PUEBLA, Mexico <\/b>\u2013 Lifepoint Church of O\u2019Fallon entered an official partnership with churches here when a mission team of eight from the church traveled to the region, Aug. 22 \u2013 27, with financial backing from the Missouri Baptist Convention\u2019s (MBC) Vivian McCaughan Missional Living Endowment Fund.<\/p>\n
Established in 2010 to support MBC partnership missions efforts, as well as other ministries, the McCaughan Fund now has helped to inscribe partnership missions into Lifepoint\u2019s DNA. During their trip, representatives from the O\u2019Fallon church plant signed a document signifying the congregation\u2019s commitment to partner with the work in Puebla by helping to plant a new church in the village of La Palita.<\/span><\/p>\n But it is the hope of Lifepoint Church members to plant more than just one church. According to the church\u2019s Facebook page, they hope to \u201csee 50 new church plants started and 1,000 baptisms by the year 2020 in Puebla.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important for these new churches to begin doing missions outside of their own particular church body, so that they will not fall into the trap of growing inward but will have their focus on those who are outside,\u201d Ken McCune, MBC multiethnic church planting catalyst and team leader for this mission trip, said. \u201cThere is no doubt that Eric Darst is leading Lifepoint Church to be the type of church that is concerned not just for their own wellbeing, but also for reaching out to others\u2014whether that is locally or, in this case, in another country like Mexico.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n During a sermon at Lifepoint after the mission trip, Pastor Eric Darst invited mission team members to share their experiences from the trip. He then reminded the members of his church that they were saved so that they might call others to salvation and live for Christ, who died for them.<\/span><\/p>\n