May 20, 2026

Memorial Day often marks the “up-north” trek for Michiganders. If you go up north, or lived up north, or have family and friends up north, you know the challenge of finding a healthy church. While it is an accepted part of the up-north life to drive a long way for groceries, gas, hardware, etc, it is hard when you have to drive an hour to find a faithful group of believers. The distance precludes the amount of fellowship your soul needs.

This week, I met a guy from up north (think Mio, Rose City area) who grew up driving an hour for church. This brother, after graduating from Southern Seminary, and doing an internship with a pastor friend of mine, is returning to his roots up north in order to plant a church. Since so many of you have told me of the need through the years, I was thrilled to meet this brother (Alec) and encourage him. As we talked, he told me that he has been coached by another pastor from up-north, named Michael Goforth. Michael, pastors in Port Austin (Mercy Hill Church) and we have had a lot of involvement in helping Mercy Hill get established. We recently had a building team work on a major building project for them. The faithfulness and influence of Mercy Hill Church is a great blessing. For us, it’s like watching your kid growing up well. So now, with Michael helping to oversee Alec, I and we should feel kind of like happy grandparents.

Alec and his family and a few others are moving to MI in July. Like Austin and Taylor Segar are doing not far from here, Alec and his team will start working on forming a core group of believers who can become the formation of a new biblically faithful congregation. If you know people who live in that area (Rose City, Mio) who might be interested in being part of this church plant, please call or email us here at the church office and give their names and contact information to Anna. I will make certain those names get to Alec and his team.

Just an encouragement and thank-you: We support Southern Seminary, 9Marks Ministry, and other ministries that have been influential in Michael and Alec’s lives. We know that there are a lot of good things that are going on through these ministries, but it is really nice when some of it is happening around us as well.

Who knows, maybe in about 5 years, this church will be planting another one “up-north.”

Grace and Peace,

Bob