September Newsletter – Coram Deo

Originally sent to the distribution list on 09.04.24. Posting here for reference purposes. — Hey, friends! Thanks for subscribing to the Coram Deo newsletter. Each month I’ll be sending at least one update to detail our church planting progress with a few next steps for your involvement. This newsletter will be our main mode of blanket communication to our CDBC network. If you know others who would benefit from this content, please ask them to subscribe via my personal website: nealthornton.com. Some may be interested in planting with us, still others may simply want to stay up to date and follow our journey. Either way, we are happy to stay connected! A few quick points of update:

1. Membership at Fairview

On August 21, the Thorntons became members of Fairview Baptist Church. It was a big step for us emotionally, but one packed with excitement. As our sending church, Fairview is our new family. They will plant Coram Deo Baptist. We want to invest in them as they do in us. Over the next year we will assimilate into the body, train for church planting and be sent out with our core team from the Fairview membership. Some of you have visited Fairview in the last few weeks. It’s been great to see you! We hope you’ve enjoyed your time and felt welcomed. If you are also interested in joining Fairview, there’s an upcoming membership class on Sunday, September 29. You can register for it here. If you have specific questions about membership, feel free to contact me directly or one of the pastors.

2. All Things NAMB

We’ve reached two significant milestones as of September 1.

• Giving Link Is Live: Along with assistance from the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, we are blessed to receive financial support from partnered churches and their members. However more support is needed, and it often comes from gracious people outside our immediate partnerships.  NAMB then provides a giving link to help us funnel financial support from the relationship we build near and far. Please pray the Lord would raise up financial partners to make spiritual investments. If you know someone who would like to support us but may not be able to plant with us or whose church is not in partnership — feel free to pass our link along and let me know. I’d love to connect with them personally.

• Send Network Training Begins: Every planter endorsed by NAMB undergoes an intense three month training on the nuts and bolts of church planting. I’ll join the next cohort of planters that begin training on September 12. I’ll have weekly online meetings, in person gatherings (Ashley attending) and a trip to the NAMB headquarters in Alpharetta, GA in November. Training will conclude December 5. Alongside this training I’ll be in Boston September 16-17 for the Send Network Gathering.

3. Our Ministry Prayer Needs

We consider those receiving this newsletter to be a faithful partner in ministry. Not because you necessarily give, or that you will be a member of the core team (CDBC in utero), but because you pray for us. That matters most. Let me say thank you in advance. Each newsletter will include prayer requests that I would ask of you. Here are a few prayer needs for this month, some of which may be recurring.

• Pray that God would continue to allow our family to transition well into the body of Fairview. It’s been great thus far.
• Pray also for a fruitful fall of the year. We are a busy family with homeschool, NAMB training and ministry at Fairview.
• Pray the Lord would supernaturally pull our core team together and bring a sense of spiritual unity among us.
• Pray the Lord would supply us with a building. Though not needed at this time, it’s never too early to acquire.

Further Ways To Connect:

1. Fairview Lunch for Coats Baptist

Following the service, Fairview will host a special lunch on Sunday, September 15 for all Coats Baptist people now attending Fairview. With appreciation for each of them, we want to capture the passion for planting God has put into their hearts. Pastor Matt Capps will give a word of welcome and cast vision for the next year. If you are interested in joining Fairview, or simply visiting on occasion, this time is for you. Kids are welcome. Fairview is graciously providing Marco’s Pizza for all in attendance. Sign up here if you’d like to attend.

2. Meet and Greet at the Thorntons’ Home

While the lunch is for CBC folks attending Fairview, this meet and greet is for everyone. It’s been a while since Ashley and I have seen some of you, and for others—we’ve yet to meet! That said, we’d love to invite you to our home on Sunday, September 29 from 3:00-5:00pm. [contact me for address] Bring your kids, we’ll have refreshments, hang out together and spend a little time praying for Coram Deo. Feel free to bring a snack to share if you’d like. At the close of each newsletter, I’ll promote a resource to help us prepare to plant. This month is Mark Dever’s The Church. You can purchase your copy here. Blessings to each of you! Coram Deo.