What follows allows the opportunity for us to illustrate and bring to life these strategies that are central to our work in the Mideast Baptist Conference. These individuals, who truly are the Church, are a constant source of encouragement to us. I have been so blessed to be a part of such an enthusiastic, committed and sacrificial group of God's people. Your Servant in Christ, Dr. Dan Peterson Partners for the cause of Christ Dynamic Church Planting One of the most strategic methods God has given us for reaching lost people is planting churches. There are close to 400,000 churches in the U.S., yet there are more than 96 million people who have no religious affiliation.
New churches have many advantages for reaching the unchurched.
Because they do not have established patterns, they can adapt quickly to the diverse needs of many individuals. And studies show that unchurched people are twice as likely to try a new church as an established one. Plus, church planting stirs the spirits of the team members involved - they are forced to trust God, to step out of their comfort zones and to work and pray together. The Mideast Baptist Conference has seen this effectiveness of new churches firsthand in the past few years. Our district has grown from 5500 worshipers to more than 14,000 worshipers in the past five years, due largely to new churches that are growing and thriving.