Mission Alive

For many churches missions is considered something done across the ocean on another continent. Increasingly, however, churches are beginning to realize that there are developing missions fields close to home. For example, the East Cobb Church of Christ in Atlanta has made a commitment to work with Mission Alive to plant a church in the emerging suburbs of the rapidly developing county to their north. The Kaufman Church of Christ, east of Dallas, has made a commitment to the evangelization of Kaufman County. These churches remember the pattern of the book of Acts: Jesus said, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." They, therefore, equip themselves to evangelize at home, in their county or geographical area, and to the ends of the world.

Some church leaders, however, fear planting other churches close to home because they are afraid of losing some of their best people. Their contributions might be affected. These churches might look different because they focus on evangelizing unbelievers. Or church planting, from their experience, is merely another word for church splitting. These feelings become barriers to God's mission through their church within their areas.

It is time, however, for us to overcome these fears and learn about church plantings that will build local churches rather than hurt them. Planting Christ-formed churches brings missional renewal to participating churches because they see in tangible ways how hundreds of searchers and skeptics come to Christ, overcome their sins and addictions, and become participants in the kingdom of God. To give opportunities for Christian leaders to learn more about church planting, Mission Alive is working with various churches to sponsor three Church Planting Workshops later this year. Would you consider attending one of them along with other leaders from your local church?

The Southeast Church Planting Workshop will be held at the Landmark Church of Christ in Montgomery, Alabama, on August 11-12. You can register for the workshop and find a complete program at www.land-mark.org/churchplant.html. Participants of workshop include church planters Chris Chappotin of Fort Worth and Tim Broadwell of Atlanta, Lipscomb professors Drs. Earl Lavender and John Mark Hicks, Landmark evangelists Buddy Bell and Wes Gunn, and North Atlanta church leader Bill Long. This workshop was sponsored last year by the North Atlanta Church of Christ. The 2007 Workshop will be hosted by the East Cobb Church of Christ in Atlanta.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Church Planting Workshop will be held at the Riverside Church of Christ in Coppell on Nov. 10-11. The workshop will "celebrate" what God has done during the past two years. We will celebrate the planting of new churches and the dozens of people who have come to know Christ through these Christ-formed fellowships of faith. We will celebrate church planters who have formed teams and made connections with supporting churches to plant new churches in the DFW area, Denver, and Austin. We will celebrate churches who have made the courageous decision to become church-planting churches. We will celebrate God's work in our midst despite our fears and inadequacies. We will celebrate God saying,

The Austin Church Planting Workshop will be held November 17-18, 2006, at the University Avenue Church of Christ. During this workshop, Randy Harris and I will speak on "Why plant churches?" (Friday night), "What type of churches should we plant?" (Saturday morning), and "In what type of world do we find ourselves?" and "What is Mission Alive's process for planting a church?" (Early Saturday afternoon). Dean Smith and Mark Love of University Avenue will also speak on "Can an established church begin to think like a missional church?" A preliminary schedule can be accessed at http://www.missionalive.org/events.asp?p=event&EventID=103

Mark you calendar and plan to attend one of these workshops with others from your church.

Finally, a prayer request. As many of you know, Cyndi Chowning, our long-term co-worker in Kenya and ACU, was hit by a motor cycle in Benin, West Africa, and died from her injuries. We are pained, even numbed beyond imagination. Please pray for her husband Richard and for their children Heather Hicks, Aaron Chowning, and Naomi Encalade.

The funeral will be held today at 4:00 p.m. at the Park Avenue Church of Christ in Denison, Texas, where Naomi’s husband Wes Encalade serves as the youth minister. If you read this early today, I ask for your prayers as I speak at the funeral. It will be difficult to speak without tears.