Dimond Grace, Anchorage, Alaska (Chris Ball, pastor).
“At certain times in ministry, Jesus blesses us with key landmarks,” says Dr. Tony Webb, executive director of VisionOhio, a church planting ministry in the Buckeye State. “When VisionOhio was formed in the mid 1990’s, the focus was to create a movement of Grace Brethren churches reaching Ohio for Jesus Christ. As we were working on that, Jesus gave us a surprise that I did not see coming: Vision USA.”
Vision USA Church Planting, Inc. has been formed, but will be referrred to as Vision USA. “We are pursuing seventy-five regional one-a-day church planting movements across the country,” says Dr. Webb. “Currently we are conversing with leaders in fourteen regions.”
He continues, “The DNA of God’s amazing local church includes multiplication, influence and impact. Macedonia and Achaia was a region in excess of 43,000 square miles. Ohio, on the other hand, is a little less than 41,000. The church in Thessalonica had the DNA to impact its region with the gospel, which was larger than Ohio! The word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything (1 Thessalonians 1:8 NASB).”
Every church that has Jesus in her, has this DNA (multiplication, influence and impact), according to Tony. Vision USA, focuses on this kind of DNA from Jesus and pursues the development of regional one-a-day church planting movements.