Will You Join Me in Prayer?

I have probably said those words thousands of times. Every Sunday for the past 26 years, I and

every other pastor I know has said these words as we have gathered with God’s people for

worship together. I wonder if we ever stop to think about how powerful this seemingly ordinary

practice actually is. Yet, if we are honest, how prone are we to neglect this profound power that

we have the privilege in which to engage. Prayer can become such a fruitless and passive activity

if we are not intentional in our practice of congregational prayer.

With this in mind, I want to invite you to “join me in prayer” with your church to intentionally

pray for the need to start new churches in our rapidly growing community. What if we made it a

commitment to pray for church planting in Rutherford County a regular routine in our Sunday

morning worship gatherings? At Emmanuel Baptist Church, we are committing ourselves to

pray to this end every 3rd Sunday. It is our church’s particular desire to be instrumental in a

identifying, training and supporting church planters for this great need. Additionally, we

anticipate planting a daughter church out of our church in the next 3-5 years. For this to happen,

it will require immense prayer, asking God to do what we are not capable of doing. As a former

church planter, I know all too well the supernatural work that God does to establish, grow and

sustain a new church.

So as we witness the remarkable growth and transformation in Rutherford County, TN, it’s clear

that God is moving in our midst. With this growth comes a tremendous opportunity and

responsibility to share the gospel and meet the spiritual needs of our expanding communities. As

a network of churches committed to advancing God’s kingdom through Concord Baptist

Association, let me encourage you to lead your church in an intentional focus in prayer for

church planting. Specifically, we want to pray for God to raise up church planters who will bring

the hope and light of Christ to every corner of our county.

We believe that through fervent, collective prayer, God will raise up passionate leaders and

create new opportunities for outreach and discipleship. To guide our prayers, we’ve outlined a

few specific prayer points:

Pray for Laborers: Ask God to stir the hearts of men and women with a calling to plant new

churches in Rutherford County. Pray for a fresh wave of Spirit-led leaders who are equipped and

ready to serve. (Matthew 9:37-38)

Pray for Vision: Pray that God would give clear vision and direction to those considering

church planting. May they discern the unique needs of our communities and receive divine

strategies for effective ministry. (Proverbs 29:18)

Pray for Resources: Lift up prayers for the financial and material resources necessary for

church plants to thrive. Pray for the needs that church plants will face such meeting spaces,

funding, and the right partnerships to support this kingdom work. (Philippians 4:19)

Pray for Community Receptivity: Ask God to prepare the hearts of those in our county, making

them receptive to the gospel. Pray for open doors and favor in neighborhoods, schools, and

workplaces. (Acts 16:14)

Pray for Unity: Pray for a spirit of unity among our local churches and associations, that we

might work together, celebrate each other’s successes, and strengthen one another in this

mission. Pray that God would restrain any spirit of ranker or desire to protect turf when souls our

their backyard are destined for a Christ-less eternity. (John 17:21)

Pray for Protection: Cover prospective church planters and their families in prayer, asking for

God’s protection against spiritual attacks and for steadfast faith during challenges. As mentioned

above, planting a church is accepting the very real reality that to do so is to engage in Spiritual

warfare. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

I invite you to join me in this prayer initiative, believing that our combined prayers will pave the

way for a Gospel driven movement in Rutherford County like never before. Consider setting

aside time during your services, gatherings, and personal prayer times to lift up these needs.

Together, let’s trust God to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!

Tom Agnew
Starting Churches Team Leader

Have you every been at one of those conferences or denominational meetings where they have the latest explosive church leader share about how they started with their church with 3 people and it grew to 5000 in by their second Sunday? In addition to this, they started 50 churches and sent out 175 missionaries into international missions work by their third year? Ok, ok...I’m being a bit hyperbolic and snarky. But you likely know the feeling.

I was part of another planting network in the early days of Grace Church and it seemed that every message I received from our network leaders was, “you need to learn from this guy...he really knows what he’s doing.” So I did only to become more and more discouraged that I was in fact NOT like him! Certainly, I could learn from him...and I did in some areas. I wonder how many pastors who sit in rooms receiving messages like this year in and year out simply resolve they will never be able to see that kind of work happen in their ministries so they just cash in any thought that they can play any meaningful role in planting churches?

But church planting is not just for large churches with abundant resources, it is a mission that every congregation, regardless of size or budget, can participate in. This is clear in the New Testament. The call to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) includes starting new churches, and there are practical ways for every church to contribute to this vital work.

1. Pray for Church Planting Efforts

Every church can start by committing to regular prayer for new churches in their community. Pray for church planters, for God to raise up leaders, and for new congregations to reach people with the gospel. A church can also adopt a specific church plant to support through ongoing intercession.

2. Partner with a Church Planter

Churches can identify and come alongside church planters in their area. This partnership can take many forms, such as offering encouragement, financial support, or even providing a space for gatherings. Several years before I planted Grace Church, I found myself making room to simply take a church planter who moved to Nashville out to lunch each month. He loved sushi and that was all that mattered. We met for lunch and just talked for an hour or so. A smaller church may not be able to fully fund a plant, but by joining forces with other congregations and letting a planter know they are there can make a significant impact.

3. Send People to Help

Churches can encourage members to serve in a church plant, whether as temporary volunteers or as long-term team members. A group of committed people willing to support a new church’s launch whether through worship, hospitality, children’s ministry, or outreach can be an invaluable resource. I have seen the power of this in my own experience. We had some people

help plant Grace that intended to back to our sending church but never did. We had some who served for 3-5 years and eventually they went back to our sending church. The Lord uses all types of commitments to advance this campaign of redemption.

4. Offer Facilities and Resources

Even if a church cannot plant directly, it may have resources that can help. Churches can open their buildings for new congregations to meet, donate equipment, or provide administrative and logistical support to a planting team. When Providence opened their first building, they saved some great sound equipment that eventually was given to Grace Church. Both Providence and Grace got great use out of that equipment.

5. Develop Future Planters and Leaders

A church that disciples and trains leaders is already contributing to church planting. Encouraging members to consider a calling to plant or lead in a new church helps cultivate a multiplication mindset. Churches can also invite church planting coaches or networks to equip their members for future work.

Church planting is not just for a select few, it is a mission that every church can support. Whether through prayer, partnership, sending people, sharing resources, or developing leaders, every congregation can play a role in starting new churches in their community. By working together, we can see more people reached and more vibrant gospel-centered churches established.

Tom Agnew
Starting Churches Team Leader