The GCR vote is over, but now the real work of actually seeing a Great Commission Resurgence come about begins! One of the highlights of the entire GCR report was the focus on church planting as the best strategy for sustaining a long term assault on the lostness of North America. Our hope is that as we are enabled over the next few decades to unleash waves of gospel-centered church planters on the lostness of North America we will become a convention of 70,000 churches.
We are very optimistic because interest in church planting is increasing. With increased interest comes the need for increased training and support. It will take a refocused NAMB and refocused state conventions that partner with local churches to plant more churches. It will take local churches and networks of churches that provide vision, training, accountability, support, and many other things. There are many good options within the SBC with whom churches and church planters can partner. You may or may not be aware of them. Baptist21 wants to take a few posts and highlight some of them.
First Baptist Woodstock’s Church Planting School
The first resource we want to point you to is the FBC Woodstock Church Planting School. FBC Woodstock is one of the leading church planting churches in the convention. They are now beginning to ramp up their focus on church planting even more by beginning this church planting school. The help they are offering to aspiring planters and current planters is invaluable!
The leadership and experience of Pastor Johnny Hunt is well-known. Equally well-known is his love for and ability to mentor younger pastors. That element alone is enough to make anything FBC Woodstock offers to young pastors a must attend!
But, add to this the experience and expertise of Bill Agee who is providing leadership and oversight of this school. Bill Agee has spent his life planting churches. Right after getting married, Bill and his wife moved site unseen to South Dakota to plant a church. In 10 years they planted a church in every community around them for 60 miles. As a Director of Missions in the Central Baptist Association in Phoenix he aided churches in planting 73 churches in a 10 year period in this key western city. When he arrived at the association they were spending $200 a month on church planting, but when he left they were spending $20,000 a month on church planting.
Bill Agee is a church planter. As the new Church Planting Strategist at FBC Woodstock he is someone from whom aspiring Southern Baptist church planters need to learn.
Baptist21 would highly encourage you to attend the church planting school at FBCW September 20-22. It will provide valuable and extremely helpful training.
Here is some of the key information from the website:
Don’t miss your chance to get in on the ground floor of the Woodstock Church Planting School. We want to leverage our international reach & years of experience to help aspiring planters, current planters, planting strategists, and partnering organizations to launch strong, reproducing churches in places with little Kingdom influence.
A practical, hands-on workshop covering the following topics:
- An in-depth understanding of the church planter and his call.
- Locations that need new churches and how to exegete them.
- Elements of an all-inclusive business and ministry plan that allows for a church plant to start in strength and not in survival mode.
- Identifying, enlisting, and utilizing partnership.
Check-in begins at 11a.m. and the first session begins at 1 p.m. on the 20th. and school ends at Noon on the 22nd.
Cost
$99.00
$149 after Aug. 15th
Cost includes meals & materials. Transportation, lodging and off-site meals are the responsibility of the attendees.
Register online NOW at woodstockcps.com.
For more information visit the church’s website, email Bill Agee, or call him at 602.549.7256.