Thanks to support from mission-minded people like you, a Christian Reformed church planted 15 years ago is having ripple effects in Christian leadership and church planting.

A Call to Ministry

Shortly after graduating from college, Brian Na started attending Grace Community Chapel, a Christian Reformed church that Pastor Jae Park planted in 2005 with support from Resonate Global Mission (Home Missions at the time). Na was moved by how God was working through the church and quickly got involved.

“I did everything in the beginning,” said Na. “I didn’t have a specific role. If they needed somebody to lead praise, I did that. If they needed someone to give rides, I did that.”

As Na continued to serve, Pastor Jae took notice and started to mentor him. Eventually, Na felt God call him to full-time ministry and you helped make it possible with support from a Resonate Emerging Leader grant. Na enrolled in seminary, took on a more formal leadership role as an intern at Grace Community Chapel, and continued being mentored by Pastor Jae. 

“I learned how to do ministry under Pastor Jae’s leadership and at the church,” said Na. “Seminary gave me a foundation of theology, but the practice was learned in the church. I think any church planter, any pastor, really needs to do ministry in order to learn what it really means.”

When Na graduated from seminary in 2010, he immediately began working as an associate pastor of Grace Community Chapel. In his time at the church plant, he helped it grow into an 650 -member church with three campuses.

And then God gave Na a vision to plant a church. 

Equipping a Leader

“Our church is a church-planting church,” said Na. “That was our vision from the beginning.”

You helped make it possible. Equipped by Grace Community Chapel and supported in part by Resonate, Na is planting Cornerstone Church in the Queens neighborhood of New York City—but he’s not taking on this daunting leadership role alone. Church plants need strong leaders, and you made it possible for Brian Li to join the church plant as an associate pastor.

Li met Na while attending Grace Community Chapel. Like Na, Li had a heart for ministry and Na started mentoring him. When Li graduated from seminary, he immediately stepped into a pastoral position with Cornerstone Church. A Resonate Emerging Leader grant that you provided helps make it possible for Li to serve and continue being mentored by Na.

“[Na] has walked with me through some of the most difficult times I've had in ministry,” said Li. “He has also helped me to see things from a leadership perspective, guiding me through the responsibilities he's set upon me as well.”

A Thriving Church Plant

Thanks to your support, Cornerstone Church was able to launch their first worship service in the January of 2020—and the church planters are witnessing God at work. Many people have connected with Cornerstone Church, especially Asian Americans, and have remained connected throughout the coronavirus pandemic. 

“What’s been really eye-opening for me is how hungry these people are and that they want to be discipled,” said Na. “I think the Spirit has been sowing seeds in the Queens area.”

Na and Li have been hard at work sharing the gospel with newcomers and discipling believers. “Our hope is to foster a healthy community while also helping them grow in a Biblical understanding of their life,” said Li.

Na said that Li brings a lot to the church plant’s leadership team and has a heart for people to know Jesus.

“[Li] has brought many non-believers into the church through his gift of evangelism and heart for the lost,” said Na. “He does have a heart to plant a church in the future. I hope to replicate everything that I’ve learned so more churches can be planted and more disciples can be made.”

Thank you for supporting church plants through Resonate! Church plants are the frontlines of bringing and being the gospel in neighborhoods, and your support helps start a ripple effect as churches plant more churches and leaders raise up more leaders.