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BOSTON—“We have consistently seen churches benefit as their people encounter a different part of the culture where there is a tremendous need for the gospel,” said Curtis Cook, pastor of Hope Fellowship Church in Cambridge, Mass. “Engagement in a city like Boston can also help enlarge the heart of a church for church planting locally as well as globally.”
Engagement is at the heart of reaching large, unreached cities with the gospel and is the focus of the “Send North America” strategy of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board. “The Send North America Strategy is to penetrate lostness in cities like Boston by mobilizing church planters to lead many new church plants and to mobilize church partners from around the country to support these church plants through ongoing partnerships,” Cook said.
SBTC has such a partnership with church plants in the Boston area. Cook’s congregation, Hope Fellowship Church, began 10 years ago as a partnership with Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. “They partnered through sending mission teams several times a year, sharing expertise and resources, and through financial support.”
“We have consistently seen churches benefit as their people encounter a different part of the culture where there is a tremendous need for the gospel.”
—Curtis Cook, pastor of Hope Fellowship Church in Cambridge, Mass.
While Hope Fellowship Church is now self-sufficient, there are several new church plants that could benefit from partnering with an SBTC church. “There are a few church plants that are in process that would be blessed by additional partners,” said Cook, noting TrueVine Church in Revere, Mass., Wellspring Church in Stoneham, Mass., and Redemption Fellowship in Fall River, Mass., as examples.
“There are numerous other plants that are Brazilian, Korean, Chinese, Nepalese, Indian and Hispanic that we would love to connect in partnership with SBTC churches,” Cook said.
Churches can be involved with church plants in many ways, Cook added.
“SBTC churches can be a huge blessing to church plants in Boston,” he said. “They can partner by praying intentionally and specifically for a plant as well as participating by sending mission teams to serve with the plant and also by providing financial support. Some churches in the SBTC may also be able to raise up and send out a church planter to come and serve in Boston.”
But the blessings aren’t just one way. SBTC churches can also experience unique blessings themselves by partnering with a church plant. “Church members grow in their engagement in mission as they learn and pray for church plants,” Cook said. “Also, the church can benefit from their experience on a mission trip that can cause people to have new eyes for their own city when they return.”
Getting involved in the ministry in Boston takes a few simple steps. “We can help SBTC churches connect in several ways,” Cook said.
Interested churches can begin exploring details about Boston at namb.net/boston/ or by contacting Cook at ccook@namb.net. “I can talk with them about their church and various specific church plants that they could connect with,” he added.
Churches are also invited to bring leaders to a “Catch the Vision Tour” scheduled for Sept. 17-18. “Over two days we introduce church leaders to several church planters to help make those connections,” Cook said.
For more information about Boston partnerships, contact Curtis Cook at ccook@namb.net or Barry Calhoun, SBTC Missional Ministries team leader, at bcalhoun@sbtexas.com.
