Stepping into the New

As longtime leaders within Cobourg Alliance Church, Ray and Trina Jones are not unfamiliar with the connection between deeper life and missions.

Recently, they began to wonder what it would look like to share the gospel in a new way in their area. Northumberland County, east of Toronto in Central Ontario, is a semi-rural area which is likely to see swift growth in the next 10 years as the GTA continues to expand. Through prayer and discernment, and in response to the many relationships they have built with their neighbours, the Joneses have been given a vision to lead a network of house churches across the region.

As part of the vision of the Alliance to share the good news of Jesus within our Sea to Sea region, we are thrilled to celebrate this New Venture.

When asked about the scariest thing about stepping out into something completely new Ray had this to say:

There are many factors that create uncertainty and at times anxiousness for me. After being in full time vocational church ministry for the past 17 years and quite comfortable with that culture and context, this next step takes our family into the unknown. Although we know this is what Jesus is asking us to do, the waters ahead are uncharted territory and it’s easy to become frazzled with the “what if’s” voice of our anxious hearts rather than focused on the “follow me” voice of the Spirit. So are we afraid at times? You bet. The direction, the vision, the passion, the mission is all so much bigger than us and we know that this direction is beyond the scope of what we can do. It just keeps us coming back to the question “What is Jesus asking us to do, and what does it look like for us to respond to His voice?”

Ray will be finishing up his time at Cobourg Alliance Church on March 31st 2019.

Want to join Jesus in working toward something new in Northumberland? Think Jesus may be calling you to do something new? Learn more on the New Ventures website and get in touch today.