Stewartstown Alliance Church Launches in York County This Fall

Today’s post is written by Jeff Bean, Alliance Church Planter.

It is hard to believe that we are getting ready to plant a church in Stewartstown!

We are very excited to begin pre-launch services on September 7 and have an official launch on October 5. God has been so good and has continued to open doors! We will be meeting at Stewartstown Elementary School for our worship gatherings.

It's amazing the way the Lord led us to the Stewartstown community in York County. As we looked and prayed through Southern York County, it was very apparent that New Freedom and Shrewsbury were extremely built up, but there were not many thriving churches in the Stewartstown area. The more Caroline and I prayed and drove through the area, the more the Lord placed Stewartstown on our hearts. We knew this was where He wanted us to be!

God Provides A Location

As our core team was formed, the Lord brought two families who know almost everyone in the Stewartstown area. Those conversations opened so many doors for us, including the school. To be very honest, I have had negative experiences with schools and churches as I assisted a plant in Germantown, Maryland that met in a school cafeteria. To say the relationship between the school and that church was difficult is an understatement.

I had never even really considered trying to get into a school until all of our other options ran out. One of our core team members shared during Community Group that she had a very good relationship with the principal of Stewartstown Elementary, who was also a believer. She also shared that the school had a church using the cafeteria a couple of years ago. Within 18 hours of applying to use the school, we were approved!

After meeting with the principal and sharing ideas on how we could partner together, she was very excited to get going in this relationship. We are so blessed to be able to be in Stewartstown Elementary School and are looking forward to building relationships with the teachers, staff, students, and families. As we were touring the school last week, the principal introduced us to a teacher whose room we would be using for children’s ministry. Through a very brief conversation, we found out the teacher knew Jonas and Beth Wharton, Alliance Official Workers from York Alliance Church, and was attending a Bible study at their home.

Divine Appointments Continue

As we continue to go about our days, we are amazed at the people and conversations the Lord walks us into. Last week, we went to get our van detailed. As we dropped it off, we started engaging in a conversation with the owner of the business. Caroline mentioned that we go to church on Sundays, to which the owner responded that he was looking for a church and was a new believer. When we shared a little bit about the plant in Stewartstown, he let us know that he wanted to come and wanted to make sure it was okay to bring some of his friends. They were all looking for a church that would be willing to disciple them. Praise the Lord! 

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and encouragement!