GCA 2013 Church Planting Conference

This week I am in Orlando, Fl. attending the Global Church Advancement (GCA) church planting conference. I am one of about 300 church planters, from more than 30 different denominations and 10 different countries, being trained on concepts and practical methods to successfully plant churches.

The trainers are mostly pastors, many of whom have decades of experience in planting churches in different types of settings. I have heard about topics such as: why we plant churches, the importance of prayer, preaching, evangelism, discipleship, and mercy ministry. It has been helpful to study each of these topics by looking at what the Bible says about them.

Mike & Pastor Darcy

Another great aspect of an event like this is making contacts and hearing about awesome things the Lord is doing through His people all over the world. I have been able to talk with different church planters about their passions and strategies to reach the world with the great news of Jesus Christ. I even got the chance to talk with Pastor Darcy, a pastor of Astoria Community Church, in Queens, NY. During our month-long training in NYC in the summer of 2010, we worked alongside Pastor Darcy at Astoria Church. It was a fun treat to catch up with him and hear about the exciting things that are going on with their church in Queens.

I am grateful to have this opportunity to learn about how to be a church planter and to get to ask questions of men who have been there and done that. I believe that it will help me and Ashley as we continue in the process of planting a church in La Fe!