May Update
Living Stones Church
South Sparks
Coming Christmas Eve 2023
This week I have witnessed our city and it’s mountains come back to life after what was probably the harshest winter in my lifetime. New leaves, new colors, longer days, warmer nights, crickets and songbirds. Springtime and Easter are the clearest pictures of God’s power and promise to bring the dead back to life. An empty tomb, a Risen Savior, new life in the Spirit, once diminished hearts now filled with joyful song. As I reflect on these images I’m led into prayer for the people of Sparks, NV captured by God’s vision for them and the city.
Church planting is the best way to make new disciples of Jesus and bring kingdom renewal to our city. For this reason we must begin by expressing our thankfulness to you, our church family and friends who have partnered with us in this same mission. WE ARE PLANTING A CHURCH- all of us, together and we can testify that your prayers and gifts are working to this effect. Since February, our leadership team has grown and we have made some encouraging progress raising funds and zeroing in on a gathering location.
Pastor Mat Biggins, a 10 year veteran pastor of LS Sparks has committed to joining us in the plant and as a member of the leadership team, along with his wife and several other gifted and faithful leaders of our local church- including a bilingual worship leader. One of our biggest prayers for the new church is to have a deep roster of healthy leaders, understanding that the culture of disciple making, serving and faithfulness to Jesus starts from the top. Paul reminds Timothy the importance of constant leadership development in a church, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim 2:2) Faithful men and women are rising up, being identified and equipped to be sent out on mission together. WE are planting a church! God is hearing and answering our prayers!
Furthermore, through the generosity of several donors we have been able to raise just over 10% of our financial goal of $100k for the year. Your financial support is crucial in facilitating the proclamation of Jesus and the presence of his church in the city of Sparks. Finances are a big determining factor in how we, as a new church, will be set up to engage the city, to gather the unchurched, adapt to unforeseen obstacles and respond proactively to growth. We are eager to gather more financial resourcing for our church in the coming months as we seek a gathering space before the fall. Thank you to all our financial patrons who are investing in the kingdom of God in Sparks, NV. If you are not yet giving, I ask you to take a bigger step and to commit not only to prayer but also to financial support. Every gift goes a long way to making our prayers reality. Please commit to pairing your prayers with a gift of any amount this year. It’s true that God doesn’t need your money, nor does he need broken men to proclaim his Gospel, but he has chosen us for this work in Sparks, he wants us to partner with him.
There are several gathering options in the South Sparks area that we are currently looking at including local schools. However, there is one option that stands out above the rest. We are in contact with the owners of an amazing church building near Pyramid and Oddie Blvd. The building is in great condition following a series of tragic events that lead to the closure of the church, leaving behind an empty sanctuary that can host over 200 people, 12 classrooms and a gated outdoor play area. The church building is located on a major road and in the heart of Sparks, it even has a bus stop directly in front of it. It is accessible, it is hospitable, it’s visible, safe, a great ministry resource throughout the week and could be the ideal home for our church. The sooner we can lock in the future gathering space, the sooner we can begin to host city-wide events, core team meetings and prayer rallies at the same location.
Please make sure to take action and let us know how you are supporting our efforts in South Sparks. If you have questions about support or involvement in the church plant, never hesitate to text, call or email me. I am available to grab a coffee, go for a walk or just have a quick chat over the phone.
With much love and a grateful heart,
Pastor Taylor Sexton
Church planting is the best way to make new disciples of Jesus and bring kingdom renewal to our city. For this reason we must begin by expressing our thankfulness to you, our church family and friends who have partnered with us in this same mission. WE ARE PLANTING A CHURCH- all of us, together and we can testify that your prayers and gifts are working to this effect. Since February, our leadership team has grown and we have made some encouraging progress raising funds and zeroing in on a gathering location.
Pastor Mat Biggins, a 10 year veteran pastor of LS Sparks has committed to joining us in the plant and as a member of the leadership team, along with his wife and several other gifted and faithful leaders of our local church- including a bilingual worship leader. One of our biggest prayers for the new church is to have a deep roster of healthy leaders, understanding that the culture of disciple making, serving and faithfulness to Jesus starts from the top. Paul reminds Timothy the importance of constant leadership development in a church, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim 2:2) Faithful men and women are rising up, being identified and equipped to be sent out on mission together. WE are planting a church! God is hearing and answering our prayers!
Furthermore, through the generosity of several donors we have been able to raise just over 10% of our financial goal of $100k for the year. Your financial support is crucial in facilitating the proclamation of Jesus and the presence of his church in the city of Sparks. Finances are a big determining factor in how we, as a new church, will be set up to engage the city, to gather the unchurched, adapt to unforeseen obstacles and respond proactively to growth. We are eager to gather more financial resourcing for our church in the coming months as we seek a gathering space before the fall. Thank you to all our financial patrons who are investing in the kingdom of God in Sparks, NV. If you are not yet giving, I ask you to take a bigger step and to commit not only to prayer but also to financial support. Every gift goes a long way to making our prayers reality. Please commit to pairing your prayers with a gift of any amount this year. It’s true that God doesn’t need your money, nor does he need broken men to proclaim his Gospel, but he has chosen us for this work in Sparks, he wants us to partner with him.
There are several gathering options in the South Sparks area that we are currently looking at including local schools. However, there is one option that stands out above the rest. We are in contact with the owners of an amazing church building near Pyramid and Oddie Blvd. The building is in great condition following a series of tragic events that lead to the closure of the church, leaving behind an empty sanctuary that can host over 200 people, 12 classrooms and a gated outdoor play area. The church building is located on a major road and in the heart of Sparks, it even has a bus stop directly in front of it. It is accessible, it is hospitable, it’s visible, safe, a great ministry resource throughout the week and could be the ideal home for our church. The sooner we can lock in the future gathering space, the sooner we can begin to host city-wide events, core team meetings and prayer rallies at the same location.
Please make sure to take action and let us know how you are supporting our efforts in South Sparks. If you have questions about support or involvement in the church plant, never hesitate to text, call or email me. I am available to grab a coffee, go for a walk or just have a quick chat over the phone.
With much love and a grateful heart,
Pastor Taylor Sexton