View from the Church: From the Smallest to the Largest, PCA Churches Commit to Send 1%
Means of Grace, a PCA church plant in Denver, Colorado, has around 30 members, making it the smallest church plant in the Rocky Mountain Presbytery. Village Seven Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs has more than 1,600 members, the biggest church in the presbytery. When MTW challenged PCA churches to pray that an additional 1 percent of their congregations would be called to long-term, cross-cultural missions, both churches struggled with the idea.
David Choi
Pastor, Means of Grace church plant, Denver, CO
There are plenty of established churches who could really commit to the 1% Challenge. We’re small. We’re still trying to survive. What difference could we make?
As a church planter, this question plagued my mind. I recognize now that it’s a shortsighted way of thinking. I had similar questions when I decided to plant a church in Denver; yet God providentially got the ball rolling, put people in my life to spread the news to, and changed my heart in the process.
The road hasn’t been smooth and there have been many failures along the way, but in retrospect, my biggest failure was putting God in a box. Realizing that God is immensely greater than my own expectations helped me take the plunge into church planting. With the same mindset, I am urging our members to commit to the 1% Challenge.
Page Clark
Director of Mobilization, Village 7 Presbyterian, Colorado Springs, CO
When MTW first announced the 1% Challenge, our initial reaction was, "There’s no way we can send 16 more missionaries!" We considered the number of people, time, financial resources, and energy that would be necessary if we really did send out 1 percent of our congregation for missions. We were overwhelmed, and in many ways we still are. When we planted churches in the past and a group of our people went out with the new church, we felt the loss—but each time God has provided.
His faithfulness to us as a congregation in the past led us to take up this challenge. For us, the 1% Challenge starts with a lot of prayer: prayer with our missions leadership and in our monthly missions prayer calendar. We also plan to involve our entire congregation through an emphasis at our yearly missions conferences, and look forward to identifying and encouraging those interested in missions.
Has your church responded to the 1% Challenge yet? Learn more, see the churches that have already responded, and record your commitment at mtw.org/1.
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SEE MOREPray for the fulfillment of the Great Commission, for Christian revival, for current MTW missionaries, and for more laborers for the harvest.
Pray that U.S. churches would understand and heed the biblical mandate for global missions.
Give thanks for the past decade of missions and collaboration between MTW and MNA, and pray for the next 10 years for both agencies seeking to advance the gospel locally and globally.
Pray our the church revitalization efforts in England and Scotland as MTW missionaries come alongside UK national pastors to strengthen their efforts.
Give thanks for faithful missionaries who have spent their lives serving internationally in global missions.
Pray for parents in the unique challenges that come with raising kids on the mission field. Pray for missionary kids growing up as third culture kids.
Pray for those God is calling to serve internationally that they would hear clearly and heed His call.
Pray for Kharkiv Presbyterian Church in eastern Ukraine. Amid constant fighting, the church remains strong and retains a deep commitment to care for its community.
Pray that churches would actively live out the Great Commission, making disciples of non-Christians and sending workers into the field.
DAY 30: Pray for security and stability in Haiti.
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