Halla From Rob
I want to thank anyone who is checking out this blog. I have to confess this is my first entry and I have had the blog for some time now.
In order to best know who I am I would like to share with you who "The Plant" is. The Plant is a church plant in Allendale, NJ. Allendale is located in Northern Jersey and is approximately 30 minutes from Manhattan, NY. We are a non-denominational church who is daughter church of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are also affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
The reason for us planting in Allendale has to do with what I believe God is doing throughout the Northeast. I call it the "Garesene Call." In the gospel of Mark chapter 5 Jesus goes into the region of Garesenes and is confronted with a man who is controlled by demonic forces. In this man’s oppression Jesus delivers him, and when people from the town come out to see what had taken place they found this man "sane." The townspeople were afraid of Jesus even though they themselves were a community looking to be delivered from the powers of Rome. Jesus granted their request and began to leave.
What was this man to do, stay in the place that had defined him or to go with the one who had given him sanity? This man begged Jesus to allow him to go with Christ and the disciples but Jesus would not allow him. Jesus words were this: "Go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been." This man embraced his calling and went home sharing with the local community what Jesus had done in his life; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
For so long I feared living where my past was. Now I believe the greatest most effective place to live out the gospel is in my home town. So many people want to run from their pasts to begin a new life that they can define in front of other people. How much more effective is it if we embrace the power of God in our lives right where we live so that people in our families, in our neighborhoods and in our work places can see the gospel as we live with them. It is the hope of The Plant to cultivate a community where the love of Christ is revealed in our relationships, the truth of Christ is found in the Holy Scriptures and the compassion of Christ is our mission both locally and globally to those who live in oppression.
Join with me in embracing the Garesene’s call.
Where is this church located – address.