This is the question Cathy and I, our staff and some very close friends have been praying about for the last several months.


Three years ago, when we opened the doors to Northstar Church, we determined to be a “going and reaching” church rather than a “clutching and grabbing” church. We all have seen too many churches who are more focused on keeping “the found” rather than reaching the lost. Really, I believe the more we focus on the lost in our communities, the more we will fire up the found to engage their gifts for God. The final words of Jesus were “Go!” He told us to continually look for new places, new people and new cultures to take the Gospel to.


That said, up until a few months ago, I never thought for one second that the Lord would ever call us to help plant a life-giving church in Pryor, Oklahoma. I’ve been through Pryor more than a hundred times. I’ve eaten at KFC in Pryor at dozen times, gassed up at Conoco more than that… and I might add that I have contributed to the city budget by paying a few speeding tickets over the past 20 years.


But Pryor, Oklahoma is exactly what God has given us as our next “Go” assignment.


Now let me introduce you to one of my close friends over the past 20 years. His name is Roy Evans. For many years, Roy and I served alongside one another as colleagues in ministry. He was the director of one of the largest Christian camps in America. When I was a youth pastor, one of the highlights of our summer camp experience every year was the final night when I would have Roy preach. It seemed like God gave him an ability to break through to the hardest hearts and toughest young men… big, strong football players would be in tears at the altar every year after Roy’s message. Roy has an extraordinary gift with people and he and I have always had a special connection.


Five months ago, Roy asked several of his closest friends to join he and his wife Candy in praying about what exactly God had next for them in ministry. After praying for his future, I told Roy that I felt he had a gift to Pastor. Many other friends told him the same thing. We wondered if he might be used to come and help us in north Dallas in some capacity. I asked him to preach on a weekend at Northstar and when he and Candy came… we talked, prayed and shared the vision of Northstar Church. At the end of that weekend, we both knew God was up to something even greater than what we had dreamed. Roy told me about his heart for the people of Pryor and the surrounding communities.


A couple weeks later, I found myself driving around Pryor in Roy’s big white truck, praying over the community and asking the Lord to give us His heart for this work. Every place we stopped people knew Roy Evans… as a friend and a man of integrity. I asked Roy what kind of church he thought the Lord was going to raise up in Pryor. First he told me, “Blaine, I just want to love hurting people and bring them to closer to Jesus.” Then he looked at me and said, “God put three numbers in my heart. 500… 1000… and 2500.” As we talked, we knew these numbers were benchmark stages of growth that God had given us in going after the unchurched people of this area. It is clear that God has plans for this church to be a regional rural work that He is raising up. I believe Northstar Church in Pryor will become a model for other rural churches. We see in our hearts hundreds and hundreds of people coming from all over northeast Oklahoma to help build a church that will change the world.


At the end of that day in Pryor, Roy pulled his truck into the parking lot of an insurance company. He told me the man that owned this is one of his nation’s top producers every year. As we sat down in this man’s office, he looked our way and said, “Roy, you don’t have a choice about this church… you have to do it.” This man went on the describe how he had grown weary of all the infighting in the denominational churches that he and his wife had been raised in. They had finally stopped attending church four years ago and have been waiting for a church like Northstar… full of love and life… heartfelt worship… that speaks the language of the common man… and reaches out to a lost community. At the end of our long conversation about the Lord, he looked at us and said, “I will be your first member and one of your greatest supporters… and I have a dozen friends just like me that I know will come too.”


Today, I feel like Esther. This is a “such a time as this” moment for us all. As Roy and Candy pastor Northstar Church in Pryor, Cathy and I along with the people of Northstar in Frisco look forward to strategically partnering with them to develop and sustain this new church community. We are inviting you to be a part of this partnership.

You have taken the time to read this far. Now I am going to ask you to do three things:


01. Pray for Northstar Church Pryor.
Right now, our greatest needs are wisdom, favor, resources and facilities.


02. If you live in northeast Oklahoma, come out to one of our “Vision Gatherings.”
If you are looking for a church home, we will share the vision and direction of this exciting new work. And even if you already have a great church home, but believe in what we are doing, please come out and cheer us on!


Here are two dates and locations you can choose from:


Sunday, Nov. 15 - 6pm - Tulsa Vision Gathering
Renaissance Hotel
6808 South 107th East Ave, Tulsa, Ok. | MAP


Monday, Nov. 16 - 7pm - Pryor Vision Gathering
Holiday Inn Express Suites Pryor
271 Mid America Rd, Pryor, Ok. | MAP


Please rsvp for one of the Northstar Vision Gatherings by sending an email confirmation to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).


03. If you know a friend or family member that lives in northeast Oklahoma, call, email, text, re-publish this on their wall… just find a way to tell them about these meetings and encourage them to attend.


You may also forward any questions you may have about Northstar Church Pryor to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).


What an opportunity lies before us! There are 50,000 people within a 10 mile radius of Pryor, Oklahoma. There were likely less that 10,000 of those people in churches last Easter Sunday. Friends, that leaves more than 40,000 people who are away from church and likely away from God. We have a job to do. Thank you for joining us in prayer, in serving and in resourcing this exciting new assignment.


Could Jesus say go to Pryor?


He just did.

Categories: Church •Church Growth •Church Planting
Tags: northstar • church • america • gospel • life • time • courage • times • god • jesus
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