Milwaukee, WI
Even in the midst of the threat of Covid, the gospel is still going out in Milwaukee through the efforts of Dan and Sherry Quakkelaar and their church plant Friend of Sinners (FOS). Besides doing Sunday morning online worship services, they have been able to prepare and deliver freezer meals for the most vulnerable amongst them. They are also meeting the needs of families whose children cannot get their ‘Grab and Go’ lunches from the schools when those lunches are even offered (some schools it is not offered at all) by providing groceries and meals. FOS has been co-laboring with The Lighthouse, a halfway house for men who became Christians while in prison as well. Click here to read their latest newsletter and how you can help this inner-city church plant.
New City Network
Why plant a New City Network (NCN) kind of church? Randy Nabors, Coordinator of Urban & Mercy Ministries & Director of the NCN, preached a sermon once entitled, “Church is Hard, Let’s Make it Harder!” If you are planting a New City
type of church, you are essentially urban (or with urban problems), cross-cultural, includes poor people, has joyful worship, and sound biblical teaching, then you are taking on a difficult task.
The NCN seeks to plant churches in places where there is real trouble; things like crime, violence, poverty, racial tension, dysfunctional individuals and families, etc. We are seeking to take whomever the Lord will send as to their ethnicity or race, (if they are humble, have a missional and sacrificial heart, and committed to cross-cultural learning), and to send them to places where there might not seem to be welcome for a ministry of reconciliation or to the mixing of ethnic groups or cultures. We are sending them there as servants, not masters or rulers. We are sending them there to raise up indigenous leaders, who in turn will be people of faith, vision, and mission.
The NCN wants to plant churches that are full of joyful worship, love, faith, hands-on mercy, and a passion to develop the people and community so that they flourish. We seek to plant churches that do these things centered in and built on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that seek to win people to Jesus and to disciple them under the Lordship of Christ through biblical obedience. We seek to plant churches that resonate to the heart concerns of the people in terms of justice, recovery, restoration, the building of community, and the making of peace.
One might say, “this doesn’t sound like normal church.” Yet, one might ask, “why isn’t this normal church?” If it sounds like producing these kinds of churches, and finding people who are able and willing to plant them is just about impossible, we agree. The NCN seeks to plant churches that are for all intents and purposes impossible unless created, empowered, and sustained by God. We are seeing it being done because we think this is just what God wants to do.
The New City Network currently has over 65 churches in their network and is affiliated with over 35 community development ministries. Explore the New City Network website to learn more & to sign up for their newsletter and check out their Facebook page The New City Network.
Orangeburg SC
In 2015, JP Sibley along with his wife Laurie and their 3 children, moved back to JP’s hometown of Orangeburg, SC to plant New City Orangeburg. Having grown up in the South amid stagnant race relations, God gave JP a deep passion for racial reconciliation and unity in the church. Their church plant seeks to alleviate material poverty in their community through education, mentoring, generosity, and friendship. Members pursue friendships and discipling relationships across ethnic and economic lines to build a culturally diverse church. In the last few months they celebrated Black History Sunday, had a Coffee House, and continue with several men’s and women’s Bible studies as well as Sunday services.. Since the pandemic and their state went on lock-down they have been having youth group via zoom and had a Drive-In (socially distanced) Easter Service. They also had a tornado come through their town (see picture of them huddled in the closet) but are praising the Lord that their home was spared. Click here to read their latest newsletter, read details about hiring an outreach director and other prayer items.
Queen Creek AZ
Jan 12, 2020 was a huge milestone in the life of Hope Community Church. This church plant had their first worship service lead by planter JC Baysinger with their launch team and community group. A little more than a month later, they felt they were ready to welcome newcomers and now have regular afternoon worship services and JC had the honor of baptizing two children in their church. Click here to read an update on their ministry & family and an awesome story of how they came to worship at a Coffee House and the generous support they are receiving from another church in their town.
Celina, TX
A lot has happened at New City in Celina, Texas since being planted 9 months ago by Jake & Paige Patton. They had their first joint Christmas service with a primarily African-American congregation also in downtown Celina. Their Sunday worship and community groups are in full force and now they are developing very specific outreaches to their city. One of the big missions they will be tackling will focus on ministry to single mothers. They are also actively looking for their next worship space. Their current location lacks the space for nursery and child care. Click here to read their latest update letter and how a fire disaster was averted at their Christmas Eve service!
Chicago, IL
Since planting Living Hope Church in Chicago, IL in 2010, Pastor Brad Beier and his wife Shannon have seen many blessings and heartaches. One recent blessing was a Bible study that started after Brad started working out with the University of Chicago’s ROTC students. Most of them do not know Jesus but have been coming to study the book of John! One recent tragedy was the murder of a 5-year-old boy in their church named Ja’Shawn. After sitting through the trial, Shannon was overwhelmed with many questions and observations about ministry in the inner-city. To read those thought-provoking questions and the heartbreaking story of Ja’Shawn, click here to access their latest newsletter and see how you can pray for this culturally diverse mission church.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Trinity Presbyterian Church just had their first monthly Sunday evening mini-service. Their core group, representatives from their sending church and many new faces sang, heard the gospel and were introduced to their new meeting space. Church planter Isaac Ferrell will be starting a weekly Bible study with the focus on outreach to their town of Cedar Rapids. He along with his wife Jessica also celebrated the baptism of their daughter Noelle. Please click here to read more updates, prayer requests and hear the blessings that this young church plant has experienced.
Longmont, Colorado
After months of conversations, meals, interviews, and vision casting, Redeemer Longmont’s launch team is taking a significant step and will be meeting weekly to grow around a vison; learning to embody it, cultivate a culture, and sacrificially labor to establish and launch Redeemer Longmont Church. They are starting with 19 adults and 11 children. Church planter Justin Chappell and his wife Caitlyn are immensely thankful for this team that God has brought together. Click here to read about their incredible opportunity they may have to secure a church building in their own town and to click here see their most recent update and prayer requests.