NEWS & PRESS RELEASES
Project Jerusalem Announces New Site
Project Jerusalem, the church planting and training ministry of Baptist Bible Seminary, has just announced the location for its sixth church plant. Ken Davis, Project Jerusalem Director, explains, “After months of research, investigation and earnest prayer we believe the Lord is directing us to launch our next work in the Delaware River Gap corridor just northeast of East Stroudsburg. We hope to target two fast growing townships which have insufficient gospel witness: Middle Smithfield and Lehman Townships.”
These two townships in southern Monroe and Pike counties have seen impressive population growth over the last 15 years, and more is predicted. With lots of new arrivals from New York City and New Jersey, the population has more than doubled since 1990. In fact, a recent U.S. Census report has called the East Stroudsburg area the nation’s third fastest growing “micropolitan statistical area” with an increase of 11.4 percent from 2000 to 2003. It is a great area for Great Commission application.
Project Jerusalem leaders are now focusing on two vital issues: identifying area partnering churches to help sponsor this new work and recruiting a launch team of committed seminarians. Ken Davis states, “We need the prayer of God’s people that our Sovereign God would bring these two pieces of the puzzle together over the next month so that we can begin community surveying and onsite ministry this summer and fall.”
Because of the increasing ethnic diversity in the Pocono region, seminary leaders are excited that this will be another multi-cultural church plant—similar to Project Jerusalem’s plant in northern Monroe County. Living Hope Baptist, now two years old and averaging 120 in attendance, has indicated a desire to be one of the co-sponsors of this newest work.
Earlier this year, donors from around the country gave over $16,000 so that Project Jerusalem could receive a matching gift from a friend of the ministry. These funds will be used toward start-up costs for the church plant. Dr. Howard Bixby, seminary dean and Project Jerusalem founder explains, “Project Jerusalem is a ‘by faith’ ministry of training church planters by planting churches. The seminary student teams who plant and lead these new churches are then able to be more effective missionaries, pastors and church planters when they graduate. Project Jerusalem depends on churches for its prayer and financial support.”
Friends of BBC&S are asked to let Project Jerusalem know of contacts they may know in this target area and to pray for God’s rich blessing. Ken Davis is also available to speak at church missions conferences to share this church planting vision.
Posted on: 5/30/2006 11:57:35 AM
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