In early 2023, a McPherson Grow Group expressed a desire to have a CrossPoint in their community. The journey of praying and seeking the Lord’s will for CrossPoint McPherson was born!
When planting or replanting a church, there are a few essential pieces that are needed to make it happen:
- A church planting team
- A location pastor
- A facility in which to meet
- Funding for both upfront and future costs
By God’s grace, He has provided the planting team, Nathan Addis as the Location Pastor, and a facility for the church to meet weekly, leaving only the element of funding to be procured. But, why plant another church in McPherson? There are already nearly two dozen churches representing numerous denominations across the town. Estimates project that nearly 60% of McPherson is “religious.”
If the above statistic is even remotely accurate, that leaves over one-third of the community outside of the purview of the church. Nearly 14,000 people call McPherson home. Of these 14,000 individual souls, around 5,000 do not identify with having a religious affiliation. There is still work to be done in McPherson!
Lifeway conducted a study within the last 10 years that revealed that approximately 40% of attenders at new church plants are people that would previously be categorized as “unchurched.” When something new and exciting begins in a community, there is a buzz that peaks people’s interest, and causes them to check it out. By contrast, as a church matures, its reputation is established, and fewer “unchurched” people find their way into the church. As a church hits the 5-year, 10-year, or 15-year mark, the number of “unchurched” or new believers statistically dwindles to 10% or less. How many of those 5,000(+/-) residents of McPherson have heard the name of Jesus? How many follow him?
To be clear, our goal is not to plant CrossPoint McPherson for the purpose of creating a temporary “splash” around town. Furthermore, the goal is not to get people from other churches to leave their congregation and come to CrossPoint. The aim is to establish a church with the people who are already a part of CrossPoint and unleash them as Everyday Missionaries in McPherson and the surrounding area.
How can you be a part of this movement to see the Gospel advance in McPherson? This Giving Tuesday (12/3/2024), we are prayerfully pursuing a goal of raising $75,000 towards the planting of CrossPoint McPherson. Rural communities continue to struggle to maintain the status quo, let alone grow, and few are focused on planting churches in small towns. Prayerfully consider giving to The Harvester Foundation on December 3rd as we seek to plant CrossPoint McPherson. You can give at theharvester.org/givingtuesday.
Thank you for praying, thank you for giving, thank you for going!