When it comes to grasping the nature of pastoral ministry, Ephesians 4:12–13 is one of the most liberating and inspiring passages in all of Scripture. In a letter loaded with theology and practical instruction for what healthy churches believe and do, this passage is one that leaps off the page.

It’s liberating because it releases pastors from the ever-present temptation to be the center of all the ministry and mission that happens within the body. When the vision of “equipping the saints for the work of ministry” is caught and transferred, the burden of the church’s mission spreads to many shoulders.

It’s inspiring because Paul is describing a body of active participants, not mere spectators. The local church shouldn’t look like an NBA team with one Alpha Dog doing all the scoring and grabbing all the headlines, while his teammates watch. It should be like a great football team (as much as it pains me to say it, think of the recent Alabama teams), where every player—from kicker to quarterback—has a role that is essential to the team’s success. When every member of the body of Christ senses their unique gifts and role in building up the body, there is an outpouring of Spirit-filled excitement. And there is an exponential increase in the capacity of that local church for engaging in gospel mission.

The role of elders is to help God’s people comprehend their vital role, help them discern how they are gifted to contribute, and then see them deployed in grace-empowered ministry. As Paul says in Ephesians 4:13, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”

That’s the vision behind our new Mission Briefs at Providence Community Church. They are quick testimonies that describe how people are living out different aspects of our mission: To be a community of disciples who Treasure, Declare, and Mature in the gospel of Jesus Christ for the glory of God. They are snapshots that show all the different ways God is making and maturing disciples through the ministry of normal Christians, people who were simply faithful to the gospel opportunities God placed before them.

Our first Mission Brief, seen in the video below, tells the story of Leon. He’s a young man from Shanghai, China. His father is a prison warden (you can imagine what this might mean), and neither of his parents are believers. Through God’s design, he ended up at a community college just down the street from our church. And that’s where the saints, equipped and deployed for ministry, come in. Leon was invited to live with one of our families. He began attending a weekly meal for international students at another home in our church. Through numerous members taking their place in gospel ministry and mission, Leon heard about Jesus for the first time. And through the grace of God, extended through his people, Leon was born again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3–4)!

Matthew Wassink is a 2009 graduate of the Pastors College and served as an associate pastor at Sovereign Grace Church (Bloomington, MN) before moving to Kansas in 2011 to be the senior pastor of Providence Community Church. Matthew and his wife, Hannah, have two children.

Grace and Peace (acoustic version, performed and written by Joel Sczebel) is a three verse meditation on the wonder that grace and peace have come to us through Jesus Christ. This song is based on Romans 1:7, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." 

A stuido version of Grace and Peace will be included on Grace Has Come: Songs from the Book of Romans scheduled to release June 27, 2013. Keep an eye on Sovereign Grace Music's website as the release date approaches, and watch the promo video below for a look at what's been happening during production.

Production is in full swing for Sovereign Grace Music's upcoming album Grace Has Come: Songs from the Book of Romans.

The album is set to release June 27, 2013. Keep an eye on Sovereign Grace Music's website as the release date approaches, and watch the promo video below for a look at what's been happening during production.

Cornerstone Church of Knoxville (CCK) officially commissioned the Redeeming Grace Church Planting Team on Sunday, April 7. In the coming months Dave Odom will lead this group to establish a church in Franklin, TN (a suburb of Nashville) where they will hold their first public meeting October 13. Dave shared some of his reflections from the commissioning service with the members of CCK on their blog. He wrote: 

...For those in attendance, you cheered as many of your dear friends were announced as part of the church plant team. But, there were also many new faces standing on that stage; those living in Nashville with a desire to participate. For a quick run down of the numbers:

• CCK is sending out 29 adults and 23 children.
• Participants from Nashville: 20 adults and 17 children.
• Grand total: 49 adults and 40 children. 

We are astounded to have a church planting team of 89 people. This is a unique blessing for a church being plant 200 miles from the sending church. And while we are certainly grateful for the size of this team, it is the quality of these people that I love the most. They are marked by the grace of God. Their lives are a testimony to the transforming power of the gospel. These are the exact people you want to plant a church with. 

One of the primary means that God has used in the lives of these people is you. We are reaping in Nashville what Cornerstone Church of Knoxville has sown here in Knoxville for over two decades. And you are sending us out in strength because of your willingness to sacrifice for the advancement of the gospel.

Thank you for your investment in the lives of these people. Thank you for your joyful support of this church plant. Thank you for your commitment to ongoing support and gospel partnership for years to come. Redeeming Grace Church will always remember the great faith and sacrifice of Cornerstone Church of Knoxville.

Thank you for partnering with Sovereign Grace Ministries and CCK to plant Redeeming Grace Church. By praying for us, serving in your local church, and by giving, you make this gospel mission possible (Phil 1:3-5). We are most grateful!

Grace Bible Church of Wissinoming has prayed, planned, prepared, and praised.

The following video provides you with a behind the scenes glimpse of this church plant.

Apart form the physical help, financial support, and prayer of so many, none of this would have been possible. Dan Birkholz and the church planting team have been so blessed by each contribution toward this mission of reaching Wissinoming and the surrounding neighborhoods of Philadelphia with the gospel. While their Sunday meetings have now begun, the need for repairing this building continues.

To find out more about how you can help by participating in a work team or direct giving, please visit PlantWiss.com 

Our announcement about the replant of New Covenant Church last week left some of you wondering, "What is a church replant?" We are glad you asked!

In the following video, Ian McConnell describes the replanting/revitalizing of Grace Bible Church in northeast Philadelphia. This 10-minute testimony highlights the joys and challenges of revitalizing the gospel witness in an urban community through revitalizing a declining church.

For more information on church replants/revitalizations, read the following helpful article by Mike McKinley titled, The Pros and Cons of Planting and Revitalizing.

In this video, Jeff Boettcher takes us to the neighborhoods of Southwark and Pennsport in South Philadelphia, PA where Christ Church will, Lord willing, be established. We invite you to join us in praying for the evangelistic efforts of this church planting team.

For more information on Christ Church of South Philly, visit their website and read the Church Planter Interview with Jeff. 

Jared Mellinger, senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church (Glen Mills, PA), recently took some time to communicate his enthusiasm for the upcoming Transfer conference taking place this May 25-28 in Orlando, FL. He'll be there along with hundreds of others. We'd love to have you join us!

Transfer is a four-day gathering hosted by the churches of Sovereign Grace Ministries to celebrate and proclaim those biblical truths that are most important to pass on from one generation to the next. 

From generation to generation... What we treasure, we must transfer!

For over 30 years, Lynn Baird has been pastoring God's people and communicating a passion for the gospel. His dream is to see this same passion passed on to the next generation, for the planting and building of more churches. Thank you Lynn; we want to learn from you.

Join us May 25-28 in Orlando, FL for Transfer, a four-day gathering hosted by the churches of Sovereign Grace Ministries to celebrate and proclaim those biblical truths that are most important to pass on from one generation to the next.

Tony Merida, Daniel Akin, George Robinson, Bruce Ashford, and C.J. Mahaney discussed practical issues concerning the gospel and mission at the recent 20/20 Collegiate Conference hosted by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

This discussion is divided into two sections:

1) Get the gospel
2) Get on with the mission