Palm Avenue Baptist Church · Launch Sequence
The Road to Palm Ave.
A twelve-week countdown building toward Palm Avenue's public launch.
A note on timing — launching mid-October vs. mid-January
Mid-October 2026
- For: Early fall is the season church-planting research points to most often — people are back from summer travel and settling into school-year routines, which makes them more open to trying a new church.
- For: A 12-week build keeps recruitment and momentum-building inside the school year, rather than competing with summer schedules.
- Watch: Mid-October still sits at the edge of Atlantic hurricane season — a real scheduling risk for outdoor-facing Tampa Heights events.
- Watch: Only a handful of weeks of momentum before the Thanksgiving/Christmas lull, when most churches see attendance and volunteer capacity dip.
Mid-January 2027
- For: Early January is the second classic launch window — the "fresh start" pull of New Year's resolutions tends to make people more willing to try a new church.
- For: Tampa's mild winters remove the weather risk that makes a January launch riskier in northern climates.
- Watch: The 12-week build window overlaps Thanksgiving and Christmas — the hardest season to hold consistent trainings, engagement events, or launch team meetings.
- Watch: Tampa Heights' renter-heavy, 25–44 population is also the group most likely to travel for the holidays — right when recruitment should be peaking.
Neither date is "wrong" — both fall inside what church-planting practitioners call the natural launch windows (early fall, early January, and the weeks before Easter). The real question is which set of trade-offs the team is best positioned to manage: hurricane-season uncertainty and a short fall runway, or a holiday-disrupted build season and a slower-arriving spring routine.
Comms & Media
Community Engagement
Volunteers & Teams
Prayer
L−12 WKS
Branding & Print Approved
- Theming, design, language, and branding, etc. approved and finalized
- Initial print order placedInvite cards, lawn signs, location signage, bulletins, handouts for Palm, banners, wayfinding signage, video invitations
L−10 WKS
Digital & Advertising Launch
- Church social accounts live and active
- Palm Ave–specific accounts launched with content Facebook, Instagram, web
- Hard advertising launch — radio, social Dates, locations, and links
L−9 WKS
Promo Signage & Print Ads
- Promo signage Level 1 installation — “Coming Soon” in the neighborhood
- Print ads Bus stops, etc.
L−8 WKS
Video Invitations & Recruitment Push
- Video invitations and testimonials Families, community members, church faces — “Join Us” themed
- Volunteer recruitment
- Volunteer recruitment push — all vehicles Social, web, video, print
L−6 WKS
Community Engagement Begins
- Community Engagement Event 1 Tampa Heights — Café on the Go, community service project, etc., with material and information for the community
- “Faces of Campus” being established
- Volunteer Training Event 1 Both general and ministry-specific training
- Volunteer recruitment push Continued push at North & Springs campuses; add community as appropriate
L−5 WKS
Team Building
- Community Engagement Event 2 Tampa Heights — Café on the Go, community service project, etc., with material and information for the community
- Launch Team Meeting 1 Location TBD — introducing team leads, processes, and plans
- Volunteer recruitment push Continued push at North & Springs campuses; add community as appropriate
L−4 WKS
Training & Engagement Continue
- Community Engagement Event 3 Tampa Heights — Café on the Go, community service project, etc., with material and information for the community
- Volunteer Training Event 2 Both general and ministry-specific training; introduction of established teams
L−3 WKS
Preview Service #1 (Prep & Signage Escalation)
- Preview Service #1 Video Walkthrough and introduction of Faces, schedule, and location
- Promo signage Level 2 installation Signage in community with time, location, and invitation
- Launch Team Meeting 2 Location TBD — introducing team leads, processes, and plans
- Intermediate print order placed Shirts, in-hand print, room signage, “giveaway,” etc.
L−2 WKS
Preview Service #2
- Community Engagement Event 4 Tampa Heights — Café on the Go, community service project, etc., with material and information for the community
- Open House Invitation to visit location (if appropriate) and meet Faces
- Open House Video 2 Faces showcase, invitation, intent, etc.
- Launch Team Meeting 3 Duty / role-specific meeting
L−<2 WKS
Final Prep & Media Push
- On-site volunteer training 1 Specific duties and roles with leaders and teams
- Traditional Media Push Release; contacts for story
- Prayer service at IBC IBC leadership and Faces–led
- Final print order placed Final thoughts, updated numbers, etc.
L−1 WK
Soft Launch On-Site Dry Run
- Community Engagement Event 5 Tampa Heights — Café on the Go, community service project, etc., with material and information for the community
- Volunteer Training Event 3 Ministry-specific training; introduction of established teams; dry-runs of operations
- Open House Video 3 — “One week out”
- Promo signage Level 3 installation At location for service
- On-site prayer service IBC leadership and Faces–led, on site
- Traditional Media Push Release; contacts for story
L−<1 WK
Final Touches
- Community Engagement Event 6 Tampa Heights — Café on the Go, community service project, etc., with material and information for the community
- On-site volunteer training 2 Specific duties and roles with leaders and teams
- On-site prayer service IBC leadership and Faces–led, on site
- Traditional Media Push Release; contacts for story
L DAY
Launch
- On-site service signage installed
- Community Engagement Event 7
- Volunteer recruitment push
L+1 WK
First Follow-Through
- Video Recap dispersed
- Community Engagement Event 8
- Volunteer Training Event 4
- Volunteer recruitment push
L+2 WKS
Holding the Momentum
- Video Recap dispersed
- Community Engagement Event 9
- Volunteer Training Event 5
- Volunteer recruitment push