Speaking of Church Plants...

I wrote this article about a church plant in Portland, OR, for Christian Reformed Home Missions  that was published on the website yesterday. This CP is getting started by my dear friends Jason & Mishaela. I've gotten to know this amazing couple through my past year at MCC, as Jason has been interning there for most of the months that I've been attending. This couple has reached out in hospitality and really served in genuinely loving ways. Anyway, it has been an honor to get to know them, and I was delighted by the opportunity to write an article about them. It really thrills me to know they're excited about having a story about them, too! I'm in the process of interviewing two more church planters in the coming week. 

Here's my current FB status: 

Betsy is pretty stoked about church planting, church planters, and writing stories about church planting and planters! :D

But how did church planting get to be such a big part of my heart, anyway? 

I was talking to Danny earlier about the longings in my heart, and among them being to immerse myself even more in the ministry of church planting. I feel unbelievably blessed that my job (not only being a paid, full-time internship!) allows me to connect with, support and encourage church planters across the country (like this one, or this one). I have the opportunity to do that on a daily basis! Even though the menial tasks sometimes get a bit overwhelming, those moments do come when I am totally amazed by this organization (crhm.org, by the way) and the ways that God is able to work through it. 

But the longing extends deeper than to simply encourage more church planters in the powerful ministry that God has called them to. My longing is to get in there myself; for just over a year now God has really opened my eyes to the fact that churches DO need to be planted! (Even in the United States! Even in Grand Rapids!) Being a part of several different, very missionally-minded churches/plants, has really grown a love for that sort of community-- typically small, intimate, familial, with a constant need for leadership and volunteers to make it run. I've discovered that I've thrived in those kinds of churches. Glasgow West End Vineyard church (see link here) was one of the first places I ever felt at home by going to church, and the first time I'd ever been excited to get up on a Sunday morning (and walk a mile just to get to church, I might add) and see the people who had so readily loved and accepted me, even though I was a complete stranger to them. Then being a part of MCC (see link here) has helped me mature spiritually by leaps and bounds, and I have been able to contribute in so many ways and I've definitely fallen in love with the people there. God has given me a huge heart for the church plant ministry, more than I've had for any other kind of ministry out there-- and believe me, I have been involved with quite a number of different ministries; everything from short-term mission trips, work-camp trips, tutoring, serving in a national park for a summer, kids camp counselor, VBS, church intern, teaching Sunday school, small group leader... and yet church planting remains deeply rooted (no pun intended) as a growing desire in my heart. 

I have always had a special place in my heart for Europe-- my heart was broken for Europe first in 2004, when I had the privilege of traveling for 7 weeks (sleeping in a tent for all of them) with an organization called Royal Servants International. I was just 17 years old (turned 17 in Paris, actually!) and fell in love with ministry and missions for the first time. Yet that love was bittersweet-- I loved Europe, but it was mainly because the spiritual emptiness and death was so palpable. The desire to return and serve Europe in some way has stayed with me for the rest of my life. I returned to Scotland in 2006, with an organization that allowed students to do service-learning projects while attending classes at the University (see ipsl.org) and serving the Glasgwegians, especially the disabled and under-resourced, caused a passion in my heart for volunteer work and I have committed to volunteering in some capacity every semester since. I love being involved with ministry, simply stated. I believe it is an inheritance from my father, who was passionate about outreach and serving the down-and-out, and ordained as a pastor just a few years before losing a battle with cancer. 

But back to Italy. I remember that the week I was there, I absolutely loved it. It was such an amazing country, yet with the same spiritual needs as I'd been seeing everywhere in Europe. I distinctly remember thinking to myself "I need to come back and find myself an Italian guy" (ha, ha. Joke's on me!) but then God led me to Scotland. After meeting Danny and hearing about his passion for Italy, and finding out more about the huge lack of genuine, Christ-centered community or spirituality (see statistics below), my heart has just been broken for Italy and I so desire to return and serve in whatever way God calls me (us) to. 

This turned into a story of how God has brought me into the realm of church planting, and the many different organizations and ministries that I've encountered, been blessed by, and have learned from along the way. :) Be sure to go back and check out some of those links-- I'll also include them in the sidebar. 

Betsy Joy