Just in case you're a newcomer to my blog, I believe relationships are central to fulfilling the Great Commission. Somehow I missed the weight of this simple truth until we moved to a totally new culture to share the Gospel, where all of a sudden it seemed so "logical" that our time should be invested primarily with those who do not know Jesus, who perhaps have never even known a follower of Christ, at least not up close and personal.

One of my "new" friends dropped by the house on Thursday for our weekly chat. Sometimes we have a cup of coffee, or even lunch, but mostly he just enjoys intelligent conversation (yeah, bring on the sarcasm) and he's also very curious about spiritual things, especially Read more

What does the phrase, “church planting,” bring to mind? Having worked as a “church planting missionary” for many years now, I am convinced that many church leaders, denominational workers, pastors, and church planters have co-opted this phrase to describe what amounts to little more than starting a new franchise. Here’s the Wikipedia definition of “franchising” with my comments in brackets:

Franchising (from the French for honesty or freedom) is a method of doing business wherein a franchisor [the denomination or sponsoring church] licenses trademarks and tried and proven methods of doing business to a franchisee [the church planter] in exchange for a recurring payment, and usually a percentage piece of gross sales or gross profits [contributions to the denominational missions fund] as well as the annual fees.

Some church planters no longer see their primary mission as simply proclaiming the Gospel—trusting Father to bring people to Himself and then gathering those new believers into a new community of faith—because we expect them to successfully launch a new Read more

Guy Muse, a Southern Baptist missionary in Ecuador shares a wonderful story of how churches are being planted in his part of the world. An amazing and uplifting story for everyone to read. He closes by sharing the follow simple steps to planting a new church:

1. Someone going to share the Good News of the powerful life-transforming life that is found in Christ.

2. Making disciples of those who respond by walking alongside them in their initial steps of life in Christ.

3. Baptizing as soon as possible those who believe.

4. Teaching them to observe all Jesus commanded.

Should church planting really be any more complicated than that? If we will do our part, Jesus promises to do his part and BUILD HIS CHURCH.
Thanks for the good word, Guy!

Another great quote from Frank Viola’s new book, God’s Ultimate Passion:

One of the great problems in the Christian faith today, I believe, is that we Christians are taught to be salt and light in the world as individuals. We are exhorted as individuals to change the world for Christ. We are motivated as individuals to be agents of God’s Kingdom. “Church” has been redefined as the place you attend to be educated and Read more

The number of national and international ministries focused on “church planting” has risen to staggering proportions! Everybody wants in on the action, but it’s beginning to sound a lot like rocket science to me.

Here’s the drill. You need to be “assessed” using the New Testament a subjective, behavioral interview; do lots of research, using demographics and psychographics (developed by Alfred Hitchcock), so that you will know if your target area can sustain the six-figure salary you hope to receive a couple of years down the line; raise lots of money up front so you can afford that four bedroom, three bath mansion parsonage in the upper middle-class, mostly white, gated community, home to your demographic target; apply for permission through the proper channels, acquiring a slightly brownish tint to one’s nose (don’t worry, it’s a badge of honor in most Read more

The more I read Mark Driscoll, the more I'm convinced that he has captured a unique balance of theological integrity and missional passion that is rarely found in an evangelical pastor in America. Hear the realism of this man's search to bring the Gospel into the messy lives of people without Jesus:

If you are really seeing lost people meet Jesus, they make a mess. Their questions are messy, their lives are messy. I'll give you an example: a lesbian couple comes into the church that has two or three kids. They get saved. Now what do you do? They can't be married. What do you do with the kids? It's messy!

Watch this video if you are intrigued to hear more:

If your church and its ministry are unfamiliar with such messiness, then you really need to hear Driscoll's challenge and take it to heart. Far better to assume an uncertain degree of risk in reaching people with the Gospel, messy lives and all, than to worry about what others may think of our efforts.

Any church that is about safety, security, predictability, uniformity, order and simplicity are probably not doing the work of the Gospel. Does that mean that mistakes will be made? Yes. Because I am a theological Calvinist, I do not believe that perfection is possible, at all. That doesn't mean I excuse sin, endorse sin, but it does mean that I . . . sin. And I'm not gonna live in such a way that my greatest fear is to commit a sin. My greatest fear is to live a passionless, fruitless existence. That's my greatest fear, to hear Jesus say 'not well done, unfaithful and not-so-good servant.'