Deepen Devotion, Engage Your Community, Seek First the Kingdom, Stick Together, Think Multiplication

Lee MerckAll Enews, Planting Team

MTSBC and Send Network Montana hosted Send Montana Luncheons this year in Helena, Miles City, Great Falls, Kalispell, and Billings. One of the encouraging things in planning these gatherings was having the chance to work with local associations. I want to thank Treasure State, Big Sky, Triangle, and Yellowstone Baptist Associations for partnering with us and supporting church planting in your regions. We also sponsored the Chick-fil-A lunch on the last day of Refresh in Kalispell. These regional luncheons were meant to emphasize five things:

  • Deepen Devotion
    Without prayer and the word, we are powerless.
  • Engage Your Community
    The gospel changes lives and communities.
  • Seek First the Kingdom
    God is at work locally and globally.
  • Stick Together
    We are a family united by a mission.
  • Think Multiplication
    God’s global mission demands disciples and churches that multiply.

Our goal was to spend quality time with pastors and planters around the state, enjoy good food and fellowship, and listen and learn what God was doing in and through our MTSBC churches. We were blessed to hear stories of people’s lives being changed all across Montana because of the gospel witness offered by God’s choice servants in these churches. The desire was to hear from the expert practitioners in the field to understand how Send Network Montana of the MTSBC can best partner in the mission of making disciples. We emphasized that church planting is not the goal! Church planting is the result of accomplishing the goal. The goal is to make disciples! Multiplying disciples leads to more healthy churches being planted in our towns and communities where there is no viable evangelistic presence or Bible-preaching church.

As you view these pictures, you will see men and women who serve in the Lord’s army in Montana. They are on the front lines of the battle. Some of you reading this article are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them. God is on the move in Montana! Be encouraged, and above all, keep on praying for one another.

About the Author

Lee Merck

Lee Merck is the Church Planting Team Leader for Montana, Pastor of The Church at Four Corners in Bozeman, and the Director of Send Network Montana.