The initial motivation to explore the idea of planting a new church in Stanwood came through conversations with those who had once been part of a Presbyterian fellowship in the area and had a desire to see this continue in a new form. After nine months of moving through a discernment process with a team from Mountain View Presbyterian Church (Marysville, WA), we felt that God was indeed leading us to start something new in the area. We recognized that God's Church was already present in the community and we had no desire to recruit people out of their existing congregations. We believed then, and continue to believe now, that God called us to Stanwood by the Holy Spirit to participate in something that God was already doing, and to partner with other churches in the community to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ, while also being unique in our Presbyterian theology and polity. In particular, we were committed to reaching out to those that do not yet have a church community and are unlikely or unable to come to a traditional worship service. This is why our primary model for Tidelands Church is based around missional communities rather than an attractional or programmatic model that seeks to recruit people to come to our church building.