Church Multiplication Has Much to Celebrate

On Monday, June 10, General Synod celebrated the organization of three new RCA churches and 21 new congregation plans (NCP).

“The goal of church multiplication is first and foremost to make new disciples of Jesus Christ, said Randy Weener, RCA director of Church Multiplication. “The Great Commission is not to go plant churches, it is to make new disciples.”

He went on to remind delegates of the goal of Church Multiplication: planting 50 churches every year, or one per week, because, “the most effective means [of making disciples] is to plant churches.” It’s part of a vision to plant 1,000 churches in 20 years.

Pastors of newly organized RCA churches were given a plaque and gave a few words to the delegates and guests. One of those pastors, Cleydemir de Oliveira Santos of Light for the Nations in Montreal, agreed with Weener about the importance of church planting: “There is no church planter, there are churches that are planters of other churches.”

“The RCA is really identifying with the communities we are serving,” said Mike Hayes, RCA Church multiplication catalyst, stating that “of the 21 NCPs approved, two-thirds were submitted by women or persons of color.” In addition, he celebrated how the church plants stretched from the East Coast to the West Coast and from Canada to Florida.

The newly organized RCA churches:

• CenterPoint Hilliard, Hilliard, Ohio, organized June 6, 2018
• City Church Compton, Compton, California, organized December 9, 2018
• Light for the Nations, Montreal, Quebec, organized November 24, 2018

The churches with New Congregation Plans:

• 12 Springs Church (Sarasota, Florida)
• Aroma Church (Salinas, California)
• The Boulevard Church (Holland, Michigan)
• CenterPoint Hilliard (Hilliard, Ohio)
• City Church Sioux Falls (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
• El Buen Pastor Ministries (Lake Worth, Florida)
• Global Ministries (Orlando, Florida)
• Gospel Community Church (Holland, Michigan)
• House of Grace (Tulare, California)
• Iglesia Roca Fuerte (Storm Lake, Iowa)
• Immanuel Church (Lakewood, Washington)
• Light for the Nations (Montreal, Quebec)
• The Living Well (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
• Overflow Church (Paramus, New Jersey)
• Renew Church Brooklyn (Brooklyn, Ohio)
• ReNew Ministries (Sheboygan, Wisconsin)
• Renewing Life Church (Ferguson, Missouri)
• Unchained Church (Tulare, California)
• H.O.P.E. Church (Edmonton, Alberta)
• Wayland Harbor Church (Wayland, Michigan)
• Wyoming Harbor Church (Wyoming, Michigan)