You say you want a reformation…

I am seven years into my first tenure as a senior pastor. The congregation I am blessed to serve in that capacity consists of roughly 300 souls near the urban center of Grand Rapids, MI at a location that has been occupied by their forebearers since 1892. There was a time when I was in seminary and dreaming of planting a new church (you know, one that would avoid all of the mistakes of every other church and implement all of the pristine principles of belief and practice I was being taught) when I would have laughed at the idea that this would be the kind of church I would find myself serving. Yet, as anyone who has served as a pastor will tell you, the call and gift of God to minister among the people of Jesus is irresistible. The delightful gifts from God that are the members of Berean Baptist Church have truly become my people over these past 7 years. We have loved and laughed and lost together over these past seven years.

So it was no surprise when our church first used the NCD survey that “loving relationships” showed up as one of our strengths and that it also ranked high four years later when we took the survey again. What both of those surveys revealed, however, was that our strength can also be a weakness. As a historic congregation with multiple families tied together going back generations, it can be hard for newcomers to really integrate and become part of the community, unless they are a hardy sort. We were able to identify that we struggled with having a truly outward focus versus an inward focus as a congregation.

When Bryan Moak shared the Church Unique tool following our second NCD experience it seemed like an ideal vehicle to help us have some of the conversations around that dynamic. Over the past year, the pandemic and lockdown notwithstanding, we were blessed by his leadership to take us through that process. It has raised plenty of tense questions as we have had to take a hard look at where this church is and honestly evaluate our strengths and weaknesses. It is easily the most difficult and exciting work I have been a part of in the past seven years.

The exciting part is to be able to dream and envision, not in the idealized abstract I entertained in seminary, but in the concrete reality of this congregation what could happen if we invested ourselves in the process of growth and change that NCD and Church Unique facilitate. The difficulty is that especially in a year when we have been forced into so many changes already, change management is made even more complicated. There is a delicate balance to be maintained in bringing everyone along while not shying away from urging that necessary changes to see the best that God has for us. It is messy and scary but I really believe that if we are willing to lean into how Jesus would renew us as a faith community, the question will not be what did we lose, but rather what did we gain?

Marcus Little
Berean Baptist Church
Grand Rapids, MI

Why is church planting such a big deal?

Here are four simple reasons you can share with your church that will touch their hearts and give them a fresh perspective on the impact of church planting.

1. It is the work of Jesus.

Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it!” (Matthew 16:18) In God’s genius, he has chosen the church to be the primary vehicle for reaching the world with the gospel of Jesus. This is a mystery that baffles the whole spiritual world.

Paul writes, “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:8-11)

Through the mystery of the church, the whole spiritual world (angels and demons) sees the brilliance of God’s redemptive plan. The church is a group of people who have been touched by the unsearchable riches of Christ. They have been called into a community of faith regardless of the racial makeup, social background, or sin-scarred lifestyle. They are a group of people who have locked arms together to carry the mysterious message of forgiveness by grace alone through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Church planting is the work of Jesus that glorifies God, extends God’s kingdom, and accomplishes God’s mission.

2. Opportunities are Everywhere!

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful…” (Matthew 9:37) On another occasion, he told his disciples, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35) I believe that God is in the saving business. 

Many of us know John 3:16, but what about John 3:17? Jesus said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17) God’s desire for the men, women, and children of all races, backgrounds, and social standing is that they come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. His desire is not measured by a simple wish but by the sacrificial commitment of sending his Son, Jesus, into the world. God’s saving desire is also revealed in the Holy Spirit’s work of convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-9).

It is easy to be skeptical these days. Statistically, the church here in North America is declining at an uncomfortable rate. And yet, Jesus, dealt with his own skeptical and even cynical disciples who were culturally trained to despise their neighbors, the Samaritans.

He told them to “open their eyes!” for he knew the Father’s love for them. We need to open our eyes today! Because you never know when God will do something spectacular like using a wayward woman to reach a whole city of despised people who they thought were hopeless.  Why is church planting a big deal? God is still doing big things beyond our limited faith.

3. It is the most effective way to fulfill the great commission!

Jesus commissions his true disciples to be focused on the task of making new disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). Yet recent surveys reveal only 8% of regular church attendees believe that sharing their faith is “very important.” This means that 92% believe it is not relevant. This is why only 3 out of 4 Christians (75%) seldom have a “spiritual conversation” with anyone. [1]

There is a natural entropy towards outreach that happens when a new church gets older. Surveys reveal churches older than 10 years take 89 attendees to reach one person for Christ. Even in relatively young churches who are 3 to 10 years old, it takes 7 attendees to reach one person for Christ. New churches from 0 to 3 years old only take 3 attendees to reach one person for Christ.

Even though evangelism is at an all-time low in churches, church planting is still the most effective means of seeing the gospel advance around the world.  

Why are new churches more effective at evangelism than older churches? It’s in one word: survival. If a new church is not focused on reaching new people with the gospel, that church will not be around very long. Once, in a group of pastors, I asked them how many would lose their jobs if they did not reach one person with the gospel this year. None of them said yes. They knew they would not lose their jobs as long as they were caring for their members.  In a church plant, evangelism = survival.                   

4. Someone started your church!

Yes, if you are meeting and gathering with other believers today, this means that God planted a vision for a new church in your community in the heart of a leader who saw the need, embraced the opportunity, and made the sacrifices to see your church started. This was 160, 130, 100, 50, or 20 years ago for some of our churches. Do you know the name of the church planter who started your church?  It is incredible how often we forget to remember the pioneers who made the very existence of our churches possible.

On this church planting weekend, I hope you will take the time to remember the pioneers who started your church because today you are enjoying the labors and sacrifices of others. Scripture teaches us: “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)

Join us for our Nationwide Celebration of Church Planting this weekend.

 

[1] Spiritual Conversations in the Digital Age, Barna Group, 2018