From the beginning of his time on staff at Restoration Community Church in Hanahan, South Carolina, Sean McSwain heard the directive to “not get too comfortable here.” 

At its core, Restoration Community Church maintains a culture of multiplication, believing that part of their mission is to plant more churches. It was during his time here that McSwain began to feel the Lord calling him to plant a church. “When we began to discern this call, our elders at Restoration were a part of us the whole time through prayer, encouragement, and giving of their own time, talents, and resources as well,” McSwain said.  

Under this support system, McSwain launched Church242, also in Hanahan, SC, with a “team of individuals who want to see the Gospel flourish and grow in their own communities,” he said. As their sending church, Restoration also provided mentoring and funding to McSwain and Church242.  

McSwain also realized early on the importance of connecting to the larger body of believers and, specifically, church planters, through SCBaptist’s church planting team. “The Start Team has been such an encouragement for us. They have been an integral part of where the church is today,” he shared. 

God’s Faithfulness through Generosity

Despite initial concerns about generating funding, McSwain shared that he saw God’s faithfulness in this area early on. “We saw God move in some mighty and powerful ways, seeing people give generously, and God continued to bless us,” he said. In an unexpected turn of events, the church was actually able to plant four months ahead of schedule because of such acts of generosity. 

Milan Turner, a member of Restoration Community Church who answered the call to plant Church242 alongside McSwain, echoed that he’d seen the Lord move in exciting ways as well. “You can see God’s hand all over it,” Turner said. He shared that they’ve already seen baptisms and people come to faith. They also held a men’s ministry event where nearly 75 men attended. “So, God’s moving. He’s doing a great work,” Turner said. 

Community Mindset

The core vision for Church242 was born while McSwain was coaching his son’s flag football team at a local park. “We began to open our eyes to the neighbors and friends that were standing on the sidelines,” he explained. “If this is where the community is, this is where the Gospel needs to be.” This led to the mission of mobilizing disciples to the “sidelines and sidewalks” of the community, rather than just waiting for people to come to a building. 

Along with this, one of their goals in their first year is for 50% of the church population to consist of people who were either “unchurched, underchurched, or nonbelievers,” McSwain shared. Another longterm goal of the church is to also be a church that plants churches. “We want to keep this multiplication moving forward. This is how more and more people will come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.” 

In the upcoming year, the church has future plans to expand their student ministry, partner alongside nearby churches, and invest in their local schools, evidence of putting their mission into practice. “As we go to the sidelines and sidewalks, we want people to know that we are here,” McSwain said. “No matter the circumstances, the consequences, or whatever is going on—we love them becuase Jesus Christ loved them first.”