3 April, 2025

Three New Churches Launch (Plus News Briefs)

by | 15 September, 2021 | 0 comments

Three churches had their first official worship service on Sunday.

Accelerate Church of Camden County, N.J., held its first service at the Marian House. The Orchard Group church plant is led by Ernest Grant (“Pastor Ern”) and his wife, Sarah.

Beacon Christian Church hosted its first worship service at the Greater Londonderry YMCA in southern New Hampshire. Lead pastor Calvin Daly and his wife, Tara, along with pastor Adam Brucker oversaw the launch. Restoration House Ministries/Orchard Group partnered in the startup.

Elevate Christian Church, Lexington, Ky., held its opening service at Lexington Christian Academy. Robert Harlamert serves as lead minister. Elevate is the first “daughter” church of Catalyst Christian Church in Nicholasville, Ky. Catalyst was the subject of a “Spotlight” article in our May/June issue.

_ _ _

News Briefs

IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service) has established a new leadership fund in honor of Rick Jett, who with his wife, Nancy, spent many years serving the Indiana-based organization. The Rick Jett Leadership Fund is dedicated to funding global pastoral and church leadership training opportunities.

The last day in the office for Rick and Nancy Jett came earlier this month. Rick Jett has a 35-year association with IDES, serving as executive director from 2002 through the end of last year. Nancy Jett is the daughter of Milton B. Bates, who started IDES in the 1970s. (Read about “The Origins of IDES.”)

_ _ _

Chong Chang Her, lead pastor with Hmong Christian Church in Eau Claire, Wis., shared his story about fleeing Laos as a teenager years ago with a local TV station. The Hmong refugee drew some parallels from his search for safety in 1980 with what people fleeing Afghanistan likely have been experiencing in recent weeks.

_ _ _

OceanPointe Christian Church of Middletown, R.I., moved into its new building on Aquidneck Island on Sunday. The church started in a local movie theater in 2014, then purchased the Newport Athletic Club in 2018 and has been renovating it. Jeff Stalnaker planted the church and continues to serve as lead minister.

_ _ _

Our friends at GNPI recommend the free Redux prayer discipleship app for folks who want to take steps toward sharing their faith by praying for people who don’t know Jesus. The app is advertised as a “personal prayer assistant.” With the Redux app, you can add names of people you want to pray for and get reminders to do so. Visit www.reduxpray.com for more info.

_ _ _

High Lakes Christian Church in LaPine, Ore., which is nearing the end of a major renovation, recently showed off its new indoor gymnasium to a local TV station. The gymnasium, which includes a basketball court and a stage, will be a resource for the community.

_ _ _

The $1,200 clue from the Double Jeopardy round of Monday night’s Jeopardy broadcast under the category “Seven Syllable Words”: “Type of church not affiliated with Baptists or Presbyterians, for example; it includes many megachurches.”

The night’s champion, 19-time winner Matt Amodio, gave the correct response: “What is nondenominational?”

Amodio won $67,800 for the evening.

_ _ _

Send news to [email protected].

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Following Through … Even Years Later

I want to speak to those, like me, who once upon a time made a commitment to serve. I thought that chapter had closed. My commitment that summer circa 1993 may not have panned out how I expected, but I think that through the working of the Spirit, the love of the Son, and the guidance of the Father it is still something I’m called to do.

Great Assists

Great assists happen every day in classrooms, offices, factories, and hospitals as people quietly meet needs. Not everyone is a general who leads troops into battle. Many are like Clara Barton, who assisted behind the scenes as a nurse, a cook, and an advocate for the wounded. 

Navigating Tough Conversations (Part 2)

Christian leaders are required to have tough conversations. This is part 2 of Ken Idleman’s insights on how best to handle difficult conversations.

Truth in Living Color

We honor God by recognizing beauty as a reflection of his glory, and by pursuing excellence in whatever we do.

Navigating Tough Conversations (Part 1)

Hard conversations tend to be agony if they are handled poorly and ecstasy if they are handled skillfully. Ken Idleman offers tips on navigating tough conversations.

Follow Us