Think you have to be part of a mega church to do “mega” things for God? Think again! Through a successful joint venture, FEC’s Tri-State Co-op has developed a simple-yet-effective formula for launching churches—together. Working in conjunction with the FEC resource center, six churches in Indiana and Ohio have come together for the specific purpose of planting churches in southern tier of Michigan and northwest Ohio. Following a basic plan, each church has committed to contributing 1% of the church budget, as well as providing personnel, training, and resources, for each church plant. In addition, single churches within the co-op take the lead role for each plant, with the “lead” church contributing another 1% of its budget, along with ongoing guidance, leadership, and support.

In the past year alone, the group has launched four planting initiatives in the target region, including:

  • Wave Community, Deshler, Ohio – With Alex Ruhter as the lead planter, Wave Community is off to a great start, having held public services since the spring of 2015. They gather for worship in the local school’s gymnasium and host multiple discipleship groups.
  • The Remedy, Reading, Michigan – Public services, led by Jared Bignell, started in September and are already drawing a crowd, with plenty of young families. Attendance at The Remedy is 150 per Sunday and counting!
  • Adrian, Michigan – Nate Hamblin and Caleb Barrows are taking the lead in Adrian, each targeting different parts of the city. They hope to launch multiple community/neighborhood groups in January 2016.
  • Waldron, MichiganSolid Rock Church in West Unity, Ohio is leading the charge on this one, with quarterly Saturday night services hosted by a West Unity worship team and pastor. They are trusting God to provide a planter to lead the initiative as they ramp up the frequency of these services.

With the goal of planting churches that will plant churches, the Tri-State Co-op is on track to make a big difference in their targeting region very quickly! To learn more about the Tri-State Co-op, visit the FEC website at fecministries.org.