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Church Planting
Posted by Bowden McElroy in Uncategorized
I’m just back from our Association’s Annual Meeting. Ordinarily annual meetings are the kind of thing I try to avoid but this year I wanted to go. We are in transition in Tulsa: you can read about our new approach here. After I’ve processed the information I’ll write more; in the mean time I offer a slightly edited version of an older (and somewhat related) post on my own blog.
…I had lunch with one of our Association’s staffers today; no particular agenda, just catching up. One of the things Bill was excited about was the Tulsa Association’s strategy for church planting. (Note: the Tulsa Metro Association has helped start five new churches this year: tonight we committed to allocate over $104,000 to church planting in 2008.) Then we started talking about personal experiences with new church starts (I’ve been a part of two new congregations as a lay person).
Inevitably, I uttered those infamous words “If I were planting a church”.
I don’t, at this point in time, have any plans to plant a church; I like the work I do as a Transitional Pastor and believe it is a ministry I’ve been called to. But, if I were to be a part of a new congregation I would like to see the following principles applied:
1) The church would own no property – ever. I would write this into the constitution/bylaws. We could focus on ministry and not worry about the building becoming the focus. It seems like so many churches become all about the building: expanding it, upgrading it, filling it, maximizing the space, utilizing it fully, (fill in your own favorite cliche here). I would rather focus on people and ministry.
2) Success would be measured by how many churches we birthed over the years. I would try to build a culture where we were constantly looking for when we could begin our next church plant.
3) I would love the opportunity to start fresh with the concept of meaningful church membership. I like Ken Sande’s idea
4) Since I hate the “hired-gun” mentality many church members have (the idea of hiring a staff member for each ministry need that comes along) I would keep my counseling practice and give the congregation a bi-vocational model to emulate. The pressure becomes one of step up and get involved or the job probably won’t get done.
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Brother Bowden,
Great insight. I too wish sometimes that I did not have a building to worry about.
Let me ask a question. If the mentality of your last statement; “The pressure becomes one of step up and get involved or the job probably won’t get done.” is set in the life of the church. Where does the burden of reaching those in the community subside? IOW, does our hearts not break because of those we are missing? (You may determine from that last question I need counseling. :>)) I know that it is not up to me, but as God burns in my heart a vision to reach the unreached, I stand accountable before Him if they are not reached.
Blessings,
Tim
God also sets in my heart a desire to attend to my marriage, raise my children, etc. The minister or the lay person who wrecks his marriage, family, and health because he was doing all the work in his congregation while ignoring the other things God has called him to isn’t doing God any favors.
Sometimes we inadvertently enable others to sit back and miss out on what God wants to do in their life because we’re too busy taking care of everything ourselves.
Bowden, as usual your words are challenging. I especially like the part about focusing on starting new churches. I would guess you want the new starts to have the same vision as yours for starting new churches, too, yes?
As far as “stepping up”, I’d say that is a problem that already exists within all churches everywhere…no matter where the folks are gathered or how many ministers are employed. Even the staff who exist need laborers, don’t you think? Just as you would need them to labor or the “job wouldn’t get done”, we need them too in the established churches.
I may not understand what Tim is saying above, but for me I think of the one who is out there straying and in need of a shepherd. We leave the 99 to find the 100th? And when a pastor’s heart sees the needs and the needs are not being met by individuals in the pews, isn’t he likely to try and meet the need with or without a willing laborer?
I think there is an awesome responsibility upon the shoulders of called men of God who seek to plant churches. And I think the real help in church plants ought to come from sister churches who can undergird the work of a baby church, don’t you? selahV
SelahV,
I don’t know what I would do in that situation; I’m not a church planter (who knows what God has in store for the future, though). I would like to think the emphasis for church planting would be to start congregations that will reach their community/sub-culture. To that end new church plants wouldn’t have to look like the sending congregation. If I were the pastor of the above church and a new church plant wanted to eventually own property and have a campus… then power to them!
Sister Hariette,
For someone that does not understand what I am saying you certainly have rang the bell.:>)
Let’s say that the 1 is gone. According to Brother Bowden’s analogy, if the one goes missing and none of the 99 feel compeled to leave, then the 1 is not found.
Blessings,
Tim
Tim,
Let me try another picture. My passion is for the church to function as a body. If the pastor is trying to be the head, feet, hands, and arms then he runs the risk of not doing what he was called to do. Additionally, the hands may say “I’m not needed here, the pastor is being the hands; there’s no place for me”.
The “hired gun” mentality that I’m against is the idea that some (note the “some”) church members have that “I don’t need to share my faith… we have a minister of evangelism to do that.”
Tim: I’m glad I understood what you were saying. While I empathize with a pastor’s plight to maintain a solid relationship with one’s family, I think many find ways in which to balance their call and responsibility to the flock for which He has called him.
My husband was the kind of pastor who sat all night with folks during crises, and had to be there before every surgery for every member and even some non-members (many of which occurred in cities 1 to 4 hours away). He never took vacation or even utilized his days off unless I insisted. When the kids were young, we were fortunate that most of their activities centered around the church and we were their leaders in youth.
I remember threatening to call his office and schedule an appointment to see him. Of course, I never did. But it occurred to me at times. I think when all is said and done, families are the first priority, but there are few pastors I know who have not struggled with when they are priority and when their call comes first. It’s a very difficult balancing act, but God is faithful to give time for both when our plans are placed in His hands each day.
I think it’s the pastor’s responsibility to guard his time when it comes to study, sermon preparation, prayer and family. Then it is imperative that he commits himself so in the keeping of the Holy Spirit’s guiding hand that he knows which way to go and when. Even Paul had places his heart wanted to take him but the Spirit forbade him. I think that could be applied when facing crunch times.
In the end, I say a pastor has to go to the one who is lost and straying if there is none else to go–but that is between he and God.
selahV
Bowden: minister of evangelism? wow, that is a great one to have. I would suppose he would be discipling others in that ministry? selahV
What caught my attention was the recommendation that a church should not own buildings.
I wonder what the criterion would be in determining whether to (a) purchase land and a building, vs. (b) leasing or renting, vs. (c) not having any type of identifiable meeting place either “permanent” or “rented”.
It seems to me like a lot of churches own buildings — both growing churches and shrinking ones. So it does not seem to me like “owning buildings” is a key determinate of growth.
Roger,
I’m not recommending that no church should ever own a building; just saying I would like to be part of one that was intentional in placing ministry outside of the church walls. A decision from the beginning to not own property sends a signal that this congregation will not be about building an attractional ministry, that ministry is what happens outside the walls when believers are involved in the community.
It that sense it’s not merely about money (buying vs leasing vs meeting in homes vs whatever) but about establishing an expectation that ministry occurs whenever we interact with our when we take the gospel into the world, not when we invite people into the church building.
Brother Bowden,
I do understand your example. I guess my question would focus on if there is a point of no return in this “if no one has a burden, then it will not get done.” We are in agreement that there should not be a “hired gun”.
Also, http://www.jdgreear.com/ check out this blog. They are a growing mega church in the RDU area and do not have a building.
Blessings,
Tim
Bowden:
Thanks for your post and the links to Tulsa Metro. Your association is plowing a lot of new ground. Others, like those of us here in the Mid-South (Memphis), are watching and learning. We do pray for the churches of Tulsa Metro! God Bless!
I don’t think I have ever said “Preach it Brother” but in this case “Preach it Brother!”
Tim said: “(is) there is a point of no return in this “if no one has a burden, then it will not get done.”
Yes. The point of no return is when no one but the pastor is interested in following God. I think those congregations are probably pretty rare, but I do believe there comes a time when all that is left to do is declare the congregation dead and move on.
I know that is a radical thought and I don’t think I believed this way when I was younger, but now I do.
BTW, thanks for the link. I’ve heard of Greear, but haven’t checked out him or the church before.