Recommended Reading: Adam Gibson

In this series of posts, each of our pastors will be suggesting two books that have been helpful to them on various topics. In this post, we hear from Adam Gibson, who is one of our lead pastors. To find out more about our leadership, visit our Leadership page.

Reason for God by Tim Keller Keller deals first with the main objections that Westerners have with Christianity, then builds a case for Christian belief. I have never read a more helpful book when it comes to dealing with my own doubt, as well as being helpful in answering the common questions of friends who do not know Jesus. I try to read it at least once a year to stay fresh on its content.

When the Church Was a Family by Joseph Hellerman This book gives excellent scriptural insight into how category-shifting it was for a first century person to be told that Jesus intended for his followers to operate like they were family. It changed the way I read the Bible and has been profoundly influential in our church's philosophy, operating practices, and teaching.

Adam is Joining Two Notch

Adam Gibson, the author of this post, is one of our pastors and serves on our vision team together with Allen Tipping. To find out more about our leadership, visit our Leadership page.

From the beginning, our church has had a passion to love and serve the city of Columbia. From the suburbs to the inner city, upper class to lower class, students, professionals, and families. When we say we care about our city, we mean everyone in our city.

A few years ago we began to put the pieces in place to plant a church in the inner-city Two Notch area of downtown Columbia. In January 2014, our Two Notch church began gathering weekly on Sunday afternoons to study the bible together, pray and share what God is up to in their LifeGroups throughout the week. Two Notch's Gatherings are often followed by a neighborhood block party, as a way of getting to know people and building relationships.

No One Should Have to Pay for the Gospel

An unfortunate reality is that in church world ministry often follows money, leaving the inner-city to fend for itself. This is one of the many reasons why I am so proud of our Two Notch church. To be honest, planting a church in a low-income area of our city is a bad business decision, but it’s a beautiful kingdom decision.

To help with this process, Midtown Fellowship became "a family of churches." Two Notch and our Downtown church continue to share as many resources as possible (business operations, website, Recovery ministry, LifeGroup resources, etc.), while remaining united in our vision of being Jesus-centered family on mission. Our hope in doing this is to have a sustainable way of assisting a very under-resourced area of our city.

Why I'm Joining Two Notch

As we operate as a family of churches, we not only get to share organizational resources, but people resources as well.

With that in mind, for the next four months or so I plan to help the leadership of Two Notch in whatever ways I can. I want to assist with leadership development and getting some systems in place that will allow the church to continue its ministry even more effectively. I will still fulfill my “city-wide” responsibilities, and my family and I will remain in our current LifeGroup and attend Downtown Gatherings on Sunday mornings. However, any preaching that I do will be with Two Notch, at the request of Ant Frederick, lead pastor of our Two Notch church.

I've always been blown away at the pastors God has raised up in our church family. Because of that, I'm happy to say that I won’t be missed at all Downtown.

I'd love it if you could join with me in praying that Jesus would make this a fruitful season as I serve and lead with Two Notch, and that God would use it to help more people in inner-city communities hear the gospel.