Vertical Church, I can’t say it enough — God is on the move. We are living in a season of divine momentum, and it’s a joy to be on this journey with you. Let’s continue to pray, serve, give, and grow — not for our name, but for the glory of Jesus Christ, who is building His church through ordinary people like us. Let’s continue to pray that God will make a Kingdom difference through us that is utterly disproportionate to who we are!

With a full heart and deep gratitude,
Pastor Rich

As we move through the first quarter of the year, here is a quick financial update: We are currently $16,158 behind our budget for the year. In March, offerings totaled $80,357, while our budgeted need was $83,725. Our weekly offering needs remain $16,475.

Church, I humbly ask you to pray and consider how you might step out in faith in generosity. Scripture calls us to a heart of cheerful, faith-filled giving. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 reminds us: "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Your giving makes a tangible difference — fueling ministry, impacting lives, and expanding God’s Kingdom in our community and beyond. Let’s continue to trust Him with all we have and watch Him provide in ways we never imagined.

This is not a season to settle or step back. This is a season of preparation—a season where God is shaping, refining, and readying us for what’s next. Let’s press in deeper, pray bolder, and serve and give with greater passion than ever before.

I love you, I’m praying with and for you, and I’m honored to walk this journey with you. Let’s keep going after Him with all we’ve got — the best is yet to come!

4HisGlory,
Pastor Rich

11.20.2024

Vertical Church Celebration
November 17, 2024 @ 6:00 p.m.
The Celebration opened with three songs:

Denia lead the church body in prayer.

Rodney led a devotion about communion and reminded us to examine our hearts at a time of silence.  Rodney read the scripture 1 Corinthians 11:23 – 29.  The body took communion together, and Rodney led us in prayer.  

After communion, Benson opened the business section of the meeting.

Benson introduced the current Elders – Rodney Dilbeck, Chris Kermode, and himself, Benson Davenport.

Next, he opened the floor to questions about the budget handed out earlier.  

Dan Zickefoose asked how he could make a good decision based on the budget, which was only broken down into six items.  Benson stated that the budget presented was exactly like last year and that he believes there should be conversations in the future about a more detailed process.  He also said that the stewardship committee and the elders have access to the detailed budget and make decisions before being brought to the church.

The question was asked: where do we stand in the budget compared to the income?  Benson said that we have cut back and did not spend last year’s budget, so we should be okay with it by the end of the year.

Mike Cheesman asked, “Does the 2025 budget include the new hires?”.  The answer was yes; the amount in the budget is for being fully staffed.

Patty Vanoven questioned what it would look like when we were fully staffed. Benson explained that currently, there are 127 people in attendance per staff member. We need to increase the staff, so we will try to bring an executive pastor and an associate/Vertical Students pastor on board.

Steve Ellis wanted to know the ideal ratio and was told it is 87 per staff member.

Rick Williams asked about the executive pastor’s role. He was told that the executive pastor would oversee the staff, members, and the building.

Philip Hines wanted to know the timeline for the new positions.  Benson stated that they want to fill those positions as soon as possible.  Philip questioned whether the hiring process will be transparent to the people it will affect.  He was told that the pastor would review the candidates, and then the personnel team would decide who to hire.

Benson asked if there were any more questions, and upon hearing none, the meeting moved to the next stage.

Benson stated that the Elders had already met, made motions, and seconded them to bring the following candidates to the church body.  Therefore, he had each future team members introduce themselves and their spouses.

Future Elder – Bill Thomason and wife Michelle: Bill has attended Vertical for 5 years.  His father passed away when Bill was very young, so he was raised by his mom in a Christian home.  He was saved in 7th grade at a church camp and has held several volunteer positions at different churches and camps.  He served as a camp counselor, Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday School teacher, and camp board member. Bill currently leads a small group in his home.  He and his wife Michelle have two children.

Future Stewardship Committee Member –
David River Luecke and wife Laura:
River has been a partner at Vertical Church for almost two years and serves on the Uncommon Men’s Conference and Guest Services teams.

Amy Pritchett and husband John: They have attended the church since 2014 and have been partners since 2015.  Amy grew up in church.  Amy works on the counting team, and John works on the tech team and with Vertical Students.

Benson introduced the personnel team members Bob Hinton and Beth Howard.  Benson clarified that Bob works for him at Titan Construction, but they prayed and agreed they could work together on this team without conflict of interest.  Benson shared that he (Benson) is the elder who serves on the team and is more of just a conduit of information to and from the team.

Personnel Team Committee Member –
Jill Popp and husband Bobby:  Jill has attended Vertical church for over ten years.  As a couple, they serve in Vertical Kids and help lead a small group, “Friday Night Lights.”  

The question was raised, “Who is on the Stewardship Team?”  Benson informed them that Hollie Ambrose and Kent Walden were the other two team members.  

Benson prayed over the candidates.

Next, the church partners were asked to come to the iPads at the front of the church to vote on the budget and the future members of the team.

Sheila Odom, Business Administrator; Benson Davenport, Head Elder; and Matt Beuligmann, Member at large, reviewed the results again. 101 partners voted. The budget passed, and the candidates were elected with a majority vote.

The business portion ended, and Pastor Rich began the celebration.

Pastor Rich shared that a young lady was saved after 2nd service, and the light will be on next Sunday.  He explained the You Version Bible App, where Vertical attendees can take notes, the Church Center App, where you can watch live on Sunday, and the 411 communication on the app.

Items to be praised:

Kids Camp: There were an average of 131 kids per day, with 3 to 5 salvations. He also shared that Nicki Thurston is reaching out to see if Vertical could be a training center for the company that publishes our materials.

Vertical Students: Attendance averages 107 students. Eight salvations have occurred in the last six weeks. A Student Discipleship class will also start soon on Sunday mornings to help disciple the new converts.

In 2024, as a church, we had 30 salvations and 24 baptisms.

Pastor Rich closed with a devotion on Soul Care, using Isaiah 43:18 – 19 and Mark 2:22 focusing on our personal posture of: hands open to praise God, palms open to receive from God, and arms open to embrace what God is doing. He said, "We need to become new wineskins."

The worship team led us in the song “New Wine.”  

Pastor Rich returned and invited the church to join him in becoming new wineskins, ready for the newness that the Lord Jesus was pouring into us by making a commitment through reading the following statement. 

 
“We will choose to be new wineskins ready to receive the newness and freshness of ministry that Jesus is pouring into us to fulfill the Kingdom mission that He is calling us to.”

Pastor Rich closed in prayer. 

Benson Davenport, Moderator
Sheila Odom, Clerk

11.12.2024

Hey Church, just a reminder of our upcoming Vertical Celebration this Sunday night at 6pm. It’s a special time we set aside to praise Jesus together, reflect on what He is doing among us, and look forward to His plans for our church. As a congregation, we believe that the mission of Jesus is accomplished best when we partner together in unity and purpose. During this time, we will also be voting on our church’s 2025 proposed budget and affirming key Kingdom difference-makers—Elder, Personnel Team, and Stewardship Team members. They are called to support our church family as we pursue our mission of Making More and Better Disciples of Jesus Christ.

Please be praying for them as they seek to serve Jesus and our church family in these vital roles. May God grant them wisdom, discernment, and a deep love for His church as they prepare to step into this season. We look forward to celebrating together, and we encourage each of you to come with hearts open to worship and ready to participate in what God is doing in and through Vertical. Let’s gather as one church family to praise, pray, and partner for the Kingdom work ahead. We look forward to seeing you there!

Elder: Bill Thomason
Personnel Team: Jill Popp
Stewardship Team: Amy Pritchett & River Luecke

4HisGlory!
Pastor Rich

11.03.2024

Hello Church,

We are thrilled to invite you to join us for our Vertical Celebration on Sunday, November 17th, at 6 pm! (6p-7:30p) This special gathering is an opportunity to come together as a church family and praise Jesus for all He has done through our community throughout 2024. We’ll look back and celebrate His faithfulness and blessings, honoring how He has moved in each ministry area and our lives individually. There is so much to be grateful for, and we can’t wait to worship and rejoice with you.

As part of the evening, our church partners will have the opportunity to vote on the proposed 2025 budget and new elder and personnel team nominees. We’ll also share a glimpse into the vision God has given us for the year ahead—where we believe He is leading us as we continue to grow and reach out to our community and beyond.

The evening will include a time of worship and personal reflection through communion as we come together in unity and reverence. Let’s set aside this time to thank God for His provision, seek His guidance, and celebrate our future together as a church. We hope to see you there, ready to praise His and commit our plans to His will!

4HisGlory!

Pastor Rich

Click on the button below to see the proposed 2025 budget.

10.15.2024

Hello Vertical Family,

Welcome to Vertical 411. As a way to communicate how God is moving in our church and what is coming next, we have launched this digital avenue as an experiment to keep our church family informed. Enjoy! 

We praise God and celebrate all He is doing in and through Vertical Church! This year, we’ve witnessed 20 salvations and 24 baptisms—each representing a life transformed by the power of the gospel and going public with their faith. These moments are a powerful reminder of why we exist as a church: to Make More and Better Disciples of Jesus Christ. We are thankful for every heart that has responded to God’s call, and we celebrate with our church family for these incredible testimonies of His grace.

In addition to these spiritual milestones, we are excited to share some coming updates around our church! Keep your eyes open over the next several months. You will notice some changes in the lobby. We’re making updates to continue to create a warm, welcoming space for everyone who walks through our doors. Our merch store will also be refreshed with new items that represent the heart and mission of Vertical. When they drop, be sure to stop by and check out the latest gear! We are also thrilled to announce that we are in the developmental stage of a new ministry we will experiment with to help better connect our guests and those who are new with us at Vertical. 

As we continue to step into all that God has for us, we ask that you join us in prayer for the next season of our church. We are in the process of building our team and are currently searching for an Executive Pastor, Associate Pastor/Director of Student Ministry, and Worship Leader. Please lift up these roles in prayer as we seek the right leaders to help carry forward the vision and mission of Vertical Church. We are also in the final stages of interviewing candidates for a campus custodian and will soon begin the search for an office administrator. Your prayers are vital as we trust God’s timing and provision for each of these important positions.

God has also blessed us with incredible opportunities to serve our community through our Community Impact Team. Recently, we partnered with Toyota Christian Fellowship and the Isaiah 1:17 Project for their Dreamcycle event, which helped bring joy and support to foster families and children they were blessing. Additionally, we had the privilege of leading the concession stand during Gibson Southern’s 50th anniversary night football game, connecting with many in our local community.

We are eagerly preparing for our upcoming Trunk or Treat event on October 27th, where we expect to engage with over 1,000 people. These events are an extension of our mission to share Christ's love beyond the church's walls, and we’re excited to see how God will continue to use these partnerships for His glory.

Finances 

As we step forward in faith, we also want to share an update on our financial picture. Through September 2024, our total offerings have reached $562,839, compared to a budget of $671,971. While we are behind where we’d hoped to be, we are ahead of where we were last year at this time and are working diligently to be good stewards of the resources God has entrusted us. We remain confident in God’s provision and trust Him as we finish the year. We are so grateful for your faithful giving, which enables us to fulfill our mission and invest in the ministries that impact lives within our church and the community. If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, we encourage you to prayerfully consider how you might partner with us in this season.

We believe the best is yet to come for Vertical Church, and we can’t wait to see how God will continue to move among us. Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we’re making an eternal impact!

If you have any questions, please feel free to connect with our elders, as they are here to lead, serve, and love this amazing church.

Praying God is blessing you greatly!
The Vertical Leadership