Don’t Lose Your Urgency in Church Planting
I don't get the question as often anymore, "Do we need more churches? Anyone who can exegete the culture around them realizes we need to start new churches. What has changed or at least slowed down is the urgency in planting new churches.
Flaming church planting fire is essential for us to advance the gospel in our post-Christian context. The Church cannot lose the urgency needed to see churches planted all over North America. It is helpful to be reminded of the great need for churches planting churches as we push back lostness and make disciples.
4 REASONS FOR CHURCH PLANTING
It is BIBLICAL. Years ago, as a young church planter and church planting network director, Missiologist J.D. Payne sat across from me and said, "church planting is never mentioned in the Bible." I will never forget the stunned feeling I had at that moment. He helped me understand that biblical church planting is in the Bible; it is defined differently from our western understanding. Biblical church planting is "evangelism and discipleship that results in new churches." Church planting is the fruitfulness of the Great Commission in Matt 28 and Acts 1. Make no mistake about it, church planting may not be mentioned, but it is Biblical. The starting point in creating an urgency for church planting is the desire to be obedient to scripture. May our passion for evangelism and discipleship be reflected in our urgency to plant more churches.
It is NEEDED. Mike Breen writes, "In the United States 96% of church growth is due to transfer growth and not churches striking into the heart of our enemy's territory". Suppose transfer growth does not shock you, the sheer number of churches closing their doors should. John Mark Clifton tells us that approximately 1000 churches in our denomination close their doors every year. Imagine a map of the U.S with 1000 dots of light scattered all across our Nation. Multiple gospel lights go out every day in communities all across America. 269 Million People in North America do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and 1 in 5 of the world's immigrants live in the United States, which is home to 46 million immigrants, according to 2013 statistics from the United Nations. In my city of New Orleans, statistics reveal only 11% of the population identify as evangelicals. These statistics, combined with population growth and decreasing church attendance, indicate church planting has never been more needed than today.
It is FRUITFUL. Keven Ezell, President of the North American Mission Board, tells us, "Church plants baptize more people per attendee than do established churches—a 67 percent better attendee-to-baptism ratio." When we consider the example of the Church at Antioch in Acts 13, we see the fruitfulness of their faithfulness 2000 years later as the gospel has advanced, and churches have started worldwide. Biblical church planting believes the gospel is the power unto salvation; we can trust that it will be fruitful in the lives of those saved as they are discipled, and churches planted. The incredible fruitfulness of church planting led Peter Wagner to proclaim, "Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic methodology known under heaven."
"The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for (1) the numerical growth of the body of Christ in a city and (2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else — not crusades, outreach programs, parachurch ministries, growing megachurches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes — will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting." - Tim Keller
It is Kingdom. If the Church is the outpost of God's Kingdom...then church, planting is God's means to advance His kingdom to the ends of the earth. We need more leaders willing to crucify their desire to build their kingdom to join God in building His Kingdom. How do you know a church has Kingdom Vision? They model the Church at Antioch, "Now in the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues." (Acts 13:1–5, CSB). The Church at Antioch had Kingdom Vision. They were sensitive and submissive to the Holy Spirit as they obeyed and sent out Paul and Barnabas to evangelize, disciple, and start new churches. Kingdom-minded churches send out and give away for the glory of God!
You will never lead a church with a kingdom vision… if you are more concerned with building your kingdom than God's Kingdom.
https://www.vergenetwork.org/2012/02/02/obituary-for-the-american-church-mike-breen/
