“The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.” ― Henry Martyn
Who We Are
Emily and I both grew up in Choudrant, LA. We were brought up in church and surrendered to Jesus at an early age. We started dating in college and were married a couple of years later. After college we moved to Ft. Worth, TX for me to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. While in Texas we had our two wonderful girls, Melody and Madilynn, we are currently pregnant with our third child and are due in October! After graduating we moved back to Louisiana and I began working at our local church as a youth pastor. Now we are looking forward to our next adventure in Canada.
Why Calgary
Calgary is a large city in Canada with a low percentage of Christians and a lack of Bible-believing churches. Less than 5% of the 1.6 million people claim to be Christians. These numbers rival many parts of the world in lostness. Many of its residents are first generation from all over the world and experience loneliness, depression, and other mental health issues. The city has a high need for connection, community, and hope and is in need of more churches to provide these things and share the gospel. We believe that God is calling us to serve and share the gospel in Calgary.
Our Calling
As sinners who have experienced Jesus’ amazing grace, we desire others to experience it as well. We have a general calling to follow Him and share His love with others. We also have a specific calling to share the gospel with unreached people. After prayer and searching, we believe that God has led us to focus on this work in Calgary, Canada, where there is a low percentage of Christians. We have determined that this is God's will for our lives and are confident that His will shall be accomplished.
“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” ― Mark 16:15
Our Vision
The vision is to create gospel-centered relationships and a culture of discipleship and multiplication. The plan involves building relationships within the community, particularly through work and school connections. Initially gaining experience by working with an established church plant. Once a core group has been established, the focus will shift to creating discipleship pathways and eventually launching the church's services, likely in a home or rented space. The emphasis will be on evangelism and ministry, including outreach events like soccer camps and vacation Bible school. The hope is that through this process, new disciples will be formed and eventually plant additional churches, leading to the transformation of the city through the spread of the Gospel. The vision is subject to the sovereignty of God and may be adapted as He leads.
"Our vision is to create gospel centered relationships within our community; and develop a culture of discipleship and multiplication in our city and beyond."
Church Planting
The idea of church planting is based on the example set by Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13, where they were sent by the Church in Jerusalem to establish a new church in an area where the Gospel was not easily accessible. The goal of church planting is to share the love of God with the community and to form strong Christian congregations that can, in turn, plant further churches, leading to the transformation of cities and cultures through the spread of salvation. Church planting is not just the responsibility of individual church planters, but of the entire Church. Through the efforts of local congregations, church planters, Send Network we can work together to plant churches in diverse contexts and cultures. This changes cities, changes lives, and brings God great glory.
Millions have never heard of Jesus. We ought not to ask, "Can I prove that I ought to go? but, "Can I prove that I ought not to go?"
Partner With Us
One thing I have quickly realized is that church planting cannot be accomplished alone. Individuals do not plant churches, churches plant churches. As we continue this journey Emily and I would like to invite you to come alongside us and join our support team. This is an opportunity to join God’s work to reach the lost. Each individual or group can support us in a unique way through the gifts He has given you.
Prayer - Without prayers we will be unsuccessful. When Jesus talked with His disciples about accomplishing a hard thing He instructed them to pray. Will you support us through prayer?
Encouragement - This will be a difficult transition. We need kind and uplifting words, notes, calls. Remember our girls as they learn to love their new home. Will you support us through encouragement?
Give - I plan to work part-time in the local hospital to establish connection in the community, but there will be many living expenses and church expenses that will need to be met. God will meet those needs and He desires to use His people to accomplish His work. Will you support us by giving?
Go - A pillar of our ministry is outreach into the community. We need people to come on mission to Calgary and participate in VBS, soccer camps, block parties, etc… Will you support us by joining us on mission?
Supporting us can look different for every person. God has a part for every person to play. We hope you can partner with us in whatever way God places on your heart. Thank you for your willingness and obedience to become a ministry partner with us on our church planting journey.
Do you sense God calling you to partner with us in this ministry? We understand God has given every individual varying abilities, we greatly appreciate any level of financial support. Please pray at what level you may be able to partner at:
- $50/mo
- $100/mo
- $250/mo
- $500/mo
- Other
As you pray through this process, please consider partnering with us monthly for a three to five year period. Single donation gifts are also greatly appreciated! If you would like to partner with us financially in God’s work please click the NAMB donation button below.
https://missionaries.namb.net/full/nathan-taylor
Or if you would like to send a check, you can mail them to:
- North American Mission Board
- Fund ID: 281684-Taylor,Nathan
- PO Box 116543
- Atlanta, GA 30368-6543