March Highlights!
New friends, boot camp for church planters, our first board meeting…and more! Thanks for following our journey to start a new church. Read on for the highlights of our last month 😊
Our first board meeting!
If you have been following our journey, you know that last month we filed for incorporation of Local Church with Suffolk County. We received their stamp of approval and had our first official board meeting on March 30th! 🎉
Local Church will operate with a 3-board system. Michael, Nate, and Edie (pictured above!) are the financial directors. They are responsible for making sure everything is happening legally and will provide guidance and oversight for big decisions that are made in terms of the organization. We are currently selecting members for our accountability board. These are people outside of Local Church who will check up on Michael and me, help keep us on track spiritually, and make sure our marriage and personal lives are healthy. Finally, as our church grows, we will have a board of elders who are sold out and deeply rooted in Local Church. They will help make decisions about the spiritual direction and everyday decisions of our church. So…there’s another insight into some of the fun behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into starting a new church!
Help us inspire people to follow Jesus.
It costs money to start a church. A huge part of our job right now is fundraising. Last month we met our goal and gained 5 more monthly donors 🙌. Our goal this month is to raise $10,000 in new monthly donors and/or one-time gifts! Not sure what it looks like to support a Church Plant? Give us a call. We’d love to tell you more! Or click the link below.
A cookout with the World Harvest Ministry “village”.
What we are learning from a KC village.
On the first Wednesday of March, we met Terry Glenn, the pastor of World Harvest Ministries. And we are so thankful we did. It’s a long story, but the short of it is that we bumped into Terry in a parking lot on our way out of another meeting. When he heard we were church planters, he all but begged us to be involved. He quickly invited us to join him for lunch where we shared our story and vision for Local Church. He told Michael he MUST come to speak and sing at World Harvest Church the following Sunday! In the last month, this little pentecostal church with deep roots in Kansas City has taught us so much about what love and generosity look like. God has used this little church to give homes, food, and a family to so many people in Kansas City. Yet, Terry believes that God has also called him to partner with us in starting Local Church on Long Island. It’s amazing!
They may “do church” differently than us, but Terry and his church are the real deal. We are looking forward to celebrating with them this coming weekend as they open a new apartment building that will house 30+ families coming out of homelessness! We are so honored that they have adopted us into their church family.
Who is this Man?
For the last seven weeks, Grace Church, our sending church, has been in a series called “Who is this Man?” Michael had the privilege to teach about what it means for Jesus to be the Heir (Mark 12:1-12). This was a great experience and it gave our friends at Grace the opportunity to hear Michael speak before we head out to Long Island.
Something really neat about Grace is that before anyone speaks on a Sunday morning, they participate in a sermon review. This means that two weeks prior to speaking on stage, Mike shared his message with a small group of people that offered feedback and guidance about how to craft the best sermon possible. This culture of feedback is something that we absolutely love!! It has helped us become better at giving and getting feedback. We can’t wait to build a sermon review team at Local Church!
Michael during his virtual sermon review.
Check out our Facebook page to listen to Mike’s message!
We completed boot camp!
As we shared in our last newsletter, we recently participated in a Church Planter Assessment Center. This is basically a 3-day boot camp for Church Planters. A pair of observers pushed us, poked around at our personal life, gave us lots of big projects, and then watched how we responded to everything. Every project or activity was followed by direct feedback, both positive and negative. In the end, they decide whether you are ready to plant a church and give you recommendations on areas that you need to grow. We honestly enjoyed the experience and value every bit of feedback we received! After it was all was said and done, they recommended us for church planting with the conditions of making sure we have a strong support system - both in our personal lives and for the church as a whole. This is exactly why each and every one of you is an invaluable part of our journey - we are so thankful for friends and family who love and support us!
Lots of new friends!
With only a few weeks left, we are STILL meeting new people, visiting with small groups, and making memories with the people we love here. Have we mentioned how much we love Grace Church? We are so thankful for all the meaningful relationships we have built in the short time we have had here in Kansas City. Leaving already feels bittersweet!!!
Prayer Team
We’d love to know you are praying! So if you have a second, CLICK HERE to let us know how many minutes you have spent praying for us, Long Island, and this new church.
Here are some specific things you can pray about:
- Pray we continue to meet with church leaders and individuals who God is calling to get involved financially with our church plant.
- We have had some initial meetings with a church planting organization called Orchard Group. It would be huge for us if they decide to support Local Church. Please pray for favor and for whatever God has for this potential partnership.
- It’s moving month! We pack up and head out on April 28th. 🎉We are sharing a moving truck with Nick and Sarah who are also moving to Long Island to help launch Local Church. Please pray for safe and easy travels for us.
- We are continuing to pray that God will open doors for a house and a car for us when we get to Long Island. At this point, we really don’t know how we will afford a house without a miracle. But we’re just asking God where he wants us to live and trusting His plan.
- Michael’s biological mother, Jill, passed away at the beginning of March. He hasn’t had a relationship with her since he was 6 years old, but it is still a difficult loss. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, we aren’t able to make it to Myrtle Beach for her services. But we would really appreciate your prayers for his sister Jen and other family members as they have her memorial service on April 18th.
- Would you pray about how God is leading YOU to get involved with Local Church?
Answered prayers:
- Our church planting assessment was encouraging and successful!
- We feel loved and supported by so many friends, new and old.
- Local church is incorporated and all the administrative things are moving along smoothly.
- We are approx. 25% funded for our low-impact budget and we currently have 22 monthly partners! 🙌
- Amigo was attacked by a dog at the dog park. The bite JUST MISSED his eye. UGH! But the praise is that he has recovered and is doing great 😊
Who will miss Lyndsey more…me or Amigo?? 🤔
Thank you for following us on our journey 🎉
Find previous newsletters by visiting our website at www.churchplantjourney.com
We are looking forward to all that God has for us, for you, and for Long Island! 🌱
