starting churches is easy
In light of the past few months of my church planting internship with Glocalnet, I'm getting to the place where I'm almost convinced that about anyone can start a church. Maybe that's true or maybe not.
But there are so many resources with check-lists that spell out everything that needs to be done that starting a "church" is pretty simple. It's almost a "church in a box" if that make sense (and I don't mean Portable Church - ha). But that doesn't mean that that church will be a Kingdom-building, disciple-producing church.
We have to desire to build disciples who plant churches, not just plant churches who hopefully produce disciples. I'm convinced we've got to focus more on building true disciples rather than building a church. A church should flow out of the disciple work. I'm still trying to figure out what that looks like.
Hopefully, Bob will teach us. :-)
But there are so many resources with check-lists that spell out everything that needs to be done that starting a "church" is pretty simple. It's almost a "church in a box" if that make sense (and I don't mean Portable Church - ha). But that doesn't mean that that church will be a Kingdom-building, disciple-producing church.
We have to desire to build disciples who plant churches, not just plant churches who hopefully produce disciples. I'm convinced we've got to focus more on building true disciples rather than building a church. A church should flow out of the disciple work. I'm still trying to figure out what that looks like.
Hopefully, Bob will teach us. :-)
Labels: development, leadership, ministry
posted by Seth Henderson at 8:48 AM
3 Comments:
Careful... Don't get cocky :-)
As someone who is 0 for 4 in church planting efforts, I'm more convinced that no one can plant a church! No matter how gifted you are, you don't have the "right stuff". Instead, the key attitude in going into church planting is to keep in mind that only God can plant a church and to seek to be the kind of disciple through whom He can work and to form the kind of team that allows others to stand strong in areas where you are weak. (I'm sure you already know that and were just making a different point in your post).
But I think you're right on track with your thoughts about starting with disciples instead of with the church! Too many church-in-a-box type plants never beyond mile-wide/inch-deep shallowness.
I'm following you now on Twitter (I'm @texastwister) and look forward to learning from you and with you. Sounds like we have similar passions!
scott. nice to meet you. certainly did not mean to come across that way, but i do realize it was pretty straightforward.
my point is is simply this: there's a difference between simply starting a church and starting it right to ensure that it will continue to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. does that make sense?
a lot of people can get a church off the ground because there are so many resources to help with that [and that's a good thing] or they are gifted or whatever. i just hope that we realize it's not about "starting" a church; it's about pointing people to Christ and seeing disciples be made.
i agree with you. none of us are good enough on our own. i'm thankful for his empowerment that he continually gives. it's God's job to build the church [and that's what he promised he would do]. we can just humbly submit to him and join him on the journey.
i'd love to hear some of your stories from the plants you were involved in. what would you say led them to being "0 for 4" as you said?
In your emphasis on starting a church effective in evangelism and discipleship vs just starting a church that is good at gathering a crowd, I totally agree.
In my first experience with church planting I led an association of churches in SE Missouri and NE Arkansas to sponsor a church plant in Sikeston, MO. It appeared to be off to a great start for about two years until the marriage of the Church Planter we called exploded and took the church down with it.
Next, I moved to Texas to try my hand at it directly. Felt like I had the right training, knew all the right stuff, but going into it I knew the resources weren't there to do it the way I'd been taught (Recruit a team, etc). But thought my passion and abilities could help me be the exception. We still weren't self supporting after three years with our outside support drying up, so I gave in to a call to "greener pastures" -- an offer to be part of a team for a new plant with my long-time best friend in ministry -- and closed the doors on our efforts there. I now think that choice was one of the biggest mistakes in my life.
The new effort was only underway for about three months before I was asked to remove myself from the team. Not sure how to explain it except to say I think it was a difference in leadership philosophy -- what I intended to be offering as input into a team effort was interpreted by my friend as challenges to his authority as team lead. A few years after I left, this church too (after significant initial success) fractured and closed.
And my recent involvement as a lay leader in a two year old church plant ended due to moral failings on the part of the lead pastor.
Lessons: Character, character, character! Guard against pride, moral issues of all kinds, laziness, etc. Never think it can't happen to you or those on your team.
Enjoying the dialog,
Scott
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