Church planting team has roots at CSU

By Charleston Southern on April 5, 2011 - 12:34 pm in CSU News, Serving / no comments

In 2008, a group of Charleston Southern graduates packed up households and families to move to a completely new and uncharted life.

“We were naive enough in college to believe that God could really use our lives to change the world, and we decided to step out and go for it,” said Andy Wood.

Alumni Wood and his wife, Stacie; Filipe and Mandy Santos and Rebekah Jackson with her husband, Archie, took a leap of faith and followed the instructions that God had given Andy to start a church in Silicon Valley, California.

“As Andy and I prayed about where God wanted us to start a church, we were willing to go anywhere,” said Stacie. “We narrowed it down to the U.S. and then began researching the top 10 largest and most influential cities in America. The San Francisco Bay area is in the top 5 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. and, at that time, had very little church planting efforts taking place. In the 15 years prior to starting South Bay Church, the Southern Baptists had only successfully started less than a handful of churches among Anglos. In fact, 95 percent of people in the Bay Area do not attend any type of evangelical church on the weekend.”

The Where

The Silicon Valley is to the south of the Bay Area, hence the chosen name for the church, South Bay. On Silicon Valley’s community Website, under the People link, you will find technology big shots—Steve Jobs of Apple, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, and Larry Page of Google.

Due to this technological community, the racial and ethnic makeup is one of the most diverse anywhere. Companies bring their top people in from all over the world to work at their headquarters in the Valley. There is a heavy Asian and Indian influence; however, the list of the smaller countries and regions that filter into the demographic goes on and on.

This diversity was one of the most attractive things about the Valley for the team of church starters. It is, in itself, a mission field on American soil. Many of the people have not heard about Jesus Christ nor do they understand basic principles of the Bible. All sorts of religions are supported—Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and various New Age spiritualities.

The How

Before the official start of the church, Andy and his team did extensive research and strategic planning. Though they knew that God had directed them to the Silicon Valley area, they also knew that the uncharted waters lying ahead were going to pull them down if they did not prepare. Therefore, they did research on the area and its demographics, making sure that where they chose in the Bay Area was the best fit for them. Also, they took trips to the Valley to get the feel of the community, as well as to meet with other churches surrounding them.

One of the most instrumental things that they did was plan a meeting with church planting pastor Bill Hybels from Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois. They agree that it was the careful preparation and prayer that went before them that contribute to the current state of their church.

The Who

Andy and his wife, Stacie, (formerly Stacie Cloud) both received their undergraduate degrees from CSU. Andy is the lead pastor of South Bay, and he and Stacie have two little boys—one just adopted from Ethiopia this year.

Also, Filipe Santos and his wife, Mandy, (formerly Mandy VanDeusen) graduated from CSU. Filipe is the associate pastor, and the Santos family just celebrated their third child’s first birthday. Another alumnus, Rebekah Jackson (formerly Wood) is married to Archie Jackson, the worship leader and technical director for the church. Rebekah is not only a huge part of the ministry team but is also an occupational therapist, as she graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina before they moved out to California.

These three couples were the original team when the church started more than two years ago. However, they have made additions along the way. A newer associate pastor named David Hibiske is married to Kendall (formerly Brown), who is a graduate of Charleston Southern. Recent newcomers to the team are Brad and Laura Thomas. Laura (formerly Garrison), another alum, works in the church office doing the administrative work.

Most of the team met at CSU years ago. Filipe and Andy were roommates at one time, and they both met their spouses at CSU. Archie actually worked at the University for a time, creating relationships and building networks along with the rest of the team. In looking back on their college years, Andy says, “I ‘m grateful for the friendships we built together during our time at CSU.

The heart connection and like vision really became a foundation for this movement we are a part of today. There is no limit to what God can do with a bunch of ordinary college kids who will believe Him for big things.”

“Moving isn’t always easy, and there were considerable challenges from leaving family and friends to raising our financial support, but God has developed my character and strengthened my faith in countless ways through the process,” said Mandy. “I’ve been so blessed to be a part of this vision to see God’s Kingdom extended to parts of this country least reached with the Gospel. Being a part of South Bay Church has been one of the biggest privileges of my life; I’m continually amazed at all God is doing here in the Bay area.”

The South Bay Experience

Walking up to a Sunday morning service at South Bay Church may seem a bit unconventional. Located in a local elementary school, the main service takes place in the gym. Classrooms are used for the nursery and children’s ministry, called Bay Kids. Once you walk into the gym, it looks surprisingly, well, not like a gym. There is a café area for coffee and tea, yet everything is environmentally friendly. Also, there is a resource area with people standing by to answer your questions.

However, the first impression you will get is the perfect amount of hospitality. If you’ve come alone, you won’t remain that way for long.

Whether it is a greeter or just a regular attendee, at least one person is bound to come introduce him or herself to you and ask who you are. It is easy to see why the growth has been so steady—people obviously want to be there.

Once the service starts, the room settles in, and the worship band leads the congregation into preparing their hearts for what God has to say. The people can count on the fact that though there may be distractions or something may go wrong, the heart of the leadership is genuine. The messages are biblically based, and the truth is refreshing to a city that hears so little of it.

When the service ends, the pastors and staff stand in the back to greet newcomers and friends alike. If the friendly people around you before service somehow missed you, they’ll catch you afterward. The mixture of hospitality, genuine, biblically based teaching, and an exciting, thriving atmosphere are all obvious contributions to the experience that South Bay Church offers.

“The vast need for the Gospel drew our hearts to this region,” said Stacie.

“When Andy and I visited the Bay for the first time, we fell in love with the climate, culture, natural beauty and potential for global impact that the Bay Area offers. In fact, we often say to each other, ‘I feel like I was created to live here!’ As strange as it seems, this Southern girl feels absolutely at home here in California. Although I’d like to move my family out here with me, there is no place in the world I’d rather be than exactly where we are doing exactly what we’re doing!”

It’s obvious the Lord had his hand in knitting together this team of CSU alums to impact America’s technological center.