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Georgia Church Plant: The Sojourn Woodstock Chronicles, part two
Trent Chambers & wife Emily
Sojourn Network exists to equip and empower church planters to plant churches across the United States and beyond. Over the next several weeks, church planter Trent Chambers will share with us what God is doing in Woodstock, GA, the home of upcoming church plant Sojourn Woodstock.
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Emily and I spent six weeks trying to discern the city that God was calling us to. We burned gas, Googled cities and drank a lot of coffee. I never prayed for a neon sign. I did, however, wonder what it would be like to be spat out by a large fish in the middle of the town square.
God blessed us in choosing and confirming Woodstock. Soon after arriving in the city, the Lord dropped us into hours of divine appointments with churches, government representatives and a host of unbelievers. In every conversation God’s vision was affirmed and enthusiastically received.
The city has seen a lot of change. In 2010, the Georgia Baptist Convention published research indentifying 470,000 people living within ten miles of downtown Woodstock. The growth of the city was a surprise- but not as shocking as the church’s decline. 15% of Georgia’s population attends church on a given Sunday (compared to 23% in 2000). Out of the 470,000 residing within a 10-mile radius of downtown Woodstock, an estimated 400,000 will not darken the door of a church.
As thousands reject or simply neglect the church, multitudes are flocking to the area and embracing downtown. Woodstock has reignited a love for the town square. Young families and singles are drawn to its vision for a diverse and vibrant city center. Although I can’t imagine what it would look like to see a big fish regurgitate a man on Main Street, I know that such a sight is nothing compared to what we will behold when the gospel of Christ redeems the city’s vision for culture, diversity, and life.
No union is so tight, no celebration so lively as that which the gospel produces. Oh, great God, may your people live such great lives that the city longs for the redemption and reconciliation of the good news of Christ (1Pet2:12). May you be glorified and the victory of Christ magnified in the town square.
About Trent Chambers
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