who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
Subtitle:
Star Article
Author:
- Various
Date Given:
February 23, 2010 Our church planting efforts are running on all cylinders early this year, and there’s much excitement about what we are pursuing by God’s grace.
- A big step for us this year has been the congregation’s approval of Jubilee Community Church to be planted as an official Treasuring Christ Together (TCT) church plant. John Erickson, Dan Porch, and Kurt Swanson have been preparing and planning this plant for the better part of the past year. The vision for the church comes from Isaiah 61:1–2:
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.
Jesus quotes this passage in Luke 4 and says that it is fulfilled in his coming. This is what Jubilee Community Church wants to see happen—the bringing of the Good News to the poor, the binding up of the brokenhearted—all in the name and power of Jesus. Jubilee is meeting at the 16/33 Center in South Minneapolis and will start meeting officially on March 7. Prayerfully consider joining John, Dan, and Kurt in this gospel-proclaiming mission.
- We are also gearing up for one of our TCT Church Planting Residents, Jason Vaden, to bring his church-planting proposal to the elders at the end of March. Jason writes of the plant he is going to propose…
My burden to plant in North Little Rock, Arkansas, was provoked by the six and a half years my family and I stepped over our own impoverished community to worship 30 minutes away in a more affluent area of West Little Rock. Though the entire city of North Little Rock stands in great need of “uncut” gospel witness, our striking point will be the historic section of downtown—an ethnically diverse area where 70% of the population is black, 23% is white, and 7% is other minorities.
The vision statement for the proposed plant, Urban Harvest Fellowship, will read, “Urban Harvest longs to magnify the supreme worth of Jesus Christ by creating a Cross-centered culture of grace and truth that intersects with the diverse community and impoverished neighborhoods of downtown North Little Rock in the reckless joy of gospel-driven worship.”
Please pray that God would give us much grace in sharing the gospel across cultural lines and that he would raise up for us a minority pastor to lead us in worship through song.
- In addition to Jason’s proposal, we are highly anticipating our other TCT Church Planting Resident, Brett Louis, to bring his proposal for a Twin Cities metro-area church plant later this year. Brett writes…
The Lord has placed in my heart a love and a burden for Minneapolis/St. Paul and a desire to plant a unique, local expression of the Bethlehem vision somewhere in this area. Though I do not yet know exactly where the Lord is directing me to plant, one possibility is east of St. Paul, maybe somewhere in or around Woodbury.
I am prayerfully exploring options right now. I am earnestly seeking the Lord for partners—a core group of leaders, families, and individuals who desire to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in a strategic location in or around Minneapolis/St. Paul. Please prayerfully consider whether the Lord might be calling you to this new work for his glory and your joy.
Brett will be having informational meetings in March with more details. Watch the Star for times and locations.
Lastly, in mid-April we will be hosting Steve Childers, president of Global Church Advancement and professor at Reformed Theological Seminary. In addition to preaching at weekend services, Steve will be participating extensively in a meeting of all of our TCT Church Planting Network pastors. Through our time with Steve, we hope to set a strong trajectory for the direction of TCT church planting.
As the gospel continues to go forth through TCT church planting, please pray for persevering grace for our planters and residents, continue to give to the TCT strategy, and prayerfully consider going with one of our new church plants as the Lord leads.
Spreading a passion through church planting,
Cleon Engel, TCT Church Planting Coordinator
Brett Louis, Church Planting Resident
Jason Vaden, Church Planting Resident
Brett Toney, Ministry Assistant