With the number of opportunities that God is giving us outside of the U.S., we can be vulnerable to think that God is not at work here in the States. 

Given the trials we have faced in SG, that have uniquely impacted our churches in the States, we can be prone to think that our reputation has taken a hit, and we can’t plant churches like we used to.

 Given the anit-institutional trends in our culture that tends to look down on the local church, we can wonder if planting churches is even worth it.

I understand those thoughts, but the book of Acts tells us that Paul and others encountered challenges and took risks to plant churches.

Church planting has always been risky, and it will always be risky, but it is a “right risk” to take in reaching the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let us take the greatest risks for that great cause of planting churches.

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Mark Prater May 20, 2022

Building biblically faithful churches has inherit risks.

First, building biblically faithful churches means we take the right risk of continuing preach and counsel our people with biblical truth. Given the rapid movement of the culture away from biblical truth, the faithful preaching of God’s Word will have more inherent risk of us being criticized.

We are on a trajectory where the culture sees the biblical truth we preach as the problem. The culture says teaching on biblical sexual ethics is the problem and must be censored. And, in a growing culture of victimhood, the truth we preach, and the truth we counsel our people with will be targeted as potentially oppressive.

Let us be men who risk our lives for the cause of Christ by preaching it anyway for the purpose of building biblically faithful churches.

Second, building faithful churches means that we take the risk of calling our people to a love for, and a commitment to the local church. Whether it is an anti-institutional mindset, or a suspicion of authority, or the lingering apathy people have post-pandemic, calling people to love the dearest place on earth will be risky.

We must build faithful churches by courageously, and graciously calling people to be faithful to their local church.

May a love for the local church not be a first or second generational phenomenon in Sovereign Grace, rather may it be a multi-generational distinctive.

Third, building faithful churches means we take the risk of honestly accessing the health of our local eldership.

One of the primary ways that Satan seeks to sow disunity in the church is to weaken and divide the pastoral team.

“Conflict, poor communication, and relational disunity on a pastoral team can lead to discouraged and weary pastors, and eventually, can diminish the unity and health of the whole church.”[1]

If we are going to call people to love the local church, let’s make sure that the church we are calling them to love is strong and united. We do that by honestly evaluating the health of our local elders, which can be risky, but it is the right risk to take.

Let’s take great risks for the great cause of building biblically faithful churches.

[1] Jon Payne, “Team Health Evaluation Tool” blog post, October 19, 2021, sgcleaders.com

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Mark Prater May 13, 2022

The debate at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 was theological in nature. Good theology defined and shaped their unanimous decision as a Council. 

Last year, this Council unanimously approved our new Statement of Faith that contains the orthodox theology that defines and shapes our family of churches. This Statement of Faith clearly addresses many of the issues we see in our culture: Same sex marriage, gender ideology, sexual orientation, complementarianism, ethnic harmony, etc., etc. 

The Statement of Faith provides a theological foundation on which we stand to protect our churches from cultural influences that can cause theological drift.

Now here is the risk: 

When we stand for our theological convictions, which we will need to do, the culture and even some in evangelicalism will push back.

When we stand for our theological convictions, there is the possibility that people will pull out past accusations against SGC to discredit us. In that moment we must not distance ourselves from our family of churches and from the partnership we share. Rather, we must stand together knowing our feet are held firmly by his grace..

There will be risk in standing for our theological convictions, but it is the right risk to take. I’m asking our Council of Elders to equip the members of their churches to stand for our theological convictions by encouraging them to read the SoF, and the SG Journal to strengthen the doctrinal commitments and the gospel values that we share.

To continue to stand for our theological convictions highlights the vital need for theological training, whether that’s for new pastors or existing pastors. Therefore, I want to encourage the Council to send men to our Pastors College even when it seems risky. The PC model that started here in the States is being replicated throughout the world to equip men theologically, which is important as we expand globally.

Let us take the right risk to stand for our theological convictions.

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Mark Prater May 7, 2022

“May Sovereign Grace be known for taking the greatest risks of all for the greatest cause of all” ~Mark Prater

Each year, at SGC’s annual Pastors Conference, I meet with our Council of Elders and present what we call a “State of the Union” address. This is just a name for an overview of the last year and a vision of what I hope to help lead us through in the coming year.

Below is a summary of this vision that I hope will challenge and encourage all who read – though, keep in mind, that I am speaking primarily to our pastors, and church leaders.

Overview

In what some might call the first Council of Elders meeting, the Council in Jerusalem was convened because as the gospel advanced, as churches were planted, and as the mission expanded, issues arose. 

In this case, as the church grew at Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, issues arose about the status of Gentile converts and their relationship with Jewish Christians. More specifically, we know from Acts 15:3 that there were Jews who were teaching that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. The council in Jerusalem decided that circumcision wasn’t necessary, so they wrote a letter to the church in Antioch ` their decision. 

As I review the last few years and look forward to the year to come, it’s important to me to draw the attention of our elders to the following verses:

“25 it has seemed good to us, having come bto one accord, to choose men and 

send them to you with our cbeloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 dmen who have 

erisked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 15:25-26

The Risk

In these verses, Barnabas and Paul are described as men who “risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” They were known as those who took faith-filled risks for the cause of Christ – many of which are detailed in the book of Acts. 

This is what I’m calling us to as brothers in Christ – to be men to take the right, prayer-saturated, faith-filled risks for the cause of Christ and to lead the members of our churches to do the same. I believe that we are at a pivotal moment in Sovereign Grace and I believe this call is critical to our mission as a denomination of churches. 

The Why

I understand that after enduring a global pandemic and persevering through several years of trials, we can be prone to wrap ourselves in self-protection and settle for the status quo. 

But, here is the question we must answer: 

“Will Sovereign Grace be known as a family of churches who reached its peak in the mid-2000’s, navigated through some troubles, and then simply coasted into being a relic?”

I say no. 

Rather, I believe that Sovereign Grace Churches will be known as a family of churches who responded to our trials - not wrapping ourselves in self-protection - but by taking the right faith-filled, forward-looking risks to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that bore much fruit for Christ throughout the world.

Now, I want to be clear. I’m not talking about reckless risks that are thoughtless and prayerless in nature. I’m talking about taking right risks.

My concern is that we avoid taking any risks at all at a pivotal time in our story. May this never be said about the pastors and churches of Sovereign Grace and may it never be true.

One quote that stuck out to me recently was the following: 

“The biggest risk of all is that we stop taking risks at all.”[1]

May it be said that we took the greatest risks of all for the greatest cause of all-the cause of Jesus Christ! 

The Challenge

For that to be said of us, we must recognize the temptations to avoid risk. There are a few temptations that I think can be especially prevalent amongst us.

1.    One of the lingering effects of the pandemic is that we, and the people in our churches, just want to play it safe and not put ourselves at risk. In addition, the challenges we have faced in SG over the last 10 years can make us vulnerable to be risk averse and avoid future trials by not taking the right risks for the cause of Christ.

2.    While I love our polity and I truly believe that it has strengthened us, I’m concerned that we can be prone to think we can solve all our problems and find all of our safety in our polity. Rather, I believe it’s important to see our polity as a means that brings clarity and structure to the global opportunities God is giving us to take risks in advancing the gospel around the world.

3.    As some of us get older, lady comfort’s voice grows louder calling us to ease, drowning out the clear call of Scripture to be men who risk our lives for the cause of Christ until we finish this race for Christ.

These temptations (and others) to avoid risk must be met with faith to take the right risks.

The Call

The word “risk” means the possibility of loss or injury, so - in taking the right risks as churches, we may (probably will) make mistakes. 

We may see our reputation take a hit, put ourselves in harm’s way whether that is critique, and marginalization, or more serious persecution. But, risk means that we take them by faith, not knowing what the future holds, but believing that our risks are a part of God’s good, sovereign plan for SG.

Alongside this, we must remember that taking right risks is not a modern phenomenon because it is seen throughout biblical history. The redemptive storyline in our bibles is filled with people who took risks not knowing what would happen to them.

-       Esther takes a risk to help save the Jews by approaching the king not knowing if she will lose her life in doing so, saying to her friend “if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)

-       Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego took the right risk to not bow down to the state ordered idolatry, and before being thrown into the fiery furnace said to Nebuchadnezzar, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace…But if not, be it known to you…that we will not serve your gods…” Daniel 3:16-18 

-       Later in the book of Acts, Paul says to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 that he is going to Jerusalem, “not knowing” what will happen to him there except that the Spirit testifies that imprisonment and affliction await him, and so he takes a risk and goes anyway.

Why?

Because he did not account his life of any value or precious to himself, if only he could finish the course of his ministry to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24)

May we be those kind of men, who lead those kind of churches, where we don’t account our lives of any value or as precious to ourselves, if only we could finish the course of our ministry to testify to the gospel of the grace of God throughout the world.

Let us be men and let us build churches whose doctrine of the sovereignty of God functions in a way that we take prayer-saturated, faith-filled risks trusting the One who knows and ordains our future.

And let us take these risks so that SG will not be a relic, but a faith-filled, forward-looking family of churches who finds great joy in advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ together throughout the world. 

May Sovereign Grace be known for taking the greatest risks of all for the greatest cause of all.

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The post Sovereign Grace Churches State of the Union 2021: Risk for the Cause of Christ originally appeared on the SGC Pastors blog on April 21, 2022.

Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace Churches and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. A weekly podcast with Sovereign Grace updates, hosted by Benjamin Kreps, Lead Pastor of Living Hope Church, Harrisburg, is posted on the Mark Prater blog.

I love the local church. I've been impacted by the teaching and preaching of a Sovereign Grace Church for 25 years. It has transformed my life. And I’ve seen how God works through the local church. It's been something that has marked us as a family of churches, our love for the local church.

A local church is the focal point where God works to mature his people and to save sinners. And we just can't forget that in our day, that the local church is the place for the Christian to be, and to live life together, and to reach the lost and to do good works.

And so my heart is full of not just love for my church, but for all the churches in Sovereign Grace, and a desire for us to not lose that.

As Spurgeon says:

"Give yourself to the church. You that are members of the church have not found it perfect and I hope that you feel almost glad that you have not. If I had never joined a church until I had found one that was perfect, I would never have joined one at all. And the moment I did join one, I should have spoiled it. For it would not have been a perfect church after I became a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth."

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church.

The joint announcement below reminds me of the long history of generosity displayed in the lives of the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches and our gospel partners. Your financial support enabled us to construct a portion of a building expansion at Covenant Life Church. This space was used as our offices until 2012. May God continue to use your generous giving as we advance the gospel of Jesus Christ together by planting and strengthening churches throughout the world for the glory of His name!

Covenant Life Church (CLC) and Sovereign Grace Churches (SGC) are pleased to announce the transfer of ownership and all obligations associated with their shared real estate in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The property consists of 17,125 square feet of office and warehouse space occupied by SGC in 2002 under a Shared Use Agreement. CLC has acquired full ownership for a sum of $525,000 payable to SGC as a share of future rental income. CLC is currently seeking a tenant. 

The existing Shared Use Agreement made this transaction complex and required both parties to work closely together over the last 12 months. We are grateful for this resolution and pray that it honors our Lord. May He be glorified as we steward these resources for the advancement of the gospel and the good of God’s people.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.