“We as an association should celebrate our association. No, it is not perfect, but God has used it to accomplish some amazing things. You really can get more done through cooperation and working as a team.”


and self-propagating. They are wonderful godly examples of what God can do with someone willing to go wherever God leads. Jason Burns has served the last five


continued from page 8 example and acted upon the vision that God gave them to preach the Gospel to a lost and dying world. Some of the men who made a great impression on me because of their passion for church planting were Jim Barr, James Crews, Jeff Swart, and Jack Courtney. I followed Jim Barr and Jeff Swart as pastor of the churches God used them to plant. What a privilege! I watched James Crews plant his first church in Bloomington, Indiana, and had the joy of being a part of the organizational service of his third church plant 29 years later. The other, Jack Courtney, was my boss and mentor as I worked in church planting in Sandwich, Illinois. I just want to celebrate their efforts, their vision, and their willingness to step out in faith by joining God in His mission. We as an association should celebrate


our association. No, it is not perfect, but God has used it to accomplish some amazing things. You really can get more done through cooperation and working as a team. An association is for fellow- ship, accountability, and the propagation of the Gospel. No church should ever be


10


an island unto itself, and churches cooperating to carry out the Great Commission is biblical. Our association cannot plant churches, but we can help you plant churches. The partnership program is a great way to help a church planter who needs support. Most churches in our work cannot provide all of the funds a church planter needs, but we can partner with those who are called to plant churches. When I share our partnership program with other church planting groups, they want to know where they can sign up. Let’s celebrate our pursuit of excellence in the areas of assessment, training, coaching, fellowship, and financial support. Lastly, let’s celebrate the great group


of church planters whom God has given us right now. We have three completing their five years on the field. James Crews and Mark Nicholson are staying in Post Falls, Idaho, to continue working with Grace Baptist Church. This is the third church plant for James and his wife, Jennifer. Please pray for the Crews, the Nicholsons, and Grace Baptist Church in this transition period of becoming indig- enous, self-governing, self-supporting,


theGLEANER n September/October 2010


years as an associate at River of Grace Baptist Church in Pueblo West, Colorado. Although his five years of associational support comes to a conclusion, he will continue there on staff with the church. He now serves with his pastor, Paul Medved, and we thank you, Jason, for your service. Jason and his wife, Janna, began under church planter Richard Payne who is now planting a church in Spanish Fort, Alabama, with his wife, Carmen. Merritt Youngdeer has resigned after


four years of service as our church planter in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is returning to Cherokee, North Carolina, to care for his aging parents. I have known Merritt and Lulie for about 15 years now, and I want to celebrate their faithfulness and burden to win Native Americans to Christ. Please pray for them as they begin this new chapter in their lives and for the All Nations Indian Baptist Church in Albuquerque. We have much to celebrate as the


people of God and as an association. Please read on as three of God’s servants share about these milestones in their ministries. n


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