What If God Wants to Use Your Church to Start Something New?
When we read the book of Acts, one truth becomes clear: the early church grew because ordinary believers stepped out in faith to start new communities of worship and mission. Church planting isn’t a fad or a strategy reserved for megachurches—it’s the heartbeat of the Great Commission.
Across our district, there are communities where the gospel witness is almost non-existent, neighborhoods where people live and die without ever encountering Jesus in a meaningful way. What if God is calling us to change that? What if He wants to use your church to plant the seeds of something new?
In Lancaster a “Dinner Church” called Glass City Church launched in April in a low-income neighborhood. They’ve had numerous people from the community come, with dozens getting connected and starting to be discipled. There is a real sense of light breaking into darkness.
Here’s the good news: church planting isn’t about competition—it’s about multiplication. When a church helps start another congregation, the Kingdom grows. In fact, research consistently shows that new churches are among the most effective at reaching people who are not currently attending church.
Recently we hosted a Church Planting Essentials training in Spanish. Over a dozen individuals from five Spanish-speaking congregations across our district coming together, seeking God’s direction, and exploring whether He is calling them to take the Gospel into new communities. Some may begin Bible studies in their homes. Others may one day launch new churches. All of them share a common desire—to be used by God to plant seeds of something new.
Every church can play a role. You can:
- Pray regularly for new church plants across our district.
- Share your space with a new church meeting at a different time.
- Partner financially with a new church plant.
- Send some people to one of our church plant trainings
- Encourage a few members to join a launch team for a season.
- Even small acts of partnership can have eternal impact.
Why does this matter? Because church planting isn’t about numbers—it’s about legacy. When we step into the unknown, we step into God’s work. Imagine looking back and saying, “Our church helped start a community where people found Christ.” That’s fruit that lasts. God told Paul in Corinth, “I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:10). The same is true in our towns and neighborhoods all across our district. The question is: will we go?
Let’s dream together, pray together, and take bold steps to see new churches rise in every corner of our district. If your heart is stirring, let’s talk. Your next “yes” could change eternity.
Pastor Joshua Porterfield
Director of Church Planting
