Ten years ago, youth pastor Mike Cauthorne was sent out of Winn’s Baptist Church in Glen Allen, VA to plant a new church in Mechanicsville. CenterPoint Church is now a thriving community of believers who continue to reach their neighborhood with the Gospel. With established elders, a discipleship emphasis, and an energetic worship service on Sunday morning, what’s next?
In the fall of 2016, a casual conversation between Cauthorne and SBCV church planting strategist Josh Turner turned in to a conversation about church planting.
Cauthorne recalls, “I remember Josh asking me, ‘When are you guys going to plant a church?’” This question made an impact. God had already been speaking to Cauthorne about church planting but in a different way. Instead of his church partnering with another planter, God was calling Cauthorne to plant again. He shared with CenterPoint’s executive pastor and elder Pete Catlin and other elders, and they affirmed this was the direction God was leading. CenterPoint embraced the biblical example to send a team from their church to plant another church with Pastor Cauthorne. The next question was, “Where?”
Through God’s provision, the Cauthornes had moved to North Chesterfield two years prior, and this became the target area for a new church. Turner and Cauthorne met with SBCV associate church planting strategist and church planter Steve Gentry, who had planted only a short distance away, to discuss the need. Gentry was encouraging and supportive of a new church in this fast-growing area of Chesterfield County. North Chesterfield was one of the fastest growing residential
and commercial areas in Richmond—
a fitting place to plant a new church.
After CenterPoint prayerwalked the area, God opened a door that secured a meeting location for the new plant, Resonate Church. It would meet at Skipwith Academy in Westchester Commons. Westchester Commons is the retail component of the Watkins Centre development at state Route 288 and Midlothian Turnpike in Chesterfield County.i Watkins Centre was zoned in 2006 for 1.3 million square feet of retail space and 2.1 million square feet for offices on 640 acres.ii Just recently, construction began on a 1,500-unit apartment complex adjacent to Westchester Commons, where many new families will move and make this area their home.
On Sunday, December 2, 2018, at CenterPoint Church, the elders and members laid hands on the Cauthornes and five other families and commissioned them to “the work that God had called them to.” One of those families, Keith and Roxanne Scott, will be relocating to adjacent Powhatan County where Keith will serve as the assistant pastor of the new plant. On January 6, 2019, Resonate Church launched its first public worship service.
When is your church going to plant a church?
i Llovio, Louis. Richmond Times Dispatch. March 2, 2009.
ii Ibid.
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