Prayer need

Robert Branscum of Life Church asks for prayer for one of his new church families. Just before Christmas their only car was reposessed (they were 4 days late on their payment). Please pray for God's provision for a vehicle of this young family.

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 41

Greetings Prayer Partners,

This is often the time of year when we look back and thank the Lord for what He has done.

 The Lord has indeed been active all over Arkansas this past year.

Besides all that He has done in and through our 1480 or so established churches, we have seen His hand working through the many new church starts as well.

 (Jamie – saved 3 weeks earlier, baptized the night before, sharing his testimony at the Garage Church Christmas Party in Hot Springs)

This past year, through November, churches that have been started in the last 2 years, have seen more than 450 first time professions of faith and more than 250 baptisms.

These new churches have given more than $130,000 through the Cooperative Program and the other SBC missions offerings.

These new churches run anywhere from 14 – 250 in regular attendance and are reaching out and ministering the Love of Jesus in fresh and creative ways.

They are working together with other local churches and their associations to reach the more than 1.6 million unchurched Arkansans.

(Urban Harvest Fellowship in downtown North Little Rock, sponsored by Friendship Baptist in Sherwood)

Thank you for your prayers.

Thank you for  your gifts through the Cooperative Program and through the Dixie Jackson State Missions offering.

And - Thank you to our many sponsoring and partnering churches.

(Alicia Baptist votes to sponsor a new church in Walnut Ridge – left to right – Mark McManus church planter, Tim Wicker ABSC, Marvin Reynolds pastor at Alicia, Brent Powell Black River Baptist Association)

It is exciting to be a part of what the Lord is doing!

Merry Christmas!

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 40

Greetings Prayer Partners!

 

This week we ask you to pray for our semi-annual church planter training – Church Planting Essentials.

Last, and this weekend, we have 11 church planting teams that are going through the training.

These teams represent new churches being started in Texarkana, Harrison, Walnut Ridge, Wynne, Jonesboro, Russellville, and elsewhere.

Pray for the facilitators this weekend that they will present clearly and effectively.

Pray for the teams, that the Lord would use this time to help clarify His vision and plan for the new churches.

Pray for the lost in each of these communities, that the Lord would draw them to Himself through the witness of these new works.

Thanks, as always, for joining together with these and other church planters through your prayers!

 

S’Bogum!

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 39

Greetings Prayer Partners,

The Lord is at work!

So far this year the Lord has added 29 new churches to the ABSC. With 2 months to go, and others in the process, we could easily see more than 30.

There is no doubt that a critical part of the Lord’s work is accomplished through prayer.

Thank you all for praying and please continue to pray for more workers for the harvest.

Today we would like to ask specific prayer for Grace Country Church in Sydney. This is a new church start this year. They have purchased a building that needs a lot of work. Pray for the Lord’s provision for the necessary remodel, for workers, and for the Lord to use this new church to reach their community with the Good News!

 

S’Bogum for now!

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 38

Greetings Church Planting Prayer Partners!

 

Thank you for praying for new church starts all over the State of Arkansas.

The following request comes from a new church planter out of Piney Point Baptist Church and who is starting a new work in Eureka Springs.

 

We are currently trying to sell our home in Kansas, OK so we can move to where we are planting the church (Eureka Springs, AR). Please keep our home sale in your prayers...we are anxious to be at our church full-time.

Thanks...

 

 

Pastor Deryl           

 

Please also pray for Deryl, his family, his team, and the community, as they seek to reach the lost in Eureka Springs with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 

S’Bogum

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 37

Prayer Partners,

 

Two prayer requests in as many days!

I just now received this email (below) from one of our church planters in Conway, Jeremy Miller.

Please pray, and if you might be able to help, just give him a call.

 

Thanks – Tim

 

 

Tim,

      I have a HUGE request.  Tyler is heading up our renovation team for the new building and we need to finish it fast but when your church has a majority of college guys they tend to get distracted by everything . . .  We need a bunch of volunteers next Sun-Wed to help us finish the building. Those interested can call me at 501-413-9432 or Tyler at 501-514-2565.  We need the help!

 

Jeremy

 

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 36

Greetings Prayer Partners!

 

Today is a milestone for us. We now have over 500 Arkansas Baptists signed up and praying for church planting here in Arkansas!

THANK YOU for your willingness to join together with us through your prayers.

The Lord is at work and it is exciting to be a part of what He is doing.

 

This week we ask you to pray for the Church Planting Essentials training going on this weekend in Northwest Arkansas. We have 9 church planting teams represented in this training. That means there are 9 new churches that have just started over the past couple of months or are being started here in the very near future.

 

One of the best things about this is that there is another scheduled church planting training in November with another 10 or 11 church planting teams being invited!

 

Pray for the leaders of the training this weekend, that they would communicate clearly.

Pray for the teams, that this training would help guide them and prepare them for the many issues and pitfalls that often arise in a new church plant.

Pray that the Lord would use each of these teams and each of these new church starts to reach many with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 

For His Glory!

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Pine Bluff Church Planting Institute

The Pine Bluff Church Planting Institute got off to a great start last night.
This institute is a partnership between the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, the Harmony Baptist Association and the North American Mission Board.
Our goal is to raise up African American church planters and leaders to begin new works in the Pine Bluff area, the Delta region, and all of Arkansas.
Please pray for this initiative, that the Lord would do a mighty work.

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 35

Greetings Faithful Prayer Partners!

 

Today is an exciting day in the area of church planting here in Arkansas.

This evening is the first session of the new Pine Bluff Church Planting Institute.

Cooperating together are the ABSC, the Harmony Baptist Association and NAMB, to begin a church planting school for Pine Bluff and the Delta region of Arkansas.

 

Please pray for us this evening, as we just got word that the AC is out in the chapel where we are going to meet. The workers are there now trying to fix it.

Pray the Lord’s blessing on the institute as a whole, that the Lord would raise up church planters to start new works and reach the thousands upon thousands of lost in our state.

Pray for His hand to be on each of the students, pastors, and leaders, over the next few weeks as we seek His will, His direction, and His power.

 

S’Bogum

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 35

Greetings Prayer Partners!

 

Praise the Lord together with us as Friendship Baptist Church of Sherwood is sponsoring a new church in downtown North Little Rock.

This past Sunday pastor Roy Thompson and Friendship had a special commissioning service for this new church plant – Urban Harvest Fellowship.

 

Please pray for Urban Harvest Fellowship as they reach out to the many lost and unchurched in the area.

Please pray for church planter Jason Vaden. He has had some major health issues over the last few weeks and is only now recovering slowly.

Pray that the Lord would raise up a vibrant church in downtown North Little Rock.

 

Attached are a couple of pictures of the commissioning service (of the prayer time, and of Pastor Roy, Jason, and the associational missionary Jerry Gay).

 

S’Bogum

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 34

Greetings Prayer Partners!

 

Thank you in advance for praying for church planting here in Arkansas.

The Lord is at work.

He is raising up churches, church planters and church planting teams to reach the many lost and unchurched in our state.

 

This week we ask that you pray for Mark and Tina McManus.

The McManus’ are moving this week to Walnut Ridge, where the Lord has laid on their heart the starting of a new church.

In partnership with the Black River Association, Alicia Baptist Church and the ABSC the new church is seeking to reached the lost, unchurched, and dechurched in Walnut Ridge.

 

Please pray for Mark and Tina as they begin to build relationships in the area.

Pray for the gathering of a core group to reach out to the needy of Walnut Ridge.

Pray for their family as they make all of the transitions, school, community, jobs, etc.

Pray for just the right jobs for Mark and Tina, that the jobs would lead to relationships AND allow them time to focus on the new church start.

(like many of our church planters Mark will be bi-vocational)

 

Please remember to keep them in your prayers over the next few weeks and months!

 

S’Bogum for now!

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 33

Dear Faithful Prayer Partners,

God DOES answer prayer!

Last Fall, and again this past Spring on two separate occasions, we asked you all to pray for a new church start in Batesville – the Compass Church.

This past week I received this email update about how the Lord has worked and is working.

So, rather than try to share second hand, I thought I would just pass the email on to you in its entirety, and thank you personally for joining together with this new church through your prayers. God is Good!

Tim

 

Guys,

 

We launched our new website a week and a half ago.  Go check us out at www.thecompasschurch.net.

 

The Lord has been working overtime here.  We launched CompassLife (small groups) on Sunday, June 27th (I know, it's the middle of summer) and they have exploded at the seams.  We launched with 4 adult groups, 1 college/young adult group, and 1 youth group.  We had 136 the first week!  Since then 1 adult group has spawned a 2nd to accommodate its growth and we have created a brand new group meeting on an alternative night to allow for new folks who have expressed interest since launching.  Currently, we have 4 adult groups and 1 youth group meeting Sundays, 1 adult group meeting Mondays, 1 adult group and 1 college/young adult group meeting Tuesdays.  The response has been absolutely amazing!  Chad did an excellent job of taking our leaders through a month-long series of training in preparation for our launch.  Each group has a leader and apprentice or apprentice(s) with the understanding that they would be taking a lead role as groups multiply (the word "split" is not in our vocabulary).  Presently, we run CompassLife in 10-week terms with breaks in between and will be off through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  Each term will launch with an open enrollment period which will give folks an opportunity to expand their connections within the church and choose from multiple studies.  This first term we are studying "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan as a church-wide activity.

 

This past Sunday the 18th was a milestone Sunday for Compass.  We had our highest attendance to date of 218 and we gathered Sunday evening poolside at the home of one of our members for a special baptism service, our first!  Over 150 joined us for that celebration!!  You can check out the pictures on the website to catch a taste of some of the emotion of that evening.

 

I could go on and on.  It's such a joy to be a part of a movement ordained by the Father.  Pray that we will continue to stay out of His way and let Him continue to work.  Chad, feel free to interject any additional thoughts you may have.  What an amazing journey and we're barely 5 months old!!

 

One in Christ,

 

Mickey Jones

Directional Pastor/Worship & Administration

Compass Church

P.O. Box 4077

Batesville, AR  72503

(870) 307-7673 (cell)

mickey.jones@suddenlink.net

 

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 32

Greetings Prayer Partners,

 

Tomorrow evening, Life Church in Searcy is conducting two different outreaches in their community.

Please pray for this new church as they wash windshields and give out free gas at an area gas station.

And pray as they build relationships with the health care community as they provide drinks and snacks for nurses at the hospital.

Praise the Lord for how He is using this new church to make a difference in their neighborhood.

Praise the Lord as they have more than doubled in their attendance since their launch back in April.

God is good . . . and thanks for praying!

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 31

Greetings Church Planting Prayer Partners!

 

I know that this is the second prayer request this week, but wanted you all to be aware of another specific need.

 

Tomorrow morning July 8, Ramon Soto, pastor of a Hispanic church plant in Van Buren, will be having major surgery.

Like many of our church planters, Ramon is underinsured.

 

Please pray for the surgery to go well and for Ramon to recover quickly.

And pray for the Lord’s provision during this time of financial uncertainty.

 

Thank you for joining with us as we struggle together for the sake of the Gospel (Romans 15:30)!

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 30

Greetings Faithful Prayer Partners!

 

One of the most important things in any new church planting ministry is that the church planter and his family live on the ministry field in which they are planting the church.  For almost a year now Daren and Ashley Neely and family, pastor and family of The City Church, have been trying to sell their house in Bryant to move into the Riverdale area of Little Rock where The City Church is located.  The City Church is starting to make inroads into the Riverdale community and the Neelys desperately want to move into that community to live in their ministry field.  They have had several people look at their house in Bryant, but no buyers. 

 

-Pray that God would open up a door for someone to buy their house so they could the move into the Riverdale community of Little Rock.

-Pray that once their house sells the right house in the Riverdale community will open up for them to buy.

-Pray that God will continue to open up opportunities for The City Church to minister in the Riverdale community of Little Rock.

 

 

Dave McClung, Innovative New Work Strategist

Missions Ministries Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

10 Remington Dr. Suite #257

Little Rock, AR.  72204

501-376-4791, ext. 5159

In Arkansas:  800-838-2272

Fax:  501-376-7463

dmcclung@absc.org

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 29

Greetings Faithful Prayer Partners!

 

This week we ask that you join us in praying for a new church start in Texarkana, AR.

 

Please pray for Shane Melton and team as they start Eastgate Church.

Pray for a sponsor church to come along side this new work with encouragement and support.

Pray as they seek to reach the unchurched and dechurched of Texarkana.

 

Thanks for partnering with us in prayer!

 

S’Bogum

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 28

Greetings Prayer Partners!

Below is a prayer letter from one of our church planters in Bentonville. Rather than pulling out the specific prayer requests and passing them on to you, I thought I would forward the entire letter. Join us in praying for Faith Journey Fellowship as God is clearly at work!

Tim Wicker

ABSC Church Planting Strategist

Dear Praying Friends,

How sweet it is to see God answering your prayers! I can't even remember how many times I have asked that you pray for God to send people to Faith Journey - lost people, saved people who need a church - people. It seems that we are going through a great season of harvest in this area of people. God is bringing in new people from all the relational seeds that have been planted by our people in the last year or so...some lost people, some saved people. Just this last Sunday we had four new families and three new singles in worship with us for the first time!

Now that we are seeing this harvest of people, we want to pray more fervently for a harvest of SOULS. It's great to have more people, but we all know that our desire is to see these people become true worshipers of the one true God! And then, as God is faithful to complete the good work that He begins in them, we will see them becoming more and more like Christ!

Deeply Grateful for Your Prayers,

David Hastings
Pastor/Church Planter
Faith Journey
Bentonville, Arkansas
http://www.faithjourney.us/
(479)925-8491

Cowboy Church Prayer Request

Crossbar C Cowboy Church in Benton asks for your prayers -

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 26

Greetings Faithful Prayer Partners!

 

Spiritual Warfare is a very real element of Church Planting.

Church Planting is all about invading the enemies territory, and at times the Enemy does not like it.

Prayer is one of the main weapons we have in Spiritual Warfare.

SO, thank you again for joining the battle for the lost souls of men and women across Arkansas by praying for new church starts.

 

This week we ask you to pray for a new church start in Walnut Ridge.

The need has been clearly identified by local pastors, a sponsor church is on board, a building is available, and some initial funding has been raised.

We are currently talking to a young couple about moving to Walnut Ridge to begin the work there.

Pray with us this Sunday evening as we meet with this young couple.

Pray that if it is the Lord’s will for them to come, that it will be clear to all.

And pray that if the Lord has another church planter to fill the role, that He will make it known.

 

Pray Pray Pray!

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Why we need more churches

A secular explanation of why we like and need variety - does it have application in the starting of new churches?

New - New Church Website

Life Church in Searcy set up a website - check it out at:
http://www.lifechurchsearcy.com/

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 25

Greetings Prayer Partners!

The Lord continues to move all across our state – and new churches are being started as a result.

This week we ask that you pray for Whispering Pines Cowboy Church in Pine Bluff.

A leadership team has been meeting for the last several months and on Sunday May 30, they will be holding their first public service.

Pray for this new church plant.

Pray for the Lord to raise up a church planter/pastor for this new work. They have a good core group, and a solid vision, but ask that we join them in praying for God’s man to lead them.

Pray that many unchurched men and women would come to know the LORD through this new church.

Blessings!

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 24

 

God is Good . . . and your prayers are being answered!

 

Thank you for joining us in praying for new churches in Arkansas.

Three weeks ago you prayed for Robert and Kami Branscum at a new church plant in Searcy – Life Church.

This past Saturday, Unity Baptist from Paragould brought 60 volunteers to Searcy to help with an outreach block party at one of the key apartment complexes. The Lord held off the storms as the volunteers from Unity and the core team from Life Church cooked 400 + hot dogs, played games, knocked on doors, and made more than 500 contacts.

Sunday morning Life Church held its first public worship service. Beside the core group there were 5 new families that came as a result of the block party the day before.

Please continue to pray – He is at work!

 

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 23

Greetings Prayer Partners!

 

The Lord is working among new churches here in Arkansas. Below is a testimony from one of our church planters. I could not help but pass it on. Praise the Lord together with us and continue to pray for Bobby and the Cross Roads Baptist Church!

 

Cross Roads Baptist Church- God is working in BIG ways out in Pea Ridge Arkansas! We started this church February 7th and we already have between 25-30 regular members! God has saved souls, and changes lives. We already have one "preacher boy" who has fallen to the call of preaching and is studying under me. We have another young man recently saved and delivered from drugs and alcohol abuse who is talented in music and poetry and has written his first all Christ focused song and will be performing it this week! God is reuniting families, delivering people from addictions, and growing up strong witnesses for Him! We give God all the Glory for all the things He has done in our church and look forward to seeing how He will use us next.

Pastor Bobby Shockley

 

S’Bogum

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

 

New Church Testimony - God is Good!!!

Cross Roads Baptist Church- God is working in BIG ways out in Pea Ridge Arkansas! We started this church February 7th and we already have between 25-30 regular members! God has saved souls, and changes lives. We already have one "preacher boy" who has fallen to the call of preaching and is studying under me. We have an...other young man recently saved and delivered from drugs and alcohol abuse who is talented in music and poetry and has written his first all Christ focused song and will be performing it this week! God is reuniting families, delivering people from addictions, and growing up strong witnesses for Him! We give God all the Glory for all the things He has done in our church and look forward to seeing how He will use us next. Pastor Bobby Shockley

Pray for Brian Wilke and Siloam Fellowship in Mtn View

Church Planting Essentials training

What do church planters look like during training?

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 22

Greetings Prayer Partners!

Thank you for joining us in praying for new churches to be started all across Arkansas.

And thank you for praying last week for Robert and Kami Branscum of Life Church, a new church start in Searcy.

The Lord has answered our prayers.

Just today, Robert signed a very agreeable lease for a prime location in town. Praise the Lord!

We also want to Praise the Lord for the new Hmong work started this past Sunday in Nashville, AR with 43 Hmong in attendance.

Below is a picture of the commissioning service held at Ridgeway Baptist (the sponsoring church) in Nashville.

Please continue to keep both of these new congregations in your prayers.

God is Good !!!

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

New Hmong Church!

Ridgeway Baptist Church in Nashville, Arkansas along with the Little River Baptist Association has taken a giant leap of faith by sponsoring a new Hmong mission in Nashville. On Sunday, April 11, 2010 churches from across the Little River Baptist Association met at Ridgeway Baptist Church to hold a joint worship service with this new Hmong congregation. Ridgeway has agreed to sponsor this new work and several churches throughout the association have agreed to financially partner with Ridgeway Baptist Church in reaching the Hmong community for Christ.

Arkansas Church Planting Prayer Network - 21

Greetings Prayer Partners!

Thank you for joining us in praying for new church starts all over the State of Arkansas!

This week we ask you to pray for Robert and Kami Branscum and the core group for Life Church in Searcy.

Please pray for Life Church as they are currently seeking a building/space for their new church.

Also pray for their upcoming outreaches to the community, May 1 and June 5, in partnership with Unity Baptist Church in Paragould.

Praise the Lord for churches like Judsonia First and Unity, as well as the Calvary Association, for their partnership with Life Church!

That all of Arkansas might know Him!

Tim Wicker

Church Planting Strategist

Missions Ministry Team

Arkansas Baptist State Convention

1-800-838-2272 ext 5159

http://abscchurchplanting.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasChurchPlanting

Compass Church Launch

February 7, 2010 - Compass saw 159 at their official launch service!
God is at work in Batesville.

New Churches Everywhere!

February is a busy month for new church starts.

Over the next few weeks there will be at least four new Southern Baptist Churches worshipping weekly here in Arkansas.


On February 7th Compass Church is Batesville officially launches after 4 monthly preview services with great attendance at each.


Also on February 7th Destiny Cowboy Church in Cabot will begin regular weekly services.


February 14th will also see a new church launch in Stuttgart. Stuttgart Harvest Church has had several preview services with 60-90 people in attendance.


And on February 21, Northwest Community Church in Belle Vista has its first official public service.


These are just the beginning. New churches in Clinton and Pea Ridge will also be starting soon.


Please pray for each of these churches, their leadership, and for the Holy Spirit to go before them in drawing the unchurched to Himself.


Thank you for praying – He is at work!

New Cowboy Church coming to Clinton!

This past Tuesday, January 19, there were over 40 who attended the first interest meeting for a new Cowboy church in Clinton.

Pray for Church Planter Eddie Ragsdale as he leads this new work.


Pray as they plan on beginning regular meetings early in February.


Pray that they would reach many unchurched cowboys and lovers of western heritage culture.


Praise the Lord for primary partner churches – First Baptist Shirley and First Baptist Clinton, and the North Central Baptist Association – and for their vision and commitment for reaching this group of people in their community.


Finally, Praise the Lord for the Cooperative Program gifts and Dixie Jackson Offerings which are helping with this new work!

10 Ways Your Church Can Be Involved in Church Planting Here in Arkansas

1- Pray – Join the Church Planting Prayer Network and pray weekly for church planting in Arkansas. Adopt a church plant and become a part of their prayer team, praying regularly for them and their needs. (to join – send an email to pray4churchplanting@absc.org)


2- Adopt a church planter and his family in your area. Be a friend to them. Take them to lunch or meet them for breakfast on a regular basis. Send them to a conference or retreat. Provide childcare so they can go out on a date with their wife.


3- Support the new work financially. Provide monthly support for the ongoing expenses. Put them in your church budget and/or take up special offerings to help meet their needs.


4- Provide materials and equipment. Do a “Baby Shower” for the new church, getting SS classes to supply various equipment or materials. (for a copy of the AR church planters wish list – email pray4churchplanting@absc.org)


5- Share your facilities. This might be for services on an ongoing basis, or for special events or meetings.


6- Send a volunteer team to assist a new church start. Help with a VBS or a community outreach. Prayerwalk or help canvas a neighborhood with flyers or invitations. Help with remodeling or work on a building, etc. (for a list of volunteer projects – email pray4churchplanting@absc.org)


7- Discover unreached or under-reached people in your own community. Who in your community is not being reached by your church or others? Do demographic research, a windshield survey, and questionnaires in your area. Determine if a new church start might be needed to reach the unchurched.


8- Start an outreach Bible study. Do an outreach event and begin a new Bible study, outside of your church walls, and assist the new believers into becoming a new church.


9- Encourage members in your church to pray, give and maybe even go and be a part of a new work (for a pre-determined time or indefinitely).


10- Become a mentor to a new church leader. Pastors can mentor new church pastors, youth ministers can mentor youth workers, teachers and lay leaders can mentor new church leaders.

Adapted from NAMB’s “10 Ways Your Church Can Become a Kingdom Builder”

"Tribes"

An interesting video about the need for new churches among the different "Tribes" all around us.

Where Do We Start?

Does church planting just happen, or is there some deliberate preparation and planning involved? From the perspective of a church planting strategist, there are some specific first steps involved in church planting.


• Prayer and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is where all church planting should begin. These put us in touch with the Father and help us see the needs around us through His eyes.


• Another important aspect is that of observation and investigation. This involves both the study of the local churches and who they are reaching, and the study of the community in order to see who is not being reached. For this particular aspect of church planting there must be demographic research and surveys of local churches. There should also be some “community leader” and “man on the street” questionnaires developed in order to understand the unreached people who are discovered through investigation and research.


• According to North American Mission Board’s Peoples Search, the questions you want to answer are: Who are the unreached peoples in this area? Where are they? Why are they unreached? How is God working among the unreached peoples in this area? What will it take to reach them? Answering these questions will help in the development of a strategy to reach people through planting a church.


• When unreached people are discovered, then there must be a world view analysis of the particular group or groups of people that the Lord lays on your heart. It is in this particular type of study that the Lord begins to give you a vision for a church plant among a particular group of people. To understand a specific segment of the overall population of an area, we must ask these questions: Why are they in this area? What is their daily life like? What is important to them? What do they believe? What are their needs? What is keeping them from coming to Christ? What can we do to help them come to Christ? This helps us to see bridges and barriers we have to work with.


• After gathering this information, we must analyze the results and develop the best strategy for reaching them and involving them in a new church start. When God gives us a vision and we come to understand the people he wants us to reach, we can use the developed strategy to reach them through their hearts. This is done by developing relationships and meeting needs, which is loving them in the name of Jesus.


• When the strategy is in place we share the vision and strategy with others in order to develop partners to help us in the church planting endeavor.

Submitted by Gary D. Fulton, Church Planter Strategist on the Missions Ministries Team of the ABSC.