January 17, 2024
During 2023, NewThing was "able to start and sustain 1,059 church planting networks and helped plant 22,663 new churches!” according to the organization's annual report. . . . Also briefs about the Mid-Winter Rally for missionaries and Christians in Europe, the upcoming Preaching-Teaching Convention at Ozark Christian College, and more.
May 24, 2023
Tim Keller, renowned pastor, speaker, and best-selling author, died Friday. Several Christian Church leaders shared with us how Keller impacted their lives and ministries. . . .
February 13, 2023
There was only so much pickleball Tom Jones could play in retirement. The longtime executive director of Stadia Church Planting recently was hired by NewThing—a church-planting organization founded by Jones’s longtime friend Dave Ferguson—to serve as the group’s director of development.
March 4, 2022
NewThing is launching a digital church-planting effort it hopes will spark hundreds of new churches during the next year. Jeff Reed said the initiative already has drawn interest from 200 prospective church planters.
February 10, 2021
By Chris Moon Even in a pandemic, the work of church planting continues. Chicago-based church-planting organization NewThing reports it planted 982 churches in 2020, an increase from 855 in 2019. Most of those church plants occurred outside the United States—many of them in Africa and Asia. “COVID hasn’t slowed it down,” said Patrick O’Connell, global director for NewThing. NewThing is the church-planting mission of Community Christian Church in Naperville, Ill., which was founded by Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson. The organization has been around for about 15 years and has planted a total of 6,373 churches in 26 countries so
September 2, 2020
The challenges and struggles Dave Empson and the International Conference on Missions (ICOM) have faced this year were the subject of the Face > Fear podcast hosted by Mike Schrage of Good News Productions International (GNPI) on Monday. And the challenges have been many—physical, financial, logistical, and organizational. GNPI wrote on their website: “The table seemed set for the International Conference on Missions’ biggest year yet. They had a popular location in Indianapolis, a talented president in Jeff Vines, and a remarkable main speaker in Ravi Zacharias. And then, a few weeks ago, they made a change. ‘We decided to switch
April 16, 2020
By Jim Nieman David Dummitt, the founding and lead pastor of 2|42 Community Church in Michigan, has been named the new senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. “I’m so excited to become a part of the Willow family,” Dummitt said in a video posted by Willow Creek. “For the last 15 years my family and I have had the privilege of launching and leading 2|42 Community Church in southeast Michigan. And over these last few months we’ve sensed God leading us to come and be a part of what he’s doing in and through Willow.
November 8, 2018
An Interview with Jessie Vaca about the Changing Landscape of Global Church Planting By David Dummitt When I consider all of the great things happening in the church around the world, one that really excites me is an initiative led by NewThing called “Catalyst Community.” Simply put, Catalyst Communities bring local leaders together to pray, dream, and strategize how to work together to grow God’s kingdom right where they are. I spoke with Jessie Vaca, NewThing’s global reproducing catalyst, to learn more about how Catalyst Communities are changing the landscape of church planting around the world. What exactly
October 31, 2018
By Jim Nieman An auction bid of $78,750 took home the first John Deere GP tractor ever built and will help pay for renovation of a building shared by Taylorville (Ill.) Christian Church and VisionWay Christian School. “It turned out great,” lead minister James Jones said. Some church members thought the tractor might go for a little higher price, others thought it would go for less. “It was great as far as I’m concerned.” Jones did not attend the auction and did not know the name of the winning bidder. The 1928 general purpose tractor was the first of more
May 9, 2018
By David Dummitt In the last several decades, Western churches grew big. Very big. Megachurches swelled. The multisite movement allowed churches to grow wide. Last fall, minister and church planter Matt Chandler created a stir when he announced his plan to release all of his campuses to be autonomous churches. Pastors across the United States are beginning to ask, “What if we are boxing ourselves in? And what is next?” I believe we are on the cusp of a shift in church-planting methodology, and I’m dreaming of new things. What if we could be more effective in raising and releasing
January 3, 2018
By David Girdwood Each summer, as temperatures rise and the daylight expands, our children begin dreaming of a commercial enterprise: “Mom, Dad, can we pleeease do a lemonade stand?” Personally, spending hours in the blazing sun selling just enough lemonade to cover the cost of the Crystal Light isn’t very appealing. We allow our kids to do it anyway. Why? Is it a rite of passage, a way to kill a few hours, an opportunity to teach an economics lesson? Or is it ultimately a chance for them to be creative, resourceful, and even to experience the generosity of others?
September 15, 2017
Students Equip Toys for Kids with Disabilities Engineering students at Milligan College aren”t content with figuring out how to make things work. They also want to do good for their local community. And so this summer these students gave away two adapted Power Wheels Jeeps to children who cannot move independently. The project was part of a program called “Go Baby Go Appalachia,” overseen by AdaptoPlay, a local nonprofit organization in Johnson City, Tenn. The Jeeps are modified to allow children to use them despite disabilities that make it difficult for them to move. Steering wheels were replaced with joysticks,
August 19, 2017
By David Dummitt When I was first invited to write an article about urban church planting, I planned to write about trends, research, data, and the like. But after thinking about it some more, I decided that rather than share my thoughts, it would be more powerful to share the insights of someone in the proverbial trenches of urban church planting. I recently sat down with Eric Metcalf, a colleague, fellow church planter, and friend. Eric and his wife, Erin, are church planters in downtown Chicago. Eric is also the residency catalyst for NewThing. Their passion for the Jesus mission,
January 27, 2017
By Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird How and why residencies have become standard operating practice for all of NewThing”s new church planters. When you think about a residency program, you might envision doctors in training, honing their craft under the tutelage of seasoned physicians. For NewThing (www.newthing.org, an international church-planting network birthed out of the Chicago-based Community Christian Church, www.communitychristian.org), a 9- to 12-month residency is required for any emerging leader who wants to start a church in NewThing”s network. It”s standard operating procedure for all of their new church planters. “For us, residency is the chute before you launch
May 10, 2015
By Dave Ferguson Growing up in Chicago, I remember a couple famous scoreboards. There was a scoreboard at the old Comiskey Park where my White Sox played when I was a kid””I loved it! Every time someone hit a home run, the scoreboard would explode with fireworks. And then there is the scoreboard at Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs. It”s one of two remaining scoreboards that are still hand-turned. It was installed in 1937 and is still waiting for its first World Series win! Another scoreboard I remember is the one on the sanctuary wall of the little rural
March 28, 2012
By Josh Tandy I am a statistical anomaly. I am a young minister who went to seminary almost immediately after receiving my undergraduate degree. More and more, people like me are opting to bypass seminary and go directly into full-time ministry. Some of these individuals have been spectacularly successful. The incredible stories of new churches being planted and existing ones becoming vibrant again make me think about the time, effort, and resources spent on a seminary degree, and I wonder: Was it worth it? Has a world of blogs, conferences, and books made a seminary degree obsolete? It doesn”t take
January 24, 2012
Compiled by R. Paige Mathews Christian churches and churches of Christ are committed to church planting! Just a quick look at this list will remind you that church leaders from coast to coast are working to reach non-Christians with new congregations. Church planting organizations and associations were asked to share information about their ministry beyond basic contact information. That information is condensed below, for those who answered our survey. (For your convenience, this list is available as a pdf. Just click here: Church Planting Organizations.) “¢ “¢ “¢  Alabama State Evangelizing Association Philip King 3601 Lorna Ridge Drive Hoover, AL 35216
Sponsored
Sponsored
Sponsored
April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok
April 28, 2026
David Faust
April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok