Raising Up to Send Out!

I’ve been excited to see the current and future church planting leaders that God seems to be entrusting to our care and training as a Network. And with the growing momentum, let me propose a question to my fellow warriors throughout the Crossway Network anchored in the sovereign rule of our gracious and all-powerful Lord:

How can we raise up more from among our existing churches? What might it take to see dozens from our ranks within the pipeline eagerly awaiting the training and resources to be sent out to needed gospel starved communities throughout the world? As we press forward for the future, how can we avoid our own Crossway Network version of “mission drift” or our own acceptable version of comfortable consumeristic Christianity?

What might it take to see dozens from our ranks within the pipeline eagerly awaiting the training and resources to be sent out to needed gospel starved communities throughout the world?

Please understand the heart behind my question.  I do not know a leader in this Network who is not sold out for Jesus. And yet, how many would move away from friends, family, a loving church, a comfortable home, a workable routine, and anticipated income to an unappealing environment for Jesus’ sake, His kingdom and the millions who need the Savior today?  Many of our proven leaders are getting older. We now have so much more to give than in any other time of our lives and still the necessary energy to invest in others.  Our 50s and 60s should be our most fruitful years.

…how many would move away from friends, family, a loving church, a comfortable home, a workable routine, and anticipated income to an unappealing environment for Jesus’ sake, His kingdom and the millions who need the Savior today?

I am praying for 6 ethnically diverse, passionate, “Keith Green” apostolic types to win, build and send  into the harvest who would be used to plant hundreds, if not thousands of churches.   We have a wonderful Servant Team that is working hard to set up more and more support structures for us to build and max out on. What would it take in our own hearts to see the lid taken off?

Do you have a thought? Do you have a challenge that will push this conversation forward? Do you have a prayerful charge for our leaders. Please comment, take action in your churches and spheres of influence, and let’s win the world to Jesus!

An undeserving nobody telling everyone about a somebody,

Tom Harcus

Lead Planter/Pastor, Crossway Aurora, Illinois

Acts 20:24