Church-planting is a God-ordained strategy for fulfilling the command to ‘Go and make disciples.’ -Steve Timmis
Global Church Planting
One of the most amazing things about becoming a follower of Jesus is the realization that nothing is the same as it was before. You don’t view yourself, your family, your neighborhood, your workplace, this nation, the world the same—all now are filled with opportunity and possibility to bring fame to Jesus by what you think, say and do.
We at Aletheia believe the same is true in how we view the world. The evening news or morning newspaper should never be the same again. As we hear or read about what is happening in the Middle East, the Sudan, or South America, we understand that God is at work to fulfill His global purposes!
And even more, we are not just passive spectators but privileged participants in seeing God bring about His promises to bless the nations through people passionate about the global fame of Christ.
Aletheia is a biblical community committed to sending and supplying both people and resources to further God’s global directive to impact the nations with the message of Jesus.
We are currently connected with church planting teams on the ground in East Asia, India, and Brazil. We take short term trips several times a year to support our teams in the cause of global church planting.
Local Church Planting: Matthew’s Table
By God’s love and grace, he has sent us to the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, VA. This community has seen the sparking of the American Revolution and the liberation of black slaves. Despite the wonderful acts liberation that have taken place here, there is still great oppression.
The face of this oppression is a staggering slavery to sin. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. (Jn 8:34).” When we think about Richmond, we long for those who are lost, blind, and enslaved in sin to be freed and to worship the risen Lord Jesus.
We believe the only hope for this city and its people is the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. Our desire and prayer before God is that through the gospel a community of life and love–a church–would spring up in the midst of darkness.
In the Spring of 2010 Ricky Love and his wife Audrey committed to planting Matthew’s Table in one of the toughest areas of Richmond–Fairfield Court.
In Mark 2:15, the apostle tells the story that “as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.”
This table was a place where the most sinful and hardest people could experience Jesus. It was also where the self righteous religious folk were welcome, but they too were confronted with the majesty of Christ.
Our vision is to be that place, not a location, but a people who take the gospel and plant it among the poor, homeless, drug addicted, violent, and religious. We want to have this accusation against us as a church, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:16)?”We want to be a church that has the heart beat of Jesus and follows his leadership into the streets and projects of the city.
Check out the video below and see what Matthew’s Table is all about. For more information click HERE.
Matthew’s Table from Sterling Toppings on Vimeo.
