Why Church Planting?
First, maybe we should answer, “what is a church plant?” Simply put, it is a church that is birthed by another church. Oftentimes, this is when one church sends a group of people to begin a new work in a different geographical area.
Someone once wisely said, "The health of a church is not in its seating capacity, but in its sending capacity." Most Christians in America have a perspective of a successful church based primarily on its ability to facilitate church growth. However, size rarely equates to health, though there are exceptions. Rather, the biblical picture of success and health is shown in a church that reproduces itself through the multiplication of followers, groups, and churches (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 14:19-23). Because of the multiplying nature of the gospel, the mark of a healthy church will be its ability to multiply.
At MVCC, we believe one of the greatest ways to make Christ known is to be very purposeful about the planting and multiplying of healthy, reproducing churches all over the world to the glory of God. This is the biblical blueprint established in the scriptures to fulfill the Great Commission. We want to see the church of Christ grow throughout the world. The only way that the church of Christ is ultimately growing is not when people are transferring from church to church, but when lives are transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of the Beloved Son. We believe that church planting is one of the best ways to see this happen! This is why we prioritize and sacrifice much to plant churches. We love to connect with those looking to plant a church and provide various church planting resources through tools, conferences, support and as part of a church planting network - Crossway Network.
How Can You Be Part of Church Planting at MVCC?
Church Planting History
Mountain View Community Church has had the privilege of birthing several churches through church planting since our inception in 1993. Before we turned a year old, we actually planted our first church in Loveland, CO. It is safe to say that church planting has been in our DNA since the beginning, and now, through the Crossway Network, we are fortunate to be part of a church planting network that spans the globe.
Below, you can see a timeline of the various church plants we have sent from Mountain View.
In 1994, we sent a team of people to Loveland, CO, to plant Heartland Community Church.
In 2001, we unleashed three of our small groups to join together and begin Windsor Community Church.
Shortly thereafter, we partnered to help launch Southside Community Church in Johnson City, TN.
In the summer of 2005, we sent pastor Tom Harcus and his family (who planted MVCC) to Wilmington, NC to start Crossway Chapel of Wilmington with a vision to start a new region of like-minded churches on the east coast.
In 2009, a team of people was sent to Ault, Colorado to start High Plains Harvest to be a regional church that impacts many small communities in the high plains of Colorado.
In 2010, MVCC partnered with other Crossway Network churches on the front range to send Eric Loyer to plant the Redeemer Fellowship on the Jersey shore in New Jersey which has birthed a new region of Crossway Network churches.
MVCC has also had the opportunity to partner with indigenous leaders in Czech Republic and Nepal to see church planting movements start in those countries.
In 2015, MVCC sent a church planting team to Loveland, CO to plant Redemption Church.
In 2017, MVCC joined with other Crossway Network Churches to help support a church plant in Puerto Escondido, Mexico called Camino De La Cruz. We have had the privilege of sending multiple teams to Mexico to support the work there.
In 2018, we partnered with a like-minded church in Vlorë, Albania called Kisha Ungjillore e Vëllezërve Vlorë to help support the work they are doing in Albania. MVCC was able to send a missionary family with a heart for Albania to move full time to join the church and to send our first missions team to Albania to support youth camps put on by the church.
In 2018, the pastors felt the Lord’s leading to set a “faith goal” of sending 10 church plant teams to new communities in the next 10 years.
In 2019, MVCC sent one of it’s pastors to Bozeman, MT to begin working towards seeing several church plants in the region in coming years. In 2020, they began gathering as a church.
In the fall of 2020 a team from the northern Colorado Crossway Network churches was sent to plant a church in Sheridan, WY.
Skyline Church was sent from Mountain View in May of 2023 to reach people in the heart of Denver, Colorado.
In 2025, Crossway San Diego will begin services in one of the highest unreached areas in the United States.
We thank God for what He has done, but believe by His grace, this is just a beginning and pray the Lord would allow us to help facilitate a church planting movement along the front range of Colorado, throughout the US by establishing regional networks of churches, and across the world for the glory of God.
Potential Church Plants
One of our 10 year Faith Goals is that by 2028 we would send 10 church planting teams into new communities. Please join us in praying for these potential church planting communities listed below.
- Albuquerque, New Mexico - UNM
- Boise, Idaho - BSU
- Grand Junction, Colorado - CMU
- Laramie, Wyoming - UW
- Logan, Utah - USU
- Salt Lake City, Utah - UU
- Spearfish, South Dakota - BHSU
- Timnath, Colorado
- Wellington, Colorado
Church Planting Network - Crossway Network
As churches have been planted, and these churches have planted other churches, we have stayed connected to each other as a church planting network. We share church planting resources and provide encouragement and equipping forums for the pastors and church leaders. Each of these churches, while distinct in many ways, share the same gospel focus and common values. In order to foster the values and benefits of working together, the network was given a name - Crossway Network. To find out the latest information on what is happening on the Crossway Network, visit our Crossway Network page and visit the network website at www.crosswaynetwork.org.