Forming Disciples, Planting Churches: A Vision for the Inland Northwest

Jeremy Lyerla
Jul 29
5 min read

Updated: 10 hours ago

What if every small town in the Inland Northwest—Deer Park, Chattaroy, Colbert, Elk, Loon Lake, Springdale, and beyond—had a vibrant Reformed witness?What if our homes, small groups, and churches weren’t isolated expressions of faith but threads in a tapestry of generational discipleship and gospel-centered multiplication?

This isn’t a dream. It’s the mission of Heritage Covenant Church (HCC). And we believe it begins with worship, flows through discipleship, overflows in hospitality, and multiplies through intentional, slow, relational church planting.

The Heritage Vision: Cultivating a Generational Legacy of Faith

At HCC, our mission is clear: to glorify God by cultivating authentic evangelism and discipleship that flows into and culminates in the worship of God on the Lord’s Day.

This Reformed vision of the church’s task is not defined by pragmatism or cultural trends. It is grounded in the historic marks of the church: the faithful preaching of the Word, the right administration of the Sacraments, and the practice of church discipline through shepherding and prayer. These means of grace are not outdated—they are divinely ordained tools to shape souls and build the church.

We’re not interested in quick growth or attractional programming. We want to build something that lasts—a church that teaches families to walk with God, equips believers to engage their vocations for Christ, and multiplies worshipping communities in every corner of our region.

Our Church Planting Strategy: Four Phases of Sustainable Multiplication

Phase 1: Casting the Vision (Fall 2025–Spring 2026)

We begin with conversation, connection, and prayer. During this seed-sowing phase, we gather families and individuals who resonate with a confessional, multi-generational, gospel-centered vision for a Reformed church.

Focus: Relational connection, interest meetings, and theological conversations

Action Steps: Attend a gathering, host a conversation, invite a neighbor, pray for God to build

Phase 2: Rooted—Discipleship and Doctrine (Fall 2025–Spring 2026)

Here we launch Year 1 of our Heritage Discipleship Program—a four-year pathway rooted in Reformed theology, covenant identity, and the means of grace.

Year 1 Theme: From God to Us—Gospel Foundations & Church Community

📚 Topics include: Justification, Union with Christ, The Lord’s Day, Public Worship, the Sacraments, Covenant Theology

📖 Key Resources: The Gospel of Jesus Christ (Washer), Welcome to a Reformed Church (Hyde), What Happens When We Worship (Cruse), Growing Downward (Thompson), and more.

This is slow growth on purpose. Our goal is not just to teach theology but to form lives shaped by it.

🔜 Shepherding Small Groups begin in Year 2 (Fall 2026), operating alongside the discipleship program. These groups are the relational core of the church—offering care, accountability, leadership development, and preparation for planting.

Phase 3: Forming the Core Team (Fall 2026–Spring 2027)

As unity grows through shared doctrine and life, we identify and train leaders in key ministry areas: worship, hospitality, small group leadership, outreach, and administration.

Our small groups begin to multiply and spread into nearby towns. From these networks, future church plants begin to emerge.

Focus: Leadership development, service roles, spiritual gifts

Action Steps: Step into service, lead a group, join rhythms of prayer and shared life

Phase 4: Preparing to Launch (Spring 2027–Fall 2027)

We prepare for public worship with systems in place: legal organization, facilities, finances, elder training, and community outreach. When elders are ordained and a sustainable structure is built, we begin public worship—rooted in reverence and shaped by the Word and sacraments.

Focus: Operational readiness, facility planning, worship launch

Action Steps: Join the team, support financially, help prepare for our first worship gathering

Why This Model Works

Unlike the “launch big” strategies of modern evangelicalism, HCC plants churches through discipled people, not just crowds.

It moves at the speed of trust
It is relational, not transactional
It values doctrine and devotion equally
It multiplies leaders, not just events
It creates churches, not just worship services

We believe that a slow, deliberate, discipleship-based model will bear lasting fruit for generations to come.

Evangelism, Discipleship, and Worship: The Rhythms of Reformation

At HCC, these aren’t separate silos—they are a seamless rhythm.

Authentic Evangelism

Our evangelism is not built on gimmicks but on gospel clarity and relational integrity. As Joel Beeke writes,

“Evangelism is not the work of man, but the work of God through the faithful proclamation of His Word.”

Through hospitality, community engagement, and personal witness, we invite others into our lives and into Christ. As Rosaria Butterfield says,

“Radical, ordinary hospitality shows this skeptical, post-Christian world what authentic Christianity looks like.”

Relational Discipleship

Discipleship happens in households, small groups, and structured catechesis. From family worship to mentoring relationships, we nurture souls through relationships and rigorous theological teaching.

Joel Beeke calls discipleship “the art of spiritual parenting.” We adopt that model—raising up disciples in homes, through the confessions, and in covenant community.

Worship as the Culmination

Everything finds its end in the worship of God. Lord’s Day worship at HCC is the climax of our week—where God meets with His people through Word, sacrament, and prayer.

As John Piper put it,

“Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”Our evangelism and discipleship exist to bring more worshippers before the throne of God.

The Heritage Discipleship Program: Building for the Long Haul

Year 1: Covenant Union

Year 2: Covenant Faithfulness: Mission in the Home & Church

Year 3: Covenant Witenss: Vocation, Evangelism & Cultural Engagement

Year 4: Covenant Expansion: Missions & Church Planting

Leadership Track: Coaching, Eldership, & Multiplication

This pathway is both confessional and relational, shaping every member for godly living, family discipleship, community engagement, and spiritual leadership.

From One Household to Many Churches

Our dream is not just to fill a building in Deer Park. It’s to saturate the Inland Northwest with gospel-centered churches planted through households, small groups, and faithful discipleship.

Our small group network is designed to:

Feed through God’s Word and discussion
Care through prayer, counsel, and presence
Fellowship around meals and shared life
Multiply into new leaders and new towns

Each small group is a seedbed of future church plants. Each home is a training ground for future worshippers. Each believer is part of a legacy of faith.

A Vision for Generational Faithfulness

We build not just for this generation but the next. We envision:

Parents catechizing their children
Elders shepherding the flock with conviction
Homes opened in hospitality
Vocation viewed as mission
Education reformed by the gospel
Churches planted from disciples, not discontent

As Joel Beeke says,

“We are called to teach our children not only the doctrines of grace but also to model lives of grace.”

Our strategy is not about speed—it’s about faithfulness. It’s about legacy.

Come Join the Work

If you live in the Inland Northwest—whether you’re in Deer Park or Chattaroy, Colbert or Loon Lake—there’s room for you to grow, serve, and lead in this story. We’re not just planting a church. We’re cultivating a heritage.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received…” (1 Cor. 15:3)“And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly…” (Acts 6:7)

Let it be so again. One household, one small group, one faithful church at a time.