APRIL 2026 UPDATE:
We’ve had 50 households give toward PLANTED 2026 —including many newer families and individuals at Bright City.
Our goal is $276,000, and $264,000 has already been committed, representing a $104,000 annual increase from last year. Because of this generosity, we’re in a much healthier position and are currently $12,000 short of our goal.
If you haven’t had a chance to pledge yet, you can still be part of this. As we look ahead, we’re confident that continued prayer, shared ownership, and generosity will happen as God provides for our church.
The Future is Bright
Bright City is a church plant that launched in January 2025. As we put down roots in Sunbury and the surrounding communities, our goal is to become a fully self-supported church by 2027.
This season is about shared ownership — embracing our mission and laying a foundation that will shape the years ahead, so that we can:
Help more people experience life in Jesus
Build a lasting legacy in Sunbury
Reach the next generation with greater impact
Become a force for good in our community
Send people to plant new churches
We are inviting everyone who calls Bright City their home church to make a 2026 personal pledge as part of PLANTED —
our commitment to grow deep roots and a lasting legacy together.
Planting a church is a process, not a moment.
When a tree is first planted, stakes and supports are added — not because something is wrong, but because the roots are still developing. Those supports provide stability while strength grows beneath the surface.
As the roots grow deep and strong, the supports are removed. The tree doesn’t become independent overnight — but over time, it becomes established. Then it can withstand storms, bear fruit, and keep growing.
Like any healthy church plant, Bright City’s early years have required extra support — financially, organizationally, and spiritually. We’ve been generously supported by churches, organizations, and individuals who believe in what God is doing here during these formative years. Our goal is to grow deep roots so Bright City can thrive for generations to come — and one day help plant and support other churches too.
Bright City is officially planted
when we meet three strategic markers for:
OWNERSHIP • GENEROSITY • MISSION
MARKER 01:
OWNERSHIP
Bright City is about growing followers of Jesus, not just attenders. We call people to take responsibility for the needs, mission, and legacy of our church. This requires faithful volunteers, team leaders, missional communities, and elders.
GOAL: More Space & Volunteers
Ownership is sharing the responsibility to meet needs and make room to continue growing.
In 2026, we anticipate needing to increase our Sunday Gathering space to provide more room, especially for kids. We hope to do this through either a second gathering time or a larger location.
As we explore the best option for location and time(s), we need to continue to strengthen our volunteer teams:
Current Volunteers on Sunday Teams: 80
Needed Volunteers for Two Gatherings: 135
GOAL: More Leaders
Every healthy church rises and thrives through the character and calling of its leaders. At Bright City, we believe leadership is not about titles or positions — it’s about becoming the kind of people God can entrust with His church (1 Peter 5:1-10).
In 2026, we will be implementing a leadership development cohort for men and women in our church called “Formed to Lead.” We need to continue to invest in building leaders and apprentices who will serve our teams and missional communities. We also plan to install local elders by the end of 2027.
MARKER 02:
GENEROSITY
Bright City was launched through the generosity of others — both from within our church and from partners who believed in what God is doing here. As external support gradually decreases, we are growing toward becoming a fully self-supported church by 2027.
GOAL: $276k for 2026
Bright City exists because of generous people. In our early years, external partners helped cover costs we couldn’t yet meet. As our church grows, that support will decrease. Our goal is to become fully self-supported by 2027.
This next season is a turning point. To sustain our growth and prepare for the future, we are inviting the Bright City family to step into greater generosity together. For 2026, our goal is to raise $276,000 for our general fund — making possible the ministry, staff, space, and resources needed as more people join our church.
MARKER 03:
MISSION
We want to see every person in our community walking with Jesus daily and engaging his mission personally. We never move on from the basics of loving God and loving others. This is where life in Jesus begins.
GOAL: Engagement in Missional Communities
Missional Communities help us live out our mission by forming people around shared rhythms of following Jesus, practicing hospitality, and loving others in tangible ways. They move church from something we attend to a way of life we live together — where faith is practiced in everyday relationships. As we grow, Missional Communities allow us to care for people deeply while multiplying our impact, helping more people experience life in Jesus through authentic community and missional living.
GOAL: Praying for Your Three
Praying for your three keeps our hearts aligned with God’s heart for people who don’t yet know Him. It reminds us that growth begins with prayer, dependence on the Spirit, and a genuine love for specific people — not programs. As we consistently pray, God softens hearts, opens doors for conversation, and invites us to participate in helping more people experience life in Jesus.
Watch Pastor Josh speak about the vision for PLANTED
FAQ
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No—Bright City is not in financial crisis, but there are real financial needs. This is normal part of church planting and growth. This campaign isn’t being driven by fear, but by a desire for long-term health and sustainability. As we continue to grow, we want to build a strong foundation that allows us to plan wisely, care well for people, and move forward with confidence.
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Because ownership, generosity, and mission are core part of following Jesus. As Bright City grows, shared responsibility with these things becomes increasingly important. This is a natural step in our formation as a church—moving from a few people carrying most of the financial responsibility to a whole community participating together.
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Bright City is a church plant—and like most startups, we began with outside support to help start strong. That early investment allowed us to launch, build ministry infrastructure, and focus on people rather than survival. This support was always intended to be temporary—a three-year runway from 2024 through 2027. This season marks an important transition toward becoming a self-sustaining church family.
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Outside support was vital in our early years, but a healthy church is sustained by the people who call it home. Long-term dependence on external funding limits ownership and stability. Our desire is to become a self-sustaining and generous church—one that can eventually send leaders, resources, and even help plant other churches.
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Every fiscal year (July to June), we create a budget for our church that is shaped by our ministry staff and approved by our elders. Beyond outside support, our FY25-26 budget for still needs to receive $126k from January to June. We also will enter a new budget year (FY26-27) in July. The first six months of this budget are currently projected to need $150k beyond outside support. Simply put:
Remaning FY25-26: $126k
Beginning FY26-27: $150k
Total for 2026: $276k
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Our budget is prayerfully developed and overseen by our elders and staff. It supports the ongoing ministry and operations of Bright City, including:
Sunday Gatherings
Kid City
Missional Communities
Discipleship and Formation
Local Impact and Partnerships
Staff Support
Facility Spaces for Ministry (like Big Walnut Intermediate and The SixtyOne)
Every dollar is directed toward helping more people experience life in Jesus and sustaining the ministry God has entrusted to us.
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A one year commitment for 2026 provides clarity and stability for planning while remaining reasonable and time-bound. It allows people to say “yes” in a meaningful way without feeling locked into an open-ended obligation, and it helps the church steward resources wisely.
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Pledges are recorded privately so we can plan wisely and steward resources responsibly. Andy Stone, our finance coordinator, records commitments in our giving database to track overall progress toward our goal throughout the year. This information is used at a collective level—not to monitor or pressure individuals, but tell us if we are moving toward our target as a church. Individual giving details remain confidential and are not shared beyond the finance coordinator.
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That’s completely okay! This isn’t about a specific amount—it’s about taking a next step of faithfulness, and everyone’s season looks different. If you’re not in a place to give financially right now, you are still fully part of our church family. We invite you to pray with us and trust God to provide for our church and for the vision ahead. Generosity isn’t measured only in dollars—it also grows through prayer, serving others, and shared faith.
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We’ll continue to trust God, make wise adjustments, and move forward together. This isn’t a pass/fail moment or a measure of spiritual success. It’s a formation moment where we learn, grow, and take responsibility together.
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Exceeding the goal doesn’t change our posture—it expands our capacity. It would allow us to move faster into things we’re already praying and planning for, such as:
Compensating staff who currently volunteer significant weekly hours
Updating and better utilizing the SixtyOne Building for ministry
Creating new partnerships with organizations like My Village Ministry, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Klere in Haiti, and local school and city needs
Making space for growth, including the possibility of adding a second service or finding a larger location
Exceeding the goal simply means we get to say “yes” to more good things sooner.