When I first met Pastor Josh Koskinen, I saw a leader ready to act with focus and urgency.
His church plant, Story Hill Church in Wisconsin, launched with 710 people on day one. It happened because of clear planning, strong connections, and consistent effort.
Called to Plant
I asked Pastor Josh when the call to church planting started. He tells me it goes back to 2013.
“I started reading about church planting and just got a call to be a part of a multiplying movement,” he says.
His wife wasn’t convinced at first, but after attending a church boot camp in 2017, they both knew this was their future.
Six Months to Go
In the summer of 2023, Josh and his family moved to Wisconsin with just six months before their planned January launch.
“How many people can we meet and how quickly can we meet them?” became his mindset.
That’s when he began running coffee ads. “We launched these ads on social media that said ‘New church coming to town, grab coffee with the pastor,’” Josh says.
He didn’t know that other pastors, like Brandon Holmes in Waco, were seeing similar success using one-on-one meetings to build trust before inviting people to church.
In just a few weeks, 78 people booked one-on-one meetings. He met each of them at a local coffee shop. “At one point, a barista asked if I was interviewing for a job,” he laughs.
From Coffee to Commitment
Each coffee chat ended with an invite to a startup party. The personal connection was key. Josh followed up with custom texts. “Hey, I really enjoyed hearing about your job… your passion for a new church,” he’d write. That built trust.
That same relationship-first approach is what Sherman Dumas used to draw 300 guests on his launch day with targeted Facebook outreach and intentional follow-up.
He estimates that about 75% of those coffee meetings led to people attending a startup party. One of them was Colleen, who had never been part of a church.
She showed up, got connected, and was baptized. “We started this church for the Colleens,” Josh says.
Building the Base
Startup parties were hosted in what would become their future church building.
They offered food, t-shirts, and shared the church vision. Their first party drew 170 people, 80 of whom committed to be part of the launch team.
And yes, they had a building, a church facility that had been donated to them. It was the same building where Josh began his ministry years ago. “It’s been really full circle,” he says.
Launch Day and Lessons
Launch day came on January 28, 2024. Their worship space holds just under 200, but by adding an early 7:30 AM service, they made room for 710 people.
Post-launch, the real work began. Josh shares: “Launch day starts again seven days later. Suddenly, the focus shifts from planting to pastoring.”
From Planter to Pastor
I ask what that transition has been like. “Now I’m meeting all the new people who came on launch day. I’m doing coffee again. Catching up. Starting over.”
In the first year, Story Hill saw 43 salvations and 31 baptisms. At Christmas, attendance reached 720. Recently, they’ve been averaging 450+ weekly.
To stay grounded, Josh teaches five out of six Sundays, takes regular breaks, and has built a team of seven staff members. His first hire? Social media. “Social opens the door. It shows people they could belong here.”
Even established churches can see big growth with the right plan. Freedom Church in Texas grew from 160 to over 1,300 by combining strong systems with community-focused outreach.
Advice for Planters
Josh gives three clear tips:
– “Make yourself known. Ask everyone who else you should meet.”
–“Follow a plan. Don’t try to invent your own.”
–“Find good partners and ask God to multiply your efforts.”
Want to fill your launch day like Story Hill? Let’s map out your coffee campaign step-by-step.
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