Today’s church planting news comes from Tony Webb, director of VisionOhio. Here are a few excerpts from his recent e-newsletter:
Jacksontown GBC: Last time I sent out our prayer letter, I asked you to pray for our Easter Sunday morning service. We have been working for 18 months now in the harvest around Jacksontown with two gatherers – as well as the rest of the team. We decided it was time to host a Sunday morning worship gathering. So, we rented a school in Jacksontown and had an Easter service.
Amazing are the results! Success for us is if any of the 25+ families we are focusing on that do not know Jesus come. We had ten families present and three that did not know Jesus, and one that was from our list! In addition to the one family that came, Jesus sent us a family we had never met before! After the service, Linda shared part of her story with us so we could understand what God was up to. On the Tuesday before Easter, we were in the community giving out invitations to the Sunday breakfast and worship gathering. Bill, one the men in our group, was going up to one house to give them an invite. Linda said five minutes before Bill rang the doorbell, she had said to God, “God, you have to do something! I cannot take any more of this “stuff” that is going on around me!” Five minutes later Bill rings the doorbell and Ed answers the door. Ed brings the invitation to Linda and shows her saying, “I think God is answering our prayers!” They came on Easter Sunday. They then returned to our regular Sunday night gathering the next Sunday! We are thankful to Jesus for His work!
Pray for us at Jacksontown GBC – pray that Jesus continues to crack the damn that is holding people back from harvesting.
White Stone: White Stone continues as a real joy to Cathy and I as we are able to engage life and ministry with some wonderful people focusing on Jesus’ mission. Our church plant in business continues to go well and watching Jesus do transforming work continues as a great joy! We are continuing our first and third Sunday afternoon worship gatherings as well as our three missional groups that meet during the week.
Pray for White Stone as we continue to focus on Jesus’ mission.
Eaton: A couple weeks ago I was blessed to meet with three other families. The result of the evening was the start of a new GB church! Ken and Judy hosted us, Chuck and Tami joined us along with Pastor Shannon Horst. As we talked, processed and prayed, we ended the evening with this plan: Take the rest of April to create the lists of people to invite to a new church plant, share the vision of the new church plant with them and plan on the first church gathering to be in early May! It is truly exciting to gathering with men and women who are desirous to birth a new GB church to penetrate the region with the gospel!
Pray for Ken, Judy, Chuck and Tami as they meet, talk, pray, dream … Pray for the targeted first gathering in early May.
