Colossians 1:1-8
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
The health and vitality—the rightness—represented in Paul’s transition from spiritual parent to spiritual grandparent applies not only to the apostles, and not only to ministers, but also to churches. As churches grow and mature in their faith and their experience of the Gospel, it is important that they also raise up and send out those who will then do the work of the ministry in places where the those churches cannot do it.
Planting churches is an important part of our church’s story. In 1991, WCAG planted what was called Rockwood Harvest Assembly of God. Rockwood Harvest served its community for more than two decades before closing this past year. Again in 2001, WCAG planted a church called Full Life Community Church, which continues to serve its community to this day under the leadership of Rev. Dan Walker.
Planting churches is an important part of our church’s story. In 1991, WCAG planted what was called Rockwood Harvest Assembly of God. Rockwood Harvest served its community for more than two decades before closing this past year. Again in 2001, WCAG planted a church called Full Life Community Church, which continues to serve its community to this day under the leadership of Rev. Dan Walker.