CityView Church CityView launched in April 2006 as a church plant of The Village Church.

HEART
In 2004, God began the process of planting the vision for CityView Church in the mind and heart of Lead Pastor, Rick White. Previously, Rick had neither desired nor sensed a call to start a church. However, through a series of God-moments during 2004 and early 2005, it became clear that Rick was being called away from Youth Ministry and his then-current church to start CityView.

Many have asked, 'Why another church?" in an area that seems flooded with both new and existing churches. Our response is simple. While there are many Bible-believing, Jesus-glorifying churches, we have become concerned with what seems to be a trend of works-based teaching and preaching that more reflects religion than the gospel.

Without question, the most popular preaching style in our area is a principles-based approach to the scripture — which is fine to a point — but far too often neglects to remind people that they can't even live God's principles without the power of His gospel. While most churches have been faithful to the biblical ethic, very few churches are following up the biblical ethic with an exploration of people's motives that can only have their starting point in the gospel's power if they are to take root.

While our church was always going to be a church that answers Jesus' call to preach the gospel plainly, we also sense the call to be a change agent, both through building influential relationships with other local churches and planting more churches that share our DNA and desire for His gospel to be the priority in teaching, preaching and living in our culture. We believe that without the gospel, missional living has no edge and is reduced to nothing more than the Social Gospel. Without the gospel, God's principles for living are reduced to nothing more than Moralism. Without the gospel, accountability tends to fall into the trap of Legalism.

THE AREA
While Rick had planned to start the new church in his then-current city of Garland, God strategically led Rick to the communities in and around the Alliance area in North Fort Worth (near the communities of Keller, Roanoke, Watauga and Haslet). While the area was not Rick's first choice, it became clear that it was God's choice.

The communities in and around North Fort Worth have seen incredible growth over the past five years. In a single year (2005) one five-mile radius saw a population change of +15,000 people. With no signs of slowing down, many have projected this area to be the population center of the Metroplex by the year 2030.

With a plentiful (and diverse) job pool, the Alliance area continues to grow every year. Five new churches could be started here every year for the next 10 years and we would still fall far behind the population trends. While the communities of Keller and Roanoke are primarily Anglo, upper class and upper middle-class, the area that CityView has targeted (technically known as far-north Fort Worth) is both a bastion for traditional middle and lower-middle class with a few pockets of upper-middle and upper class.

In addition, the far-north Fort Worth area boasts a more diverse ethnic population, increasing the percentage of Hispanic, Asian and African American families. Finally, the area is primarily populated with very young families. The average age of the largest neighborhood near CityView was once touted as 27.5 years old. Clearly, any church in this area has to have a heart for the newly married, first-time parents and families with multiple, young children. Thus far, CityView definitely reflects its community in addition to having the largest per-capita single population of any known church in our area.

More info: www.cityviewchurch.net