Isn't it time to set some goals? If you have nothing to aim at you'll hit it every time.
This is a call for the ABA to start 100 New Churches in the next associational year!
Who will hear this call and be willing to respond to it? Who can help us reach this realistic goal? Let's start a groundswell, a grassfire that will encompass our entire association.
How will this goal be achieved? We need 100 churches that will respond by saying, we will start a new church/mission this year. We need 100 men who will say, "I am going to start a new church this year?" How hard is that? We need your participation and commitment to this call. Can we solicit you to join us? Let us know you will participate, let us know you will pray for this to happen. Let us know so that we can track the working of God in this biblical enterprise.
If you will join us contact us at www.goxstream.org or dsmith5165@afo.net to start the movement. Let's start 100 new churches this year.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
A Church Planting Committee?
We have a Memorials Committee, A Chaplaincy Committee, A Missionary Committee, A History and Archives Committee, and some more that I probably missed. But where is the Church Planting Committee, or Committee on Evangelism and Outreach?
As most committees go, a lot is said and very little may actually be accomplished. If so, then maybe a Committee on Church Planting wouldn't be that great of an idea. Although, it might serve to get some serious talking going about what needs to be done in the way of real church planting. It would at the very least show that as an association of churches we are seriously intent upon changing the status quo and willing to offer recommendations for the establishment of new churches.
What would a Church Planting Committee do? They would gather information of how many missions were started and churches organized over the past 10 years. Then they would study the results of why so many churches have closed their doors, and what we need to do to start more healthy churches for the future. They would evaluate past church planting methods. They would make us aware of the condition of things as they are with recommendations for future church planting. The committee would find ways to challenge us to start more churches through all available means and especially at association meetings, etc. They would launch prayer movements to reverse the present trend. They would advertise, promote, encourage, challenge, eat and sleep church planting. Would that be too hard to do?
Let's get it started. Who will help us get this ball rolling?
As most committees go, a lot is said and very little may actually be accomplished. If so, then maybe a Committee on Church Planting wouldn't be that great of an idea. Although, it might serve to get some serious talking going about what needs to be done in the way of real church planting. It would at the very least show that as an association of churches we are seriously intent upon changing the status quo and willing to offer recommendations for the establishment of new churches.
What would a Church Planting Committee do? They would gather information of how many missions were started and churches organized over the past 10 years. Then they would study the results of why so many churches have closed their doors, and what we need to do to start more healthy churches for the future. They would evaluate past church planting methods. They would make us aware of the condition of things as they are with recommendations for future church planting. The committee would find ways to challenge us to start more churches through all available means and especially at association meetings, etc. They would launch prayer movements to reverse the present trend. They would advertise, promote, encourage, challenge, eat and sleep church planting. Would that be too hard to do?
Let's get it started. Who will help us get this ball rolling?
Monday, May 21, 2007
Starting Indigenous Churches
Indigenous church?
Defined: that which is culturally relevent, self-supporting, self-propagating, self-governing and biblically sound. There may be some better definitions but I believe this one pretty well says it.
Finally, we are beginning to see indigenous churches being planted overseas. American missionaries are now training national pastors in their own local areas to plant churches. These native pastors are being supported by their own people on their own economy and not with US dollars.
Don't you think it is time to start indigenous churches in America? It used to be so a generation or two ago. A man called of God, burdened about souls in a certain location, would take his family and move to where God called him. Then, while working a full time job he would win souls and meet in his home or some other place until enough people were joined together to begin to subsidize his salary. Little by little the new church (baby) would begin to set funds aside and giving would increase and they would rent a larger facility. Without the financial help of a sponsoring church, association, or anyone else, baby churches like this would most likely take ownership and grow into a healthy church.
I agree that it would be nice to have some assistance to get a church started, however, it appears that many prospective church planters are really wanting it too easy. It is essential that the church planter and his wife (team) be fully committed to planting a new church and be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to do the work. The rewards always come later when the church begins to grow.
It is worthy to note here that one of the reasons more churches are not being started is the prohibitive cost of not only supporting the church planter but the expectation that the sponsoring church will have to be responsible for purchasing land and building a facility. This is most unfortunate.
Would you or your church be more apt to get involved with starting a new church if you knew it would be an indigenous church from the beginning? Leave your comments.
Defined: that which is culturally relevent, self-supporting, self-propagating, self-governing and biblically sound. There may be some better definitions but I believe this one pretty well says it.
Finally, we are beginning to see indigenous churches being planted overseas. American missionaries are now training national pastors in their own local areas to plant churches. These native pastors are being supported by their own people on their own economy and not with US dollars.
Don't you think it is time to start indigenous churches in America? It used to be so a generation or two ago. A man called of God, burdened about souls in a certain location, would take his family and move to where God called him. Then, while working a full time job he would win souls and meet in his home or some other place until enough people were joined together to begin to subsidize his salary. Little by little the new church (baby) would begin to set funds aside and giving would increase and they would rent a larger facility. Without the financial help of a sponsoring church, association, or anyone else, baby churches like this would most likely take ownership and grow into a healthy church.
I agree that it would be nice to have some assistance to get a church started, however, it appears that many prospective church planters are really wanting it too easy. It is essential that the church planter and his wife (team) be fully committed to planting a new church and be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to do the work. The rewards always come later when the church begins to grow.
It is worthy to note here that one of the reasons more churches are not being started is the prohibitive cost of not only supporting the church planter but the expectation that the sponsoring church will have to be responsible for purchasing land and building a facility. This is most unfortunate.
Would you or your church be more apt to get involved with starting a new church if you knew it would be an indigenous church from the beginning? Leave your comments.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Jerry Falwell
I never met Jerry Falwell, but I always wanted to.
He was a Man of God. He was a Visionary. He was used of God. He was hated by the left and criticized by the right. But he stayed true to his calling. He loved the Bible and he loved souls.
If I could accomplish just one-tenth of what this man did for the glory of God I would consider myself to have been exceedingly blessed.
It is time for great visionary men of faith to rise up and claim the next generation for Christ and become champions for Christ. Where are they?
David
He was a Man of God. He was a Visionary. He was used of God. He was hated by the left and criticized by the right. But he stayed true to his calling. He loved the Bible and he loved souls.
If I could accomplish just one-tenth of what this man did for the glory of God I would consider myself to have been exceedingly blessed.
It is time for great visionary men of faith to rise up and claim the next generation for Christ and become champions for Christ. Where are they?
David
Churches Planting Churches Planting Churches...
Churches reproducing themselves is the watchword for church planters. Building this into the dna of a new church plant is critical to its reproduction.
The Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia and NAMB have determined that if a new church does not plant another church within three years of its constituting (organizing) that it probably never will plant another church. This is staggering considering that possibly over 60% of ABA churches have never started another church. We can change that!
Discipleship is only successful when one has discipled another who has discipled another who has discipled another. In church planting it is the same. We need churches planting churches that are planting churches that are planting churches.
Let's start a church planting movement. Start where you are. Start with an LTG.
Let's start churches that start churches that start churches...
The Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia and NAMB have determined that if a new church does not plant another church within three years of its constituting (organizing) that it probably never will plant another church. This is staggering considering that possibly over 60% of ABA churches have never started another church. We can change that!
Discipleship is only successful when one has discipled another who has discipled another who has discipled another. In church planting it is the same. We need churches planting churches that are planting churches that are planting churches.
Let's start a church planting movement. Start where you are. Start with an LTG.
Let's start churches that start churches that start churches...
Monday, May 14, 2007
A Call For Change Agents
Change is resisted by all of us. Change is inevitable and those who fight it will die a slow death. Changing is what our world is doing daily and yet so many of us are still living in yesterday's shadows unwilling to change.
It is time to change.
This is a call to all change agents to rise up and make a difference where they are. Make a difference in your church. If it needs to change, then lead out with a positive example and show the way. Make change happen in a way that glorifies Christ and loves His people.
This is not a call for some to change the way of worship, or the way of dress, or a call for the old ways or for new ways, but a call for renewed passion. Lost souls have been neglected long enough in Hometown, USA, and it is time to change. We need change agents with a passion for lost souls to rise up now.
It is not time to change for the sake of change, but to change for the sake of the gospel.
Strategy To Start New Churches
Most of us are convinced that we need to start new churches. The questions remain: Who will start them? Where will we start them? How will we fund them? When will churches begin to start new churches? What do we do to get it all started?
Simple strategy is often most effective. But sometimes the simplicity of a matter is complicated
by overwhelming circumstances that seem to prohibit the possibilities of accomplishing the simple task. Confused yet?
Simple strategy needs to be arrived at by the consensus of the few or the many who will then act upon their strategy to achieve what seems to be against overwhelming odds.
Bottom line is "What is the strategy to start new churches?" The answer is "simply doing it!"
Efforts are being made by great new ministries like Reach America ( www.reachamerica.org) to help churches start new churches. They have a simple strategy. They are simply doing it!
Simple strategy is often most effective. But sometimes the simplicity of a matter is complicated
by overwhelming circumstances that seem to prohibit the possibilities of accomplishing the simple task. Confused yet?
Simple strategy needs to be arrived at by the consensus of the few or the many who will then act upon their strategy to achieve what seems to be against overwhelming odds.
Bottom line is "What is the strategy to start new churches?" The answer is "simply doing it!"
Efforts are being made by great new ministries like Reach America ( www.reachamerica.org) to help churches start new churches. They have a simple strategy. They are simply doing it!
Monday, May 7, 2007
Where Is The Harvest?
People are always asking me, Bro David where have you been? Where are you going next? They ask because they know I travel a lot to many different places on our globe doing ministry and evangelism, encouraging church planting and looking for church planters/missionaries. I like to answer them this way, "I am looking for the harvest fields!" "I'm looking for the places where God is working."And God is working magnificently. It is estimated that 155,000 souls are redeemed every day all around the globe. It is most exhilirating to be a part of this great work of God.
Some will ask me, "Where is the harvest? Where is the greatest need for missionaries and church planting?" Sometimes I'm not even sure where to begin to answer. I'm not sure if they really want to know. But I tell them, "EVERYWHERE!" Just look around you. There is a harvest right in front of you, behind you, beside you. Some people don't get it because their eyes are closed. The harvest they had in mind was different from what I was speaking of.
The harvest is not only white, it is black, red, brown and yellow. The harvest has changed its color. But it is still a harvest, and greater than we can even calculate. Where is the harvest? It is all around us and it is rotting on the ground as we speak. America is ripe for the harvest.
Some will ask me, "Where is the harvest? Where is the greatest need for missionaries and church planting?" Sometimes I'm not even sure where to begin to answer. I'm not sure if they really want to know. But I tell them, "EVERYWHERE!" Just look around you. There is a harvest right in front of you, behind you, beside you. Some people don't get it because their eyes are closed. The harvest they had in mind was different from what I was speaking of.
The harvest is not only white, it is black, red, brown and yellow. The harvest has changed its color. But it is still a harvest, and greater than we can even calculate. Where is the harvest? It is all around us and it is rotting on the ground as we speak. America is ripe for the harvest.
Are We Living In The Last Days?
Are we living in the last days? I'm not sure.
I ask this question because there are so many of my preacher friends who have assumed that the end is upon us and that we have little or no hope that anyone wants to listen to our message anymore. Why give up now? Why get discouraged now when the windows of heaven are ready to burst with blessings? If things are as bad as some folks think, shouldn't we be taking advantage of this moment in history for ministry and Christ? Don't give up now, ministry is at hand! A harvest is ready to be gathered for those who will go.
What harvest? The harvest Jesus spoke of, you know, those "white" fields where there are so few laborers? Many have lost sight of the harvest and given over to negativism and pessimism.
The harvest is about geography and attitude. There are places all over the world where hundreds and thousands are coming to Christ and starting churches everywhere. There are also many places in the USA where a harvest of souls is occuring. But it requires the lifting up of our eyes and looking on the fields in order for us to see the harvest and bring it in.
Maybe we are living in the last days, praise God! So let's plant churches and win souls as a welcome to the coming Savior.
I ask this question because there are so many of my preacher friends who have assumed that the end is upon us and that we have little or no hope that anyone wants to listen to our message anymore. Why give up now? Why get discouraged now when the windows of heaven are ready to burst with blessings? If things are as bad as some folks think, shouldn't we be taking advantage of this moment in history for ministry and Christ? Don't give up now, ministry is at hand! A harvest is ready to be gathered for those who will go.
What harvest? The harvest Jesus spoke of, you know, those "white" fields where there are so few laborers? Many have lost sight of the harvest and given over to negativism and pessimism.
The harvest is about geography and attitude. There are places all over the world where hundreds and thousands are coming to Christ and starting churches everywhere. There are also many places in the USA where a harvest of souls is occuring. But it requires the lifting up of our eyes and looking on the fields in order for us to see the harvest and bring it in.
Maybe we are living in the last days, praise God! So let's plant churches and win souls as a welcome to the coming Savior.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
The Antioch Attitude
The attitude of the believers in Antioch was to start new churches. They sent out some of the finest men of their congregation and commissioned them. They fasted and prayed, they sent them out. The Holy Spirit was with them.
Now, I ask you, what more do we need than the Antioch example? But, how much will it cost? How can we do it without greater resources? The early church planters found their resources in the harvest. Perhaps we should take a similar approach to church planting today.
I fear that many churches are hesitant to start new churches today because they are overwhelmed with the cost and commitment that is involved in a traditional church plant. There will always be a cost. There will always need to be a commitment. But do we need to think in the traditional way? Buy land and build a building? That now seems to be the traiditonal way of doing mission work/church planting. It is time for us to get beyond this and remove these restraints from our thinking.
"Every Church Planting a Church" ought to be our watchword. Our attitude is the Antioch Attitude, a new attitude to start new churches.
Now, I ask you, what more do we need than the Antioch example? But, how much will it cost? How can we do it without greater resources? The early church planters found their resources in the harvest. Perhaps we should take a similar approach to church planting today.
I fear that many churches are hesitant to start new churches today because they are overwhelmed with the cost and commitment that is involved in a traditional church plant. There will always be a cost. There will always need to be a commitment. But do we need to think in the traditional way? Buy land and build a building? That now seems to be the traiditonal way of doing mission work/church planting. It is time for us to get beyond this and remove these restraints from our thinking.
"Every Church Planting a Church" ought to be our watchword. Our attitude is the Antioch Attitude, a new attitude to start new churches.
Start New Churches Or Die
Starting new churches is far more critical to our ongoing existence than what many may presently understand. We only need to look to Great Britain and see hundreds of church buildings that were once housed by Baptists are now being used as museums, warehouses, mosques, you name it. It is beginning to happen in America.
Already it is clear that there are more churches disbanding and closing their doors than there are new churches being started. Isn't it time for us to turn the tide? Starting new churches will begin to reverse the process. But we must begin now. Some churches need to die because they have served their purpose and time, but these must give birth to new churches so that their kind will not disappear. They will need to reproduce and multiply or die without children.
Those that have a preoccupation with the past and glorify it will have to pay a terrible price, since they have no children, there will be no one to write their history. We have committees established to record our history and archives and we need them; but wouldn't it be more expedient to form committees on how to start healthy new churches? It is time for our association of churches to form a committee, a plan, a strategy to multiply and start new churches. It is time for us to know how many churches have been started in the previous year and how many we pray will be started for the next year. Where is the leadedrship? Where are the voices raised, shouting "Let's plant more churches!" ?
Start new churches or die. Start new churches and live.
Already it is clear that there are more churches disbanding and closing their doors than there are new churches being started. Isn't it time for us to turn the tide? Starting new churches will begin to reverse the process. But we must begin now. Some churches need to die because they have served their purpose and time, but these must give birth to new churches so that their kind will not disappear. They will need to reproduce and multiply or die without children.
Those that have a preoccupation with the past and glorify it will have to pay a terrible price, since they have no children, there will be no one to write their history. We have committees established to record our history and archives and we need them; but wouldn't it be more expedient to form committees on how to start healthy new churches? It is time for our association of churches to form a committee, a plan, a strategy to multiply and start new churches. It is time for us to know how many churches have been started in the previous year and how many we pray will be started for the next year. Where is the leadedrship? Where are the voices raised, shouting "Let's plant more churches!" ?
Start new churches or die. Start new churches and live.
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