Church Planting
Living organisms grow and if they are not growing them something is wrong. The church is a living organism that requires growth and cultivation much like a botanical plant. Biblical church plants should not be viewed as in competition with other churches, but as partners in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the Gospel is planted it is God who ‘makes it grow’ according to 1 Corinthians 3:6-7. Church planting is a means of expanding the Kingdom of God through evangelizing unreached or under-reached people. Bob Reccord, President of NAMB,says, “Every church can help start a church. The New Testament church exploded across the world due to a commitment by the apostle Paul and the early Christian leaders to church planting. Church planting was the heartbeat of Paul’s strategy to penetrate the world.”
From the Apostle Paul to both of my sons-in-law God has called individuals to plant churches. You and I are in a church that began in the heart of God, was planted by someone with a vision and is a part of God’s Kingdom plan. Laymen often have been the impetus and backbone to fulfill the Great Commission as the church moved from Jerusalem to your city. Remember Phillip who spearheaded the church in Samaria and led an African official to Christ in Acts 8?
Back in 1985 God led us to plant a church and HE has grown that church to be aggressive and influential in their community. Today they are more than 500 strong in Miami, Florida. In Cuba church plants are abundant and laymen are leaving their secular jobs to begin new churches. The Western Baptist Convention and the Eastern Baptist Convention of Cuba are beginning hundreds of them this month. My son-in-law, Steven Furtick is planting a new SBC church in Charlotte, NC and my other son-in-law, Jody Jennings is a church planter in Hoima, Uganda in East Africa.
If church planting causes your heart to beat faster let me make a few suggestions:
- Ask God what He wants you to do about it. He doesn’t stir your heart for no reason.
- Seek the wisdom of Godly men and women. Ask your pastor for advice.
- Continue to remind yourself that church buildings are not necessarily churches. Churches are made of believers with or without buildings. Most churches in our world meet in very substandard conditions.
- Enlist a core team of people who have a similar passion.
- If you do not feel that God is calling you to be the catalyst, then seek to support someone who shares this vision.
- Give sacrificially to church plants who are seeking to win the world for Jesus and make an impact in their community.
- Realize that church planting is hard work and at times very discouraging. Many Christians and established churches do not see this as important.
Presently, we are seeking $10 a month ($120 a year) for church plants in another country. We are praying for another 200 who will give $120. We are about halfway to our goal of $42,000 for this particular project.
How can God use you in this area of church planting? Is it to give financially? Is it to be the catalyst for starting a church plant in your community? Is it to pray fervently that the Lord of the Harvest will bring workers?
