Multiplication

Fulfilling the Great Commission

We believe bringing people to Jesus, building people to live like Jesus, and sending people out to multiply like Jesus is one of the most effective ways to equip disciples who make disciples.

Our Vision — “10 in 10”

We have a vision of planting 10 churches in 10 years, reaching 10% of our community and beyond.

2014

Lifegate Church

Pine Hills Primary Plant

Pastor Nirup and Hannah Alphonse, along with 25 members, planted a church in Denver, Colorado. After meeting in an elementary school for 5 years, they purchased their current building and currently have 900-1000 in attendance.

2015

Fairview Fellowship Church

Pine Hills Primary Plant

Pastor Marc and Chelsea Buwalda along with 45 members, planted a church in Kendallville, Indiana. They started meeting in an elementary school and purchased their current building in 2021. They now have 300-400 in attendance.

2016

Graceway Church

Pine Hills Participating Plant

Pastor Dave and Theresa Martin, along with 35 members planted a church in Auburn, Indiana in the Kruse Plaza. Graceway Church is still in that location and ministering well.

2018

City Church

Pine Hills Primary Plant

Pastor Chris and Madison Freeman, along with 65 members, planted a church in downtown Fort Wayne with a vision to reach multi-ethnic, multi-economic, and generational congregants. City Church currently meets in a local meeting space, but purchased an abandoned grocery in 2021 and are pursuing renovations for that location.They have attendance of 600-700.

2020

Kingdom Collective

Pine Hills Partnership Plant

Pastor Nathan and Holly DeVaux, along with 35 members, planted a church in a gymnasium, during the pandemic. This plant was a partnership with one of our church plants, City Church, and Crossview Church. Collectively their launch team consisted of 60 members and their current attendance is 200-300.

2022

Pine Hills Auburn

Pine Hills Primary Plant

Matt and Stefanie Lehmann planted Pine Hills Auburn in November 2022 with weekly gatherings at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds. After spending the majority of their 17 years of marriage in the area, they are excited to continue serving the community they are so passionately involved in.

2023

Pine Hills Primary Plant — Fort Wayne, IN

Meet the Borjas Family

Phil and Natalie are our newest church planters! They reside in Fort Wayne with their three children Sariah (16), Emma (8), and Ezra (9 months). If they aren’t enjoying a movie and popcorn together, the Borjas family can definitely be found enjoying some yummy street tacos. Natalie works in social services and has a heart for people, particularly refugees and immigrants. Phil dedicated his life to Christ his senior year of high school and has served in ministry for 20+ years.

Married for nearly 18 years, Phil and Natalie were drawn to church planting because there are a lot of church people homeless and without a shepherd. There are also a lot of people who don’t know Jesus and wouldn’t step into a church. The Borjas’s heart is to reach both groups.

Q + A with Phil and Natalie Borjas

Q: Why are you planting a church?

A: “During a season of transition, we found ourselves visiting churches around town rather than being on staff for the first time in a while. We learned about church planting through a Pine Hills Instagram post – they were hosting a class  where they shared the Pine Hills vision for planting 10 churches in 10 years. With each Sunday that passed it was clear that the Lord was putting church planting on our hearts. Through our walk with the Lord we have not felt any doubt or reluctancy in this season. There has been a strong sense of peace from the first day we walked into Pine Hills Church.

The vision for our church plant is to cultivate a place where the presence of the Lord and the gospel message is the focal point.  A place where people are being discipled and forming community. The church plant will focus on connecting with and meeting the needs of the community through partnership with social service agencies. Our heart is to meet the needs of the least of these, spiritually and physically.”

Q: What do you need?

A: To be a successful, we need believers who are willing to step out in faith to be a part of the foundation of the church plant. We need people who are ready to serve and step in to meet the needs of the church. A successful church will need financial resources to cover costs for sound/lighting equipment, chairs, marketing, and possibly facility rental. One of our biggest challenges might be finding a facility that is suitable for weekly gatherings. As we pray and continue to walk in faith, We are trusting the Lord to show us a specific location with a building that is available. We know the Lord answers prayers which continues to confirm that we are right where we are suppose to be.

As a church, we would appreciate prayers for our family as we walk this journey; that the Lord would continue to have His hand of protection over our marriage and our children. We also ask that you pray over individuals and families that are interested in joining the church plant; that the Lord would bring direction, peace, and confirmation that they are going to be a vital part of the church plant.”

Church Planting Residency

We offer an opportunity for emerging church leaders to join our Church Planting Residency. The goal of our program is simple – to equip church planters to successfully launch a viable and sustainable church that brings people to Jesus, builds people to live like Jesus, and sends people to multiply like Jesus.

What is our church planting process?

1. We get to know you.

Through our relational process, we determine if there’s a fit between a potential planter and a sending church. During this phase, you will complete the Multiplication Residency application, various assessments, and multiple interviews that are focused on four key areas.

  • Chemistry: Are we a good fit for one another?
  • Competency: Does the planter have what it takes to plant a church?
  • Character: Is Jesus Lord of every aspect of the planter’s life?
  • Calling: Does the planter have a longing to be in a particular place to reach a particular group of people?

At the end of Phase 1, a candidate may be asked to continue to Phase 2.

2. Multiplication Residency

8 months – 1 year

This phase teaches residents the DNA, principles, and expectations of Pine Hills Church. We focus primarily on our mission, theology, and culture.

Most importantly, we invest in the person holistically. If a resident does not graduate or get matched to a church planting initiative, we are still committed to the person’s journey with Christ and the calling on their life.

At the end of Phase 2, a candidate may be asked to continue to Phase 3.

3. Church Planting Residency

8 months – 1 year

We empower and equip residents with the skills and principles they need to lead a T.A.P. (Target Analysis Process) Team to find the best location for a new church plant. A Launch Team is then identified and they spend the next months building a unique missional minded community that is being equipped to launch a healthy and viable church plant that will carry out the DNA of multiplication.

Certificate of Theology

A characteristic of every great leader is a continual desire to learn and grow. To assist with this we offer, through our affiliate conference the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, a unique opportunity to receive a Certificate of Theology. This is a one-of-a-kind partnership among three leading seminaries (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Bethel Seminary, and Denver Seminary) to provide a Master’s level seminary education to our planters.