The photo above is a news release from our denominational magazine.

Seeing this news reminded me that we should rejoice and praise the Lord for a brand new daughter church plant for First ARP Church of Gastonia. They are planting Living Hope Church of Belmont just northeast of their city. They are sending Rev Mark Forbes and others from their church to begin this mission. Pray for God to gather and perfect his people through this work. May Living Hope serve Christ for many, many years and make many disciples and plant other churches. 

This is what our future could look like. As the first Arp church in central Oklahoma. Trinity Presbyterian Church of Norman could train and send planters north on I35 to Moore/OKC/Edmond/and beyond & south on I35 to Purcell/Ardmore/on to Dallas. We can go West to Goldsby/Newcastle/Blanchard, or go toward Lake Thunderbird or close by to Noble. The map is wide open and God told Abraham that his descendants in the faith would be as countable as the stars above (Genesis 15). Therefore, we can pray, lean on the promises of God, and be courageous in our proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus. 

God has many of his chosen people right here on the prairie land of Oklahoma. We are a church for Norman on a mission to gather and perfect the saints of God in Norman and beyond. God will answer your prayers. Just as He provided spiritual children for Abram well beyond his own lifetime and far beyond the land on which he stood, God will provide many more spiritual children. Consider that when we pray and invite our friends to our church, those we invite may grow in the faith and they (and even their children or grandchildren) may be called to plant new churches. Some church planters will come from those we teach week after week in our Sunday school classes. The first-time visitor you greet next Sunday may be a part of the next ARP church plant in Oklahoma. The communion cups you pour before an ordinary worship service can be used in the hand of the Savior to nourish the souls of those in our church and also in the next churches to come. What about the person you get to know at the next Trinity Fellowship night? We have no idea how small things we do each day will be a significant piece of God’s grand vision to reconcile sinners from all tribes, tongues, and nations to himself through His people’s proclaiming the gospel and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. God is faithful and always at work!

“And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And Abram believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:5-6

Trinity Presbyterian Church began as a church plant in 2017 but it was known by God in eternity and it and many other churches that we do not even know to exist yet were part of the revealed promises of God to God’s people from Genesis to Revelation.