The following story comes from Rev. Justin Thornton, our District Church Multiplication Director.

Just a heads up, this is going to be one of the most Christian and Missionary Alliance stories you have ever heard.  

 
One dreary, slow church planting day, I got a call from a counterpart in Seattle.  He told me that an Eritrean Church Plant (Eritrea is in NE Africa) in his District was discipling a group of Eritrean immigrants in Grand Rapids Michigan via Zoom. He asked if I could support these brand new believers in our District in anyway.  I asked him if the sky is blue (not really). 
 
A phone call and a few meetings later, we found ourselves in a non-denominational church in Grandville, pastored by a friend, Dennis Moles (the former Associate Pastor at Crystal Springs Alliance Church).  He was glad to receive us and host a baptism.  
 
Pastor Solomon and Pastor Fish flew all the way Grand Rapids, conducted a baptism, and were gracious enough to ask me to participate through the sharing of the Word. They brought all of their culture, food, gifts and famous coffee ceremony along with them. We worshipped, we celebrated new life in Jesus, and I drove home full of foods I had never laid eyes on before.  

I love the Alliance.  There aren’t many places or roles I would get that phone call.  I love Jesus. Only His Kingdom is this big, this diverse, and this exciting.  I love Church Planting. New expressions burrowing their way into every city, reaching people in ways I could never imagine.   
 
I hope this story brings encouragement to your soul. Charge on!
 
Justin