David and Faith Cho understood very early on that they had a calling in life — to plant a church that would aid people in discovering their own worth that they could find in Christ while also allowing discipleship to be accessible. In early 2022, they made this calling a reality when they launched Northern New Jersey’s Mosaic Covenant Church, which was ARC church plant #1017.
The Chos knew that when they launched their new ARC church, they wanted to do so in a unique way that would connect with the people in their region.
“We really go against the grain of tradition, which is very thick in this area,” Faith said. “So, we really push for authenticity and also just accessibility.”
A ‘Culture Shock’
Planting an ARC church for David and Faith Cho was sort of a culture shock for them as Asian Americans. While David said they were well aware of the general culture of American churches, their eyes were completely opened by the process and resources provided by ARC (Association of Related Churches).
“For us to be able to enter into the church planting space and have access to a whole new world of resources and relationships and networks and people, it was really eye-opening for us,” David explained. “It was very different as an Asian-American, especially when it came to fundraising and networking.”
David credits ARC churches with opening a “whole world” for them that they didn’t even know existed.
Faith says that coming out of a Korean-American church context took a lot of faith for the couple, who have been married for 12 years and have four children between the ages of 5 and 10. One of their concerns was that typically speaking when people come out of church communities of color, they tend to lose the community.
But, Faith says the Lord told them:
“Now you’re walking into a multi-ethnic sphere. You’re going to build a multi-ethnic church.”
Making Discipleship Accessible
In reaching out to the local Northern New Jersey community, the Chos knew they wanted to make their church accessible and, as a result, discipleship accessible.
Faith says that in many religious settings, the ones who get disciplined are the best and brightest the community has to offer. When asking themselves what Jesus would do if he walked through their New Jersey community, Faith said they believed he would reach out to the single mothers, the elderly, the undocumented, and those with special needs — the “groups that are oftentimes overlooked,” she explained.
So, with the help of ARC (Association of Related Churches), the Chos sought to do just that when they planted Mosaic Covenant Church in Northern New Jersey.
The couple says that many members of their church community don’t speak English as a first language and actually speak many different languages as their primary language. The beauty of their community, the couple explained, is the fact that the church is full of different accents, cultures, and people from multiple socioeconomic backgrounds.
It’s what makes this ARC church special — that it’s able to reach a wide variety of people to spread the word of Jesus.
About ARC (Association of Related Churches)
ARC (Association of Related Churches) is a cooperative of independent churches from different denominations, networks, and backgrounds that strategically resource church planters and pastors to help them reach people with the message of Jesus. ARC exists to see a thriving church in every community, reaching people with the message of Jesus. Since its beginning in 2000, ARC has grown into a global organization and has helped plant more than 1,000 churches.