Jerad Wade Collier
planting pastor at vintage church
“Church planting is the preferred divine method of evangelism, of kingdom expansion, of fruit-bearing, of discipleship-making, of men and women being rescued from darkness to light.” — Steve Timmis
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My love for the local church began many years ago. Since coming to faith as a teenager, I’ve felt deeply connected to her, most often through worship and music. The local church became a place where I learned what true community is and what it means to live with purpose. It’s where I learned to walk as a disciple of Jesus, discovering what it means to follow Him daily. I’ve witnessed the beauty of lives transformed by salvation, marriages renewed through the work of the Holy Spirit, and people pouring love into each other and their communities. It’s a beautiful thing.
This love for Christ and His church eventually led me into full-time ministry. In 2005—the same year I married my wife—I stepped into a larger role within the church. Since then, our lives have been lovingly shepherded by the Lord. He’s taught us how to care for others, strengthened our marriage, blessed us with children, moved us across states, walked with us through spiritual valleys, and filled us with the joy of becoming more like Him. It’s been a wonderful journey, and now we feel called to something new…
Six years ago, we packed up our family and moved from our home state of Florida to sunny Livermore, California. We found a local church there and poured our hearts into serving that community, which quickly became like family. But in His sovereignty, our Heavenly Father allowed our time in that community to come to an end. He had a different plan for us.
In this season, we feel the Lord calling us to join close friends in planting a new church in the city we now call home. Livermore is a beautiful place—a blend of modern and rustic, full of young families, and wonderfully diverse. Yet, as the city grows, one thing is clear: it is largely unchurched. With one church for nearly every 3,000 people, there’s a deep need for the Gospel. And so, we’re setting out to bring hope in the way we know best—by planting a local church, praying for lives to be transformed by the Gospel.
We also have a deep desire to see this plant bring a church to Livermore that is theologically reformed, Biblically faithful to the Gospel, has a strong missional focus, and that makes faithful disciples of Christ. We are filled with both anticipation and a holy reverence for what lies ahead. We know this will be some of the hardest work we’ve ever done in ministry, but we’ve counted the cost and believe this is God’s plan for us. We look forward to the journey, to partnering with others along the way, to seeing people come to know Christ by the work of the Spirit, and, by God’s grace, to watching this church grow. With hearts full of joy, we press into this calling, praying that the Lord would use our family for the sake of the Gospel and His glory.
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WHY PLANT IN LIVERMORE?
Ten years ago, church planters would often parachute into the Bay Area from other regions. But the ground has hardened spiritually, and the complexities of the COVID era have made that virtually nonexistent. This only amplifies the need for new churches to be planted by those who understand the area and its challenges.
Our calling isn’t novel; it is the same commission Jesus gave over 2,000 years ago. We are here to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission through our mission: Love God, multiply disciples, and serve our city.
Our vision is rooted in the question, “What will the future look like if we fulfill our mission?”
We envision a gospel-centered community in Livermore that multiplies disciples who grow in biblical fluency and actively engage the city and beyond with the gospel. We aim to complement the faithful churches already serving Livermore as the city continues to grow.
New churches are vital for reaching new generations and new residents, and the need has never been greater. The Bay Area is 97% unchurched, making it the most unchurched region in the U.S.
THE VISION: REACHING LIVERMORE AND BEYOND
Our vision is to reach 1% of Livermore’s population through church planting and kingdom collaboration. Livermore has a population of over 95,000 people, which will increase in the next 5 years. Reaching 1% is about 950 people. Now imagine if that 950 people doubled because disciples were actively making disciples.
By His grace, in 10 years, we will surpass this 1% goal by planting additional churches in the Tri-Valley and the greater Bay Area. To reach 1% of the Bay Area’s 7.3 million residents (73,000 people), we envision a collaborative effort with other churches in the Bay Area to plant 200 churches, each engaging 150 attendees. If each church multiplied just once, we could reach this goal.
HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED
We would be honored if you would partner with us in this mission. Whether through prayer, financial support, or joining our core team, your involvement could help bring gospel renewal to Livermore and beyond.
If you’d like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to reach out to request our prospectus. This document outlines our mission, vision, values, community demographics, and financial needs.
Together, by God’s grace, we can see lives transformed and the gospel advanced in Livermore, the Bay Area, and beyond.
- In Christ, Jerad, Lisa, Madeline, and Liam (The Colliers)