We had a sweet time at the National CCCC Conference in Buffalo. Here are some thoughts coming out of our time there.
I love that we are connected both to Acts 29 and the 4Cs. It’s important that we’re not alone on an island as we start the work of church planting. These two networks provide much needed wisdom, encouragement, resources, friendship, and prayer. I love that 7 Mile Road has other churches and pastors that we can lock arms with in this work.
I feel like the 4Cs is on the cusp of a church planting movement and we are on the frontlines. For a long time, the 4Cs has been an older, white, established crew. But in this season, God is raising up young, ethnically diverse, church planters who are starting new churches to reach a new generation. The network as a whole seems like it is being swept up into something God-sized and it’s exciting to be a part of that.
Church planting within the 4Cs was highlighted on Wednesday night. It was cool to hear of the different works that are beginning in Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Minnesota, and more. Each of the planters, myself included, were given a few minutes to share about their work. Shainu and I were pumped about the way our vision was received. We have been promised by many that they will remember our work in prayer.
One of the highlights of the week for me was meeting Alex Choi, a church planter in LA. Alex is 2 years into planting Sovereign Grace and loving it. The brother is wicked smart, passionate, and gets what its like to plant among Asians. I loved hanging out with him and his team and am really excited about the friendship we’ve started.
Finally, on Tuesday night, John Kimball, the Director for Church Redevelopment, preached on Matthew 15. I was wonderfully cut to the heart as he preached about how Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for looking right on the outside, but being decrepit on the inside. It could be so easy for the 4Cs to have the appearance of godliness but lacking substance at the heart. Shainu and I went to our room and were moved to prayer and repentance. We also prayed that the Conference as a whole would be cut to the heart and experience great renewal. Lord hear our prayer.
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