BMH Editor's Blog

Kent, OH, Church-Plant Makes Impact

Posted by Terry White on October 26, 2006

Catalyst, a new Grace Brethren-affiliated church near the Kent State University campus in Kent, Ohio, recently launched under the direction of Jonathan Herron, Here are some excerpts from the church’s recent newsletter:

September 10th saw the realization of a dream for a team of twenty and thirty-somethings in Portage County.

After nearly a year of praying, planning, mobilizing, and serving, Catalyst Church successfully launched in Kent, Ohio. With 150 people attending Catalyst’s inaugural worship service and boasting a current demographic of 90% college students, Catalyst is already reaching people who traditionally disappear from churches on Sunday mornings.

Here are just a few of the responses from early participants in the church-plant.

“My name is Stephanie and I have been to three of the four weeks of Catalyst. I too have been burned out and lost from church for sometime now and have been grateful that something like Catalyst has come along.

“I really enjoy the services and feel a closeness to God that I have not been able to feel for some time. I am interested in joining as a member of the church and I am also interested in taking a few of the magazines to hand out. Thanks!”

Another young person responded, “Well I ventured out last night and needless to say, it was pretty cool! I enjoyed it. The basic way I can describe it is that you just feel welcome there and that you have a purpose for being there. That’s how church should be, or at least that’s my opinion on it.”

Yet another said, “I’m a sophomore at Kent State University which has a campus of 24,000 undergraduates. Very few churches in the area target the 20- something age group, and Catalyst is beginning to do something about that.

“Although I thought I had been very spiritually stable coming into my freshman year at KSU, I found out quickly that there were no campus groups to spiritually feed and sustain me. I found a few groups where I could have fun with Christian friends, but no church that made me hungry for more of God.

“Catalyst has been an answer to prayer for me. I have only attended for little over a month and I am already active in their dynamic childrens’ ministry. I love the people and the vision of Catalyst”

Jonathan Herron says, “Catalyst is a start-from-scratch church plant, seeking to impact a county where 85% of our friends & neighbors never darken a church door. After almost a year of planning and just seven weeks of public services, Catalyst is off to a remarkably healthy start.

“BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP. As it takes church plants on average almost two years before they can become self-supporting, Catalyst is in critical need of significant donations to continue this good work in Kent. Due to budget constraints we are already making severe cuts in our ministry.

“ In faith we are praying for $12,000 in outside donations to come in by December 15th to ensure there is no interruption in ministry heading into 2007. Catalyst Church is recognized by the IRS as a non-profit and therefore all donations are tax-deductible.”

Donations can be mailed to: Catalyst Church PO Box 3653 Kent, OH 44240. Further information is available on the church’s website at http://www.catalystchurch.cc/index.htm.