Dear Hope Church,
God has placed an exciting opportunity in our path that could help us advance the gospel and move to the next stage as a church plant. Crosspointe is a PCA church that meets 8 miles from the Darlington Arts Center toward Media (601 South New Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063). Like many churches, they lost momentum throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and are now down to 20 people in worship most Sundays. Therefore, when their beloved pastor announced that he is leaving in late July, they were grieved but also saw hope for continued gospel witness in our region. They reached out to us about joining Hope Church, coming under our leadership to proclaim Christ in their space.
Hope’s provisional session and I believe that this opportunity should not be ignored. The advantage would be boosting our size from 30 to 50, securing a debt-free building in good condition, and opening up new opportunities for gospel-outreach in their space. The downside could be the distance for many of our people, the reorientation of our community outreach, and the risk of taking on a building, which, though in excellent condition, would certainly require maintenance.
Therefore, here’s our plan to prayerfully explore this opportunity together:
We will hold three joint preview services at Crosspointe's building (June 25, July 2, and July 9). These services will be our worship service in their space (Hope’s bulletin, preaching, liturgy, music, etc.). I will preach a three-week sermon series on Hope's vision, focusing on the "up" (worshiping God), the "in" (living in community), and the "out" (sharing hope) with a biblical text for each theme. Crosspointe will provide a meal after each of these services, giving us an opportunity to build community. During the meal, I will also offer a brief teaching time on the vision, mission, and values of Hope Church.
On July 16, we will meet separately for worship at the Darlington Arts Center, followed by a Q&A for us to reflect and ask questions as a congregation.
On July 23, we will meet separately for worship at the Darlington Arts Center, followed by a congregational meeting.
Our prayer should be that, if it is God's will and will glorify Him, he will open doors and make it clear. Likewise, if it is not God's will, pray that God will make it clear as well.
I know this is a lot of change for both churches. So, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. In the meantime, keep praying for wisdom and discernment for all involved.
In Christ,
Pastor Will
Soli Deo Gloria (To God alone be the glory)