How You Can Help

From August through January, we have been granted the opportunity to work with the Richland Hills church family and the Farmers Branch church family for a time of equipping. Our work will focus in worship and spiritual formation—my main roles as co-leader of the church plant.

As you can imagine, the opportunity to work with these church families is fantastic! But we need some help to make it possible. Claudia and I are raising support for the following two areas: full-time support for our six month apprenticeship, and the remaining 25% of our church planting salary. We are looking for fifty families to pledge fifty dollars a month for one year (or whatever amount people believe God has placed on their hearts). These gifts, combined with commitments from Richland Hills and other church families, will supply all of our funding needs for the next three years! After three years, we hope our new church will be self-sustaining. Would you consider partnering with us in this way?

Claudia and I will be living in the DFW area in less than one month! We can hardly believe our move is coming so quickly. We are super excited about what God has in store for our apprenticeship this Fall, and our efforts with the church plant beyond!

Thanks to all who have offered encouragement and prayers.

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger Hunt: a picture with both the I-40 bridge and the Pyramid in the frame.

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger Hunt: the Orpheum Theater

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger Hunt: a picture with bar-be-que. Kind of.

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger Hunt: a sporting event at FedEx Forum. Look at those monkey arms!

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger Hunt: a Memphis Museum

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger Hunt: a music group performing on Beale Street

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger Hunt: a picture with Elvis

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger Hunt: the worst souvenir. This is a purse. Yikes.

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger Hunt: a crazy hat.

Memphis Scavenger Hunt

 

Memphis Scavenger hunt: The Peabody Ducks (yes, they're in there).

Some of the Church Plant Vision, and our Target Group

The Vision

Imagine a new church that radiates with the glory of God. Imagine a church planted in the United States that reaches the lost of the next generation. Envision a church that gives everything to join God in mission; a church that reaches hundreds of unbelievers with God's good news; a church that fosters authentic community; a church that spiritually forms each of its members in the character of Christ; a church that serves the poor and downtrodden; a church that reproduces and plants other churches; a church that participates in a nationwide church planting movement. Ryan and Claudia Porche have chosen to partner with Charles and Julie Kiser to plant just such a church.

The Target Group

The target group toward which the Kisers and Porches intend to aim their church planting efforts is next generation young adults—Busters (1965-1983) and Millennials (1984-2002)—people much like themselves. This target group is largely unfamiliar with the Christian story. It consists of people in their 20s and 30s; young singles; young professionals; young families; well-educated; ethnically diverse. The next generation is highly spiritual in orientation, anti-institutional, and suspicious of traditional forms of Christianity. The couples desire to plant a church that revisions and lives out the way of God in such a manner that the next generation longs to join.

Announcement from the Porches

Dear friends,

Yesterday, Claudia and I announced our plans to resign from the Highland Street Church in Memphis. We will be partnering with our friends Charles and Julie Kiser to plant a church somewhere in the greater Dallas area beginning next spring. Beginning in August, we will transition to the DFW area to begin a six month apprenticeship period with the Farmers Branch Church family and the Richland Hills Church family.

We are so very excited! Church planting is something both Claudia and I have thought and prayed about for years. It has been amazing to examine how God has worked in each of our hearts--both as individuals and now as a married couple--as He has nurtured this desire for church planting. While we are saddened to say goodbye to so many wonderful people in Memphis, we are very eager to set out on this adventure and see what God has in store!

Clearly, this is going to be a whirlwind of a transition over the next few months. We still have a lot of work to do. Please check back on this page frequently, we intend to post much more information about our plans and keep all of you informed of our progress.