Go2 Church Planting Ministries

The United States is a very diverse land.  Both geographically and socially America is vast, complex, and varied.  We may share the same currency, the same media programming, and even the same democratic process, but the variances between our borders and among our people are many.
    That is why church planting in the States takes considerable study of cultural factors and demographics in order to understand how best to reach any specific area.  Just as the Lord notes differences in the churches of Revelation based on their geography and mindset, so also there are differences between church plants depending on culture and values. 
Indeed an inner-city church in one of our major cities may be very different from a wealthy suburban church which is not far away from the city geographically, but a million miles away philosophically and culturally.   It  requires wisdom on the part of the church planter to understand what methodologies and ministries will work in his targeted church planting area.
This is why GO2 church planting has invested heavily in demographic partnerships to understand America.  We have identified 1,765 different areas of America which need to be targeted for new church planting.  These areas comprise 95% of the population of our country and represent all of the diversity and complexity our country holds.
We believe each of these areas needs to be targeted for church planting, and we believe that an already existing church should take the Judea - Samaritan, part of the great commission seriously. 

Jesus said in Acts 1:8  - “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

 I understand this passage to be used as a model for the various parts of the Great Commission.  In this model Jerusalem refers to our immediate city, Judea to our immediate country, Samaria to people who live in our country who are different from us, and the ends of the earth to refer to foreign countries other than our own. 
If we follow this model, it is easy to see that most churches are very good at Jerusalem and “Ends of the Earth” missions.  It is not unusual to see a strong church very active in its community serving others and providing community outreach.  Those same churches are also very good at running special project missions overseas for the very needy as well as sending missionaries to many international lands.  The gap for most church mission programs is the Judea and Samaritan fields.  This is probably due to several factors, but one very real outcome is the result of such neglect, namely, the deterioration of our society and culture because salt and light is being diminished as churches close and are not replaced with new ones.
I want you to spend a moment projecting into the future 50 years.  Will the United States church be able to continue its aggressive international missions program if there are fewer churches here to support those missionaries that are sent?  If churches, in a natural life cycle begin a decline downward, how long will they remain vibrant enough to provide services to their community.? It is not enough to do local and international missions.  We MUST also do Judean and Samaritan missions if we expect the Great Commission to be fully achieved.  I hear many people in churches say they love America, and yet complain about America’s downward spiral culturally.  If we love our country, then we must try to reach it for Christ.  There is no better way than to start and establish many new churches that will increase salt and light in our society and reach the spiritually lost for Christ.
GO2 is soon to launch its Springboard Church Strategy to plant 5000 new churches by the year 2020 in the United States. This is a big goal and it cannot be done without thought.  That is why we are looking to partner with already established and vibrant churches who are willing to take ownership  of just one of the 1,765 demographic areas of America that represent the Judean and Samaritan aspects of the Great Commission.  Would that church be willing to help GO2 plant 3-5 new churches over the next decade in their adopted and targeted area?  Would that church help Springboard a church planting movement in the United States by partnering with like minded churches in a Springboard network?  5000 new churches would impact significant numbers of new believers, and provide a platform for continued Evangelism and Christian growth for the 21st century in our country.
Will your church be a Springboard Church?  A Springboard is nothing more than a device which helps us go farther and longer than we could otherwise do on our own.  Just as a diving board launches a swimmer higher, so a Springboard Church network could move church planting from addition to multiplication. 
GO2 has already formed five partnerships to reach targeted areas in the United States, meaning we have only 1,760 to go! You will be hearing more in the coming weeks and months.  I hope you will join GO2 in reaching our Judea and Samaria in obedience to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Church Planting Agency Gears Up for Major Initiative

TELFORD, PA -- GO2 Church Planting Ministries announced the following staffing updates in preparation for the launch of their new Springboard Church Planting Strategy to be announced very soon.
Rev. Oscar Chavez, who until now has been the Western U.S. Church Planting Director for GO2 has been named the National Director of Hispanic Church Planting.  Rev. Chavez, also the Pastor of the La Cosecha Iglesia Cristiana in Lancaster, California,  has been with GO2 since 2007 and is working in Southern California to start an entire movement of Hispanic churches in that region.  With his new responsibilities he will be networking across the United States to oversee the Hispanic component of the Springboard Church Planting Strategy.  
Rev. Chavez replaces Rev. Jesus Munoz, who resigned his position with GO2 as Hispanic Church Planting Director in February, 2009 to pursue oversight of church planting ministries in the Tampa, Florida area in conjunction with the Florida District Missions Board of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.  Rev. Munoz is a long-time veteran of church planting in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. GO2 wishes him well in his new endeavors and praises God for his faithfulness and fruitfulness while serving with GO2.  Those who have been supporting Rev. Munoz should now send their support to Florida District of GBC, C.O. John Nest, 235 Seminary Circle, Maitland, FL 32751.

New to the GO2 team is Pastor Mike Silliman of Oxford, PA, who has been named Director of Coaching.  Pastor Silliman is the founding church planter of Elk Creek Church in Oxford, a vibrant church plant that enjoys the presence of about 100 people each Sunday for worship.  Pastor Silliman was inspired to pursue church planting by observing Pastor Dan O’Deens – himself a former church planter - and spent considerable time serving with Pastor O’Deens and the people of Gateway Grace Community Church in Parkesburg, PA.  In his new responsibilities Pastor Silliman will train and equip coaches to come alongside the church planter, providing greater accountability and instilling strategic thinking in the church planting process.
Rev. Kenn Cosgrove of Limerick, PA is assuming the role of Prayer Coordinator for GO2 after retiring from more than 35 years of Pastoral ministry in the United States in March, 2009.  Rev. Cosgrove pastored churches in Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Ohio before planting the Tri-County Grace Brethren Church in Trappe, PA where he served for more than 20 years.  Rev. Cosgrove will be overseeing the prayer ministry on behalf of church planters to create a nationwide awareness of prayer needs for the church planter as well as the overall needs of the lost in our country.
Mr. Rob Saunders joins the GO2 team as Director of Short-Term Trips.  A graduate of Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, Mr. Saunders has been actively involved in overseeing ministry teams in urban settings.  In his new position he will coordinate the research and development of short-term teams, exploring and observing church planting movements.  The first of GO2’s short-term trips will begin in 2010 focusing on the concepts of Spontaneous Expansion of the Church around the world, asking the whether the principles being observed in global urban centers might be transferred to the North American context.
Additional staff announcements will be made in the near future as Go2 expands its services to churches and church planters of the United States.

This is an official announcement that the GO2 Annual Corporation meeting shall be held on Monday July 27, 2009 at 4:00 PM during the GO2 Church planting dinner in Columbus Ohio.  The location of the dinner is Grace Brethren Church of Columbus 6675 Worthington-Galena Road Worthington, Ohio 43085.  Special speaker for the dinner will be Rev. Michel Faulkner, Pastor of New Horizons Church in Harlem, New York City.  Pastor Faulkner is a former member of the New York Jets Pro football team, former vice-president of Liberty University and well known throughout the city of New York. He is planting a church in New York in partnership with GO2 and the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.  To become a member of the  GO2 Corporation a person must contribute $500 in a single fiscal year to participate as a member during that year or receive a permanent membership for cumulative offerings totaling $2500.