Among our 7 Shared Values is the value of “ Church Planting, Outreach and Global Mission.” It states: “Our gospel-centrality entails no only treasuring the gospel personally but sharing it passionately. The risen Christ commissioned His church to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). We believe that commission falls to us and to all believers and that it is fulfilled in a primary way through church planting, whereby the gospel is proclaimed and converts are formed into communities of disciples (Acts 2:21-47; 14:23).” It’s woven into our DNA—we are always thinking about church planting because we are committed to this glorious shared mission.

In the fall of 2018, one of our local churches, Covenant Fellowship Church, planted a church about 45 min away in Newark, DE. Redeemer Fellowship started with 27 adults and has since grown. Our newest mission video tells the story of Colby who was born again because Redeemer Fellowship was faithful to warmly welcome him, and share the gospel with him. When you watch, be reminded that while this is the work of Christ alone, he used the care and labors of gospel loving people to passionately proclaim the name of Christ. I hope your heart will be stirred towards gospel mission!

We are grateful for every opportunity to reach the lost. May we all be reminded that our world needs to hear the hope of the gospel. May we be reminded that we are surrounded by Colby’s who are impacted by simple greetings and the care of patient listening. And may we be reminded that Christ has always at work around us, in us and through us. What a glorious Savior! What a glorious mission!

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

Sovereign Grace exists to advance the gospel by planting and strengthening churches throughout the world for the glory of God. For that reason, I’m excited to share with you one of our newest church plants, Sovereign Grace Church in Santa Ana, CA. Planted out of Sovereign Grace Church in Orange, CA, this small church plant is marked by a sacrificial servanthood that is committed to helping the lost in their neighborhood hear about Jesus. They are living out the Great Commission (Matt. 28) in a very real way as they seek to serve and care for their community.

This video is introduced by our recently appointed Director of Church Planting, Eric Turbedsky (Senior Pastor, Sovereign Grace Church of Orange). I am so grateful for Eric’s heart for his local community, as well as seeing church’s planted in his surrounding area, throughout the United States and in other nations. He and Kyle Houlton (Senior Pastor, Sovereign Grace Church of Santa Ana) are living out gospel partnership together and I’m excited to see how God uses them in Southern California.

Please take a few minutes to watch this video. And consider financially supporting Sovereign Grace. Opportunities like planting Kyle’s church requires money and resources. We are grateful for your consideration of partnering in our mission to advance the gospel through church planting. If you are interested in giving, you can find more information here.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

Late last year, Cornerstone Church in Knoxville planted a church in Athens, TN. They sent a team of folks from their congregation, along with one of their elders, Walt Alexander, and his family. Trinity Grace Church has sought to reach out to the community, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the lost. We wanted you to see a bit about what God has been doing in that corner of the world, so we produced this short mission video to give you a snapshot. As you watch it, please join us in thanking God for his grace in the mission we’ve embarked on together and how he has allowed us to participate in his plans to save folks in Athens.

We say it often, but we’re serious about it: in Sovereign Grace, a large focus of our mission is to plant churches for the glory of God. We believe that this is one of the significant ways God instructs us to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20). We don’t take God’s blessings on these efforts for granted but are so thankful to be able to see how he has allowed Walt and his church to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. May he provide many more opportunities!

We often find ourselves in a place where our gospel opportunities outrun our financial resources. Please consider financially supporting our church planting efforts by giving to Sovereign Grace Churches. You can find out more about how to do that here.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

Sovereign Grace is a family of churches who partner together to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ by planting and strengthening churches throughout the world for the glory of God. As we advance the gospel together, we see it’s reconciling power as sinners are reconciled first to God. But we also see the reconciling power of the gospel as people from different races and ethnicities being reconciled to one another in Christ. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, the dividing wall of hostility is broken down, and people from different ethnicities are made one in Christ (Ephesians 2:14-16).

I want you to see the Sovereign Grace 1st Quarter 2019 Mission Video because it captures the reconciling power of the gospel at Risen Hope Church (Drexel Hill, PA). Risen Hope was planted in 2016 in an area just outside of Philadelphia that is ethnically diverse. It is there that God has been drawing people from over 25 different ethnic groups and uniting them as one in Christ. Yes, there are differences. Those differences are providing a context for conversations, helping one another to see each other and see Christ. Through patience and gospel love, those differences are being used to strengthen the unity that the people of Risen Hope have in Christ.

As you watch this video, my prayer is that your faith in Christ and His reconciling power only deepens your devotion to advance the gospel in your community. Consider supporting our shared mission not only through prayer but also by giving to our shared mission. For more on how you can give, and what your money supports, please visit our give page.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

There’s rarely a day that goes by where I don’t thank God for you and the gospel partnership we have in Sovereign Grace. Our shared mission to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ by planting and strengthening local churches throughout the world is a highlight in my daily work. And I love to share with you ways that our partnership is bringing more glory to God. In this end of the year mission video, two of our younger Senior Pastors discuss the impact that other Sovereign Grace Churches have had on them and their local church. What I want you to see and hear is how God allows us to support and strengthen one another through community and care even when we’re geographically far apart. These evidences of grace make our partnership all the more effective and enjoyable—a gift from God that is underserved.

Please watch this mission video and join me in expressing gratitude to God for one another and the partnership we enjoy. And consider financially supporting Sovereign Grace as our ministry opportunities are often many more than our funds allow. For more on how you can give and what your money supports, please visit our give page.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.