by Elder Mike Chon

Many of you know that the vision of our church is to plant churches based on Acts 1:8. We took our first step in fulfilling this by planting a church up in San Jose about two years ago. Now we are in the beginning stages of planting another church up in the East Bay area south of Oakland. Hopefully we will be able to continue this vision of church planting as we plant one church after another. Of course none of this is possible without God. We are amazed at how gracious God has been to use inadequate people like ourselves to further His kingdom on this earth as He works in and through us. Therefore we are humbled by the fact that we are beginning to see this vision of church planting come to fruition with each new church being planted.

We also needed the help of our church members to not only support but actually go and be part of the initial church plant. It was amazing to have over twenty of our members commit themselves to move and be part of the church plant in San Jose. We have been tremendously blessed to see how God is using the church in San Jose to be a beacon of God’s truth and love. As we look to the future with the beginning of the church plant in East Bay and future church plants to come, I want to encourage us to continue to not only support church planting but to consider going and being part of this vision. We cannot assume that God only wants us in San Diego and that somehow this is the only place that we can live. Even though San Diego is America’s finest city, we must not look at our earthly lives as an opportunity to just grow old together, but instead use every opportunity for the gospel of Christ and that may mean that you would consider moving to another part of the country (or the world!) for that to be accomplished. I’m sure the early Christians would have liked to live near the Mediterranean Sea and soak in the sun but they understood the call to be ambassadors for Christ and to proclaim Christ and Him crucified to the rest of the world. I know some of us have dreams of staying in San Diego for the rest of our lives but the question you have to ask yourself is why.

• Why do you think you are at a church that teaches God’s Word so that you can grow in knowledge and wisdom?
• Why do you think you are at a church that seeks to love God and one another?
• Why do you think you are at a church that makes disciples of Christ?
• Why do you think you are at a church that desires to plant other churches?

Could it be that you are at this church to learn and grow so that you can take part in a future church plant? I hope and pray that you would consider going with a future church plant to be able to impart all that you have learned here to the next generation there.

At the same time, I understand that we do have valid reasons to stay. I don’t want to disregard those reasons but every time that an opportunity comes to plant another church, I would hope that each one of us would prayerfully consider going. Please don’t disregard these opportunities and think that it is for someone else in the church to consider. Please don’t use the reason that the church here in San Diego needs you to stay. Let me remind you that no one is actually asking you to stay. If anything we need people to go. Please don’t misunderstand me, I do miss those that have left but at the same time I know that there is a greater purpose for them to leave than to stay. As our churches in San Diego and San Jose are now seeing the start of the church in East Bay, I hope that we never grow tired of seeing another church planted because it is the work of God that we get the privilege to see and experience. It is exciting to see what God will do next in our ministry and in the life of our church. I would hope that as a church we never get used to where we are or what we are doing, but instead we would grow in our excitement for what God will do next in our midst. Please be prayerful now in considering how you will partake in the vision of our church and fulfill the mission and passion along the way.