We are in the process of planning for a second church plant. Perhaps you should think of it as an expansion of the congregation we have already started. Our numbers have increased to the point where we simply cannot continue meeting in one house so we will expand into two. This has been our plan from the beginning.

In discussions with our group, they unanimously said that they want to continue meeting in homes. Everyone likes the ability to be involved in the Bible studies, the close fellowship, and the fact that our financial gifts can all be used for missions, benevolence, and evangelism. We hope to replicate these groups over and over again across our region. My role will be to provide training for leaders so that the churches can be independent of the need for outside help. We want to develop churches that are doctrinally sound, outwardly focused, and capable to being sustained and reproduced.

The plan we are discussing means that we will have one group meeting in the morning and one in the afternoon on each Sunday. We have a couple of nurses who are only able to come in the afternoon on the Sundays they work. We have other families who prefer the mornings; especially those who have to work early Monday morning or who drive some distance to get to the meetings. Some enjoy taking the morning to pray and read their Bibles quietly at home while coming together in the afternoon. We expect each group to retain our general schedule which includes plenty of fellowship, an in-depth Bible study, sharing the Lord’s Supper, a period of singing, a time of prayer, and a meal. Our gatherings usually last about four hours in total, but sometimes some of the folks hang around for up to six hours.

One Sunday per month, we plan to rent a community center and come together as a whole group. This will be a time to invite our neighbors and friends. People will be encouraged to visit between groups and keep in contact during the week. This is not meant to divide our group, but to expand our outreach.

We are determined to see the church as the body of Christ in this community, not just as a place to go on Sundays. Our Sunday gathering is just a small part of what we are about. Our desire is to carry out the mission of God in our community as we live for Christ 24/7.