by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Anyone living in the Rice area and beyond is invited to attend a “church planting” meeting at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 in the Old Village Hall on downtown main street in Rice.
The informational meeting is about how organizers have begun Two Rivers Baptist Church in Rice at the rented Village Hall building. Led by Pastor Jesse Laidlaw, the church is Christ-centered, with a family-integrated style of worship, featuring Bible preaching and community serving.
Church “planting” is a term used to describe an effort to create a church where one is needed. Laidlaw notes in the greater St. Cloud area, there are 175 churches and only seven of them are Baptist in doctrine. Rice, he said, has a population of 1,337 and is growing fast. Almost half of the people, he said, are “unchurched,” meaning they do not have a regular church to go to or do not attend church at all.
According to the Two Rivers Baptist website, 10 churches die every day in the nation, and 3,700 die every year – thus the need to “plant” more churches.
The Two Rivers website states: “The Truth needs to be told; Hell is real. Jesus is the only hope.”
Led by pastors and deacons, the Two Rivers church will also offer a visitation ministry, Bible studies, Christian counseling and fun events.
Laidlaw was involved with art education at St. Cloud State University before earning his master of divinity degree from the Andersonville Theological Seminary in Camilla, Ga. He did an internship at Grace Baptist Fellowship Church in Sartell at which time he decided to dedicate himself to being a church “planter.”
Pastor Jesse Laidlaw
