For Sean Cooper, God did not unfold his entire plan all at once.

Ed McMinn announced, in February of 2008, that he was resigning as the pastor of Grace Church. McMinn stated that God was calling him to step out of his position and he encouraged the church members, telling them God would bring someone with a zeal for the Lord and a long-range vision.

Four months earlier, Sean and Paula Cooper had felt that the Lord was leading them to make a move. Cooper, while on a sabbatical from full-time ministry, had been teaching in the Colquitt County School System. Paula was also a teacher in Colquitt County.

Following God's prompting, Cooper began to look for full-time ministry opportunities again. After turning down a great offer in Tifton, the Coopers felt certain that God was leading them to return to their home-town of Perry.

Preparing to move to Perry, Cooper pursued full-time ministry positions in the area. After a period of unsuccessful pursuits, he began applying for jobs in the Houston County School System. Being a certified special education teacher, he had resigned to the belief that he and Paula would move to Perry with their children, Genna and Walker, teach in Houston County and join a local church where they would be involved in lay ministry.

Around that time, God revealed more of his plan; Grace Church called.

Early Years

Sean Cooper accepted Christ when he was 15. After leading a friend to Christ one year later, he felt the beginnings of a calling to serve the Lord in full-time ministry.

When he was 19, Cooper worked in youth ministry at Wesley United Methodist Church in Macon. During his sophomore, junior, and senior years of college, he served as the youth pastor of Crossroads United Methodist Church in Perry. After Sean and Paula received undergraduate teaching degrees from Georgia Southwestern State University, they married and moved to Wilmore, Kentucky, where Cooper attended Asbury Theological Seminary.

While completing his masters degree at Asbury, Cooper was hired by First United Methodist Church of Americus as youth pastor. Three years later, Sean and Paula moved from Americus to Moultrie where he served as the assistant pastor (and youth pastor) of First United Methodist Church of Moultrie. In 2005, Cooper took a sabbatical from full-time ministry and went to work for the Colquitt County School System. Looking for a church, the Coopers accepted an invitation to visit Heritage Church, a non-denominational church in Moultrie. After that first visit, they eventually became members of Heritage and were involved in the church's ministries until they moved to Perry.

There is an interesting connection between Cooper and Grace Church. During his time at Asbury, he and Paula were members of Great Commission Fellowship, a nondenominational church in Wilmore, Kentucky that served as a mentor church for Heritage Church in Moultrie. Similarly, Heritage Church served as a model during the forming of Grace Church.

When asked about his vision for Grace Church, Cooper sees a number of things:

Relational Ministry

"My vision is that Grace Church is a relational ministry church where we don't look at numbers but we look at people. We want to be there for people long-term. We're not a quick-fix church.

People are coming to Grace Church and they're getting connected with people – and not with programs. That's exciting," Cooper said. He continued, "I believe in the tortoise mind-set of ministry – slow and steady. If I can just reach one person for Christ this year – and really just love on that one person who comes to know the Lord – and they buy into the mind-set of slow and steady ministry – and the two of us, next year, can each reach a person – in the next thirty years, we will be able to reach Middle Georgia."

Children's Ministry

Cooper is excited about the future of children's ministry at Grace church. "We have a passion to reach the children of our community and our congregation. We realize, here at Grace Church, that God is speaking to young people. We do not believe that young people are the church of tomorrow. They are the church of today," he said.

"In October, we are starting a children's service that will last the entire length of the adult service. While the adults and youth are in the main sanctuary, the children will be in their own worship center and will have a full service. We're not saying that families cannot worship together but we do realize that God is moving in our young people.

Young kids have a passion to pray with one another, to read the Word of God, and to learn the bible stories. They want to sing praise and worship songs. They have a passion to sing to the Lord and we want that to be a part of their worship on Sunday," Cooper continued.

Technology

Cooper is a pastor who is also technologically savvy. During his last two years in Colquitt County, he worked in the areas of technology and video broadcasting. He also observed media-driven church services at Heritage Church.

"We realize that in today's world, the kids are used to top-notch technology. They have the latest and greatest cell phones. They're not listening to cassettes anymore because there is something bigger and better – so why should we do church the same way we did it 50 years ago? The message of Christ has not changed but to not embrace technology – and to not use what God is doing in the world today is not wise," Cooper said.

Youth Ministry

Having worked in youth ministry for more than 10 years, Cooper is passionate about reaching the youth effectively.

"We need to put our best foot forward and that involves everything we do. If we're going to do a youth program, let's do the best program possible. It's not a competition, saying our youth program is better than others but let's do it to excellence," Cooper said.

Also in the area of youth ministry, Grace Church has partnered with Crossroads United Methodist Church. In the absence of a youth minister at Crossroads, the two youth groups have combined.

"Young people don't care about denominational signs. They just like being around each other," Cooper said.

He also believes that young people are showing churches how to work together. "We are being identified as Christians in this community, rather than as members of a particular church. These barriers are being broken down," said Cooper.

Community Ministry

Cooper feels that God is doing something new and fresh in Perry where young pastors who have moved into the area are teaming together in ministry.

"We are very much stronger together than apart," said Cooper. Did this partnering just happen or was there a concerted initiative? Cooper believes God has put similar visions in a number of pastors and church leaders. As they share their visions, they are seeing the need to work together. He believes 2009 will be an exciting year for the growth that God will do in all of the churches in the community.

To Cooper, it's not about Grace Church but his vision is that Grace Church will play a major role of sharing Christ in our community along with the other churches. He stresses that winning souls in Middle Georgia will take a joint effort by all of the believers in the community.

According to Cooper, "If Grace Church grows and booms at the expense of the other churches in our community, we have failed."