Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Alabama Baptist
Search
Close
The Alabama Baptist
Search
Close
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Free Email Newsletter

Las Vegas’ homeless teenagers burden Alabamians to relocate, plant church

  • March 11, 2021
  • Grace Thornton
  • Alabama News, Baptist News, Instagram, National News, Top Stories
Photo courtesy of Joseph Gibbons

Las Vegas’ homeless teenagers burden Alabamians to relocate, plant church

Joseph Gibbons and his wife, Kristen, had been involved in youth ministry in Alabama for a while when God started tugging on their hearts about church planting.

“We just sensed that God was expanding our heart for the church and giving us a burden we didn’t quite have a name for yet,” Gibbons said.

They also had a heart for the next generation, and when they took a trip to Las Vegas to lead a youth weekend at a church there, the burden began to take shape.

“One of the things about Las Vegas — it’s our nation’s capital for teenage homelessness. That was very alarming to us,” Gibbons said. “Then when my wife had a young lady in her small group who was homeless, that stat became a story, and that made it real.”

‘Loving and gracious’

In August 2020, the couple and their two children, Canon and Riley Jo, touched down in the city with plans to plant a church.

They’re among many Alabamians who have planted their lives in other places to start churches with the North American Mission Board’s Send Network. Alabama Baptists are scattered all over North America, though some places are definitely becoming frequent landing places for church planters from the state. Montana is one — several planters have moved there from Alabama in the past decade.

And Las Vegas is another. Ryan Ivy and his family — featured in the March 4 issue — moved there from Mobile in 2018 to plant Image Church.

And now the Gibbons family is there too, along with several other Alabamians who felt God leading them to help plant Favor City Church.

For Gibbons, his family’s move to the city was a moment he felt God had been preparing him for his whole life. His dad, John, is Alabama state director for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Gibbons came to faith in Christ as a middle schooler in the FCA context.

As he grew in his faith, he served at his church — Thorington Road Baptist, Montgomery — and then went to the University of Mobile. That’s where he met Kristen. They got married right after college, and he served at Dayspring Baptist Church, Mobile, as student pastor.

After a while, they moved to Tuscaloosa for Gibbons to serve in student ministry at Valley View Baptist Church, then back to Dayspring Baptist. Along the way, he crossed paths with a church planter from Las Vegas, and God used his story to clarify Gibbons’ call.

Then after the visit where Gibbons and his wife met the homeless teenage girl, they knew where they were supposed to be.

“We wanted to be in a place where the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few,” he said. “And we really sensed through relationships God had given us and through His word that He had confirmed this was our next step.”

Dayspring Baptist came alongside the Gibbonses as they explored that call and supported them in every step, he said. “They’ve been so loving and gracious to us.”

Another family who had served with the couple at Dayspring — Joseph and Cyndi Eades — also felt God calling them to help plant Favor City Church with the Gibbonses. They also moved in 2020 with their two daughters, Ansleigh and Cadyn.

And Julianne Patterson, who was discipled by Kristen as a teen at Dayspring, also moved out to join the launch team.

“God has been gracious to grow our team,” Gibbons said. “Our launch team is up to about 20 adults now, and we’ve got others engaging who don’t know Jesus and who are checking out our community to see what it’s all about.”

He asked for Alabama Baptists to pray for his team to have continued favor in the city and for them to have wisdom about where to meet and serve.

Missionary support

He also asked for prayer for God to protect the team and their families from spiritual warfare and for continued financial provision. Some of the Gibbonses’ funding comes from support raising and some comes from funds given through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.

Every year, 100% of the AAEO goes directly to fund missionary work like the Gibbonses’ work in Las Vegas. The national offering goal this year is $70 million, and the Alabama goal is $6,250,000.

This week — March 7–14 — is the Week of Prayer for North American Missions, which features the stories of seven church planters like the Gibbonses who are investing their lives to reach the lost with the hope of Jesus Christ.

Prayer guides and videos with these stories and more are available for free. For more information visit anniearmstrong.com.

For more information about Favor City Church, visit favorcitylv.com or find them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at @favorcitylv.

Share with others:

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on email
Email

Latest News

  • FBC Talladega welcomes new student pastor
    FBC Talladega welcomes new student pastor
    March 23, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Your Voice: 3 lessons from Ephesians for the ‘new you’
    Your Voice: 3 lessons from Ephesians for the ‘new you’
    March 23, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • ‘Easter Matters’ devotional explores identity in light of resurrection through the Gospel of John
    ‘Easter Matters’ devotional explores identity in light of resurrection through the Gospel of John
    March 23, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Former pastor of Providence Baptist in Anniston dies at 66

August 17, 2022

Craig Spurlin, 66, former pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Anniston, died Aug. 2. Spurlin was licensed into gospel ministry

Headline News from around the Southeast for April 28

April 28, 2022

Arkansas In early April, a team of six volunteers from Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief found an unexpected need when they

Book review: Mark Croston’s ‘Big Results Leadership’ lays out steps to God-centered leadership

August 22, 2021

‘Big Results Leadership’ By Mark Croston B&H Publishing Group, 2021 How do ministry leaders know if they’re going in the

Facebook tests new ‘prayer post’ feature

August 10, 2021

Facebook has rolled out a new prayer request feature, a tool embraced by some religious leaders as a cutting-edge way

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos
  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy
  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
The Alabama Baptist
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 The Alabama Baptist, Inc.
  • Privacy Policy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
Email:
news@thealabamabaptist.org

About

  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos
  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy
  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service

Log In

Lost your password?

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel