Our Plan
How do we plan to build healthy congregations? Find out below!
What
Mission Teams
Christian ministry was never meant to be a solo effort by anyone, no matter how gifted the believer.
No less a church planting missionary than the Apostle Paul himself always brought companions with him in his travels, companions he affectionately referred to as his “co-laborers” or “fellow soldiers” in the Gospel. So, central to our plan to start, strengthen, and sustain Gospel churches is the concept of the “Mission Team.”
A Mission Team is a “core group” of trained workers, committed to one another and to the work of ministry, and sent either to start a new or to strengthen an existing church. It includes:
A Lead Planter or Pastor. This is a man who is qualified for the office of elder according to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and who ideally already has church planting and pastoral experience. He is the lead trainer and mentor for the team.
An Associate Planter or Pastor. This is a man who is qualified for the office of elder according to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Including him from the outset immediately gives the new work a plurality of leadership, which is the New Testament ideal. He may or may not have been a church planter or pastor prior to joining the team, but by working alongside the Lead Planter or Pastor he will gain that experience. Once the new church is started or the existing church has been strengthened, the Associate Pastor or Planter either takes over as the Lead, allowing him to lead another team in another work—or, he takes the Lead role himself on such a team, leaving his own Lead behind to develop and mentor a new Associate.
A Female Gospel Worker. This is a woman who is a mature Christian believer according to Titus 2, and who has training and experience in handling the Scriptures as a teacher and in mentoring other women. This allows the team to minister to women in situations where a male voice might be unwelcome, mistrusted, or inappropriate, and expands the team’s capacity for care.
Colaborers. These are trustworthy and mature Christian men and women who are willing to serve in any capacity needed to accomplish the mission—be it music, sound or information technology, evangelism, stacking chairs, whatever it takes!
Where
Where We’re Starting: The Upper Saint John River Valley
We’re beginning our work in the Upper Saint John River Valley region of the province—specifically, the area stretching between the town of Nackawic in the south and the town of Grand-Sault / Grand Falls in the north, centred on the Saint John River and reaching to the Maine border in the west and as far as the communities of Cloverdale, Knowlesville, and Glassville in the east. This is a mostly rural agricultural area home to around 50,000 people.
There are six key communities in this region that we are targeting as possible places for Gospel work.
Woodstock, where the Meduxnekeag River meets the Saint John. Photo by Tango7174, used with permission.
Nackawic
Nackawic, a town of around 900 people, is home to a major pulp-and-paper mill and was once named the “Forestry Capital of Canada.” The world’s largest axe, rising 49 feet high and weighing 55 tons, sits on the town’s waterfront.
Hartland
Hartland is Erin’s hometown and is where Jeff works at his “tentmaking” job. The world’s longest covered wooden bridge crosses the Saint John here, joining Hartland on the east bank with the community of Somerville on the west. Hartland has a population of a little over 900 and is home to Covered Bridge Potato Chips and to Day & Ross, one of Canada’s largest transportation companies.
Florenceville-Bristol
Florenceville-Bristol, with a population of about 1600 people, is home to McCain Foods—the largest french fry manufacturer in the world, and one of the biggest employers in the region. The town is being amalgamated with the nearby communities of Bath and Centreville to form the District of Carleton North.
Perth-Andover
Perth and the opposite community of Andover have a population of around 1600. It has a strong Scottish heritage and hosts an annual cultural festival called “The Gathering of the Scots,” complete with Highland games, rugby, and massed pipes and drums. The Tobique First Nation is nearby and a key part of the community.
Woodstock
Woodstock is the largest town in the region. A transportation and agricultural hub, it is New Brunswick’s oldest incorporated town and, together with its outlying communities, home to around 20,000 people.
Woodstock is Hope Restored Mission’s base and the home of our first missionary couple, Jeff and Erin Jones.
Grand-Sault / Grand Falls
Grand-Sault (or, in English, Grand Falls) is a community of about 5200 people named for a cascade on the Saint John River. In a way, the town is the gateway to French-speaking New Brunswick, being almost 80% French-speaking.
Why
Why are we starting here, in the Upper Saint John River Valley?
There are two key factors that compelled us to choose this region as our starting place.
The first reason is its strategic location:
This area is right on the doorstep of French-speaking northern New Brunswick, a region in desperate need of the Gospel. Even from Woodstock it takes less than an hour’s drive to be in a majority-French-speaking area. Our long-term hope is to see French-speaking mission teams one day supported and sent by churches in our region and serving in places like Saint-Leonard, Edmundston, Saint-Quentin, and Campbellton.
Woodstock sits at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and U.S. Interstate 95, which runs from Maine down the U.S. Atlantic Coast to Florida. The American border is fifteen minutes from Woodstock, and many Canadians arrange for U.S. post office boxes in nearby Houlton, Maine. The whole U.S. Northeast is right in our back yard; to fly anywhere in the US it’s significantly less expensive and only a two hours’ drive to hop on a (cheap!) U.S. flight out of Bangor, Maine. The city of Boston is only five and a half hours’ drive away.
So much of the Canadian Maritimes is a half-day’s drive or less away. Almost anywhere in New Brunswick can be reached in no more than three or four hours. From Woodstock, the capital Fredericton is only an hour away, Saint John only two hours, Moncton less than three. One can drive to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in less than four and a half hours, and to Halifax, Nova Scotia—Atlantic Canada’s largest city—in less than five and a half hours. Even Cape Breton Island can be reached in six hours.
The second reason is our familiarity with and connections to the region.
Erin grew up in Hartland, living there until high school and returning there regularly while attending university in nearby Fredericton. She is still known and remembered by much of the community and has family in Hartland and Woodstock.
Erin and Jeff both lived in the nearby Fredericton area for several years, Erin while in university and Jeff while posted to Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in neighboring Oromocto. They met and were married in Fredericton and regularly traveled upriver to visit family.
Jeff has extended family in the Florenceville area, as well as nearby Fredericton.
How
How are we starting our work?
Moving in. Jeff and Erin have found a home in Woodstock and the family will be “on the ground” starting in April 2023.
Settling into the community. Jeff has a “tentmaking” job working for the provincial government in the town of Hartland, running the local library—a great way to get to know the people. Children’s activities, such as hockey, dance, and soccer, will provide opportunities to make connections with other families. Erin has a passion for helping the elderly and wants to explore options for serving this growing and needy segment of the population. Volunteering for local schools, events, and organizations is a promising way to build trust with and show love to our neighbours.
Getting to know the local Christian community. Jeff and Erin intend to serve a local church in the region as a way to be an encouragement to others. Jeff will make himself available for pulpit supply to local churches and camps and for seminars and workshops that will strengthen local believers. The kids will be active in youth ministry. Beyond our own region, Jeff intends to maintain and deepen connections with other likeminded pastors in Atlantic Canada, such as in the TGC Atlantic network, SEND Network Atlantic Canada, and Mile One Mission in Newfoundland.
Outreach. Once settled in, Jeff and Erin plan to open up their home for Bible studies, such as the Hope Explored and Christianity Explored evangelistic courses and the outstanding Good Book Guides study series. Jeff is excited about one-on-one “coffee shop” ministry, using tools like David Helm’s “One to One Bible Reading” and “The Word One to One” or simply reading through good books together. These efforts will, God willing, become the foundation for future mission team training and church plant gatherings, and pastoral care and mentorship.
Recruitment. Both from the Christian community in New Brunswick and from healthy churches out of province, a key priority for us will be identifying, recruiting, and training mature Christians who share our vision and are willing to join a mission team here.
Developing a support network. Part of the work will be organizing support teams of Christians from outside New Brunswick who want to partner with us—a Care Team to encourage mission teams on the field, a Prayer Team to commit to interceding regularly for us, a Donor Team that pledges regular giving to sustain our mission, and Service Teams of volunteers who come to visit and help with projects.
Image at top of page: Canadian soldiers at New Brunswick’s 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, near Oromocto, review the plan of a live-fire exercise. Photo: Cpl Nicolas Alonso, Tactics School, Combat Training Centre (CTC) Gagetown GN02-2019-1131-002
