The winds continue to blow in favor of this church planting network. Next week I'll talk to a group of theology smokers (yep, take it literally) about the idea of planting a church in Schoolcraft, Michigan. The first night they held a worship service, 120 people showed up. That's phenomenal for a first meeting in a small town. Church plants in big cities are lucky (as Calvin would say) if they get half that attendance in their first meeting.

If this plant takes off, it could turn into the spawning pool of a church plant in Portage, MI where I live. The two guys I've been praying and meeting with are not on an impulsive fad. They are down to earth, culturally liberal, theologically conservative, and unmanufactured. And I love that. They are the kind of guys who'd punch you when you do something stupid and then bear hug you three seconds later. 

God is at work. The winds are blowing, theology ain't smok'n, and I'm on my knees asking God to bring repentance and revival to this country one last time. Could it start here in financially-hurting, gas-price-rising, snow-blowing southwest Michigan? Wouldn't it be just like God to do it this way? 

My heart still ultimately longs to go to the big city. But if God wants to do something here first, then what better place to be than the dangerous center of His will? 

What can you do? Pray. Pray in faith, pray for God's will, pray that we men will be men of holy surrender to Jesus. Pray that we'll take risks, walk by faith, lay down our lives for our wives, refuse to compromise, and preach with furious compassion. 

Some have asked how they can give to this church planting ministry. We are working on that right now. The goal is to set us up as a 501(c)3 so you can give tax deductible gifts. This money goes directly into planting churches that commit 10% of their own budget into planting more churches. There would be no fund for the money to sit and collect dust until a rainy (or snowy) day. It would primarily support pastors and their wives in planting churches with the expectation that each church becomes financially independent.