Does Denton need a new church? This is the natural question Kristen and I began to wrestle with last Spring. This question can feel like an indictment on existing churches in Denton, but nothing could be further from the truth. The city offers great churches. Some of my mentors led churches in town. Two of my best friends serve as pastors in Denton. If I wasn’t planting this new church I would feel very comfortable in a number of churches in Denton. However, I came to the conclusion that Denton does need a new church.

John Piper, through the “Treasuring Christ Together” statement, makes an effective case for new churches. The reality is that no church can reach everyone. The reality is that America has over 200 million unbelievers. The reality is that there are fewer churches per capita today than ever before. The reality is that even with the glorious rise of the megachurch (2,000 in attendance or more), there is no county in America that has more believers today than they did 10 years ago.

Denton is also growing, and growing rapidly. When I graduated High School in 1996 we were one unified graduating class for the entire city. Today Denton hosts three high schools. Since I was a kid, Denton has basically tripled?! In the past 10-12 years the 76210 zip code has grown from 10,000 to 40,000?!

The reality of new churches is that they are effective at reaching unbelievers. I believe this is true for a number of reasons, but at the end of the day new churches engage unbelievers easier than more established churches. If your heart is to reach the unreached, then you should have a heart for church planting.

I also love new churches because they re-engage believers to God’s mission. When we started Christ Community in Houston I felt like the deck got re-shuffled. I remember that we had a man who we loved and thought would be a great leader. Sadly, if this guy was at an established church he might have to wait years to begin serving in the church. Those fleeting years would have been wasted. We were able to engage this particular man in mission and saw him fulfill God’s calling for his life. New churches have a way of getting good men off the sidelines and into the game.

Last Spring I studied the demographics and learned that there were four mega churches within a 20 minute drive of the 76210 zip code. But I also learned that south Denton needed more hands focusing like a laser on those 40,000 people. Larger churches are effective at attracting people to events and programs, but we want to be a missional church building relationships with those in our neighborhoods. I view myself as a foot soldier going directly into the battle.

Finally, we have been blown away by the support of area pastors who see the need. Leaders like Gary Loudermilk at the Denton Baptist Association believe there is actually a need for two new churches in southern Denton. Even pastors in the area like Brian Blendon have thanked us for coming and joining in the fight to “push back the darkness.” I have also been encouraged and inspired by pastor Ross Appleton who pastors a 100 person church yet wants to send people from Christ Community to join the new church?!

Denton has grown and we simply want to join in the fight as broken people loving broken people.

We have landed in Denton! Like most of you, we are having a crazy Summer. I wrapped up my responsibilities at Christ Community Church in Houston, am working to transition Hope for Houston, have been networking with leaders in Denton, and working to lay the groundwork for a new church. I also spent last week at Southern Seminary working on my doctorate right before moving on Monday. We are still in boxes but in our new home!

We are so appreciative of the calls and texts and meals. We are also appreciative of the friends who have stopped by to welcome us to our new city. Our family is experiencing a lot of excitement as we think and pray about the new church.

Transition is always intense. Even last week was filled with late nights and early mornings in order to meet writing deadlines with the degree at Southern. Kristen has felt more intensity than I have felt as she has worked to set up playdates with close friends, find a new house, pack up a house, move into a new house, and start a new life in a new city.

Last week our professor opened our mornings with readings from the book of Philippians. The morning devotions greatly encouraged me during this intense season. Paul is confident that the God who “began a good work” (1:6) in the lives of the Philippians “will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (1:6). Today we can also experience comfort knowing that the good work that God has begun in our lives will be completed. The news, however, gets better because “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (2:12). God will complete all the good works he begins in our lives! During this intense season it has been an encouragement to know that God is working good and the seemingly endless tasks will get done.

We have been all over the place this Summer as we transition from Houston to Denton. We have spent the past week in Denton so Kristen could help with her father and I could connect with friends and leaders. My father-in-law improves everyday, and it is a blessing to see his sense of humor returning. He will be in a rehab hospital for at least another three weeks. Thank you for your faithful prayers.

It has been a joy to spend time with Jeff Williams who is one of my early mentors and has faithfully served Denton as pastor of First Baptist Church for over 15 years. I was blessed to hang with Jeff Weisner the college pastor at Denton Bible Church and hear about his plans to go through the residency program at Capitol Hill Baptist. He is leaving as we are arriving. I also had some productive and encouraging meetings with some of the pastors at Christ Community Church. It has been a special joy to reconnect with the Crenshaws who have already expressed interest in the new church. They are close friends who were in our church in Austin. I had the honor of baptizing Andy and marrying he and Jillian! It has also been fun to spend time with many other old friends this week.

Loving friendship has been refreshing to the soul recently. Jesus was described in Luke 7:34 as a “friend of tax collectors and sinners.” He was rebuked for this friendship in Luke 15 and responds with the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The unearned love of the Father in that parable is the love we feel from our Heavenly Father right now. We have been so blessed by His friendship, as well as the loving friendships he has provided us in Houston and Denton. We know there will be highs and lows when starting a new church, but the unmerited love of the Father refreshes our souls and moves us forward.

We officially move to Denton on July 22nd. I am working hard to develop our initial strategy. In order to begin laying out our plans I will launch an email newsletter by the middle of August. We need people committed to praying for us and this newsletter is how we can get the word out about our prayer needs. If you want to be included on the newsletter please email me at micah.caswell@gmail.com.

God continues to propel our family to Denton and is providing for us each step of the way. In fact, we are feeling his provision during this season in unique ways. His provision is like an engine driving us to Denton but also is building our faith. I have been reminded that his provisions are birthed from his character.

I Corinthians 15:10 says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.” I’m a Christian, even a pastor, so I know in my head all about God’s grace, but the past couple of weeks I have deeply felt his grace toward me. I am what I am because of his grace, but continue to be changed by his unearned workings in my life.

Baxter says that God’s glorification and God’s salvation/provision for his people are “not two decrees with God, but one decree, to glorify his mercy in their salvation.” God has been very merciful and gracious to our family, thus he is glorified. In the end, I am simply overwhelmed by his mercy and grace thus continue to grow in my faith and happiness in Him.

God is providing for all our needs. Numerous details for the church plant continue to fall into place. The housing market in Denton is intense right now, especially for rent houses. We were initially discouraged but he provided us a rent house zoned for a good public school and the owners are believers who have been praying for believers to rent their house! We heard this morning that a spot just opened up in the second grade class at the local Christian school we have been researching!

Starting a new church will have its ups and downs but in the end we know it will be faith building and will lead us to be more satisfied in Jesus than ever before. As we experience God, like a boat’s engine, propelling us into this new endeavor we want to share the joy with you all. Finally, I am more driven than ever to make sure all this grace is “not in vain.”

Our family has exciting news that we want to share with you…this Summer we will be moving to Denton to join the staff of Christ Community Church as a Church Plant Resident. The residency won’t officially start until September but we want to get our family settled and begin building relationships. The goal of this position is to plant a new church with the mission of reaching the southern part of the city. The southern portion of Denton is where the city has grown tremendously.

Like all cities there are existing churches in Denton, even great churches that we love dearly. We initially were not convinced of a need for a new church in Denton. We have spent over a year studying the data, praying, and discussing the endeavor with other leaders and pastors. In the end we have learned that the Denton portion of the 76210 area code (over 20,000 people) needs a conservative evangelical church to focus solely on them. We realized that even though people in 76210 can drive 20 minutes to one of four mega churches, there is a glaring need to build community in south Denton.

Recently I met with a pastor whose ministry it is to strategize on how to serve Denton County. My friend said that there is a need for two churches in south Denton! Then he said that the profile of who should start a church there is a guy in his mid 30′s who is able to relate to professionals. We became convinced of the need then convinced that our family has the right experience to meet that need.

Finally, over the past weeks we have simply developed a heart for the community. Even though Kristen and I grew up in Denton, God began to give us a genuine burden for Denton and desire to love our hometown. God has begun to give us a vision to share the beautiful gospel of grace, serve those in need, and build community in our hometown.

This Sunday will be our last at Christ Community Houston and we plan to move to Denton in mid July. We plan to start the Denton residency in September. Please be in prayer for our family as we transition. Please also pray for this new work.