life change

Celebrating New Life at Trace Church

Trace Church [https://orchardgroup.org/projects/trace-church/] in Colorado Springs recently had the joy of celebrating 18 baptisms. Join us in rejoicing with them, and in celebrating the new life that these brothers and sisters have found in Jesus!

Finding Creative Ways to Connect in Greater Miami

In the midst of this unique season of physical distancing, church planters Terrence & Emma Mullings are pressing forward with fostering community and building momentum for the launch of a new church in Greater Miami. Here are a few snapshots of life from the past month from the Greater Miami

Meet Phineas

New churches in new places mean more opportunities for people to hear the good news that they matter to God [https://updates.orchard.group/tag/pmtg/]. Each new church provides the opportunity for more people to encounter Jesus and grow in their relationship with him. In 2019, SLO City Church

A Vision for Greater Miami

Greater Miami is filled with beautiful, diverse people. They are each known by and important to God. For years, Terrence and Emma Mullings have been praying, working, and dreaming for a new church in Greater Miami that will introduce people to Jesus and his work for them. Originally from Australia,

Meet John

We often say that we plant churches because people matter to God. God cares deeply for each individual on this planet. He created them. He loves them. He knows their stories and their struggles. He longs for them to know him. Through the work of Jesus, he makes a way

Spring Growth

One of the pictures Jesus used to describe the Kingdom of God was of a mustard seed. The Bible often uses gardening or farming illustrations to reveal the nature of the gospel, showing how God is at work in the world. God can bring life even in the most barren

Race and Immigration: A Gospel Conversation

Each year, Renewal Church in Chicago hosts a conversation centered on how the gospel impacts issues around racial identity. This year, they expanded the conversation to include how Jesus followers can think about immigration. Renewal is committed to living out the gospel in Chicago, crossing boundaries and becoming a multi-ethnic

The Lord of the Dance

A ballet school might not be an obvious ministry outreach for most church plants. But when the leaders of MISSIO DEI COMMUNITY [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/missio-dei-community/] in Salt Lake City discovered that several trained ballet dancers were a part of their church, they equipped those dancers to lead

Sunday at Miami Church

On any given Sunday at Miami Church, 15 different countries will be represented by the people who attend. Miami as a city is known for its multicultural flair, flashy style, warm weather, and increasingly, for people who say they feel isolated. Miami Church is a gathering place where many find

Meet Xochitl

A move to a new city, grief over a miscarriage, and struggles with infertility and adoption left Xochitl feeling isolated and alone. Frustrated dreams brought her to a dark place for months, where she felt discouraged and alone. She struggled to get outside. Xochitl decided that it would be good

Expanding the Impact

From Brent Storms, President and CEO As we find ourselves between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’m feeling both a deep sense of gratitude and a great anticipation of what is to come. I’m grateful for the ways God has allowed our ministry to reach tens of thousands of people

New Life at New City Church

What a great weekend at New City Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/new-city-church/] in Phoenix, AZ. 14 people were baptized yesterday!

Generosity, Fun, Life Change

What is your church known for? Trace Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/trace/] launched in the fall of 2016. The church's name comes from the desire to “leave a Trace of God’s love wherever we go.” That impression of God is making a difference in the

Where You Belong

From its beginning, Pro Deo Church [https://orchardgroup.org/projects/pro-deo-church] in Cape Town, South Africa, has emphasized that it is a church “Where You Belong.” This is intentional, as lead planters Louis and Yolandi Scheepers have noted that loneliness seems to be a prevalent part of city life. One

Restore Church Serves Refugees

In the fall of 2015, photos of Aylan Kurdi [https://www.wsj.com/articles/image-of-syrian-boy-washed-up-on-beach-hits-hard-1441282847] made the front pages of papers around the world. The lifeless body of the 3 year old boy, washed up on the beach in Turkey, became a focal point of grief and frustration over the

Christmas in Japan

> People have heard the name Jesus, but it doesn't mean anything to them...  Jesus is not a part of Japanese Christmas. Even though fewer than 1% of the population in Japan identifies as Christian, Christmas is a widely-celebrated holiday.  The day is associated with Santa Claus and

Celebrating Christ in the Chaos of the City

> "I've never heard anything like this before." > "This is what I've been looking for." > "When a friend told me about this place, I had to come see for myself." These are all verbatim statements made at a

Below the Waterline

If you visit New York City and have a day to spare, take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. The views of Manhattan and Brooklyn are spectacular. The bridge is an engineering marvel. When it was built, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Several controversies surrounded the

Why Plant Churches? Because People Matter to God.

Mike and Jodi Hickerson at Mission Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/donate/mission/] in Ventura, California have been amazed at how people's lives are changing as a result of hearing the gospel.

Summer Fun and Youth Opportunities

One of the beautiful pictures in the Gospels is of little children hovering around Jesus. Perhaps they were begging, "Just one more, Jesus! Throw the ball one more time! Tell one more story!" insistent in the way only small children can be. Of course the disciples are nearby,

A Church That Throws Great Parties

What if Christians were known for throwing great parties- no strings attached? That has become the DNA of Mission Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/mission-christian-church/]. They have gained a reputation for loving people with openness and grace. Each summer, they host several Free Friday Flicks in a local park

From 0 to 60

Kyle Costello, lead planter of Missio Dei Community [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/missio-dei-community/] in Salt Lake City, has a unique challenge and opportunity by starting a church in a city with a very young demographic. Many people are new to the city, which means that the church members have

A Diverse People, A Big Opportunity

Louis & Yolandi Scheepers, both South Africans, will lead a new church in Cape Town [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/capetown/] this year. Get a glimpse of the calling God has placed on their hearts to unite people in Jesus.  The book of Acts informs us that Jesus united people

Collective Church: A People Who Pray

Collective Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/collective/] is not "a place where" but "a people who." They are most definitely a people who pray together!  From the very beginning, the leaders of Collective built a foundation of seeking God's direction in prayer.  Recently,

Searching for Church

Through the Global Cities Initiative [http://www.orchardgroup.org/globalcities/] , Orchard Group will start churches in some of the most populated cities in the world.Why does this matter? Six years ago, Mustard Seed Christian Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/mustard-seed-christian-church/] was launched in Nagoya, Japan.  Lyndsey Eubanks is

Making Dreams Come True

Kaley Puckett had initial reservations about church planting.  Over time, she became excited about the idea.  With the support of Orchard Group, Derrick and Kaley planted Renewal Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/renewal/] in Chicago!

How and Why Cities Are Coming Back

> The truth is that we are living at a moment in which the massive outward migration that characterized the second half of the twentieth century is coming to an end. And we need to adjust our perceptions of cities, suburbs, and urban mobility as a result. -Alan Ehrenhalt The

The Foundry Church: Christmas Store

* 1300 brand new toys (look at those bicycles in the background)! * 200+ volunteer hours * 170 families served * 20 people lined up outside before the store even opened The Foundry [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/foundry-church/] had two very successful weekends of The Christmas Store [http://www.orchardgroup.org/blog-post/the-christmas-store-at-the-foundry/

Creativity in Church Planting

It started with a guy who had a giant screen and a projector. MISSION CHURCH [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/mission-christian-church/] in Ventura, CA wanted to find a way to have fun with families in their city over the summer. As they reviewed their staff, their volunteers, and all their

Good News from Ireland and Japan!

Four more baptisms at Elevate Christian Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/elevate-church/] in Limerick! ECC is rejoicing to see people putting their trust in Jesus. Mustard Seed Christian Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/479/]in Osaka recently moved to new space, which has been a blessing. Their attendance

Baptisms and New Life

What does the birth of a baby mean to the world? When that baby is Jesus, the incarnation of God on earth, that birth signifies changed lives.  Congratulations to our friends at Forefront Church in Brooklyn [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/forefront-church-2/] who were recently baptized! New life is yours

Selfies and Jesus

Have you taken a selfie lately? If you have, you’re joining the one quarter of Americans [http://ibnlive.in.com/news/selfie-stick-makes-to-the-time-magazines-list-of-25-best-inventions-of-2014/514219-11.html] who have shared a selfie in the last year.   The trend shows no signs of declining. More and more people share public versions of themselves,

Good News on a Monday Morning

* Baptisms at Everyday Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/everyday-christian-church/] * Baptisms at Discovery Christian Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/discovery-christian-church/] * Community service in Harlem at Renaissance Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/renaissance/] (pictured) * New Japanese worship songs written by believers at Mustard Seed Christian Church [http://www.orchardgroup.

New Life In Ireland

Visiting Ireland is enjoyable. Visiting Dermot and Elevate Community Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/elevate-church/] is even better! Recently, ECC celebrated a baptism, baby dedications, and the highest attendance of first-time guests to their morning service. Elevate was planted in 2012. "Praise be to the Lord, the God

Welcoming the Visitor

Mission Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/mission-christian-church/] is making a difference in lives in California! Below is excerpt of an email they received from a first time visitor: > "I just wanted to say thank you. Today was my first day at Mission Church. Before I even got

Good News for Everyone

From Nick Parsons San Francisco is associated with a lot of things. For some it is the Gold Rush, the Beat Generation and the Hippie Movement. For others it is the Golden Gate Bridge, trolley cars and rows upon rows of narrow Victorian houses. More recently San Francisco has become

Baptisms and New Faith at New City

Congratulations to New City Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/new-city-church/] and all those who were baptized on Sunday! The One who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. (more photos can be found on New City's facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/

Baptisms and New Life at Mission Church

Baptisms and New Life in Osaka

What a beautiful baptism picture from Mustard Seed Christian Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/mustard-seed-christian-church/] in Osaka, Japan. On Sunday, they celebrated their 20th baptism. Acts 16: "So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers." We're seeing this growth in

Youth Ministry on the Ground in NYC

What does a youth group in the city look like? Matt Mueller, youth pastor at Everyday Christian Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/everyday-christian-church/] in New York City shares: We are  dedicated to serving and reaching the young people of our area, students in middle and high school. We have

Baptism Sundays

THREE baptisms at Village Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/village-church/] in Buffalo, NY TWO baptisms at Legacy Christian Church [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/legacy-christian-church/] in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania TWO baptism Sundays in a row at Revolution Annapolis [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/revolution-christian-church/] Behind these numbers

Baptisms in Annapolis

Since their launch in 2010, Revolution [http://www.orchardgroup.org/church/revolution-christian-church/] has baptized 87 people! Showing people the way to Jesus... so thankful for their work in Annapolis.

Baptisms at Mission Church

Wonderful news from Mission Church in Ventura, CA. 13 people were baptized in the Pacific Ocean, committing their lives and future to Jesus!