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God has made it clear that it's time for Soul City to make room for more people to find and follow Jesus.
Download the Ready for More Devotional
We want you to take your next step toward transformation and generosity with prayer and faith
as your starting point.
Next
Steps
As you go to God in prayer, use this three-step, faith-forming process:
ASK
Quiet your heart and mind, and ask God: How are you leading me to be ready for more? The first step in your journey toward transformation is to ASK for it.
Quiet your heart and mind, and ask God: How are you leading me to be ready for more? The first step in your journey toward transformation is to ASK for it.
BELIEVE
Trust God to guide you in your transformation journey. He can do more than you have ever hoped or imagined. BELIEVE He will provide you with what He’s invited you to give.
Trust God to guide you in your transformation journey. He can do more than you have ever hoped or imagined. BELIEVE He will provide you with what He’s invited you to give.
COMMIT
Decide to bravely step into this faith-raising adventure. COMMIT to giving in a way that stretches and deepens your faith like never before.
Decide to bravely step into this faith-raising adventure. COMMIT to giving in a way that stretches and deepens your faith like never before.
I'm Ready!
Are you ready to take the next step?
Fill out the digital commitment card and start your faith raising journey as we declare together we're Ready for More!
I/We intend to give over and above our regular giving for the next two years in the following way:
$9 Million Dollar Goal
$15,000
$9 Million
We sense yet again that God is
calling us out into greater faith.
Our Vision
As we look back on the story of our church, one phrase comes to mind: “Only God!” God has provided for us above and beyond our wildest dreams. And as we look ahead at where God is leading us, we sense yet again that He is calling us out into greater faith. He is inviting us to make room for more people to find and follow Jesus.
Starting Soul City Church has changed our lives forever. We are not the same people we once were. We are beyond grateful to God for the privilege of being a part of this great faith adventure. And we believe that every follower of Jesus deserves the opportunity to experience the same.
We are inviting you to join with us, and with God, as we expand the vision and ministry potential of our church. We believe God has given us the vision to launch two new Soul City churches over the next two years—one to the west and one to the north. We sense He is inviting us to build a House of Hope at our West Loop church to provide a safe and sacred space for help, hope and healing for people inside and outside the walls of Soul City Church. And we believe God is inviting us to develop a Soul City Studio to create new resources to be shared with you and others around the world.
Our greatest desire for Ready for More is to see our church grow closer with God by praying bigger prayers than we’ve ever prayed before. Our hope is to see your faith grow like never before as you partner with God in this great faith adventure.
Love,
Jarrett & Jeanne Stevens
Founding & Lead Pastors
Soul City Church
Resources
Ready for More FAQ
WHAT IS READY FOR MORE?
Ready for More is a two-year faith-raising initiative of Soul City Church. Your transformation is the primary goal of Ready for More. Our hope is to see 100% of our church grow closer to God as we declare together that we are Ready for More!
The secondary goal of Ready for More is to raise $9 million to expand our mission to lead people into a transforming relationship with Jesus. We will launch two new Soul City churches—one to the west and one to the north—and we will build a physical House of Hope and Soul City Studio at our West Loop church. Ready for More will allow Soul City to make more room for more people to find and follow Jesus.
WHERE WILL THE TWO NEW SOUL CITY CHURCHES BE LOCATED?
The church is better seven days a week, instead of just one. And we know this happens best when people live close to their church, because they can more easily be involved in attending, serving,, and inviting their friends to church.
Over the past year, we conducted extensive research to learn more about the areas where our most committed people live in order to identify the best locations to start the next expressions of Soul City. Through this study, we identified a significant concentration of Soul City people living to the west and the north of our West Loop church.
The exact locations for the two new churches have not yet been identified. The new church to the west will serve the areas of Oak Park, Forest Park, River Forest, Maywood, Elmwood Park, Austin and the surrounding villages and neighborhoods.
WHY IS SOUL CITY CHOOSING TO EXPAND NOW?
The original vision of Soul City Church has always been to be a church in multiple locations. And now God has made it clear that it is time for Soul City to make room for more people to find and follow Jesus.
As Soul City’s leadership began to prayerfully consider a faith-raising campaign to support the launching of two new locations, fundraising consultants were brought in to help guide and direct the process.
WHEN ARE THE NEW CHURCHES LAUNCHING?
The West side location is projected to launch late 2020. The North Side location is projected to launch in 2021. West Loop addition will break ground in late 2020/early 2021.
WHAT ARE THE PLANS TO EXPAND THE WEST LOOP LOCATION?
As a part of this faith raising campaign, we will add on to the back of our space, building a physical House of Hope that will provide safe and sacred space for help, hope and healing for people inside and outside the walls of Soul City Church. In addition, this space will serve as our first local expression of Love Works hosted at our church. We will also add space for a Tools for Transformation recording studio to enable the resources that are created at Soul City Church like podcasts, original worship music, devotionals and books to be used around the world.
IS THE CURRENT CHURCH MODEL AND LEADERSHIP CHANGING?
Over the next few years Soul City will become a church in multiple locations. Each of these churches will be given the responsibility of living out Soul City’s mission and vision through worship, teaching, small groups and ministries such as Soul City Kids, Love Works & Alpha.
Each location will include live worship, led by the Soul City Worship team, and live teaching by Pastors Jarrett, Jeanne and our teaching team. In some instances, video simulcasts will be utilized for guest speakers or special weekend gatherings, such as the Anniversary.
The objective is to replicate the essential parts of Soul City Church, the parts core to our mission that have fueled our growth over the last ten years, while also giving each church the time and space to develop ministries designed to reflect their local context.
Soul City will operate with a centralized leadership model that consists of the Founding Lead Pastors & Executive team, along with local pastors from both the West Side and North Side churches that will oversee the vision and strategy of the church. A portion of the staff team will represent “shared services” and support all three churches in areas such as operations, accounting and human resources. Soul City will also continue to be governed by one common elder board with representation from each of the three churches.
How will we ensure the new churches have the Soul City essentials?
Soul City’s mission, vision, values, transformational teaching, and look and feel will be consistent throughout the three churches. That being said, we recognize that our newest churches will be in the very beginning of their lives and our West Loop church will be almost 10 years old, so there will be differences. The centralized leadership and oversight from our founding Lead Pastors and Executive team will also ensure that as these new churches are launched and maturing, they are 100% Soul City while also being uniquely contextualized to their local communities.
DO WE KNOW WHO THE LEAD PASTORS ARE TODAY?
Our Lead Pastors and executive team of Soul City church are in the process of prayerfully considering who will be the local pastors of the two new churches. They are not identified as of today. Our preference is to raise up from within, but that won’t limit who we consider. The formal search and interview process for the West Side Pastor is currently underway.
HOW YOU FOUND PHYSICAL BUILDINGS FOR THE NEW CHURCHES? WILL SOUL CITY BUY OR LEASE?
We don’t currently have properties selected but are working with a real estate team, made up of Soul City Church people and outside experts to identify potential locations. Our preference would be to lease or purchase a space that would give us the ability to do ministry seven days a week, but we are always open to God surprising us with something beyond our best plans.
HOW DO I DETERMINE WHICH LOCATION I WILL BE A PART OF?
That’s really a process for you and God! We encourage you to ask God where you can best plant roots, where you can grow and serve, where you can most naturally invite your friends and family who are far from God. But we won’t ever tell anyone which church they should be a part of. For those that are feeling called to help start the new churches, we will be forming a launch team for each.
Financial Questions
WHAT IS SOUL CITY’S CURRENT FINANCIAL STATE?
Soul City’s current annual budget is $3.4M which is a 26% increase over 2018’s $2.7M budget. Based on July through December giving in FY 2020, Soul City is performing at 110% of the budget. We are amazed at the outpouring of God’s generosity through the faithful giving of the Soul City community. Below is a snapshot of Soul City’s financial position six months into FY2020.
| SOUL CITY FINANCIAL POSITION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cash/ Current Assets | $1,230,068 | |
| Fixed Assets | $18,454,248 | |
| Total Assets | $19,684,316 | |
| Current Liabilities | $172,494 | |
| Long Term Liabilities | $7,755,641 | |
| Total Liabilities | $7,928,135 | |
| Total Equity | $11,756,181 | |
| Total Liabilities and Equity | $19,684,316 | |
HOW WILL THE $9M BE UTILIZED?
Soul City desires to launch the two new campuses in a manner that will support the successful development of transformative ministry in their unique communities. The funds to be raised would be earmarked to provide support in key ministry areas for a period up to 24 months from launching.
- Real estate, land development, construction, and/or renovation costs for two buildings.
- Personnel cost for 3.5 full time staff at two locations for up to 24 months.
- Ministry / Operations budget at two locations for up to 24 Months.
- West Loop ministry expansion by constructing House of Hope & Transformation Studio addition in support of Big Six Vision.
- Creation of shared services roles to support all three locations.
- Campaign costs.
DOES SOUL CITY CURRENTLY HAVE ANY DEBT?
Yes. Soul City’s current debt was incurred over the first seven years of ministry as a way to secure capital resources to support the numerous Only God opportunities. As a new church, Soul City was able to lease our first location rent-free for two years and then a loan was secured to purchase the initial property to house the growing ministry. This is exceptionally rare in Church Planting stories!
The next Only God moment occurred when Soul City was presented with the option to purchase the vacant 25,000SF lot adjacent to the original location. Securing this land made way for expansion of the current West Loop location. Soul City’s current debt balance is 39% of total asset value and within the range of acceptable debt ratios. The financing of $7.7M in debt has allowed Soul City to obtain over $18M in fixed assets (buildings, land, equipment).
WILL WE TAKE ON NEW DEBT FOR THE TWO NEW CHURCHES AND THE WEST LOOP EXPANSION?
No. We will not incur new long-term debt to finance the two new churches. If needed to secure/renovate space for the new churches a bridge loan option may be discussed with our financial institution.
ARE WE CURRENTLY MAKING PAYMENTS ON OUR LOAN?
Soul City is current with our monthly loan payments. FY 2021 budget development will seek to identify funds to accelerate paying down debt. The Lead Pastors and executive team of Soul City are prayerful that if Ready For More generosity responses overflow the $9M goal, additional loan principal payments could be made.
DO TITHES AND OFFERINGS GIVEN TO THE NEW CHURCHES STAY AT THE NEW CHURCHES?
We are currently discerning and investigating best practices related to resource allocation that would allow the newest churches to grow to a place of self-sustainability while supporting each Soul City Church to flourish in its unique locations.
