brokenhearted” is Shabar, which means shattered or broken. It is one who is like a cracked and splintered mirror, with shards everywhere and no way to begin putting oneself back together. The Hebrew word used for “heals” here is Rapha, which isn’t just basic improvement or back to normal health, but rather a full, restored, perfect healing. We are being planted in Oceana County and the surrounding area to be an example of Jesus and to be a beacon that will bring hope, restoration, and wholeness to the people in our community.
Our reach will expand beyond the city we are planted in. Because our campus will be located in a rural area, the community we will focus on will be within a 30-minute radius of the City of Hart. This expanded community approach will help us to be strategic in how we connect with and meet our community’s needs. If we reach just 1% of the population in this radius, we will have impacted 300 lives.
Whether it is through community groups, addiction recovery support, discovering freedom events, outreach programs, or other means, we will be a church that is focused on not just being in the community but also actively being a part of the community.
As a campus, we will bring the culture and DNA of who we are as Radiant Coast to this area. We will be an authentic representation of Jesus Christ committed to bringing the Gospel message. Jesus came that we may know and walk in a true identity with the Father. An identity of access and relationship.
Robert Saxton
Why Multisite?
The multisite model has proven to be an effective vehicle for outreach, volunteer mobilization, leadership development, revitalization, and regional impact. Along the way, the multisite movement has changed the church landscape for good across North America in some very tangible ways by:
• Refocusing on the “local” in the local church
• Accommodating and accelerating the needs of a growing church
• Repurposing antiquated church/community facilities
• Stimulating innovation and outside-the-box thinking
• Producing a pipeline for staff and leadership development
• Avoiding the need for expensive and unsustainable mega-campuses
• Creating a new staff role of campus pastor and volunteer leaders
• Bringing vibrant local churches to rural communities
• Stimulating new and more collaboration between churches
• Igniting a new energy for evangelism among church congregants
• Accelerating use and stewardship of existing resources and efforts