Ernest Smith

Although I am still in the infancy stages, I am realizing that planting a church is one of the hardest things anyone could do. I’m not saying that to receive empathy or to draw attention to what we are doing, but the truth is the truth. 85% of all church plants fail. 85% means it must be difficult.

I know there are a lot of people who are praying for us and wanting continual updates on how the plant is going. I am going to try and post an update fairly often for those who want to know how to specifically pray and support us. It is with your support that we will be able to do all we can to not fall into that 85% category. Thank you for all you do for our family and each member of our plant team.

Update:

My family and I made it to Denver a little over a week ago. I had some interesting travels as we embarked on the 1900 mile road trip. You can hear more about our travels here.

Since being in Denver, we have experienced the favor of God in some incredible ways.

-Sara began orientation at her new job (still a RN that specializes in pediatrics). She will be
working at a new hospital that is opening in Castle Rock. She met some great women that she will
be working with, but more importantly, that she can call friends.

-Melissa, my sister-in-law, flew into town with Wyatt on Wednesday and we have been enjoying
exploring Colorado with her. We have visited Pikes Peak, Eldorado Canyon State Park, Idaho
Springs, Boulder and many areas in and around Castle Rock. It’s been great exploring this state
and meeting new people.

-On the train ride up and down Pikes Peak we were sitting beside a youth group from a church in
College Station, Texas. They are a 2 year old ARC church plant. It was great to hear their story
and to be encouraged by what God is doing in their midst.

-Sara’s employer, Castle Rock Adventist Hospital, held a community event on Sunday where over
7,000 people were expected to come. We met new people, learned more about the community and had a
blast touring the hospital, playing on jump castles and eating delicious food. It was great
having this chance to meet new people and learn more about the culture.

-Had some great conversations with people at a church in Denver called Southeast Christian
Church. They are going to be a great partner with us as we move forward in this plant.

Please be in prayer for the following…

-We have finally nailed down the location, Castle Rock, but still do not have a name. Please
continue to pray that God would give us clarity on this important decision.

-We are hosting a vision meeting on July 23-24. There will be multiple churches from all over the
US coming to hear about what God is doing in our midst. It is our desire that we would see more
partnerships formed through this meeting and these partnerships will lead to greater impact for
the Kingdom of God.

-Our family as we continue to transition.

-The other individuals and families as they make their way to Denver. We have more plant team
members moving out here over the next few months, so please pray for jobs, places to live and
quick acclimation.

Thank you for your love and support. We are so thankful for each of you.