2002 Summary Report 12/31/02
Downtown Church of Christ & Center For World Missions, Harding University
900 E. Center, HU Box 10871, Searcy, AR 72149-0001
(501) 279-5384 MCrowson@harding.edu
Thank You for continuing prayers and support for this domestic vocational church-planting ministry. Keep praying, for the students and their leaders as they prepare and move to plant new churches. Pray for the people they will meet and the businesses that will provide employment in these cities
The Mission
Recruit, equip, place, and provide continuing encouragement to an increasing number of vocational mission teams & individuals as they plant new churches where the church is weak in proportion to the total population, in the USA’s largest growing multicultural population centers.
Progress
Since beginning this ministry in August, 2001 we have helped 13 domestic vocational mission groups form and/or prepare to move after graduation and advanced studies, to major population centers in the US. Most of these teams have survived and some have already moved to their target cities. Other teams are preparing to go and new groups are forming.
Already Moved
We now have three couples in the San Dimas area of greater Los Angeles, CA. Their church planting efforts will not begin until advanced educational studies are completed and they have jobs. Seattle, WA is the new home for two married couples and two singles who moved there after graduation. Four now have jobs and the one remaining has several good possibilities for employment. Another married couple just graduated and will join them this summer. Miami, FL is now home for four single graduates who moved to get jobs and work with a population of 250K Brazilians.
More To Go 2004 - 2006
A team of five married couples headed for New Jersey in 2004 are in undergraduate and graduate studies at Harding in Searcy and Memphis. Exact location in NJ is still TBD. They meet weekly for prayer, planning and studies of potential locations. Another team headed for the North East graduated last year (some this year) and are currently in advanced studies and jobs in Chicago, Searcy, Little Rock, on the East Coast and Houston, TX. They keep in touch through their web site and meet for prayer, planning, training and relationship building every quarter(+-). They plan to move in 2005 or 2006 and exact location is TBD.
Two NEW Groups Formed This Semester
Chicago is the planned destination for one group of three married couples and several interested singles. Target date TBD but will probably be in 2006. Boston is the potential target city of the second new group of about 14 sophomores. Target date will probably be around 2006.
Pre-Support And Follow-up Support
This year we traveled to Henderson & Memphis, TN, Pensacola, FL, Southern CA, Dallas, Ft. Worth, & Abilene, TX; Colorado Springs, Denver & Ft. Collins, CO; Chicago, IL and Seattle, WA making contacts with universities and speaking in workshops & lectureships. We also spoke with churches, students, ministers, elders, mission committees, and businesses, communicating our mission, reporting on what is in progress, laying the groundwork for future teams, and forming cooperative relationships between teams and existing churches.
Prayer Requests For 2003
- God will provide an additional $20,000 of yearly personal support so Marvin & Judith Crowson can continue providing full time service in this ministry.
- God will raise-up more spiritual leaders and churches that will become passionately committed to church planting in the USA.
- God will continue raising up vocational leaders, planters and harvesters among college students that will accept the call of Jesus to disciple USA major population centers.
- God will prepare the domestic vocational teams and lead them to where He wants them to work.
- God will provide survey, relocation and on-going training funds & resources for the teams.
Marvin A. Crowson
Harding University
Center For World Missions
900 E. Center, HU Box 10871
Searcy, AR 72149-0001
Office: (501) 279-5384 Mobile: (501) 230-4871
MCrowson@harding.edu