As Darcy Dueck, Pastor at Citizens Church in Elmira, ON, reflects on the church planting experience, gratitude arises as an overarching theme.
Just over four years ago, Darcy and a team of people planted a church in Elmira.
They leaned into missional families and have experienced steady growth these past few years.
This way of doing church seems to have filled a need for families in the area.
Looking back, Darcy is grateful that the sending church (Woodside Church) was open and supportive to the idea of planting.
Even if it was in the same town as them!
To follow God’s leading in a prayerful and trusting way is important to both churches and so Citizens Church could start, knowing that they had been prayerfully commissioned and sent.
Encouraged is another word that describes Darcy as he reflects on the past few years.
He has experienced the power of prayer – sometimes even dramatically.
And he’s also trusting and patiently waiting for those prayers that remain unanswered.
There’s so many things outside of his control that he returns to his knees to be reminded that it is God who is building the church.
Things take time and the long vision is needed – it’s alright.
Darcy has seen others step in and get involved – faithfully working together and sharing the responsibility of church.
It’s a theological truth that he’s believed but it’s been good to experience it.
Despite the hard work involved and sometimes feeling tired, church planting has been so encouraging.
To see what God has done is amazing.
Maybe even a highlight of his life.