What is the Future Story of church planting in Ohio? Well, none of us have a crystal ball – besides, we don't believe in that kind of stuff! However, we do believe that God works among us, leading us and enabling us to do His will.
God is stirring our hearts to see a church-a-day planted in Ohio. God has done it before; see Acts 16:5 which says that the churches were "increasing in number daily." Actually, I have read that one denomination in the United States is planting four churches a day!
Now we can't do it alone, and others will help. What is important to know is that WE need to do OUR PART! What might that look like? Well, you can read what our Future Story might look like if God does what He put on the hearts of many of our church leaders from around the state of Ohio.
So who are these leaders and what did they do? You can follow the story line of how the 2020 Future Story was developed over a stretch of two years. Much prayer, meditation, listening, and collaboration was involved. This Future Story was not written by VisionOhio leaders but from the hearts of many Grace Brethren church leaders from many different kinds of Grace Brethren churches around the state.
We are beginning to see that at least five initiatives are needed to begin moving into this Future Story. But, the BOTTOM LINE is that unless you and I don't DO SOMETHING about it, we will never see the Future Story become Our Story.
VisionOhio: Only a Dream
Preparation Phase #1: September 11, 2008 – March 5, 2009
Preparation Phase #2: May 21, 2009 – September 10, 2009
Future Story first release: April 2010
De-engineering: May 18, 2010
We had our first "de - engineering" of our 2020 Future Story for Ohio church planting. On May 18 we gathered to work through 5 identified themes that are woven in the 2020 Future Story. The "de - engineering" of all this is to help us move from where we are in 2010 to what we believe God wants to do here in Ohio through 2020. The five major themes we worked along are:
1) Micropolitan Initiatives
2) Metropolitan Initiatives
3) Church Based Centers: Prayer Centers and Training Centers
4) Lay Involvement Initiatives
5) Redeveloping and Replanting Initiatives
2) Metropolitan Initiatives
3) Church Based Centers: Prayer Centers and Training Centers
4) Lay Involvement Initiatives
5) Redeveloping and Replanting Initiatives
Please pray for God to use these 5 major themes to direct us to His goal in the harvest in Ohio.