“As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

Ecclesiastes 11:5-6, ESV

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying a safe holiday weekend.

As many of you know, we live in Gloucester county—one of southern NJ’s growing counties, where there is no Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), and over 50% of the 360K population identify as irreligious. Further, we are five minutes from Rowan University, the nation’s 4th fastest-growing research university among public doctoral institutions.

Using largely a tent-making model that interfaces well with my work as Executive Director of Church Outreach & Engagement with Care Net, I was given Presbytery approval earlier this year to plant a church that specializes in engaging millennials and reaching those who’ve been hurt by the church.

2020 was an exploratory year of pandemic and preparation, resulting in a core group of six adults plus children (see below) now embarking on a formal 3-year plan (2021-2023) to prioritize missional activity that will lead to new convert growth and discipleship of the unchurched.

On November 15, I was installed November as part-time Assistant Pastor of Church Planting at Ashland Church in Voorhees, PA. With that in mind, I thought some of you might like to see or hear some of the service. I would especially recommend listening to the sermon by Andrew Smith on Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 (one of my favorite passages of Scripture). It was excellent and starts at 21:04 and ends at 47:05. 

Would you join us in regular prayer for this venture? I’ll definitely keep you posted on our progress. And I’m hopeful that any partnering we do together will be mutually enriching and fruitful. Thanks so much!