It is easy to disassociate yourself from church planting. After all, you’re not going to start a new church! You will gladly pray for others to plant churches, you see the biblical pattern as healthy, but ultimately this is something other people do…right?!

As local churches plant other churches there is a simple but significant thing that happens in a church – some people GO and some people STAY. Those who stay aren’t bystanders simply watching their friends and others GO, but their STAYING is an act of SENDING and SUPPORTING. Some people GO, some people SEND, and that means everyone is involved and invested.

The book of Acts chronicles the planting and supporting of new local churches in the 1st Century. It paints the picture of countless people who WENT and who SENT!

Have you heard of Simon the Tanner?

You won’t find Simon the Tanner in the “Who’s Who” of the most influential Christians in history. But, Simon opened up his home in Joppa where the Apostle Peter stayed “...for many days…” as he preached the gospel and helped those who had come to know Jesus. (Acts 9:42-43) Simon may not have gone out to plant churches, but he supported the effort of church planting through his hospitality.

How about Aristarchus, Justus or Nympha? Have you heard of them?

Colossians 4:7-18 is a great example of how God uses all sorts of people to plant and support healthy, reproducing churches. Paul notes several men as being a “comfort to [him]” in his ministry (v.10,11). Epaphras initially planted and led the church in Colossae, but even in his absence he was “...always struggling on [their] behalf in his prayers…” (v.12). Luke and Demas were faithful companions to Paul. An untold number of brothers and sisters in Laodicea were part of Paul’s ministry, which included the open-handed hospitality of “...Nympha and the church in her house.” (v.15).

God used the friendship, comfort, support and prayers of these believers to strengthen and build the church at Colossae and beyond. Paul (and others) WENT and countless others SENT!

You are likely familiar with the imagery of the church being one body with many parts (1 Cor 12:4-31) and those parts are arranged exactly the way the Lord intended in His wisdom. However, it is also clear that as individual body parts we have to see ourselves as an integral part of the body and ensure we are functioning the way God intended. Peter captured this call to all Christians in this way:

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…”
1 Peter 4:10

Throughout history the fruitfulness and multiplication of the local church has been the result of God’s people being engaged in the mission of multiplication. As Crossway Wilmington seeks to plant more churches, some of us will GO and many of us will SEND…but we will all be involved!

“13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" Rm 10:13-15

TODAY, JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR GOLDEN CITY CHURCH (Golden, CO)
Matt & Cheryl Brown and their core team launched this Crossway church just two weeks ago!

PRAY for sustained gospel impact in the City of Golden and the surrounding area.
PRAY for new visitors to plug into community groups this Fall.
PRAY for additional leaders to join the Browns from other Crossway churches in Colorado.
PRAY for unity in the relationship between GCC and the Presbyterian church where they are meeting.
PRAY for the supremacy of Jesus in the hearts of the people as they study through Colossians.