Leadership Connexion Summer 2022 Q2

CHURCH PLANTING | TOM REES | 717.795.5921 | tom@penndel.org
CHANGE
CHURCH
Covocational Church Planting
ELIJAH AND ASHLEE HOLLIS have had a burning
passion for ministry since they were young. For those who rub
shoulders with them, their energy and vision are contagious.
Through creativity, serving, and connection, they planted
CHANGE CHURCH in the heart of Philadelphia with their
children, Zion Dainger and Aunee Colette.
Elijah and Ashlee are what we call, “covo church planters.”
Leaders who thrive not only in the church but also in the
marketplace. In his book, “Covocational Church Planting:
Aligning Your Marketplace Calling and the Mission of God,”
Brad Brisco writes,
“A ‘covo’ planter is one
who knows God has
called them to be a
teacher, or a mechanic,
a web designer, or a
doctor and they desire
to weave that calling
into the plan to plant
a church. They realize
those two callings are
not isolated from one
Elijah and Ashlee Hollis with
Zion and Aunee
another, but instead
are actually interlinked
and equal.”
Ashlee is the President and Founder of Helm Creative Studio,
a certified women-owned business and creative agency that
is redefining what it means to lead one’s story in business and
entrepreneurship. At Helm, Elijah builds out the stories as a
videographer, director, writer, producer, voice-over artist and
musician.
Helm just moved into The Story Factory, a 27,000 sq. ft. building
in the Olde Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. One of the
best parts of this is that it provides a great space for CHANGE
CHURCH, where they host church on Sundays. The facility will
also be utilized for community outreaches and organizations,
including relationships with local law enforcement, and an afterschool
program to give students a place to get off the streets
and learn creative arts, tutoring and to have a place for them to
form their own community with people who care about them.
CRANBERRY
COMMUNITY CHURCH
Bivocational Church Planting
Born and raised in Georgia,
JOSEPH GIBSON
recognized God calling
him into ministry in his
late teens. He spent six
years on active duty in
the U.S. Air Force before
attending Bible College at
Southeastern University
in Lakeland, FL. While
attending school, Joseph
joined the staff of The Way
Community Church and
served the congregation
as an associate pastor and
executive pastor. As graduation approached, Joseph and his
wife, Emily, made the decision to move to Pennsylvania. After the
move, Joseph and Emily began praying about if and where God
might be calling them to plant a church.
Joseph and Emily Gibson with
John Ryan, Davey, and Hailey
After driving through a community in the Northwest Section of
PennDel with Presbyter Allan Thorpe, they soon felt God leading
them to the Franklin/Cranberry/Oil City area in Venango County.
Joseph started working in the area as a “bivo church planter.”
A bivocational church planter is someone who starts a church
and gains part of his personal income from an outside source.
By working for the post office, this afforded a great opportunity
for Joseph to get to know the community where they were
called to minister. It wasn’t always easy balancing a full-time job,
new church plant and a young family but God helped them and
blessed their growing family. When they made the move in 2015,
they had one son, John Ryan. Since then, Davey and Hailey
joined the family.
The following fall, CRANBERRY COMMUNITY CHURCH (CCC)
held its first service in the Cranberry Mall. When Joseph and
Emily launched the church, they said, “We realize the importance
of establishing our identity from the very beginning as both a
Great Commandment and a Great Commission church.” That
vision has become a reality! Since then, Joseph and Emily have
seen the lives of many people in the community transformed
through a true encounter with the love of God.
They believe that . . . “every chair has a story, and your story
belongs here.”
We pray that every story needing to feel at home with them
would find its way to CHANGE.
They have become a vibrant, life-giving, Spirit-filled church and in
the past year, the church was able to bring Joseph on full-time,
purchase and renovate a building in Seneca, and go sovereign.
Joseph says, “We believe the Holy Spirit is doing something
special in this area, and our hearts’ cry at CCC is to see
revival in our hearts and in our community.”
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