Why?

Church planting is one of the most effective means of reaching communities for Christ.  It is the model we see in Scripture: from Pentecost to Paul’s missionary journeys (see Acts 2 & 14) the Kingdom of Christ expands as the Spirit of Christ establishes and grows churches. 

Church planting is beneficial in several ways.  It provides an excellent means of reaching new people in a growing community such as ours.  It frees up space for new people to come to Covenant as existing families go out to plant. Planting also multiplies those who are advancing Christ’s Kingdom in the community.  New churches come alongside the “mother” church, proclaiming the gospel, reaching the nations and establishing more churches.  In fact, this is the history of our own congregation: 

Trinity Presbyterian in Charlottesville planted Covenant back in the late 80s. Then in 1997 Trinity planted Grace Community in Northern Albemarle County.

Covenant planted Tabernacle Presbyterian in Waynesboro in 2002 and is establishing a Spanish speaking congregation within our church (Alianza).  In the fall of 2007, Tabernacle started a third worship service in Staunton, which it hopes eventually will become another particular church. 

So with this new plant there is the potential to see one congregation grow into 7!  Covenant’s leadership believes that planting new congregations is a significant factor in reaching this community with the gospel and in keeping our congregation healthy.

What?

The vision for this work is to establish a new congregation in Harrisonburg/Rockingham County that will worship the Triune God, be nourished in the Grace of Christ, and proclaim the gospel by the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. 

Corporate Sabbath Worship

The most important activity for Christians is praising and declaring the supreme worth of our God through prayer, word, song and sacrament in the context of our corporate Sabbath worship.  It is this work that will nourish, inform and inspire everything else that we do as a congregation, as families and as individuals. 

The Scriptures guide us in our worship, but we do not stand alone in our reading of the Scriptures. Ancient creeds and traditions inform us how the suffering saints of the past have sought to interpret and apply the Word in the context of the worship of God’s people.  The authentic application of the Word in the present must be shaped by the past.  

Therefore worship will include a service that employs a regular order, drawing on historic forms and patterns from the early church and Reformation applied in a meaningful manner for this time and place.  Corporate and pastoral prayers, confessions, creeds and song will be some of the elements that compose the service.  In addition to the weekly opening of the Word we will have a weekly celebration of the Lord’s Table.

Community

Sabbath worship shapes who we are and how we live with one another.  Christ’s command that we are to love one another as He has loved us requires us to live in significant relationship with each other.  Yet community of this kind is often absent from our culture.  Such things as  meals shared by the whole congregation following worship; and gathering households for fellowship, sharing of needs and prayer may be some of the means of intentionally developing this kind of community.  The surrounding world will know of Christ by the way in which we love.

Compassion

The humility which naturally accompanies the gospel manifests itself in tangible acts of compassion to one another and to the community at large.  The compassion we offer to one another will be part of those relationships that develop in the body.  We will also look for those God given opportunities to corporately and individually demonstrate compassion beyond the church.

Calling

Our calling or vocation is more than our work.  God sovereignly gifts us and places us in this world as servants of His Kingdom and stewards of His creation.  Our roles, relationships and labors all matter to God.  Emphasizing the Biblical idea of calling encourages the saints to do all their labors as to the Lord and for His glory.  We are to be actively involved in the life of our community as ambassadors of the grace and beauty of our God.

Confessing Christ

Corporately and individually we are called to give reason for the hope that we have.  The church confesses the hope we have in Christ before two “audiences,” the world and our covenant children.  As we pursue our callings “in the world,” we have the opportunity and responsibility to confess Christ to our neighbors, workmates and friends.  We also have the glorious and yet daunting responsibility of explaining to our children the privileges and responsibilities of the covenant of grace. 

Church Planting

We will maintain a commitment to planting churches in Rockingham County, the presbytery of the Blue Ridge and the whole earth as the normal means of advancing the gospel in response to the great commission. We will seek to allocate our resources to reflect this commitment as well as continuing to prayerfully consider how and when the next congregation may be planted in our community.

Where?

Determining the ultimate location of the plant will take some time.  But given the level of development in the eastern part of the county (particularly around Penn Laird and McGayhesville), this would be a likely focal point for locating the plant.

We must keep in mind that the location of the plant will not be the primary factor for attracting people.  The primary consideration for reaching people in the community is relationship.  As we go about the work of seeing people gathered in, we will be able to better discern the location of the plant.

When?

Beginning in September 2008, the session will free me from my responsibilities at Covenant to develop a “core group” of people for this new church plant.  The “core group” will be those who are committing themselves to the work of planting this new church in the community.  The core group will study what characterizes a healthy congregation, discern ways of developing relationships in our community, and pray for the start of the church.

Prior to September there will be several group meetings to reflect on the vision, pray and fellowship with each other.  The dates for those events are listed below.  Apart from the first meeting, the time and location are yet to be decided.

January 20              4:30 PM at the church (this is one hour prior to the congregational meeting)

March 2                  4:30-6:00 PM at the Leaches' home for discussion, fellowship, and prayer

April 20                  4:30-6:00 PM at the Matters' home to talk about the vision of the church and
                             specifically about the worship vision

June 1                    4:30-6:00 PM at the Leaches' home--discussion about how the church functions as a
                             community, specifically thinking about how hospitality, worship, and evangelism fit
                             together in the community of God's people. 

July 11                   5:30 PM at the Leaches' home--join us for fellowship around the grill and hear about

                             plans for the fall at a cookout. Meat and drinks will be provided; just bring a side dish

                             or dessert to share. 

August 24

How?

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

Unless God’s Spirit is at work through us and going ahead of us then our labor will be in vain.  Therefore our strategy is to strengthen our faith and repentance, pray diligently, and pursue the work that God has given us with joy and humility.

I invite you to pray for this work of advancing Christ’s Kingdom here in Rockingham County and invite you to consider committing yourself to work with us to establish this church.

Pastor Bill Leach

bill@cov-pres.org

540-433-3051