Reaching Lakeside

Do we really need another church? Every church planter hears this question at some point if they don't ask it themselves first. The short answer is yes. Let me give you three reasons why we need to continually plant new churches and then apply that to the context of Covenant Life in Lakeside. 1. Jesus commands us to plant churches. He does? Where?! Actually it's contained within a verse that you probably know very well. In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have command you." Jesus doesn't just call us to go and evangelize in this passage, but he calls us to make disciples and to baptize them and then teach them all that Christ commands a follower to do. Baptism isn't just a meaningless ritual, but is the beginning of incorporation...

God, we're doing what? This was the response in my heart as it became clear to me that God    was calling the Jackson's to plant a church. I had always thought about church planting as something I was interested in doing, but I knew that if God wanted me to do it then he would lead me to it. Noah in front of the graffiti wall at Hob Nob.  My good Father has always worked in my life through opening doors and pushing me through them. Or when I stubbornly try to open doors He hasn't opened; He lovingly holds them shut. And so through a series of wide open doors and affirmation from godly people who know what they are talking about we find ourselves planting a church in Richmond, VA. In a cityburb called Lakeside. I call it a cityburb because it isn't the suburbs, but it isn't downtown Richmond either. Richmond just kind of seamlessly flows into Lakeside. And here's the thing. I could not be more excited about the planting of Covenant Life in Lakeside. God...