This week I'm heading off to meet someone who is hoping to plant a church in a city in Yorkshire. To talk with, pray with and partner with someone whose gospel convictions and concern for the lost have led him and his family to move where they feel God has called them to plant a church.
It is a reminder that Gospel Partnership matters. In our day of skepticism about religion but openness to spirituality so often church divisions are an additional barrier to the gospel. The Yorkshire Gospel Partnership (www.ygp.org.uk) is a group of like minded Bible believing churches working in partnership with one another to bring the gospel to one of the most needy counties in the country.
As we read the epistles you can't help but notice partnership in the gospel is a feature of Paul's ministry. In Romans 16 Priscilla and Aquila, Urbanus, and Timothy are described as fellow-workers in Christ Jesus, in 2 Corinthians Paul encourages the church to partner with and support those churches in need financially. Paul's letter to the Colossians is written to a church planted by Epaphras but partnership in the gospel sees Paul writing to them.
We need gospel partnership, we need to work together, to have a kingdom focus rather than a church focus.
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