New Planter Spotlight: Michael Smith
Michael Smith
How have you seen God working in your life?
Taking the huge step of faith to plant a new Presbyterian church (EPC) in downtown NYC was daunting as I knew I would be raising 100% of the funding myself while trying to establish a new church where church plants often fail - yet despite these fears, after 4 months, we are at 50% of our financial goal for year one and have over 30 people looking to launch with us. God continues to amaze and humble me with His faithfulness.
How have you seen God working in your family?
We had a weird year in that we left NYC (lost my job) and headed to FL (to plant with the EPC) just before the pandemic - my wife had to travel back and forth for work, my son still was enrolled at Brooklyn College but working online, and my youngest son started at a new school in North FL. We were all heavy hearted to leave the city we loved so much so the fact that God has been so clear in calling us back to NYC (in just 1 year!) and is slowly re-establishing us in here has been a bit surreal for all of us.
How have you seen God working in your church?
There is clear excitement that God is doing something new and many of the people I had the privilege of meeting and ministering to for the 7 years we lived here are starting to get word that we are planting. We had our first Brooklyn based bible study last night (7/7) and our Manhattan study starts on Tuesday !
Church Mission & Vision
To exalt Christ through being an authentic, gospel-centered, disciple-making, multi-ethnic, multi-generational community with a sincere love for God, for people, and for the city.
For further information please contact Michael at https://commongrace.nyc/
The Smith Family
New Planter Spotlight: Craig Harris
Craig Harris
How have you seen God working in your life?
One of the biggest ways that God has been at work in my life is by teaching me that I don't need to earn his affection. I already have it as I'm united to Christ. This has been a life long lesson for me as I battle through fear of failure, and thinking that God's love is conditional. But the more I have learned to trust the grace and love of God, the more I have been able to show it to others. It has changed my life and continues to change my life.
How have you seen God working in your family?
As we have stepped out in planting we have always emphasized it as a family calling. It has been really neat to see my wife and 4 young children find ways to serve the church by using their unique gifts and talents.
How have you seen God working in your church?
God has been bringing together a diverse community that is growing in their own knowledge of the gospel and applying it in their daily lives. One of the more tangible things is seeing our people learn to pray and trust God. As a community we have prayed for specific things and have seen them happen. It has been a great encouragement towards more prayer.
Church Mission & Vision
The mission of Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church is to introduce people to Jesus as we love God, make disciples, serve Yakima and multiply the church. Our hope is that our neighbors meet Jesus because meeting Jesus has changed our lives, and we believe it will change our neighbors lives too. This vision begins with our weekly worship. From there it extends into a life of discipleship as we do life together. One practical thing we do in this is we are starting a school so that we can train our children up in the gospel. Worship and discipleship always extend to our neighbors as well. Success for us is faithfulness. We can't control the harvest, but we can worship God, pray, and love our neighbors, so if we are doing these things we are successful.
For further information please contact Craig at http://www.saintandrewsyakima.org/
The Harris Family
Planter Spotlight: Michel Salomon
Church Mission & Vision
My vision of church planting is believing in the branching and coverage of a widespread religion. Teaching those who have not seen the light of our Savior and helping them learn the Bible. Many people today forget that if it wasn’t for Jesus Christ, we wouldn’t be here right now. He has died
for my sins and everyone else’s sins. I believe that when you learn this and accept this, you’ll truly understand why he did it. God nurtures us with his protection and blessing by the little things in our lives. He gives us the ability to just breathe and see with what most people don’t have the opportunity to do. Church planting to me is like a large, healthy tree with many roots and branches. The tree is God itself and the branches are the churches all around the world. The leaves are the people attached to these churches. The word of God is the nutrients that helps the tree grow and live long. The word passes through the branches from the core to the leaves to keep them green and pass on to others."
For further information please contact Pastor Michael at https://www.faithtempleofboca.org/
The Salomon Family
New Planter Spotlight: Melo Savual
Melo Savual
How have you seen God working in your life?
Every time I consider the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and how much my life has been changed by the Gospel, I am filled with gratitude because of the kindness of God! Although I would profess faith in Christ when I was growing up, I never really had a relationship with him. Not only that, but I struggled with my identity and trying to make a “name for myself” in order to feel like I mattered in this world. This was expressed most clearly in my pursuit of a Hip Hop career as a young teen, followed by a reckless life of hypocrisy and people pleasing that influenced every decision I made. However, after being saved through faith in the work Jesus on my behalf, God has slowly transformed me and has given me new desires that I thought I would have in a million years! Church planting is certainly one of them. I have seen God change me in increasing measure from finding my identity in being known by people, to finding my identity in who I am in Christ. Now I want to give the rest of my life to making Jesus known, to as many people as possible through preaching the Gospel!
How have you seen God working in your family?
My family has been one of the greatest gifts of God to me. One of the things that I believe is the work of the Holy Spirit in my marriage is the alignment between my wife Nicole and I and our call to ministry. We both recognize the weightiness of the call to Church Planting and are aware that it will not be without it’s fair share of suffering. However, we are both equally excited about the journey and both feel called. On top of this, it is encouraging to see our 3 young children embrace the call as well. They are always asking if we are having our launch team come over as they enjoy our gathering times, and they are becoming more and more fluent in being able clearly articulate the Gospel! Even their prayers are maturing as they pray for others and themselves. This is such a great joy to witness. Meanwhile my wife and I are drawing closer together, when the difficulty and stresses of ministry often tends to pull some relationships apart. I believe this is the work of the Holy Spirit as we continue to abide in Jesus.
How have you seen God working in your church?
It's one thing to read Matthew 16:18 where Jesus says that he will build his church, but it's another thing to actually believe it. Church planting has revealed much of my inadequacies and weaknesses, which has led me to a deeper trust in the strength that only God can provide. That being said, as I consider the unexpected ways that God is providing for us, the people that we never thought would ever join us, and the encouragement and support from others that want to see One Family Church plant well, I am growing in my clarity that Christ is the one who builds his church. Our team is growing in number and in commitment. It is a great joy to not feel like I have to chase people down to help with the needs of ministry, but many people are asking what they can do to serve. This is a great blessing to us! As we get ready to launch One Family Church this September, we are spending much our time not only setting the foundation and exception for our team to be sharing the Gospel as much as possible in our city, but also growing together as a family. I believe that the Church is not like a family, it is family, and I am confident that our team feels this way about each other. I thank God for this!
Church Mission & Vision
Vision Statement: We want to see strangers of God become members of his household in Orlando and around the world! This vision for the city Orlando really comes from the beautiful reality of what Jesus has accomplished through his death burial and resurrection, found in Ephesians 2:17-22 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God bye the Spirit. This is our hope for Orlando. I find it to be a beautiful truth that once we put our faith in Jesus we are not just saved from something, but we are saved into something. That is into the family of God. Therefore, we must be clear about our mission. Our Mission Statement is as follows: To Glorify God and Expand His Family, by Making Disciples!
For further information please contact Melo at melo@onefamily.church
The Savual Family
New Planter Spotlight: Sam Low
The Low Family
How have you seen God working in your life?
I met Jesus when I was 14, at that point my family begun to self destruct, even though I struggled to live a visibly christian life in that season God was an undeniable anchor for me. He used those years to show me the truth that there is no greater treasure than knowing Jesus and being known by him. Since then God has graciously opened doors for me to be able to preach the gospel to others. Every time I get to declare the sufficiency and majesty of y risen saviour God is feeding me with a deeper confidence in his love for me, an increasing desire for eternity and an uncontainable conviction that Jesus is the only hope for humanity.
How have you seen God working in your family?
Our entire family life has been in the context of full time ministry. Sally my wife is a gift from God, we have endured suffering and celebrated fruit together and every step she has displayed a faithfulness and steadfastness that reflects the God she trusts. God has blessed us with two amazing boys, Bailey and Hudson. I love watching God slowly but surely reveal himself to them and the boldness and peace that childlike faith brings.
How have you seen God working in your church?
God has been so kind as to gather people eager to be on mission and to sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom. The provision of families to grow our kids ministry and most importantly the number of unchurched and de churched people he has brought into our sphere. Despite COVID 19 and lockdown restrictions we have established a community on mission and are preparing for our first baptisms in February. God has used an unpredictable year to humble us and remind us repeatedly that he is faithful and good beyond our wildest imagination, we are discovering in a fresh way what it means to find rest in him even as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Church Mission & Vision
City on a Hill Gold Coast exists to know Jesus and make Jesus known Vision: Our vision is to reach the Gold Coast with the gospel of Jesus. We see a gospel driven movement of churches. Churches that are united by a burden for the lost, who trust in the power of the gospel to transform people, who take risks for the sake of seeing people meet Jesus and who are uncompromising in their commitment to reaching lost people with the gospel of Jesus. We see a church where the Holy Spirit’s work is obvious as people come under Christ centred biblical preaching which leads to repentance and faith. A church where sin is confessed and lives are transformed to be increasingly like Jesus. We see people gathered from a wide range of diverse ages and backgrounds in deep and substantial relationships whose foundation is the gospel. A community that weeps and rejoices together, a community united in knowing Jesus and making Jesus known. We see a church that empowers, equips, values, gives opportunities to and celebrates all of God’s people using their time, talents and treasures for the sake of the kingdom. A church that invests in and trains the next generation of gospel leaders for our movement, city and world. We see a church that loves and serves the least of these with concrete practical support. A church so compassionate that it is driven to meet those on the margins. A church that is valued by the city and impacts the culture of the city it is serving. We see a church that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. A church joyfully dependent on God through regular, passionate and bold prayer. A church that is fearless in its mission, innovative in its method, joy filled and life giving to all who encounter it. This is the church we believe God desires, the city needs and the church we are, in his strength, hoping to lead.
If you would like to know more please check out our website: http://www.cityonahill.com.au/goldcoast
Sam Low