A Small Church With Exponential Impact
Eastside Church of ChristThe Challenge
Eastside Church of Christ in Antioch, California was navigating difficult decisions after their congregation had dramatically dwindled following the Covid pandemic. Despite the efforts of their devoted leadership, the remaining members found themselves facing the reality that maintaining their current ministry was no longer sustainable, nor was it good stewardship of kingdom resources. After selling their building, they were not sure how to repurpose these liquid assets for kingdom growth or how to take care of their minister and their mission efforts in Africa. As a final act of faithful stewardship, church leaders reached out to Heritage21 for guidance.
The Partnership
Heritage21’s Executive Director, Doug Peters, provided Eastside’s leaders with resources for spiritual discernment and priority stewardship to offer a framework for prayer and positive discussion. H21 board member, Mike O’Neal, collaborated with the leadership to develop a plan, documented it with a written custodial agreement, and assisted with legal tools and expertise to navigate California law. Throughout the process, Heritage21 maintained ongoing communication with the leadership, ensuring the church felt supported and equipped to make God-honoring decisions about their future.
The Solution
The Eastside Church of Christ leadership prayerfully implemented a comprehensive stewardship plan that revisioned their church’s legacy into ongoing kingdom expansion. They made the purposeful decision to allocate over $1 million across multiple ministry efforts. Through a carefully structured custodial agreement and a systematic distribution process, the church established a way for their faithfully acquired assets to continue bearing fruit long after their final worship service. Further, H21 implemented financial arrangements to help their minister relocate and to fulfill their mission commitments. Because of the partnership between the church leadership and H21, these goals were implemented within about three months.
The Testimony
When Eastside board chair Angela Blackwood reflected on the partnership with Heritage21, her relief was evident. “My biggest concern was how we were going to manage distributing the assets in legally appropriate ways,” she explains. The weight of navigating legal requirements while grieving the end of their congregation felt overwhelming.
“Heritage21 made it super simple,” Angela continued. “They provided a template of how they could help us effectively steward the money. Our leaders reviewed that template and added some other distributions that were meaningful to our congregation, then gave it to Heritage21 to execute.”
Angela emphasized the peace of mind this brought. “I don’t want to think about what would have happened if the leadership had to make and execute a plan without the expertise of Heritage21.”
The Impact
Eastside Church of Christ’s faithful stewardship creates a powerful ripple effect that begins in their region and extends across the globe. This included gifts to existing Northern California congregations, a church in Kenya, relocation arrangements for their minister, and Heritage21’s Domestic and Global Ministry Funds, which will yield new disciple-making church plants. Eastside also used a small portion of their resources to strengthen Heritage21’s ability to guide other congregations facing similar transitions. This allows the Heritage21 team to continue providing pro bono legal and real estate services, as well as renewal opportunities for struggling churches.
The Lessons
Eastside’s experience offers valuable insights for congregations navigating similar transitions:
- Professional guidance can turn difficult transitions into stewardship opportunities. Even though Eastside had previous awareness of Heritage21, reconnecting when circumstances changed provided the expert counsel for navigating their future steps with dignity and purpose.
- Intentional resource allocation multiplies kingdom impact beyond a single congregation’s reach. By diversifying their assets across local, domestic, and global ministries, Eastside allowed their legacy to continue bearing fruit through multiple ministry endeavors in the spirit of Acts 1:8.
- Proper documentation and procedures protect the integrity of stewardship decisions. Working with experienced legal professionals to structure distributions and maintain clear agreements brought clarity and confirmed resources would reach their intended destinations.
Small Size, Global Influence
Eastside Church of Christ’s story powerfully illustrates that kingdom reach is not just measured by a congregation’s size, but by steadfast stewardship empowered by the leading of the Holy Spirit. A few dedicated and prayerful members discovered that decades of faithful giving could be used by God to fuel ministry across the world for years to come. Their decision to view closure as an opportunity for God to work allowed him to multiply their efforts. Although the Eastside congregation no longer gathers on Sundays, their generosity continues blessing the future.
For church leaders exploring stewardship options during seasons of transition, Heritage21 provides free resources and experienced guidance to help ensure your congregation’s legacy continues bearing kingdom fruit. Visit our website to access stewardship materials and planning tools, or contact our team to learn how we can walk alongside your leadership through significant decisions.
Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade. Mark 4:30-32