I tend to overthink things. A lot.
As I’ve been working towards church planting, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to showcase this skill. One of the biggest things I’ve thought about is the name of our church plant.
In one sense, I know it’s not that big of a deal. More important than a name is what you actually do as a church and the culture you create.
That being said, it is an important decision. When naming a child, you want a name that will help guide them through life without being a distraction. Many of the things we think about when naming our children, I’ve thought about for the church plant.
First, I want the church to be centered on the gospel. That can be cliche these days, but it needn’t be. I’m convinced that if a church is not fueled by and focused on the gospel, then there will be no lasting fruit and little impact for the cause of Christ.
Second, I want this church to meet the needs of the specific area where we hope to plant. I’ll say more on this in a later post, but we’re planting in an underserved area of Greenville, NC with a lot of poverty, high rates of single parent homes, and few churches that are actively trying to meet these needs with the gospel. One local pastor said this was an area full of “the least, the lost, and the left behind.” What does an area like this need? Well, a lot of things. But I think it can be summarized in one word: hope.
These people need hope. And where can we find hope? In the government? No. In our own works? No. In money, security, success, or escape? No, no, no, and nope.
Our only source of hope is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our hope is secure in the finished work of Jesus in his death and resurrection. That’s what you and I need to hear. That’s what the people of Greenville need to hear. This is the inspiration for the name of our church plant:
Gospel Hope Church will be all about bringing the hope of Jesus to the heart of Greenville. We want to bring hope to the hopeless with the gospel of Jesus Christ. To some, this may seem like an unconventional name, but I think it will serve the church well and help us communicate clearly and quickly why we exist. Believers and unbelievers alike need this hope. We need to dive ever deeper into the gospel of Jesus for hope, joy, freedom, holiness, and life.
I’m excited about this name and hopeful that the Lord will help Gospel Hope Church bring glory to God through making many disciples of Jesus in Greenville.
Other News
I just returned from 10 days in Ireland and Scotland. It’s hard to put into words how much I enjoyed my time overseas. I had the privilege of preaching at Ballycullen Community Church. Located on the outskirts of Dublin, this church was a diverse congregation filled with some of the kindest people in the world. After spending time with these saints over the weekend, I went to Edinburgh, Scotland for a couple of conferences.
One was with Christ-Centered & Clear. This was a day full of compelling teaching on how to preach Christ from Wisdom literature in the Bible.
The other conference was the Pillar Network International Conference. I had the privilege of spending three days with like-minded brothers and sisters from around the world. I was convicted, encouraged, and equipped in my efforts to plant a healthy church. I saw firsthand the blessings that can come when churches partner together for the sake of the gospel.
Prayer Requests
Pray for endurance for our family as we enter a busy season of travel and visiting other churches.
Pray that God would help us to be healthier as a family. We’ve been sick and we’re getting pretty worn out.
Pray that God would work in others to join our core team. We cannot do this alone, so we need the Lord of the harvest to bring workers.
Pray that God would provide at least one other elder-qualified man to join our core team.
Pray that I would build good relationships with churches, Christians, and unbelievers in Greenville.
Pray for simple faithfulness as I’m often tempted to find my value in ministry “success”.
Thank you all for praying. I’m aiming to send out more of these in the coming months, so keep an eye out. Also, if there’s any way I can pray for you, simply reply to the email or leave a comment below. I would love to bless and encourage you however I can.
Grace and Peace.
Tyler