It’s Official!

In Church, Georgetown by Andy Comer

It’s hard to believe that exactly one year ago on Memorial Day, Erin and I made our first trip to Georgetown, TX.  We didn’t know a single person until we met a friendly couple who invited us into their home for coffee (let’s call them Jerry and Karen…because that’s their name:).  We stayed about two hours sharing with them about the opportunity we had to plant a church there. Jerry and Karen are believers, and they told us all they knew about Georgetown. They also prayed for us. Jerry asked me a question that I’ll never forget: “Why do you want to plant a church in Georgetown?”  At first I thought he was going to discourage me from coming there, but in reality, he was just checking my motives for planting a church.

Today, one year later, we still have to answer that question: Why do we want to plant a church in Georgetown, TX?  Our answer today is the same as it was then, “To share the gospel, to make disciples, to advance His Kingdom.” Over the last year, I believe we’ve named the church plant at least 20 different names.  In fact, one time we joked about just calling it “R Church.”  That way we could just tell people, “I’d like to invite you to R church!”

After narrowing it down to 3 names, Restoration Church, Serve City Church, and Antioch Georgetown, we surveyed the people of Georgetown just to see which name resonated more with the locals.  To be honest, I was thinking one name would “out perform” the others.  However, they all received an equal share of votes.

Finally, we turned it over to God, and there was one name that we had a total peace about…

We have decided to name the church Antioch Georgetown for several reasons…

  1. It’s Biblical – Acts 11:26 records, “…and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
  2. It’s Historical – One thing that is evident of Georgetown is they take pride in their historical heritage.  They work hard to protect the old western charm of the city.
  3. It’s Timeless – Instead of picking a name that may go out of “style” in a few years, we decided on something that has stood the test of time.
  4. It’s Community Focused – We want to be a church that is FOR our city.  We wanted a name that would identify with the area.  What better way than to put the city name in the church name!
  5. It’s Transferable – We don’t believe God is calling us to plant a church in Georgetown.  We believe God is opening up the door to plant many churches.  I can see one day the possibility of an Antioch Round Rock or an Antioch Austin.
  6. It’s Honoring our Mother Church – We are very thankful to Antioch Baptist Church in Conway, AR for their commitment to multiply.  Our desire is that Antioch in Conway and Antioch Georgetown will have a long term bond for many generations.

AG_Logo_LOGO