It was 2014 when Christ Community Church was challenged by a question from J.D. Greear’s book Gaining by Losing: What if we could send more people than we could seat?
What if more people could be sent to start new churches and be missionaries all over our community, region, and world than we had chairs for? As we read our Bibles and looked to Jesus, the question made sense. As we looked at our world that valued power and size and influence, it did not. We trusted the former unable to answer many of the questions about the latter.
Fast forward 5 years and the Lord is allowing us to see what He had already seen. In 2015 we took some baby internal steps towards planting a new church. We knew little about what we were doing. In 2016, leaders began gathering and considering how we could reach the community of Midland and what God was calling each of them to inside of it. In 2017, after much praying, serving, and sacrifice, the church launched. Now, almost 2 years later, Christ Community Church at Midland is ready to step out even further into the mission that God has called them.
Many have looked on with doubt and wondering thoughts. Why are you starting another church? Is this a church split? Did something go wrong that caused division? Which one is the main one? Though we understand the questions, we find that many struggle to understand the answers. As long as more than 80% of our county and region is unchurched we will continue to start new churches. This isn’t a church split. We are prayerfully birthing something new that will reach people we would not have reached and serve communities we would not have served. We are still friends, co-laboring with great respect for one another, and, honestly, missing some of the dear friends that God has called to go!
We often communicate with our church family that church planting is like birthing and raising a child. There is a ton of sacrifice in seeing your child come into this world. There is a ton of patience while they grow up and learn who they are. There are tears and hard conversations as they move out and prepare to start a family of their own. But in it all there is great joy!
Midland Community Church will open its doors at its new location (132 Midland Blvd.) August 4, 2019. They will continue to focus on being a multi-ethnic gathering of people who strive to love God, love people, and love their community well. Come and join them Sunday mornings at 10am! Stay tuned to www.lovemidland.com for more info.
Christ Community Church will continue gathering each Sunday at 10am in Governor’s Square (198 Frankfort Rd.) with the same mission of loving God, loving people, and loving our community.
In addition, God continues to grow the vision to start new churches. There is currently a launch team moving towards launch in Henry County. Check out www.lovehenryco.com for more info.
What other changes might you notice? Christ Community has represented their mission through their three square logo since the beginning: a heart to represent loving God, the people, representing loving people, and the downtown buildings including the iconic water tower that was recently taken down representing our mission to love the community. While our church family loves the reminder of our mission the logo provides, we wanted clarity for those in our community who had not yet been to one of our churches. The decision was made to customized the third square to reflect the communities we are called to as we continue to plant new churches. Midland Community Church will unveil a “new” logo that reflects just that.
Both churches will continue to “Love Shelbyville” through our Love Community initiative on the 4th Sunday of the month. On those Sunday, the churches go out and serve with community partners, neighbors, and more to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
You can join us at the next Love Shelbyville day at either location July 28 at 10 am.