When she called a Craigslist seller in Holly Springs, North Carolina, Anna (not her real name) never expected to meet a pastor from her hometown or to become a member of a church plant. A Grand Rapids native, Anna was surprised when she called on an ad for a treadmill and the seller, pastor Mark Knetsch, recognized her 616 area code.
Anna had stopped attending church at the time. But after talking for a while and discussing their Michigan and Christian Reformed roots, Mark told her about Resurrection Life, the church he was planting right down the street. Anna attended a service. Two years later she is still an active member of the congregation and leads the Sunday school program.
“Seeing God work through the simple things and getting people who understand what we’re trying to do is important,” explained Mark. “We need that kickstart of getting people back into the church.”
Mark has seen God at work through the partnership of the people within this tight knit community. “Seeing us gathering together with our differences under a common vision and then living out that vision through very simple ways has been a core of our community.”
In addition to partners in the community, Resurrection Life also partners with Christian Reformed Home Missions. The church plant has just finished three years of grant funding, and Mark is thankful for the launchpad the church received from Home Missions in these critical beginning years. Mark also stressed the importance of the support from the Home Missions office, from help fundraising to conferences to encouragement.
Like many other church plants, Resurrection Life had a humble beginning in a living room. Now blessed with a growing congregation of 40, Mark hopes to continue this mission of partnership and community throughout Holly Springs.
