One of the most meaningful moments from ARC Conference 2026 was getting to celebrate 25 years of church planting and invest into the future of the local church through our ARC Conference Giveaway. Two church-planting couples, Pastors Fernando and Nicole Mejia of Social Church in Buckeye, Arizona, and Pastors Matt and Carrie Dilley of Tribe Church in Plainfield, Indiana, were each surprised with $50,000 during the last session with Dino Rizzo.
Pastor Dino shared the stories behind both churches and highlighted the values that continue to define ARC after more than two decades of church planting.
Fernando and Nicole Mejia were recognized for their courage and perseverance after nearly walking away from the call to plant a church before beginning the ARC process. Instead of giving up, they chose to move forward in faith and launched Social Church in January 2026 as ARC church plant number 1,191. Since its launch, the church has already begun impacting the Buckeye community by reaching people in both English and Spanish. Just weeks after launch, the church celebrated 700 people attending Easter services and 33 salvations.
Matt and Carrie Dilley of Tribe Church were honored for their long-standing commitment to radical generosity. After launching Tribe Church in 2018 as one of ARC’s smallest launches that year, they decided that their size would never determine their impact. Over the years, they intentionally supported smaller church plants financially and relationally, encouraging pastors who were just getting started. Their church has also become known in their community for serving families in need, including paying electric bills during Christmas so families could keep their lights on during difficult seasons.
Moments like these are a reminder that we are better together—and that when the Church comes together in generosity, encouragement, and unity, lives are impacted far beyond what we can imagine!
