The State Convention of Baptists in Indiana recently launched a new initiative designed to connect with the churches in the state to help them take the next ministry step.
Every ministry is unique, but Restore Church is seeking to stand apart from the rest of the pack.
Restore Church is part of the North American Mission Board’s Send Network of church plants in the Indianapolis area. Although the church owns the former First Baptist of Beech Grove facility, they are not a typical congregation. Instead of the traditional Sunday morning gathering, they meet in homes in the community in “microchurches.”
These Bible study groups initially involve believers trained by Yeshua Society, a ministry begun by Send Network planter Mo Wildey that serves as the parent ministry of Restore Church.
God’s Word, prayer, training
“It’s just the way God is calling us to do church,” Wildey explained to The Baptist Paper. “We are reaching broken people who would never visit a traditional church.”
“We model our efforts around [disciple-making] elements,” Wildey added. These include focusing on God’s Word, prayer, casting vision, training believers to go to the lost and providing ongoing coaching.
Once they go through the training process, participants launch a Discovery Bible Study group in a neighborhood and invite non-believers into the group. When there are professions of faith, the group becomes known as a microchurch with the mission of worshipping, fellowshipping and reaching more people in the community for Christ.
Restore Church focused this past summer on launching Discovery Bible Study groups in the Indianapolis area.
In addition to building a microchurch web, Restore Church has created a transitional home for men coming out of alcohol and drug addictions. They converted the educational wing of the old Beech Grove church into a men’s dormitory.
Ultimate goal
While at the facility, the men go through an approximately one-year curriculum to learn about a relationship with Christ, how Jesus breaks strongholds and addictions and how to reenter society.
The ultimate goal is for the men to become followers of Jesus Christ and also become trained as part of a Discovery Bible Study group to which they can invite their friends.
Learn more about the ministry of Restore Church at www.restorechurchnetwork.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Jim Wright and originally published by the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana. This story was contributed to by Stephen R. Clark and The Baptist Paper.
