Church Planting + Summer Mission Teams!
Hey friends!
We first want to say THANK YOU so much for all the encouraging words and support since our church plant announcement. It's huge news, and we're having to trust King Jesus in huge ways - hey, that's a good thing tho! We're passionate about seeing Jesus's presence bring "renewal every day in everyday people" (that's our church's vision statement by the way!). Don't worry - we'll share more about our church's name, vision, mission, and identity as we move forward. But for now, here's a quick look at what our lives are like and some prayer points you can echo with us!
Church Planting Is Like...
Well, lots of things. But mainly... it's people!
Time with people. Can't have church without people, right? So we're focusing loads of time just on anyone and everyone God puts in our path. That means talking with strangers about their stories and faith, hosting neighbors and friends in our home, meeting for coffee and tea and sometimes chicken wings. It means dozens and hundreds of conversations spent with people. And trusting that God will stir some of them to join our church plant community and core team!
Prayer Point: God, bring people. Send Jon & Erica to more meaningful relationships and conversations in the city. In your time and way, bring their church's core team together!
Church planting is also learning.
We've been getting coaching and monthly church planting trainings with our denomination, the IPHC, (like the HGM Breaking Barriers conference in Greenville, SC last week!) as well as with another organization we love, City to City (that's Timothy Keller's Church Planting Training). Led by the Spirit and together with our church plant coaches and friends, we're learning a lot and laying a strategic path forward toward our church launch date.
Prayer Point: God, help Jon & Erica grow into the servant leadership you modeled, Jesus, and become the pastors you're leading them to be. Give them your wisdom and your favor in the planning, the details, the timing, the everything! as they prepare for their church plant launch date.
Church planting is also putting yourself out there.
Last week, we hosted our very first church plant interest party with about 20 of our close friends (pics below)! It went super well. We've got some goals for improvement, but we were overall really excited and pleased with how it went. In the fall, we'll begin hosting monthly church plant interest parties, connecting with more people, sharing vision, and listening to peoples' hearts.
Prayer Point: God, help Jon & Erica articulate vision and love people well. Give them creative ideas, compelling stories, good communication, and most importantly your Spirit's presence at each of their church plant interest parties in the fall.
Summer Missions Teams, let's go!
Last but not least, church planting is missions.
As we're working on the church plant, we've also been busy getting ready to host two summer missions teams with The Awakening here in Los Angeles! Our first team arrives tonight, May 7th, and will spend the week with us. The second team will arrive June 20 and spend 10 days with us!
This will be our third summer hosting domestic missions teams in LA, and honestly we're so excited. Our first two summers have been so great with these teams, and we can't wait to keep seeing God keep being himself! He always shows up. Meets us, challenges us, changes us, and works through us while He's working in us.
Our prayer is that the young people and their leaders we host leave LA with deeper friendships and faith, new experiences and perspectives, and an encouraged heart to serve their own communities when they return home (and go on more mission trips in the future!). This year, we'll have the opportunity to partner with the Dream Center, Union Rescue Mission, and other local churches in the city to engage in deep discipleship, spiritual formation, and community service.
Prayer Point: God, give Jon & Erica strength, stamina, and faith to host these teams well! And meet each student and leader where they're at, speak to them, challenge them, comfort them, and lead them further into your own heart through this missions experience.
How about we pray together?
One more thing. If you're in here, you're on the team.
Yep that's right. We know that's bold. And you may be like, wait what? What team?
Here's the thing: We know you guys love us and support us already. And so many of you have already been doing what we're about to ask you to do.
Which is to simply, pray!
Guys, we need so much prayer to cover our church plant and missions effforts every week, that as of now we're going to consider everyone on this missionary newsletter list a vital member of our church plant's prayer & intercession team!
What does that mean?
It just means we need you to pray! Big prayers. Bold prayers. Humble prayers. Small prayers. All the prayers the Lord puts on your mind and heart to pray over us, our family, and our church plant, we're asking for them all! By praying, you make ministry not only possible but fruitful! Prayer is crucial. We can't operate without it.
