- Church planting is a biblical priority in the New Testament, especially in the Book of Acts.
- Church planting is one of the most effective means of advancing the gospel in a community beyond your immediate context.
- Church planting recognizes the providence of God in providing so many men who sense God’s call into vocational pastoral ministry.
- Church planting allows long-term CrossWay members to plant a church in their local community and deploy their spiritual gifts more broadly.
- Church planting sends out mature believers from CrossWay Bristol which makes room for new believers.
- Church planting creates a family of churches that can participate in a broader mission and community life together.
Church planting regionally makes the most sense from the objectives listed above. It allows us to send out groups of people from CrossWay to plant churches, use their gifts, attend a local church instead of driving to Bristol, and enter into fellowship with a family of churches.
At a minimum we would like to plant a church every five years, but we hope with ministerial formation that we can get this down to every three years. We can see ourselves planting churches as far west as Lake Geneva and Madison, as far north as Northern Milwaukee, and as far south as Chicago.
Planting Nationally
Under the right circumstances, we can see ourselves planting churches further a field, but it would less likely mean sending out large groups of CrossWay members. It would make sense for us to plant churches further north in Wisconsin, or Indiana, or some other state with someone in the ministerial formation program.
Planting Globally
We are definitely committed to church planting globally. As the gospel went out from Jerusalem in the Book of Acts, it went to Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We see church planting globally developing along two primary lines.
First, we see church planting globally developing among unreached people groups. Establishing a self-sustaining and reproducing local church is the long-term goal of evangelism among unreached people groups. Here we are taking an investment of years, decades, and possibly lifetimes.
Second, we see church planting globally developing by working with indigenous pastors in other countries who need our resources. Our primarily role in this kind of church planting is primarily one of encouragement, prayer, and serving indigenous pastors through our partnership in the gospel.
CrossWay Exists
CrossWay exists to plant healthy local churches that are self-sustaining, self-governing, and reproducing. We ask all CrossWay members to consider, through prayer and supplication, participating in a CrossWay church plant. Please pray for church planting, and give to church planting, and encourage those who are preparing for church planting.
Related Posts:
Conviction 1 – The Glory of God
Conviction 2 – The End of Human History
Conviction 3 – The Rejection of God
Conviction 4 – God’s Mission of Redemption
Conviction 5 – Redemption Through Jesus Christ
Conviction 6 – The Mission of God for the Church
Conviction 7 – The Church Exists for the Gospel
Conviction 8 – Humanity’s Response to the Gospel
Conviction 9 – God’s Mission is to All Nations
Conviction 10 – Evangelism, Mercy, Pastor Training, Church Planting
Conviction 11 – The Scope of CrossWay’s Mission is Local
