How They Started: Captivate Church

Tally Wilgis started Captivate Church in Baltimore last October. He raised over $325,000, recruited a team of 7 college interns, and inherited a million dollar facility in the downtown area.

In their first month, Captivate reached 141 people and saw 24 decisions to follow Jesus.

But you need to know the back-story. Because there are conditions that make or break a new church before it starts.

In 2004, Tally planted a church in Chesapeake, Virginia that operated for four years without breaking 100 people. They started with no help from a mother church and could never spring out of an unhealthy spin cycle.

After many attempts to reinvent themselves, Tally pulled the plug and moved back to his childhood home of Baltimore, where he grew up as an inner-city, latch-key kid to a single mother.

It was a case of DEEP ROOTS. Tally moved back to his hometown. He knew the streets. He knew the community. And the church he inherited in the city? It was his home church where he first discovered Jesus as a kid.

Captivate Church

This is a series of posts based on my book Church in the Making (B&H, April 1) which explains what makes or breaks a new church before it starts...

1. GOOD GROUND
2. ROLLING ROCKS
3. DEEP ROOTS

Comments

[Justin Snyder]

I'm looking forward to your book. I remember interviewing Tally years back when I was at SBCV. A lot of your church planting stories are close to home for me. Can't wait to read it!

[Arlie]

Ben,
Thanks for lunch yesterday. I'm excited your writing ministry. I'm going email a link to your blog to my dad.

Bless you!

Arlie

[Ben Arment]

thanks Arlie and Justin...

[Chris]

I remember the church Tally planted in Chesapeake. I visited it one Sunday. I'm glad to hear he was able to branch out. I'm actually looking forward to your book, which says a lot because I gave up on church planting books a long time ago. It seems like you would be against (based on your research) parachute drops of all kinds unless they were in someone's hometown? One of the things I tell people that was good about our plant is that we lived in the city here for 2.5 years before the church launched. The amount of networking that built for us in the community is huge.

[Nick Blevins]

Chris,

I can't speak for Ben, but it looks like some of the rolling rocks and good ground examples are of people who were "parachuted in", but, they parachuted in to fertile soil.

I do remember more of the posts being about deep roots than the other 2.

[Ben Arment]

Chris, I edited your comment slightly because while I appreciate a straight-shooter, that was a little mean spirited.

I don't condemn parachute drop plants. But I advocate the mentality of a missionary in those conditions. You'll see when the book comes out.

[chris]

Sorry Ben...did not mean it in a mean way...no offense meant...I"m looking forward to your book.

[Ben Arment]

no prob, thanks chris. i just didn't want salt on a wound