by A.J. Millsaps My work as an evangelist in East Tennessee started with a question: “Are there any open doors for church planting in the region?” I had been born and raised in East Tennessee, and I had come to faith in the Baptist church, which dominates the local religious landscape. Yet, in high school and college, I found my theological convictions increasingly challenged by my study of the Scriptures, and eventually, those studies landed me in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. My personal experience left me with an eagerness to share the riches of the Reformed faith with others from my little part of the world. Then came an opportunity. Upon graduating seminary, the Lord opened the door for a year-long internship at
HM Today | June 8, 2022
Immanuel Church: A New and Separate Congregation
Immanuel Church (OPC): A New and Separate Congregation Friday, May 13, 2002 By Member Sarah Wieberdink There are many special moments in the life of a church. The first service is a particularly special moment, as is its first admission of new members and its first baptism. Another foundational moment is when a congregation transitions from being a church plant overseen by a mother church to its own separate church with its own leadership, a step known in the OPC as particularization. On May 13th, Immanuel Church in Anoka took this step by holding its particularization service, an event that many have been eagerly awaiting for a long time. Amid much thanks and praise to our Lord and together with many dear friends and neighboring
Church Planters go to Summer School
CHURCH PLANTER TRAINING The Church Planter Training Conference (CPTC) is an annual gathering of OPC church planters, RHMs, and interns. Planters discuss and learn about important biblical principles and other practical matters related to starting a new church. This year's conference was hosted by Second Parish OPC in Portland, Maine—which happens to be the oldest congregation in the OPC. General Secretary John Shaw spoke on topics like "Building a Culture of Evangelism" and "Taking Your Place." Associate General Secretary Al Tricarcio presented on "Developing the Work," as well as the steps a church plant should follow to become a particular congregation. Kerri Ann Cruse, the OPC's Video and Social Media Coordinator, provided feedback on
Becoming a Welcoming Church—From Atlantic to Pacific
(Westfield, New Jersey) Pastor Chris Byrd leads evangelism and outreach efforts for Grace OPC in Westfield, New Jersey; Grace OPC is a church of about sixty members that would like to daughter a second church in the next 3–5 years. Byrd receives prayer support from the Committee on Home Missions. This spring, Byrd served the church by organizing prayer meetings, Bible studies, an ESL ministry, Christianity Explored, a blood drive, and more. The blood drive was the idea of an elder at Grace who regularly donates blood. Byrd writes, "The NY Blood Center set up and ran the actual blood donation, but volunteers from Grace served as hosts, providing snacks and conversing with the blood donors while they sat in the recovery area. Altogether we