May 31
The Top 15 Church Plants: Part II
Posted in: Church PlantingThis list is about church plants from around the country that are making a difference in their community. Here’s the original post that explains the list and the definitions used (link), and the first five [link] (in no ranking system whatsoever). Without further ado, here’s the second five (in no particular order).
Reston Community Church (Reston, VA)
Reston Community Church is a ‘new’ church plant in Reston, Virginia, outside of Washington, DC. The reason ‘new’ is in quotations is because they have replanted from History Church in the same city. They have, however, changed locations, target audiences, and ministry philosophies. If anything has remained constant, it would be their pastor, Ben Arment, which many of you are familiar with in the blogging world. They are trying to start a movement of ‘town center’ churches, which I consider Harmony Church to be. I’m excited for RCC and Ben and what they’re trying to do in one of the toughest places to reach people for Christ in the nation, if not the world.
Journey 2l2 (South Brunswick, NJ)
Most people haven’t heard of Journey 2L2. Their website isn’t extraordinary, and they seem like an ordinary church from the outside looking in. But dig deeper. Bob Cushman, the lead pastor at J2L2, is leading an extraordinary church. What’s so extraordinary about it? Well, it’s a growing church in New Jersey, of all places. (For those of you who know me, that’s only half funny about NJ). North of Maryland, it gets increasingly harder to reach people for Christ because of the religiosity and the indifference to religion. But J2L2 is doing it. And doing it well. Something else that’s extraordinary? They do weekly community projects. That’s right, weekly. Most churches do something quarterly; monthly at best. Journey does a community project every week, placing Christ prominently on display at least once every seven days. Amazing. It’s a testament to the fact that the greatest churches out there are the ones most people have never heard of.
Wellspring Church (Charlotte, NC)
I had the pleasure of meeting Pastor Dwayne Bond at a recent Acts29 luncheon, and I can attest to his honesty and commitment to Christ and His Kingdom. So what’s so special about Wellspring? Their active pursuit in racial diversity in one of the most racially divided cities of our nation, outside of Birmingham and Atlanta. They are also doing community in a coffeehouse in addition to their weekly worship gatherings, and are reaching out to their community through the outdoors as well; a very often neglected area of God’s creation. Looking forward to more out of Charlotte!
Treasuring Christ Church (Raleigh, NC)
Treasuring Christ Church is another church that I’m real excited about, and yet another exciting church in my home state. Led by Sean Cordell, whom I’ve also had the pleasure meeting, TCC is different in that it is actively reaching the disenfranchised (read: poor, lower class) of Raleigh, one of the nation’s fastest growing areas. Just take a look at their outreach ministries page on their website for a small glimpse. In talking with JD Greear of The Summit Church in Durham, he said that TCC was one of the most exciting churches in the Triangle. That’s a huge compliment, considering the source.
Church of the Outer Banks (Nags Head, NC)
The Church of the Outer Banks (OBX, for you foreigners) is an up and coming Acts29 church plant on the coast of NC (I’m not biased, really). They are home to some really awesome cultural ministries, and are actively involved in reaching out to their surrounding community, Nags Head. Their worship services are very artsy and integrate art very well into their gatherings, which means they integrate artists into their gatherings. Some really awesome redemptive culture is coming out of the Banks, from Noah’s Arc (documentary about surfing and Christ) to Jessica McLean (awesome singer/songwriter from Nags Head who attends ChurchOBX) and Bad Bean: a coffeehouse loosely (by people) connected with the church. Really awesome to see a church who is not just talking missionally; but is doing it.
There’s the second 5; 5 more to go!
