By Jason Aultman

If you went to the streets of any town and asked folks to tell you about Antioch, many would respond, “What’s an Antioch?” Maybe for those who would read a publication about missions we would be aware that the name is found in the Bible. But for many, it would be an unfamiliar name.  

I pastor a church called “Antioch.” This Antioch, located in Conway, Arkansas, was organized in 1925. That was before my time, so I can’t say I got this information from the organizing members, but when that small group of folks considered what they would call their new church, I wonder if someone found their way to Acts 11 or Acts 13. Acts 11:26 says, “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Scholars suggest that was not a term of endearment but of ridicule. But what likely began as mockery became an identification of honor. Christian . . . Christ-one . . . one belonging to Christ! There undoubtedly were certain characteristics, behaviors, and beliefs that clearly marked those who belonged to Christ.  Shouldn’t it be the same today?

“What does that have to do with church planting?” you might ask. I believe it’s foundational to it. It doesn’t matter if your church is called Antioch Baptist, Timbuktu Baptist, or any other name that might be on the sign and website. If a church is being what a church is called to be, it should show evidence of those belonging to Christ. It should imprint Christ-like fingerprints on the community around it.  

I wonder if anyone else would admit that when thinking about “missions” it’s often easier to think in terms of “out there” rather than “right here.” Maybe it’s easier to toss some money to people and delegate them to go be our missionaries than it is to look at the community around us and strive to reach that field too. I was asked to share about churches planting churches. So why am I talking about reaching our own community? Quite simply because if my heart doesn’t burn with a desire to reach my community, it’s unlikely that it will burn with a fire hot enough to do what it will take to be part of reaching another community. Are we making a difference in our community that would be missed if our church ceased to exist tomorrow? If not, perhaps we should reexamine our mission.

That church at Antioch . . . in Acts 13 we’re told that they sent out a missionary team – couple of guys named Saul (a.k.a. Paul) and Barnabas. (You can read the rest of Acts to see the ripple effect of that decision!) I want to be a part of something like that. A church making an impact on the field where God has placed us and as an overflow of that, seeking to reach others beyond our own geographic bounds.  

That was some of the heart behind our planting a church in Georgetown, Texas – “Antioch Georgetown.” Georgetown is an area not dramatically different from Conway, so we felt this would offer some common ground. It is positioned in an area that is one of the fastest growing in the nation, just outside of Austin, so, strategically, it felt like a sky-is-the-limit field. As we searched it out, God continued to give green lights, and wheels were put in motion toward the planting of a church.

A key piece of the puzzle in our story was the selection of a pastor to lead the plant effort. We determined that a potential pastor would be asked to join our staff for an extended time (up to two years). This would allow the potential pastor to feel the heartbeat of the sending church as well as for us to observe his heart and skills. So the prospective pastor was identified, and Andy Comer joined our staff team. This time served to confirm things such as calling, passion, work ethic, and vision. It also served to deepen the church’s commitment and support of the planting effort.  

It was determined from the outset that we would seek to plant with a team of people. We felt that there was merit (and biblical precedent!) to the adage “We is better than me,” so we established a goal of having a core team that would commit to be part of the launch effort. The time Andy spent on our staff provided the perfect opportunity to invite others to consider being part of the launch team, and as that team came into focus, to spend time in training and preparation. When all was said and done, a team of over thirty people (twenty adults plus children) formed the core of what would become Antioch Georgetown.  

What a blessing it was to see a sending church standing in the gap with its church plant, doing anything possible to help it launch well. We provided prayer and financial support and sent teams to help canvas neighborhoods and staff launch services, for example.  

What a blessing to see a church planting team accept the charge and go into a new community with a holy passion to reach people.  

What a blessing to see God take those efforts and do things that give us no choice but to step back and say – Wow! God did (and is doing) that!“So what now?” some have asked. And the answer is this: Let’s do it again. I hope that I . . . I hope that you . . . I hope that WE will dare to pray, ask, seek, dream, send and see what God will dare to do if we answer the call to be a church on a mission to reach the community where he has placed us and plant churches where he leads us.