Church planting, Why do you want to plant a church?

I have come to see that in church planting the First thing one must do is answer Why do you want to plant a church? And the Second is to define church. Because your definition of church and why you want to plant one is foundational to what you do, A.K.A. plant. They both combined will define what it looks like and how it functions and its purpose for existence. I have come to understand how these two issues are so critical, they will set in motion the chain of events that determine what is created, the answers will mold and shape what you do.

First, The Why? So Why do you want to plant a church?

First off one must understand Church Planting is about Jesus, about having a passion for the community life and reaching the lost. I have met so many “church planters” that the only place that they want to plant a church is in the rich parts of a metro area, I would say 99% of all new plants in the last five years have occurred in the rich areas of my cities metro area, and I believe that really reviles the planters heart and motives.

Like one young planter I challenged to plant in the poor or even the blue collar areas instead of the rich (high income) area he was targeting, he replied “there is no money in starting a church there” the truth came out as to the why he wanted to plant a church. It was all about money, he was approaching it more as an entrepreneur stating up for a for-profit business. Approaching it like starting a career to provide for him, in monetary ways, to fund his big material dreams of what a church is all about, and his personal desired income.

(I have an idea how about if we say that for the next few years we only plant churches in the inner city and blue collar areas of our cities.)

If you see church planting as a income providing career, something better to do than try and get a career in corporate America, to a be your own boss instead of working for and answering to someone else, you have a very wrong motive.

You must ask yourself, what is my motive. Why do I want to plant a church?

If your vision is a church of 10,000 with a Starbuck’s in it, see a mega complex starched and a nice six figure income with book deals in your future, you are doing it for yourself, only for self gain. You not only have the wrong Why you want to plant, but also the wrong definition, an un-biblical definition of church and motive.

I will continue this in my next blog. Read all at my personal website here.

Beat the Coke Truck

“Reports have been circulating that the Coca-Cola International Corporation has a business plan with a goal of being able to get a cold Coke within one mile of every person on earth by the year 2020.”

In The January-February issue of Mission Frontiers Magazine that I received in the mail there is an article by Steve Schadrach states that some of his co-workers are “use this company’s goal to motivate Christians to get the gospel within a mile of every human being [some don't know there is a Jesus to believe in] . . . . Although God has supplied us with infinitely more resources (than Coca-Cola has) to get His message out, are we as committed to seeing our job finished as they are?” They came up with the name “Beat the Coke Truck” and use Coke’s company vision and put the Gospel within a mile of every human being.

I agree with their challenge, because Coke’s vision also fits well with mine, is similar to Mission Frontiers, I want to put a church on every street, that Christians would be the church instead of going to church, and the each one would be the church in their neighborhood. That there would be a community of faith, a house church in every neighborhood, on every street in our city, nation and the world. That every disciple of Jesus would live sent, be on mission taking the gospel to the world, that they would be taking Jesus to work, to school to every place their foot steps. My vision is a Christian who is living sent and as the Church be in every neighborhood, thereby every one would be a house away, a cubical a way, a desk a way from the gospel, from the church.