Last month I had the privilege of traveling through the state of Missouri with John and Alisha Herring as they began the search for the next chapter of their life. They were searching for God’s place in Missouri where He wanted them to plant a church. We looked at the several cities and it seemed that God was drawing them to the city of Nixa, just south of Springfield. John and his family made a second trip to Nixa to confirm God’s will. The following is a blog that John posted:
We had the opportunity last week to drive back to southwest Missouri and look around the area. We drove throughseveral towns and spent most of our time in Nixa, MO. God has actually brought this city to our attention since we first started searching for direction. On our first trip through Missouri, this was also the city that stood out to us as a place withnot only a lot of potential, but a lot of need. When we returned this last week, God confirmed in our hearts that this is the place He would have us to be.
Based on the recent census, only 36% of the people in Nixa claim to be associated with any church. That leaves almost 2 out of every 3 people in desperate need of a Savior. The city has also grown by just over 60% in the past 10 years and is projected to see the population grow by another 15,000 people by the year 2025. This places Nixa as the 4th fastest growing city in the state of Missouri. Additionally, a study by the American City Business Journal in Buffalo, N.Y. shows Christian County (this is where Nixa is) as one of the top metropolitan counties in the country for growth potential.
Prayer Points
- We would ask that you would continue to pray for us as we begin to put together a timeline to move to the field. There are manythings that will need to take place before we can go. We are praying that God would take care of all of the details for us.
- Also, pray that God would raise up a team of people who would join us in the journey. We know that we can’t do it apart from God, but we also know that we can’t do it alone.
- Pray that God would begin to open the doors to ministry partners and support for this mission.
I will be asking our Special Mission Committee to meet with Bro. Herring and interview him as a candidate for our state missions work. Please be in prayer for this process and the Herring family. I am excited that God has brought this young man and his family to our state. Let’s praise the Lord together!
