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Why does it seem like everyone wants to plant a church?
No matter where I turn anymore, someone is talking about, or moving ahead in, church planting. I want to plant a church for__________. I feel called to plant a church to __________. My heart goes out for a church plant in ___________. There needs to be a church that ___________. Why?
I remember a man one day walking down the streets of his local town. He said he felt like a complete stranger although he had lived there for several years. Heavy on his heart weighed the need for a church plant to reach out to the outcast and downtrodden in that town. He said he was the new 'Rabbi' in town looking for a place to 'hang his shingle'!
Another friend of mine who was very active in the local leadership of his particular church decided one day to start another church in the same community. His vision? To reach out to 'the least, the last and the lost' of that particular community.
A man I just met within the last two weeks has just moved to the area from another state. He states that his heart is for a church plant in the area. This same man walked away from a youth ministry to go into full-time construction work because of financial reasons. Heart for a church plant?
Why?
Do we really need MORE options? Can the visions of each of the above mentioned men not be met within the available 'churches' already established? Does each new vision (which is not really new just new to the individual) require a new start? Does everyone have to re-invent the wheel?
Just thots..........
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5 comments:
Good thoughts Aaron. I'm familiar, having had the urge myself to "hang out a shingle", I think it stems from the false assumption that Christ started an apostolic generational succession.
The Parent/Child relationship being first disciples as parents and later disciples as children. I now believe that to be "born from above" means just that born of one Parent, Yahweh in heaven.
I have a problem with someone who had a ministry and left it to move to a new town and immediately want to start a new church. Was he not happy at the other fellowship? Does he want to be in charge and make the rules? Just something I would want to check into.
i love to see churches planted for a good church is salt and light in a community and displays the glory of Christ.
however, that does not mean i get giddy every time i hear someone mention a possible church plant. before i get excited about their endeavor, like you, i ask:
why?
depending on their answer, then i get excited.
I agree completely! I was thinking that same thing as I read about these men--why did you have to leave your first ministry? Why can't the church expand and keep expanding? Why do the people of God have such limitations that we need to start a new church to reach different people? That's something I really don't understand. If the people in the existing church aren't comfortable interacting with 'the least, the last and the lost' then how in the world can they be a living vibrant church at all?
Church expansion should be a natural, almost automatic process, and should involve no fragmenting--only extension. I suppose that's idealistic, but I think it's true.
Could it be the opinion that church is central to a good life? None of the churches are quite good enough. So maybe there's a chance this fresh church will bring life.
If everything is in order, as it should be, and as it will be in "my" new church. It will burst into flames of life... because after all - life comes from church - right?
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