CHURCH PLANTING
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH CHURCH PLANTING
05/25/10 10
Recently Paul Borden, Growing Healthy Church’s Executive Minister asked me, “What’s going on with church planting?” With all of the new churches, expansion around the country and great excitement Paul was asking for clarification--what is happening?
Here’s my simple answer: I don’t know.
It seems to me that God is moving in a big way, but honestly, I can’t tell you exactly what is going on. Often when a God-thing emerges, we can’t always explain it or even understand it.
Jay Leno recently joked: “Northwest Airlines announced a new slogan this week – 'Where the heck are we going?'" I feel a little bit like Northwest Airlines--I’m not sure of everything that is happening.
I don’t know exactly what is going on.
Our philosophy of church planting comes from Acts 13:
“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While 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.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”
—Acts 13:1-3
And Acts 13 clarifies some of what is happening with church planting. So, here’s what I do know:
1. THERE ARE HIGH LEVEL LEADERS OUT THERE
Just as there were high level leaders in the early church, there are high level leaders in existence today. We are finding men and women created, called and equipped by God for significant ministries. We’re finding them in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Texas, Nevada, Montana, Oregon, Iowa, Southern California and even in Northern California!
I realize that Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”--Matthew 9:37
But Jesus didn’t say that the workers are extinct, he didn’t say they don’t exist, he said they are few--but they are out there and were spotting them at GHC.
2. HIGH LEVEL LEADERS ARE LOOKING TO CONNECT
I do know that high level leaders are looking for a connection with other like-minded people.
The notion that church planters are rugged individualists who don’t want anything to do with anyone else or any organization is a myth. The idea that church planters don’t want friends is silly.
Speaking of silly:
THE TOP TEN SIGNS YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS…
10. You’ve got the new i-phone with all its bells and whistles, but nobody has called you in a month.
9. You’re no longer the left-fielder on the Giants.
8. All your phone calls start with 900.
7. You are one of the 5 best solitaire players in the world.
6. Your initials are G.S. and you own a baseball team in the Bronx.
5. At your funeral the entire eulogy is, “Yep, he’s dead.”
4. You’re the starting shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers.
3. James Taylor sings the first few bars of “You’ve Got A Friend,” notices you in the audience and stops.
2. You’re still drinking from the same keg you bought on New Year’s Eve 1997.
1. You’re a Church Planter.
Anyway, church planters are not friendless isolationists. I would suggest that anyone who doesn’t have a need to connect isn’t really a high-level leader. Barnabus and Saul needed each other and they needed their sending agency--the Antioch people. We’re finding the the best leaders want that connection.
3. THERE IS VERY LITTLE SUPPORT FOR HIGH LEVEL LEADERS
I do know that there are really not a lot of great connecting places for high level leaders.
One lesson I’ve learned in my short tenure as Director of Church Planting is how little support there is for church planters. There’s a lot of hype out there, there’s a lot of talk, but embarrassing little support.
The GHCNetwork has been asked to work with other top church planting agencies in the United States. In our meetings I admit that actually supporting leaders seems to be a missing ingredient in even the top agencies.
We’ve missed this element in church planting in the U.S. I was part of a group that was connecting leaders, but then the group made a decision to make saving a denomination the top priority, and supporting leaders fell by the wayside. That scenario is all too common.
Honestly, when God says, “Set apart top leaders for the work I have for them,” our response in America has not just been, “No.” It’s been, “Heck No!” We’ve got programs to run and budgets to meet and our own kingdoms to perpetuate, we can’t afford to set apart the Barnabus and Saul leaders in our churches. So, we’ve said, “no” to God.
4. THE GHC NETWORK IS IN A STRATEGIC POSITION TO SUPPORT HIGH LEVEL LEADERS
I do know that we have a unique opportunity within the Growing Healthy Churches group. We’ve put together ten systems of support, and they are starting to work.
Spiritual Vitality
Funding
Connecting
Assessing
Vision Alignment
Training
Coaching
Caring
Creativity
Partnering
All of our systems are simply designed to set apart high level leaders, so they can do what God has called them to do.
One last thing I do know:
5. WE’RE SAYING “YES” TO GOD’S CALL TO SUPPORT HIGH LEVEL LEADERS
What’s going on with church planting is we’re simply saying, “Yes, Lord.” God is still getting incredible leaders ready for major ministries. He’s asking us to support them. And we’re saying “Yes.”
Let me end with some practical ways we can all say, “Yes”.
A. Continue Praying
I believe we’re in the midst of an actual movement of God--a real God-thing. Let’s keep praying!
B. Continue Giving
We are able to support planters because you have been generous. Keep up the good work!
C. Spot Church Planters
Maybe there are some Saul and Barnabus-like leaders in your midst. Let us know, perhaps we can help them.
D. Do something to serve a Church Planter
I’d encourage you to simply do one little thing--a phone call, a note, a check even to let a high level leader know you care.
E. Take my next step toward becoming a church like the one in Antioch
The church in Antioch made a huge impact because they said, Yes.” Let’s do likewise.
Here’s my simple answer: I don’t know.
It seems to me that God is moving in a big way, but honestly, I can’t tell you exactly what is going on. Often when a God-thing emerges, we can’t always explain it or even understand it.
Jay Leno recently joked: “Northwest Airlines announced a new slogan this week – 'Where the heck are we going?'" I feel a little bit like Northwest Airlines--I’m not sure of everything that is happening.
I don’t know exactly what is going on.
Our philosophy of church planting comes from Acts 13:
“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While 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.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”
—Acts 13:1-3
And Acts 13 clarifies some of what is happening with church planting. So, here’s what I do know:
1. THERE ARE HIGH LEVEL LEADERS OUT THERE
Just as there were high level leaders in the early church, there are high level leaders in existence today. We are finding men and women created, called and equipped by God for significant ministries. We’re finding them in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Texas, Nevada, Montana, Oregon, Iowa, Southern California and even in Northern California!
I realize that Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”--Matthew 9:37
But Jesus didn’t say that the workers are extinct, he didn’t say they don’t exist, he said they are few--but they are out there and were spotting them at GHC.
2. HIGH LEVEL LEADERS ARE LOOKING TO CONNECT
I do know that high level leaders are looking for a connection with other like-minded people.
The notion that church planters are rugged individualists who don’t want anything to do with anyone else or any organization is a myth. The idea that church planters don’t want friends is silly.
Speaking of silly:
THE TOP TEN SIGNS YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS…
10. You’ve got the new i-phone with all its bells and whistles, but nobody has called you in a month.
9. You’re no longer the left-fielder on the Giants.
8. All your phone calls start with 900.
7. You are one of the 5 best solitaire players in the world.
6. Your initials are G.S. and you own a baseball team in the Bronx.
5. At your funeral the entire eulogy is, “Yep, he’s dead.”
4. You’re the starting shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers.
3. James Taylor sings the first few bars of “You’ve Got A Friend,” notices you in the audience and stops.
2. You’re still drinking from the same keg you bought on New Year’s Eve 1997.
1. You’re a Church Planter.
Anyway, church planters are not friendless isolationists. I would suggest that anyone who doesn’t have a need to connect isn’t really a high-level leader. Barnabus and Saul needed each other and they needed their sending agency--the Antioch people. We’re finding the the best leaders want that connection.
3. THERE IS VERY LITTLE SUPPORT FOR HIGH LEVEL LEADERS
I do know that there are really not a lot of great connecting places for high level leaders.
One lesson I’ve learned in my short tenure as Director of Church Planting is how little support there is for church planters. There’s a lot of hype out there, there’s a lot of talk, but embarrassing little support.
The GHCNetwork has been asked to work with other top church planting agencies in the United States. In our meetings I admit that actually supporting leaders seems to be a missing ingredient in even the top agencies.
We’ve missed this element in church planting in the U.S. I was part of a group that was connecting leaders, but then the group made a decision to make saving a denomination the top priority, and supporting leaders fell by the wayside. That scenario is all too common.
Honestly, when God says, “Set apart top leaders for the work I have for them,” our response in America has not just been, “No.” It’s been, “Heck No!” We’ve got programs to run and budgets to meet and our own kingdoms to perpetuate, we can’t afford to set apart the Barnabus and Saul leaders in our churches. So, we’ve said, “no” to God.
4. THE GHC NETWORK IS IN A STRATEGIC POSITION TO SUPPORT HIGH LEVEL LEADERS
I do know that we have a unique opportunity within the Growing Healthy Churches group. We’ve put together ten systems of support, and they are starting to work.
Spiritual Vitality
Funding
Connecting
Assessing
Vision Alignment
Training
Coaching
Caring
Creativity
Partnering
All of our systems are simply designed to set apart high level leaders, so they can do what God has called them to do.
One last thing I do know:
5. WE’RE SAYING “YES” TO GOD’S CALL TO SUPPORT HIGH LEVEL LEADERS
What’s going on with church planting is we’re simply saying, “Yes, Lord.” God is still getting incredible leaders ready for major ministries. He’s asking us to support them. And we’re saying “Yes.”
Let me end with some practical ways we can all say, “Yes”.
A. Continue Praying
I believe we’re in the midst of an actual movement of God--a real God-thing. Let’s keep praying!
B. Continue Giving
We are able to support planters because you have been generous. Keep up the good work!
C. Spot Church Planters
Maybe there are some Saul and Barnabus-like leaders in your midst. Let us know, perhaps we can help them.
D. Do something to serve a Church Planter
I’d encourage you to simply do one little thing--a phone call, a note, a check even to let a high level leader know you care.
E. Take my next step toward becoming a church like the one in Antioch
The church in Antioch made a huge impact because they said, Yes.” Let’s do likewise.
STAGES OF REPRODUCTION
10/25/09 09
Part of what we’re about in the GHC Network is helping churches partner with and parent new churches. Some churches are excited about the possibilities and on board with reproducing. Others seem disinterested in church planting. Still others find themselves in the middle of those options.
In working with churches and pastors over the years I’ve come up with what I call the different
STAGES OF REPRODUCTION:
Resisting
Some churches are currently resisting reproduction. Like couples who have decided against having children, these churches do not want to reproduce. Church Planting expert Bob Logan uses the term “hostile” to describe how some pastors and churches respond to the idea of parenting a daughter church. One famous pastor of a mega-church in our country once remarked, “We came dangerously close to planting a daughter church.”
Questioning
Other churches find themselves grappling with the clear Biblical command to “go forth and multiply.” They are starting to wonder why this hasn’t been part of the natural development in their church. They are asking questions, checking studies and beginning to realize that they do not want to be, as multiplication specialist Red Ensley put it, “a dead-end link on the chain of Christianity.”
Not Now
Many, if not most churches find themselves in the “Not Now” stage. They realize that health leads to reproduction. They know that they need to parent someday. But they are caught up with other things right now. These folks typically say things like, “As soon as we get our facility built we’ll consider a plant.” Or, “We’re not large enough yet.” Or, “When we get our staffing, or program, or financial issues remedied, we’ll look into it.”
Something
Many churches have moved to the stage where they are actually doing something. They might be financially supporting a church planter or two. They may open their facilities to a church plant in their area or perhaps they’ve given gently used equipment to a new church in the region. They have jumped into the game.
Aunt/Uncle
Other churches have moved to the point of being an Aunt or Uncle church. They might not feel ready to parent, but they are willing to generously support a planter. They’re having planters up front in their services and are growing in support of a church planting movement.
GodParent
Some churches have moved a bit farther along the reproduction journey. They’ve become that special Aunt or Uncle--the GodParent. They are praying and giving and are available for special appeals by church plants for one-time gifts over and above previous commitments; to send people to help out with a preview service; or to have a baby shower to buy items for a church plants nursery. Our church in Elk Grove, Discovery Church, has a special relationship with a plant back east. We’ve told them to consider us to be a rich uncle who lives in California.
Parent
Some churches have actually moved to the point of daughtering a church. Like having kids biologically, this might be a deliberate, planned, thought-out strategy. A parent church might have the clear approach that they will give $50, 000 to $100,000 and 50-100 people to get a church launched. Or it might be more of “an accident.” They might only be able to give a few bucks and a few people, but they are responding to God’s personal call to them to be parents. They may or may not be joined by another parent church, but they’ve taken responsibility to help a church get going.
Baby Machine
Some churches have had such a good experience in parenting, that they are having plenty of kids. My four sisters have had seven kids, seven kids, six kids and four kids respectively. And I’ve joked that they are baby-machines, constantly pregnant. Some churches are like that--they’ve become multiplication centers.
Mini-Denomination
And some have multiplied so much that they’ve approached becoming a denomination unto themselves. Their kids are having kids. Some are reproducing like wildfire, leaving a lasting legacy.
Churches range throughout these stages, from resistant to rapid reproduction.
The application is clear: let’s identify where we, where our church currently finds itself along the reproductive journey. Is your church resistant? Questioning? Waiting? Involved? Moving toward parenting? Cranking them out?
After identifying where we are, there’s one last application I’d like to challenge you and your church to take: consider making some movement further along the reproductive line. If you’re thinking, “Not now,” I’d encourage you to rethink that and at least do something--support a church planter, give something. If you’re doing something, consider taking the challenge on of being a GodParent. Or perhaps its time to daughter that first church--or that second one.
Let’s move along the reproductive journey.
In working with churches and pastors over the years I’ve come up with what I call the different
STAGES OF REPRODUCTION:
Resisting
Some churches are currently resisting reproduction. Like couples who have decided against having children, these churches do not want to reproduce. Church Planting expert Bob Logan uses the term “hostile” to describe how some pastors and churches respond to the idea of parenting a daughter church. One famous pastor of a mega-church in our country once remarked, “We came dangerously close to planting a daughter church.”
Questioning
Other churches find themselves grappling with the clear Biblical command to “go forth and multiply.” They are starting to wonder why this hasn’t been part of the natural development in their church. They are asking questions, checking studies and beginning to realize that they do not want to be, as multiplication specialist Red Ensley put it, “a dead-end link on the chain of Christianity.”
Not Now
Many, if not most churches find themselves in the “Not Now” stage. They realize that health leads to reproduction. They know that they need to parent someday. But they are caught up with other things right now. These folks typically say things like, “As soon as we get our facility built we’ll consider a plant.” Or, “We’re not large enough yet.” Or, “When we get our staffing, or program, or financial issues remedied, we’ll look into it.”
Something
Many churches have moved to the stage where they are actually doing something. They might be financially supporting a church planter or two. They may open their facilities to a church plant in their area or perhaps they’ve given gently used equipment to a new church in the region. They have jumped into the game.
Aunt/Uncle
Other churches have moved to the point of being an Aunt or Uncle church. They might not feel ready to parent, but they are willing to generously support a planter. They’re having planters up front in their services and are growing in support of a church planting movement.
GodParent
Some churches have moved a bit farther along the reproduction journey. They’ve become that special Aunt or Uncle--the GodParent. They are praying and giving and are available for special appeals by church plants for one-time gifts over and above previous commitments; to send people to help out with a preview service; or to have a baby shower to buy items for a church plants nursery. Our church in Elk Grove, Discovery Church, has a special relationship with a plant back east. We’ve told them to consider us to be a rich uncle who lives in California.
Parent
Some churches have actually moved to the point of daughtering a church. Like having kids biologically, this might be a deliberate, planned, thought-out strategy. A parent church might have the clear approach that they will give $50, 000 to $100,000 and 50-100 people to get a church launched. Or it might be more of “an accident.” They might only be able to give a few bucks and a few people, but they are responding to God’s personal call to them to be parents. They may or may not be joined by another parent church, but they’ve taken responsibility to help a church get going.
Baby Machine
Some churches have had such a good experience in parenting, that they are having plenty of kids. My four sisters have had seven kids, seven kids, six kids and four kids respectively. And I’ve joked that they are baby-machines, constantly pregnant. Some churches are like that--they’ve become multiplication centers.
Mini-Denomination
And some have multiplied so much that they’ve approached becoming a denomination unto themselves. Their kids are having kids. Some are reproducing like wildfire, leaving a lasting legacy.
Churches range throughout these stages, from resistant to rapid reproduction.
The application is clear: let’s identify where we, where our church currently finds itself along the reproductive journey. Is your church resistant? Questioning? Waiting? Involved? Moving toward parenting? Cranking them out?
After identifying where we are, there’s one last application I’d like to challenge you and your church to take: consider making some movement further along the reproductive line. If you’re thinking, “Not now,” I’d encourage you to rethink that and at least do something--support a church planter, give something. If you’re doing something, consider taking the challenge on of being a GodParent. Or perhaps its time to daughter that first church--or that second one.
Let’s move along the reproductive journey.