It is always a cause for celebration when a new church is planted, and the planting of Genesis Church in South Minneapolis is no different. However, the model adopted by Genesis stands out as unique.

Officially birthed from Trinity, Waconia in Fall of 2013, Genesis is structured around missional communities (called gospel communities), which are essentially small groups that worship, serve, and experience fellowship together on a weekly basis. After following the example of many other congregations and restructuring Trinity’s small group ministry into missional communities, Pastor Dave Larson felt this was the direction that would bear the best fruit.

In 2010, after launching some transformative ministries in the greater Waconia area, Larson was encouraged to explore church planting. Through that experience and a formal assessment process (including an interview to be a church planter in Tennessee), he felt a clear call to plant a church. Through a time of prayer and discernment, the Lord made it clear to Larson and those he was working closely with that South Minneapolis was the destination for this new plant.

God moved two other families to join Larson and his family in physically relocating to South Minneapolis in early 2013 to launch their first gospel community. The Christopherson family served as apprentices with the Larsons before launching a second gospel community. The Danz family currently serves as apprentices and will launch a third gospel community by the end of 2015.

The impact of these gospel communities has already been felt. The Christophersons have a neighbor married to a former Catholic who was baptized with her daughter simply because of this Catholic background. Ever since the Christophersons moved in, they have made a strong connection with this family, especially the wife. When they launched their gospel community, the wife was the first one to sign up. Larson remarks, “we don't know if she had much, if any, faith prior to Charlie and Heather's work with her, but she absolutely loves spending time with the rest of the Community and is like a sponge - just absorbing as much as she can about Jesus and following him!”

These gospel communities also gather together once a month at Mt. Zion, Minneapolis for large worship gatherings. The first of these large gatherings was on January 25. Over 100 people attended this launch service, including members of Genesis communities and supporters from Trinity and throughout the district.

Larson is excited about the future and prays that, just as those who planted Genesis, “the church at large would in some way be inspired to think creatively when it comes to living and proclaiming the Gospel.”