In 2015, Antioch Georgetown was an idea planted in the heart of a pastor. At that moment, there were no people, no facility, no equipment, and no timeline. There was only a vision to send a group of people from one church to start another church.  

I remember the conversation I had with Pastor Jason while sitting in his office. He asked, “How many would you want to go with you?”

Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it. Should I say three? Would there be three people willing to uproot their lives to move to a different state to start a church? Maybe I should answer 100! That would show extravagant faith, not putting God in a box.  Anything is possible right?  

My actual response was, “I’m praying for twenty people who will go with us to plant a church.”  

He didn’t bat an eye as he replied, “Then I’ll be praying with you for those twenty individuals.”  

It was out of that initial conversation that God began to do a work to raise up a group of people who would eventually become the Launch Team for Antioch Georgetown. I want to celebrate those people, but first I want to celebrate our sending church!  

It takes a pastor and a church who are Kingdom-minded, gospel-focused, and mission-oriented to send out a team of people to start another church. It wasn’t easy. But if the Church truly wants to see the gospel advance in our culture we have to change the question from “How many can we get here?” to “How many can we send out?”  

It takes a pastor and a church who are Kingdom-minded, gospel-focused, and mission-oriented to send out a team of people to start another church. Click To Tweet

On May 28, 2017 Antioch Conway sent them!  

Young singles, families, and empty nesters joined together in one purpose – to lead people to follow Christ in a life-changing way. Twenty-six adults and their twelve kids answered God’s call to go.  

We asked for a two year committment. We asked people to give up two years of their lives to be part of serving our community, showing the love of Jesus, and sharing the gospel message.  

Here’s the kicker…  

They’re still here! 

The past two years haven’t been easy. The road has been tough. The journey has been filled with ups and downs; wins and losses; laughter and sorrow. But please understand this: the journey has been worth it!  

I want to publicly say a few things to the Launch Team, but not just our Launch Team, but anyone who may be thinking about taking a great leap of faith to follow God’s plan for your life.  

1. The impact you’ve made far exceeds the work you’ve done. 

There’s a concept in farming called the Principle of the Harvest. Jesus actually refers to it in one of His teachings. The principle is simple—you reap more than you sow.  

If you plant a single corn seed, you can reap a bushel of corn. In other words, the impact you’ve made far exceeds the work you’ve done.  

Jesus spoke of sharing the gospel as sowing seeds. He said, “Some seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:8)  

You may not see the full impact you’ve made. In reality, you will never see the full impact of the work you’ve done, because that impact will continue long after you are gone. Dozens have professed their new faith in Christ, many who have given up on the church have found a place to call home, and countless lives are growing in their walk with Christ.   

2. The rewards you’ll receive far outweigh the challenges you’ve faced.   

The Principal of the Blessing is another spiritual reality we find in God’s Word. It’s the truth that in the end, the rewards will far outweigh the challenges.

An athlete will endure a tough workout because he knows the future benefit outweighs the present pain. A couple will sacrifice buying a new car because they understand the benefit of living debt free. A college student will say no to the late night party because she knows the reward of studying for the exam.  

There are very real spiritual implications when we “give up” things for the sake of Christ. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29) 

There are very real spiritual implications when we “give up” things for the sake of Christ. Click To Tweet

All of you left something behind to follow God’s will for your life. You left family, friends, jobs, and homes. Take comfort knowing that has not been overlooked. God has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”  (Ephesians 1:3b) 

3. The mission you’re on is greater than the tasks you’ve completed. 

Countless tasks and projects have been completed the past few years. We have come so far in such a short amount of time, and I praise God for that!  

But the mission continues. The mission to lead people to follow Christ is something we will never cross off our to-do list. God’s mission is bigger than that. It is bigger than us. It is bigger than Antioch Georgetown.  What God is doing in our city is far greater than what we are doing. I’m just thankful He has allowed us to be part of His redeeming work in people’s lives.  

Remember Who it is we represent. We represent King Jesus! What a privilege it is to serve Him together, and one day, as you continue to pursue Him, I believe you will hear the phrase, “Well done!”  

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6