Laborers Together
the Biblical Model
Laborers Together Ministry is a helps ministry who labors together with church planters and pastors of established churches.
Dual Ministry Expressed
Like two sides of a coin, one side is not fully valued without the other.
The Pauline pattern for missions is expressed with a dual ministry mindset: establishing churches and edifying churches (Acts 14:21-23; II Cor. 11:28). Paul planted churches while he nurtured the churches already planted.
When we focus on one aspect (planting churches) of missions or the other (edifying churches), we become tunnel visioned (Prov. 28:18). Have we accomplished this Biblical pattern if we start new churches while other churches close their doors, or vice versa?
Dual Ministry Explained
The Lord Jesus gave us this dual responsibility, to establish and edifying churches
A). Establishing Churches
We are asking God to raise up two families while on deputation; one who will feel led of the Lord to start a church in the Mass Borough's (88,928 pop.) and the other who will feel led of the Lord to start a church in Lowell Mass. (115,553 pop.). Neither of which has a gospel preaching Baptist church.
Our desire is to work along side of these church planters to for a period of time, helping them evangelizing the lost, setting things in order, acclimate to the area, establish good associations with other preachers in the state.
B). Edifying Churches
Although we cannot make the decision whether a church keeps its doors open or close them, but we can, however, come along side of them to help and encourage them before they reach a point of total discouragement.
Our desire is to spend time helping them evangelize their community with the gospel, help them work through their obstacles, encourage the preacher and the family, edify the church body.
Dual Ministry Extent
New England is a testament of dying fruit. What was once a place where churches were being planted and cities being evangelized, we now see a dearth of Baptist churches. We are not a good steward of the Lord's churches if we plant new churches while watching other churches uprooted - we need fruit that remains.
We need to plant more churches in New England, but we can accomplish much more if we plant new churches alongside of the Baptist churches already in existance, rather than replacing them.