Across North Carolina, church planters are answering God's call to plant gospel-centered churches in strategic communities, reaching neighborhoods that need a relevant gospel witness. This year, 28% of the North Carolina Missions Offering directly resources SendNC's efforts to equip, train and support these planters, making it possible to plant churches everywhere, for everyone.
Church planters are often looking for purposeful ways to reach their communities with the gospel. The North Carolina Missions Offering (NCMO) helps them do that.
This year, 28% of NCMO gifts directly support SendNC’s mission to resource church planters, equip them for ministry and plant gospel-centered churches in strategic communities across the state.
Neeko Williams, lead pastor of Greenhouse Church in Greenville, understands this reality. As a college student at North Carolina A&T, he was searching for acceptance until he encountered Jesus.
When he did, he realized, “I’m free now. … And I’m looking around on my college campus, [at] so many students still in that struggle. I just started to think to myself, ‘How can I make an impact in this? How can I connect people to Jesus?’”
His college pastor encouraged him to consider church planting.
“It was like God Himself put His hand on my shoulder and said, ‘I’ve called you,’” Williams remembered.
Through SendNC, Williams received training and financial support, and built relationships with a network of planters and mentors doing similar work in ministry. These resources are made possible partly by the NCMO, which transformed Williams’ vision for Greenhouse Church.
“The Holy Spirit laid on my heart,” he said. “The Spirit’s talking to me like, ‘I’m bigger than the corner of Greensboro that you’re thinking of.’”
Williams was led to expand Greenhouse’s vision to a multicultural expression reaching Greensboro’s diverse population.
In Fuquay-Varina, Neal Thorton at Coram Deo Baptist Church planted in response to a demographic need.
“Everything is being built. New people from all over the state, all over the country, and literally all over the world,” he said. “The Lord has put church planting on my heart for over a decade.”
The church meets at Willis Spring High School, mobilizing volunteers like Lilly Zilli and Jay Wagner to reach a rapidly growing area.
Zilli said church planting demands sacrifice but offers an opportunity to be a part of what it takes to be a church.
“The Lord’s going to call you outside of your comfort zone, and the best thing that you can do is obey and listen to what He’s called you to do,” she said.
“It’s all hands on deck. A lot of work to do, and it’s all great work,” said Wagner. “It’s really rewarding.”
Thorton emphasized the value of a partnership with North Carolina Baptists’ SendNC. SendNC is “not only behind us from a fiscal support and a ministry help support, but a vision support – that we understand that NC Baptists want to be about church planting,” he said.
Williams challenged N.C. Baptists that to support a church or be a sender, “you just need to get started. You need to get started right now.”
This September, support SendNC’s vision to plant churches everywhere, for everyone. Give through your local church or online at ncmissionsoffering.org/give.
For more resources and to find ways to pray for church planters, visit ncmissionsoffering.org.
