God Brought us To Durham for a Reason
It was October 2019. Mary and I had just packed up our life in Boston, where we had spent the last 4 years pastoring and revitalizing a struggling church. We had poured our hearts and lives into that season of ministry, and that season had come to a close. We were moving to Durham, a city that we knew very little about except that it was the home of Duke University Hospital. The progression of Mary’s lung disease, Cystic Fibrosis, had brought us to Duke — anticipating Mary’s need for a liver and lung transplant.
But within a few weeks of arriving in Durham, everything was changing... for the better. Mary had started a not-yet-FDA-approved medication that was dramatically and miraculously improving her health. All of the sudden, our plans for last resort organ transplants were put on pause.
This was incredible. Our wildest dreams were coming true.
But I still had questions about God's plan.
Why did God bring us to Durham if we didn't need to be there for transplant?
We thought we had come to Durham to fight for Mary’s life, but what if God’s purposes were different than we had imagined? What if God had brought us to Durham to be part of the church plant where we served for the last three years? What if God had us be part of that church plant to grow our hearts for church planting? What if growing our hearts for church planting was God’s way of preparing me to come to Waypoint as a Church Planting Resident? What if planting a church in the Triangle was God’s plan all along when He brought us to Durham?
God brought us to Durham for a reason.
But within a few weeks of arriving in Durham, everything was changing... for the better. Mary had started a not-yet-FDA-approved medication that was dramatically and miraculously improving her health. All of the sudden, our plans for last resort organ transplants were put on pause.
This was incredible. Our wildest dreams were coming true.
But I still had questions about God's plan.
Why did God bring us to Durham if we didn't need to be there for transplant?
We thought we had come to Durham to fight for Mary’s life, but what if God’s purposes were different than we had imagined? What if God had brought us to Durham to be part of the church plant where we served for the last three years? What if God had us be part of that church plant to grow our hearts for church planting? What if growing our hearts for church planting was God’s way of preparing me to come to Waypoint as a Church Planting Resident? What if planting a church in the Triangle was God’s plan all along when He brought us to Durham?
God brought us to Durham for a reason.
Our Church Planting Network
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In May 2023, I joined the pastoral team of Waypoint Church in Durham, NC as a Church Planting Resident. Waypoint is a an incredible church with a passion to reach the Triangle region of North Carolina and the Nations with the love and good news of Jesus. When Waypoint was planted out of the Summit Collaborative in 2014, part of the vision and mission was that Waypoint would be a church plant that plants other churches.
That's where our story and Waypoint's story intersect.
At the same time that Waypoint was looking for a Church Planting Resident, Mary and I were prayerfully seeking the Lord about our next steps in ministry. By the grace of God and the miraculous stability of Mary's health, we now had the capacity to pursue our calling to serve the church in new ways that we had never before imagined. That's when the Lord started stirring our hearts for church planting.
Partnering with the Summit Collaborative, Waypoint's vision is to plant a church somewhere in the Triangle region of North Carolina (Raleigh - Durham - Chapel Hill). We are excited to be a part of that vision. Over the next two years, I'll be serving alongside the staff of Waypoint, develop as a church planter through the Summit Collaborative's church planting cohorts, and begin building a launch team from within Waypoint to go with us when we plant.
At the same time that Waypoint was looking for a Church Planting Resident, Mary and I were prayerfully seeking the Lord about our next steps in ministry. By the grace of God and the miraculous stability of Mary's health, we now had the capacity to pursue our calling to serve the church in new ways that we had never before imagined. That's when the Lord started stirring our hearts for church planting.
Partnering with the Summit Collaborative, Waypoint's vision is to plant a church somewhere in the Triangle region of North Carolina (Raleigh - Durham - Chapel Hill). We are excited to be a part of that vision. Over the next two years, I'll be serving alongside the staff of Waypoint, develop as a church planter through the Summit Collaborative's church planting cohorts, and begin building a launch team from within Waypoint to go with us when we plant.
The vision for church planting
The Triangle region is growing exponentially as people move to the area. It is consistently one of the fastest growing areas in the country. As the more and more people flock to the Triangle, there is an increasing need for gospel-centered, missional churches who can reach our community and the nations who are right at our doorstep.
As we prepare for church planting, it's our prayer that God would open the door to revitalize an existing, struggling church somewhere in the Triangle region through replanting. We are keeping an open palm for however God leads us, whether it's starting a new church or replanting an existing one. We invite you to joining us in praying that God would lead us as to where and when we plant.
As we prepare for church planting, it's our prayer that God would open the door to revitalize an existing, struggling church somewhere in the Triangle region through replanting. We are keeping an open palm for however God leads us, whether it's starting a new church or replanting an existing one. We invite you to joining us in praying that God would lead us as to where and when we plant.
Partner With US
As we prepare for church planting, you can partner with us in several ways...
Pray for us. As we follow Jesus as a family, we need a team of people to surround us in prayer and encouragement. Here are a few specific ways you can pray...
Support us financially. Over the few years, we are raising financial support both for our time in residency and for the initial years of church planting until the new plant becomes financially independent. Waypoint Church has graciously offered to provide a portion of our salary, and our goal is to raise an additional $15,000 for each year of my residency. When we move toward launching, we will have additional financial needs and any donations above that amount will go toward supporting us in the initial years of church planting.
Pray for us. As we follow Jesus as a family, we need a team of people to surround us in prayer and encouragement. Here are a few specific ways you can pray...
- Pray for our preparation as Peter serves as a Church Planting Resident.
- Pray for the love of Jesus to be the center of our home as we welcome children into our home through foster care.
- Pray for God to raise up a team of people to be part of our church planting launch team who have a heart to be on mission together to reach our community.
- Pray that God would lead us to a church in need of revitalization that would have a vision to be replanted.
Support us financially. Over the few years, we are raising financial support both for our time in residency and for the initial years of church planting until the new plant becomes financially independent. Waypoint Church has graciously offered to provide a portion of our salary, and our goal is to raise an additional $15,000 for each year of my residency. When we move toward launching, we will have additional financial needs and any donations above that amount will go toward supporting us in the initial years of church planting.
Would you Prayerfully consider Partnering With Us?
To give financially toward our church planting preparation through Waypoint Church, visit https://waypointrdu.churchcenter.com/giving/to/peter-frey-church-planting-fund
Checks can be written to "Waypoint Church" with "Peter Frey Church Planting" in the memo line. Send checks to Waypoint Church, 6804 Farrington Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
All gifts are tax-deductible donations through Waypoint Church.
Thank you for partnering with us to reach the Triangle and the Nations with the good news of Jesus!
Checks can be written to "Waypoint Church" with "Peter Frey Church Planting" in the memo line. Send checks to Waypoint Church, 6804 Farrington Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
All gifts are tax-deductible donations through Waypoint Church.
Thank you for partnering with us to reach the Triangle and the Nations with the good news of Jesus!
