Roundin' Up Mavericks to Ride for the Brand!

Jesus' last words on earth include what we've come to know as the Great Commission, which includes: "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19-20) This great co-mission expresses our heart and intentionality to expand God's kingdom in the heartland and beyond…. Making Christ's final commission our first concern! We strongly desire to help fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and be a significant part of a movement of God's Spirit. Our heart is to encourage fellowship and partnering with gospel-centered groups and individuals with a sense of calling for western heritage culture and a passion to reach outsiders of all kinds. Our big dream and God-sized vision is to expand God's kingdom using western heritage outreach to launch evangelism and discipleship initiatives through ranch ministries and cowboy church planting.

By Dave Putthoff, Pastor & Regional Director: • Great Commission Heartland • Open Range Fellowship • Ransomed Heart Ranch • Heartland Fellowship of Cowboy Churches & Ranch Ministries.

Why church planting?

We believe that church planting is God's intended, primary means of kingdom expansion, as seen in the New Testament. The need for new churches is great in western heritage culture, and so many rural churches are dying.

Church planting offers tremendous hope and great potential for the kingdom of God. Most church plants gain over half their new attenders from people who are unchurched. While older churches tend to receive transfers from other churches, church plants are most effective at bringing new folks to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Missiologist C. Peter Wagner says, "Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic methodololgy known under heaven."

Starting as an evangelism initiative reaching into rural areas that had very little Christian witness, HFCC&RM is now a 501(c)(3) organization with regional influence.

Our first church plant, Open Range Fellowship, serves as our main hub of worship and flagship service, meeting weekly at our "home on the range", Ransomed Heart Ranch in Lone Jack, Missouri. Come visit!

Though our methods may seem "outside the fence" you'll find we stay true to living out New Testament Christianity in action today.

Our name tells the story: Churches and ministries with a "cowboy" mindset and flare in more rural and ranch settings reaching out to mavericks and outsiders of all kinds in the heartland of America.

"By the grace of God, we will make this work."

These were the words of an 1800's cowboy adapting to "new trails" that "exploded a new way of life that would affect… the entire country and even the world." These 1800's wranglers, cattlemen and bronco busters created a enduring culture that followed trail drives across the heartland from the Rio Grande to the Canadian Rockies. "This culture would be branded into the hearts, minds and imaginations of people worldwide, forever" (Alan Hoyt).

We share this spirit of the 1800's cowboy today as God leads us to blaze new trails for Him!
By God's grace, we will go where there is no path and leave a trail!

We find inspiration from Jesus, who went through all the towns preaching the good news of the kingdom. With compassion for the lost, he then said to his disciples,

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:35-38).

If this is your prayer as well and you'd like to discuss partnering with us, please contact Dave Putthoff at Dave@OpenRangeFellowship.com.