Nearly sixty percent of South Carolina’s population is unchurched. Each month, thirty- three hundred new people move to SC. This is why more churches are needed to reach our rapidly changing population. “We do not have enough churches to reach the population already and if we do not get started we will not reach the new people coming,” said Rob White, Associate Church Starting Strategist, for partnership development of the SC Baptist Convention.
One church in the Midlands is taking note of this increase and taking steps to plant new churches all across the world. In the last five years, Gateway Baptist Church in Irmo, has planted six churches. North Point Community Church, Columbia is one of those churches.
"Our partnership with Gateway began in 1998 as I was preparing to leave seminary to plant a church. We were seeking God’s place for us and open to go anywhere in the US,” said John Sharp, Pastor at North Point Community Church. That year Gateway decided to begin a new missional focus of planting churches. “God providentially brought us together and they offered to sponsor us anywhere we felt led to plant in SC,” continued Sharp.
Don Brock, Pastor of Gateway Baptist Church said, “We let John decide where to plant the church. Instead of us choosing the location of the church we let him do that. Our job was to provide him and the church with resources.” Gateway has provided North Point with many resources over the past seven years of their partnership. “Gateway has been a partner with us in every aspect of the journey. They began laying groundwork with the convention and association before our first visit to SC. They were diligent in prayer for us, gave us all the volunteer assistance we needed, and were very generous materially and financially through the first three years of our journey,” said Sharp.
Some believe it takes thousands of dollars and giving away members to partner with a new church. While those things often help, there are many ways to partner with a new church. “Partnering with a new church is not a function of size or budget but a function of health”, says Dino Senesi, Director of the Church Multiplication Group. There is an overwhelming sense of pride a church experiences when they birth a new church. It’s exciting to see and actually sparks new vitality in the existing church.
Sharp, shared how one local pastor of a small church offered to send one of his most gifted families to join North Point and help in the new church. “That family was a tremendous blessing and encouragement to us,” stated Sharp. Not only was North Point blessed to have that family, the sending church also received a blessing with their highest Sunday School attendance ever the very week the family came to North Point. “That summarizes the beauty of God’s blessing when churches obediently and faithfully reproduce and plant other churches, continued Sharp.
If you would like to learn how you can be a part of planting new churches, there is a one-day interactive workshop called “The Church Partner Experience.” This workshop will give you a better understanding of what is involved as a Partner Church and a great vision and burden for starting new churches.
“The Church Partner Experience” will take place on April 14th, at the SC Baptist Convention building. For more information, please contact Sara Guyton at 1-800-723-7242, ext. 5802 or by email at saraguyton@scbaptist.org. Register online now at www.scmultiply.org
