At age 20, Jeff Fischer is the youngest planter we ever launched.

He’s now busy planting a strong Gen Z church at age 63. The new church is a prevailing model/microchurch hybrid in a town with 40,000 college students.

A young surfer, he caught waves on Sundays and then finished the day in our evening services in Hermosa Beach. He brought friends to the beach and church. When they ran out of cars to haul his evangelistic fruit, he begged us to plant a church for them.

We turned the tables and assigned him the task. Dale Yancy was the salaried “babysitter,” while Jeff was the bivocational planter. Not too different from Peter and John aiding Philip in Samaria or Barnabas nurturing Saul.

Decades and several church multiplications later, Jeff is at it once more.

They’ve gathered a small group of disciplemakers.

The initial interest group comes from different and potentially divisive theological positions. They’ve decided, “Let’s be different but on mission together.”

Jeff defines elders in light of “youngers,” believing that the newest disciples can pass along whatever they’ve learned to someone younger in faith. After all, he was teaching the Bible as he was learning it.

They snagged a venue called the Classic Rock Coffee Company for public gatherings allowing for a low overhead startup. The model resembles the “school of Tyrannus” from Acts 19. It is a lecture/lab model. Weekend teachings serve as lectures, and small groups are the lab for disciplemaking and raising potential planters.

If this podcast catches your imagination, you can email [email protected] or call Jeff at 818-960-9447.

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