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