fbpx
×

Log into your account

We have changed software providers for our subscription database. Old login credentials will no longer work. Please click the "Register" link below to create a new account. If you do not know your new account number you can contact [email protected]
Planters form partnerships at Send Conference
Adam Miller, Baptist Press
August 05, 2013
4 MIN READ TIME

Planters form partnerships at Send Conference

Planters form partnerships at Send Conference
Adam Miller, Baptist Press
August 05, 2013

PLANO, Texas – New York City church planter Patrick Thompson started New City Church in Queens only a few months ago and wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when he arrived at the 2013 Send North America Conference.

Joined by fellow North American Mission Board (NAMB) church planter apprentices Jon Carr, Jason Jasper and Scott Stallard – all serving in New York City, Thompson had hoped to learn more nuts and bolts, and to make some good contacts with existing churches.

Thompson said what he gained at the conference, held at the Dallas-area Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano July 29-30, in terms of connecting with potential partners was priceless.

“We probably accomplished more in 30 minutes eating our Chick-fil-A sandwiches than we would have in exchanging emails for three weeks,” Thompson said.

These connections included churches in South Carolina and Georgia who expressed potential for financial and other partnership. Thompson said he also spoke with a Hispanic leader who could connect him with leaders to serve the Spanish-speaking population New City Church is trying to reach.

08-05-13send.jpg

NAMB photo by John Swain

Creating environments for connections was one of the primary goals of the North American Mission Board’s Send North America Conference at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. A late-night fellowship allowed church planters to spend time with pastors and other church leaders at a more relaxed pace.

Additionally, Thompson said, he and several other New York City church planters were able to exchange notes on ministry, family and other important factors affecting planters in hard-to-reach areas of the Northeast.

“New York is a big place,” said Thompson, laughing at the obvious statement. “It’s more difficult than you would think to have ongoing connection with other leaders in the city.”

“It was cool that we just got to sit down together and talk about how ministry is going, how our families are doing and just to connect on a personal level like that.”

Connections like these were an important element in planning the Send North America Conference, said Aaron Coe, NAMB’s vice president for mobilization and marketing.

“When I was a church planter I would have loved more opportunities to have planters and partners under one roof,” Coe said. “I’m excited to see what opportunities and partnerships emerge from our time in Dallas.”

The church planting track included breakouts and workshops led by seasoned church planting leaders and practitioners discussing everything from bivocational planting to leadership development to dealing with the emotional and spiritual burdens of church planting in tough mission fields.

Planters also had an opportunity to attend workshops addressing needs and opportunities in 30 of the 32 Send North America cities represented at the conference.

Thompson said the workshops connected him with New York planters he’d not met in person and gave him opportunities to hear the heart of established churches already partnering in the city.

“A big part of what made it so powerful was just seeing how many leaders were praying for and partnering with and just thinking about the work [in New York City],” Thompson said. “It just feels like we’ve turned a huge corner as Southern Baptists. Can’t wait to see what happens next.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Adam Miller writes for the North American Mission Board. View Send 2013 for more stories. For a short highlight video, visit namb.net/video/send2013-highlights/.)

Related stories

Send conference connects churches to vast mission field

NAMB seeks ‘defining moment’ at Send 2013