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by Carl W. Miller
This is a story of a mother-daughter church-planting work. This is a story of God’s grace in the Texas Hill Country. As God goes about his kingdom-expansion work, he does so wonderfully by working in the hearts and lives of his people. He strengthens, equips, motivates, and mobilizes us to proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and bring in the harvest. Praying for a Daughter God worked in the hearts of two families in this way, giving them a desire to plant an OP church. The Davis and Lovelady families had been members of South Austin Presbyterian Church (SAPC) in Austin, Texas, since 2015. As the commute was over an hour’s drive, they both desired to have an OP church closer to their community in New Braunfels, Texas. The session of SAPC was already considering planting a church. “Because SAPC was itself a daughter mission work of Providence Presbyterian in Pflugerville, Texas, we were already convinced of the strategic role of mother-daughter church planting,” Jim Cassidy, pastor ... Read more
by Michael J. Schout
There are many different ways to plant a church, and one model isn’t necessarily better than another. But, as the church planter in a mother-daughter church-planting relationship, I’ve been blessed to enjoy the benefits of a mother church’s vision, nurture, and resources, as Grace Fellowship OPC in Zeeland, Michigan, has grown from a mere idea to a soon-to-be particularized daughter congregation of Harvest OPC in Wyoming, Michigan. In this article, I’d like to share a little bit about my experience: what it included, how Harvest cared for me as a church planter, and where the Lord has taken Grace Fellowship since that initial seed was planted. A Mother’s Vision One paragraph of Harvest’s mission statement reads: “To be a vibrant, multiplying, Reformed church making a significant impact in West Michigan and the nation.” Note that word, “multiplying.” Harvest is dedicated to being a church that plants churches. A vision statement alone, however, does not make a church-planting ... Read more
by Ryan M. McGraw
The Sabbath is not a popular subject. Even using the term brings thoughts of disunity, contention, and legalism to the minds of many. Some church members want their pastors to teach about the Sabbath more than what is appropriate, while others hope that he will stop bringing it up. Yet the fact that the Sabbath belongs among the Ten Commandments means that every Christian, Reformed or not, thinks about it on some level with rhythmic regularity. The fourth commandment is: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exod. 20:8–11) One good way to develop a ... Read more
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