Church Planting in St. Johns County
Welcome
For many years, Grace Anglican Church has had a desire to plant more churches. We are so excited that Lenny and Caly Konschewitz, former missionaries and church planters in Europe, heard a call from the Lord to come and help us take the next step on this adventure. Our desire is to reach more people with the Gospel, and planting new churches is a great way of doing so.
Thank you so much for your interest in finding out more about this exciting project of our church. Please read through the following Q&A and don’t hesitate to get in touch with Lenny if you would like to know more.
Why St. Johns County?
There are two main reasons.
Firstly, St. Johns County is one of the fastest growing counties in the USA. Thousands of people move there every year and new neighborhoods are currently being built. In other words, there is a need for churches.
Secondly, there is already a great home group which meets in St. Johns County with members who desire to see God grow this “seed”.
What is the vision for the church?
We envision a community that enjoys God above everything else, unites believers in his love and reaches people in a relatable way.
These three dimensions of relationship are based on the conviction that the Kingdom of God is in relationships.
As image-bearers of the Triune God all humans are made with a need for healthy relationships. Based on this vision our mission is to make emotionally healthy disciples who live lives marked by the freedom, joy and love that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit share with each other.
From the outset, our church will carry a DNA of local and global missions as well as multiplication:
Locally, we sense a call to serve the children and youth in St. Johns County. At this point we are still praying about what exactly this will look like, but it is interesting that many people who are already connected to the church plant have jobs that help children in some way.
Globally, a special focus will be on Europe. Many centuries ago, Europeans arrived at the shores of St. Johns County and founded the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine. With our lead planters, Lenny and Caly, having served in Europe over the last decade there is a natural “bridge” which we believe God has intentionally built for his purposes for Europe.
Lastly, we envision a church that multiplies itself by planting more churches in the future in St. Johns County and beyond.
Why an Anglican church?
The Kingdom of God is advancing through many amazing churches and ministries in St. Johns County. In the unity of the Spirit with them we feel called to play our role by focusing on healthy relationships whilst staying committed to the three strands of Anglicanism: the Scriptures, the Spirit and the Sacred.
The Scriptures, because we believe in the authority of the Bible and the call to make disciples of all nations.
The Spirit, because we value the Presence, power and gifts of the Holy Spirit in our midst.
The Sacred, because we embrace the mystery of encountering the Presence of Jesus through Baptism and Communion.
Who are the lead planters?
Lenny & Caly Konschewitz have been involved in church planting work in Europe for many years with Every Nation Ministries. As singles, they helped launch churches and non-profits in Nuremberg, Germany and Madrid, Spain; as a couple, they’ve helped launch a church in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Lenny is originally from Germany and Caly's roots are in Florida. They have two sons, Elias (born in 2016) and Micah (born in 2020).
In the beginning of 2019, as their commitment in Belfast was coming to an end, Lenny and Caly began sensing a call from God to move to Florida to lead a church plant with Grace Anglican. Grace has been an integral partner and supporter on the mission field in Europe for many years.
Check out their video testimony to hear the background story here.
How can I get involved?
If you're interested in attending a training event, a worship service or a prayer meeting, please reach out to Lenny (904-477-4596). Specific days and times are still changing and adjusting at this stage of the church plant.
Learn more about The Table Church by visiting their website or following them on Facebook.
As full-time missionaries, Lenny and Caly are funded by financial partners. If you would like to partner with them, then please click the donate button above.
Or, donations may be mailed to:
Grace Anglican Church
5804 Highway 17
Fleming Island, FL 32003
(Checks made to Grace Anglican Church, noting St. Johns Church Plant in the memo line)