Seven Reasons For New Covenant To Plant A New Church In The City Of Elgin

1) Church planting is an effective and biblical method of evangelism.
Based on the expansion of the New Testament church in the book of Acts, one could make the case that church planting (i.e. existing churches supporting the startup of new local churches) is THE biblical method of evangelism. Pastor and author Tim Keller planted Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan in 1989. This gospel-centered church has been extremely fruitful in one of the most unchurched areas of our country. In 2001, he started Redeemer City to City, church planting network which has helped start over 300 churches in 45 cities. Keller makes the point this way:

"As the Christian movement grew in the book of Acts, the apostles “appointed elders in each church, and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust” (Acts 23:14). Local communities have always been the primary building block of the body of Christ. Research shows that new churches are the best way to reach new generations, new residents, and new people groups in a city with the gospel. In fact, they are up to 6 to 10 times more effective at attracting people to the gospel than older, more established churches. They create opportunities for pastors and members to take risks, take ownership, and lead in their congregations and cities...Cities may already have plenty of churches, but they are starved for the gospel. We believe cities need not just gospel-believing churches, but gospel-centered churches." (www.redeemercitytocity.com)

2) Church planting is central to our mission as a local church.
Early on our church leadership affirmed the mission of New Covenant to spread the gospel in the Fox Valley region not by growing a single church that is beyond the capacity of our present facility but by planting new congregations. In other words, we want to be a church-planting church. This priority for church planting is also reflected in how our GO (Global Outreach) Team evaluates New Covenant’s support of world missions, giving preference to church planting worldwide.

3) Church planting provides a healthy and strategic ministry path for men called to be lead pastors.
This is very personal for me as the future lead pastor of New City Church Elgin. What a joy for me and my family to be sent out by the church family we dearly love and what a privilege to continue the kind of gospel ministry that has blessed us in another community. The training and experience I received under the leadership of our senior pastor and our elders has, by God’s grace, equipped me to lead this new congregation-to-be. I pray that I am just the first of many church planting pastors that New Covenant will send out to do the work of the gospel.

4) The city of Elgin needs the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Elgin continues to be a city in need of a gospel-centered church. This city of 108,000 image bearers of God has 1 church for roughly every 1500 residents and only 1 evangelical church for 3500 residents. This is why the Southern Baptist Convention’s Plant Chicago initiative has identified Elgin as one of the most church-needy cities in Chicagoland (http://www.plantmidwest.com/regions/). Our elder, Justin Taylor put it well, “Planting a new church will enable us to replicate the sweet and precious gospel DNA and model of ministry that we've worked so hard to cultivate and desire to multiply.” While New Covenant currently serves the city of Elgin, a church within the community could be even more effective.

5) Planting a local church in Elgin will help us carry out our commitment to the poor and marginalized of that city.
As a church we have affirmed Luke and Nicole Preusslers’ calling to minister to people in Elgin who live at the periphery of society by supporting them as local missionaries. Establishing a church in the center of Elgin for all of Elgin provides both a worshiping community to enfold such persons and the resources (human and financial) to minister to their physical needs. Luke is well-equipped to bring leadership to this aspect of the new church’s ministry.

6) Planting a church in a diverse community like Elgin means we have an opportunity to gather a diverse community of disciples unified in their worship of Jesus.
Not only is the city of Elgin diverse ethnically, but also culturally and socioeconomically: Black and white, Latino and Asian, urban and suburban, rich and poor, college students and senior citizens. Our desire is for New City Church to reflect THE New City of the redeemed that we read about in the book of Revelation, filled with worshippers: the ransomed people of God from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9-10).

7) Planting a church will help grow the CrossWay Association of Churches.
Although our region of the country has many churches, gospel-centered/reformed churches are the exception, not the rule. This kind of church in Elgin could contribute to both the local and regional impact of the gospel. New City is looking forward to ongoing opportunities to enjoy rich fellowship with New Covenant and the other CrossWay Association churches.

Please continue to pray for New City as we begin to gather a core group of worshippers and make plans to begin Sunday morning worship services in Spring 2015. If you have any questions about the church plant, please contact me at 847-804-2950 or ddehaan@newcbc.org. I strongly encourage you to attend the July 27 evening worship service where I will be presenting more of the details about New City as part of a larger presentation from the pastoral team on New Covenant's vision for forming disciples who make disciples.

Anticipating what God will do for His glory,

Dave DeHaan
Lead Pastor to-be
New City Church Elgin