After years of God's work in my life and heart for ministry and His Church, the Lord has led me and Vanessa to plant a church in Raleigh, NC! I grew up here. I love the city. I love the people and have a deep concern for their eternal, and therefore present, well being. Vanessa went to college here and during and since our time at NC State, God has sharpened our passion for the church and missions.
I remember driving on Avent Ferry (near NC State), when I was a Junior or Senior, dreaming of a church that communicated well the gospel, not only through preaching and music at church services, but significantly in the community through an equipped people who were eager to pray and give their lives for the glory of God through knowledge and life from Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
In October of 2007, I began the "placement" search that occurs toward the end of seminary. After months of conversations and prayerful waiting for God's specific leading, I got a phone call from a humble servant of the Lord named David Jones, a church planter, from Chicago, IL. Church planting? Hummm.... We had thought about it, but it seemed to us that God had equipped us to be established church planters. I was skeptical and was honest with him. Then he told me about their heart and method of church planting. And over the course of a month of phone conversations, subsequent interviews, a weekend trip to Chicago for more interviews, and a difficult decision between this and another offer, the Lord confirmed He wants us to be church planters with Harvest Bible Chapel! We share a heart's delight for Raleigh, NC and we're going to plant a church here! How humbling, exciting, and scary! This ain't for the faint of heart.
I remember driving on Avent Ferry (near NC State), when I was a Junior or Senior, dreaming of a church that communicated well the gospel, not only through preaching and music at church services, but significantly in the community through an equipped people who were eager to pray and give their lives for the glory of God through knowledge and life from Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
In October of 2007, I began the "placement" search that occurs toward the end of seminary. After months of conversations and prayerful waiting for God's specific leading, I got a phone call from a humble servant of the Lord named David Jones, a church planter, from Chicago, IL. Church planting? Hummm.... We had thought about it, but it seemed to us that God had equipped us to be established church planters. I was skeptical and was honest with him. Then he told me about their heart and method of church planting. And over the course of a month of phone conversations, subsequent interviews, a weekend trip to Chicago for more interviews, and a difficult decision between this and another offer, the Lord confirmed He wants us to be church planters with Harvest Bible Chapel! We share a heart's delight for Raleigh, NC and we're going to plant a church here! How humbling, exciting, and scary! This ain't for the faint of heart.
He is already working as I've noticed an excitement and humble earnestness from those with whom I've talked about the Raleigh church plant. We're building our core team who will help us launch the church and be the first members of this new work in the city. On this website, you can find plenty of information that will be updated as time passes. Spend time reading and praying about this opportunity and let me know of your questions and interest and we'll have a fun and honest vision-casting conversation!
Also, thank you to David McWilliams (my brother-in-law and great, great friend) who quickly designed this website and is already serving!
For Him,
mike willis