Here are some great thoughts on church planting. I first read this over the summer and it was one of the puzzle pieces in the Iowa City church plant.
Click here for the whole article by Tim Keller. Here's the quote:
"The vigorous, continual planting of new churches is the single most crucial strategy for 1) the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and 2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of existing churches in any city. Nothing else- Not crusades, outreach programs, para-church ministries, growing mega-churches, congregational consulting or renewal process will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting. This is an eyebrow raising statement. But to those who have done any study at all, it is not even controversial."
3 comments:
Not sure if you follow Mark Driscoll and what they are doing with their church planting network, but here was an interview with Ed Stetzer on mistakes church planters can make and how to avoid them. Thought you might enjoy.
http://theresurgence.com/neeley-stetzer-interview1
Tim B smart!
Ed
To go beyond and plant many church families seems biblical but I think we may be losing site that is not the most strategic or holds the largest potential for numerical growth. The reality of our a church culture is that statistically we lose 70% to 80% (see Barna Research Group and Sothern Baptists) of the children raised in the church by professing Christian parents and they arenot returning (as they are not Christians). This is because of a misdirected stewardship by the parents and lack of accountability inside the church. This is happening in our yard the evangelical’s home. We entertain with great striving to attract the seat dwellers with different programs in the church which are oriented towards "reaching" the youth but we are amusing ourselves into complacency. For every seat you fill by planting another church (which ought to be done) you quickly lose the next 2 seats by the one filled by the lack of multigenerational faithfulness. It comes down to God goes have a way to grow the Body of Christ in the family and we are not honoring that way in the church as it relates to the family. Fathers need to have their sin pointed out so repentance can follow and following the King can then proceed. God has giving us numerous commands both New Testament and Old Testament for parents not youth groups and child care to steward the children in the teaching and instruction of the Lord. Where God commands and tells us what to do (which I think we look over many times that God does have a way of practice) there is great reward in obedience. If the heart of father is turned towards his family and the children, the family will follow by the work of our Heavenly Father. Fathers must plow the field and watch for the crop as our Great Father sends rain and sun. In each family the father should be working vigorously to plant the next Church, it is a good work! To hear the statistics and the necessity for fathers to lead by following Christ you can go to this link.
Travis Berger
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=5209234630
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