VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Benjamin Kreps:
Hey everyone. And welcome to the Mark Prater podcast, where our aim is to connect our global family of churches with our Executive Director. Mark, you talked on a podcast a few months back about how God has given us the opportunity to see his kingdom advance through church planting and Sovereign Grace, even in a very difficult season. Now we have a Church Planting Group or what has been known as the National Church Planting Group that is intended to serve these men as they navigate into their church plans. Could you tell us a little bit more about that?
Mark Prater:
Love to. This is a great time to be planting churches, simply because as all of our pastors know, the world needs to hear the truth of the word of God and needs to find hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And one of the ways that happens is through church planting.
We're actively planting three churches right now. One in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Michael Granger just had his first public service in the last two or three weeks. We're planting in Prattville, Alabama. That plant is being led by Matt Turner. And we will be planting right at the turn of the year in San Antonio, Texas, where Phillip Estrada is leading that church plant. And so our Church Planting Group—and we've dropped the National Church Planting Group; we have dropped the national name out of it and just call them the Church Planning Group because we want them to be a resource for our planters around the globe, at least in this point in time in our history. And these guys are doing a great job. That group is led by Mike Seaver, who leads that group on behalf of Eric Turbedsky, our Director of Church Planting. And what that arrangement does is it allows Eric to focus on the things that we've asked him to focus on related to church planting while Mike leads the Church Planting Group in assessing and equipping our church planters.
And this group is just a great group. It's Mike Seaver, Jeremy Oddy, Andy Farmer, Ricky Alcantar, and Greg Dirnberger. Some of our best guys.
Benjamin Kreps:
Yes.
Mark Prater:
And they've been working hard really equipping guys for church planting.
Benjamin Kreps:
Wonderful. I understand that there is some of that equipping happening this weekend with these guys that are in the middle of working on a church plant. Can you tell us about that?
Mark Prater:
I'd love to. It’s happening the next couple of days. The guys are flying in today. We've had to make some adjustments because obviously of the pandemic. But Andy Farmer in the Church Planting Group is the guy on point for our Church Planting Cohort. And that's what the guys will be attending over the next several days.
So Matt Turner is flying in today and he's bringing a couple of guys with him that are planting that church in Prattville. Those two guys are kind of forming a leadership core for him. And then Phillip Estrada is coming as well. He's planting Mission City Fellowship in San Antonio after the turn of the year. And then Jim Brown, who is the Regional Church Planting Chair, a church planting committee chair for his region in the Southeast. He is coming along with Matt simply just to learn, but to sort of envision him for influencing his region in the future for church planting.
So those guys are coming in and they're going to spend what Andy's mapped out. I think it's a great plan. We're going to draw on our team here at Covenant Fellowship Church and some of our planters in the area. So guys are going to get intensives. Actually it starts now, let me just say what's happening tonight. We are having an elders meeting tonight so they can just sit in and one of our elders meetings. And then throughout the day tomorrow, they're going to have these intensives where they're going to get with Rob flood and Andy Farmer on Biblical counseling with Jim Donohue regarding evangelism, Leo Parris when it comes to youth ministry. Matt Turner is bringing his worship leader with him. So he'll get time with Joseph Stigora related to worship leading. Matt and Phillip will get time with Jared Mellinger just on the role of the Senior Pastor and mapping out sermon series in particular.
And then we've got a couple of church planters in our area, Dan Birkholz who's up in Northeast Philly and Steven Bowne who is in the Frankfort section of Northeast Philly are going to be at Covenant Fellowship. And they're just going to talk about their church planting experience in an urban setting.
So that gives you a little bit of flavor of what Andy has put together. And just one of the ways that the Church Planting Group is equipping our planters.
Benjamin Kreps:
It's just great to hear. Not only that we're planting churches but that are gifted men who serve as pastors in Sovereign Grace are being deployed to equip those men and to build relationally. I love that model. I think we all do. Do you think if somebody is on a church planting committee in their region, would you encourage them, if somebody is inclined, to come and visit one of these like Jim Brown is doing?
Mark Prater:
I think it would be a great idea. I think it would give you a little better look into how a planter is equipped and it may just give you a vision for future church planters in your region. I think you'd come away from this cohort enthused and excited about church planting and then you would bring that back to your region.
Benjamin Kreps:
Yeah. Great idea. Any other thoughts before we go?
Mark Prater:
Well, I think it’s what you just said. You know, this is a real expression of our partnership. First of all, the Church Planting Group has got guys that serve on that from different regions. And we're using our pastors to train our church planters, all different guys who are pastors in a local church. And none of that happens without our shared commitment to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ together by planting and strengthening churches. So, what this next few days represents is one expression of our partnership and even how we, I think, build relationally within that partnership.
Benjamin Kreps:
Right. Wonderful model. Very encouraging to hear. Thank you, Mark. And thank you everyone for watching and we'll see you here soon. Bye for now.