My Writings. My Thoughts.
My Thoughts Today On Church Planting
// March 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // church planting
After having finished going through a series on failed church plant endeavors last week (post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4) I was forced to remember my personal church planting struggles and failures. As time goes by, it gets easier and easier to work through that experience and look to the positives and assess where I stand in all of it. For me, I still have a passion for church planting and feel like my role is emerging into something more like a mentor and advocate for other planters. I’m starting to transition into an active role at Church! at Bethany, a 3 year old church plant here in Beaverton, OR and the prospects of seeing things take shape as we continue trying to leave a lasting impact on the community in the name of Christ.
I accompanied the leadership team of Church! at Bethany to the monthly gathering of the Northwest Church Planters Conference yesterday. I was wondering to myself, if I have been removed from being a lead pastor and visionary of a church plant, what would be my purpose for attending a church planter’s conference? I figured it would be a great chance to connect with other church planters and see what God is up to in the metropolitan Portland area. To my surprise, Randy Shaw who leads the conference basically spoke to our whole leadership team about some of the things I foresaw as some missing systems, strategies, and vision casting elements that could help propel the church to the next level. The discussion was in the context of what a planter should do in preparation to plant a new church. However, it really did meet us where we were at as a leadership team and helped springboard us into some deeper, relevant dialog as we plan for the future.
I’m no longer a lead pastor nor am I directing a God-given vision to reach a group of people in a unique way, but I must admit that for the first time since I arrived here in Beaverton I am starting to sense some clarity and purposeful collaboration in all of the changes thrown at us during this transition. A lot of conversations I have previously had with friends/mentors about: multi-cultural (not necessarily multi-racial, but reaching people of different cultures), multi-site (multiplying campuses as a way of growth rather), attractional vs missional (or better stated, being an attractional, yet missional church at the same time), third culture (feeling displaced in an environment of people unlike myself), and mentoring are all coming to the forefront here in Beaverton. Here are some random thoughts regarding church planting bouncing around in my head today:
- “Some church planters stop planting churches while their best plant is still inside of them.” –Randy Shaw
- “Once a church planter, always a church planter.” –Marc Payan
- Jesus was a multiplying trainer of leaders…He wasn’t just out to congregate a bunch of followers. –Randy Shaw (paraphrased)
- Some people are called to the excitement and excruciatingly hard work of starting new churches, so once a new ministry gains momentum and starts operating on its own they may feel led to move on to the next adventure in their journey.
- “The first 50 [people in the church] will determine the next 150.” –Bill Easum
- Sometimes it takes big, across-the-board changes in order to see the necessary change in just one area.
- “Spend extra time taking care of my soul.” –Randy Shaw
- Sometimes others on the outside can see (and know) what is ultimately best for ourselves…we often live in denial or base things on our previous experience rather than common sense.
- The burden for the community and the love of its people must take precedence over building the church.
- People are not a commodity and we shouldn’t take advantage of their generosity and willingness to serve…if we care for our leaders, it enables and equips them to care for others.
- Having a big dream and moving forward in that at all cost may get you there, but without celebrating the small victories along the way, you may find yourself alone at the finish line.
As you can see, a lot of stuff is rolling around in my head. I’m not exactly sure why these are thoughts I am thinking about at the moment, but as with everything else, I am sure it will be clarified soon enough.
If you’re a church planter or potential church planter, please let me know. I’d be honored to be able to lend an ear to your thoughts or help pray for you in your amazing journey.
Why do we diminish the power of the gospel?
// March 16th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Christianity, church
The first century Christian church was comprised of people gathering together in homes, learning from the teachings of apostles, sharing in a meal together, and selling what they had to give to others with need. As we learn from Acts 2, not only did they do this, but we know that they did this daily.
Can you imagine if I came to your Sunday worship service and told your church that they had to gather together corporately every single day? We have such a difficult time just getting people to commit to one day a week to gather together, that just asking them to help form community by meeting in a home during the week or serving those in need for a day seems ridiculous to many. In essence, we love Jesus, but we love him on our terms when it is convenient for us to do so.
When we have a reference such as Acts 2 that describes a lifestyle of worship and community, why do we then have to go and mess that up by making it about ourselves? What motivates us to believe that the church today needs to change in order to be relevant to modern society? In the first century church, do we really believe that people went around to various homes looking to see who offered the most uplifting music, the most innovative youth ministry, the most up-to-date furnishings, the best tasting food, or had the most engaging preacher? In a time when professing a faith in Christ could lead to someone’s death by crucifixion or being boiled alive in hot oil, it was just a blessing to be amongst other people of faith living out their lives together for the sake of sharing the gospel with others.
When did the gospel become about modern sanctuaries, how far we’re willing to walk in the rain to get from our car to our seat, how the worship music is performed, funny sermon illustrations, or the talent of the preacher to speak you off the edge of your seat? I seriously contend that we have individualized the gospel and therefore diffused its transformational power when we make it about us and our comforts and desires.
In the first century church it was evident that lives were radically transformed in the name of the gospel. The Apostle Paul is a perfect example. If Paul, who was probably the last person any of us would have chosen to be the minister to the Gentiles, can be used by God for the beauty of the gospel, what is our excuse? What are we waiting for? Do we honestly believe that if we keep trying, we will find that one perfect church where our description sounds less like a church and more like our living room? When we gather together in the name of Christ, that is the church. When we love God and love others as ourselves, that is the church. Just like a car does not need a garage in order to function, we as Christians don’t need a building in order to be a church. Funny how we can look back in history and see how we’ve gotten things all wrong.
We in ministry try to cater to our consumers to attract and retain them, yet in Acts 2:47 we learn that it is not our ideas that grow the church–If we gather together and study the Word, share in fellowship, live life together, and give sacrificially God tells us that he will honor that by adding to our numbers daily. When we make the gospel about us, it becomes less about God. Are we really smarter than God? Do we really believe in the transformative power of the gospel as described in Romans 1:16 or do we use it merely as a tool for our own works?
Change…embrace it or ignore it
// March 15th, 2010 // No Comments » // Dave (personal), change
For whatever reason it seems like my life has constantly revolved around one key theme: Change! My life as a child growing up with my parents was really consistent, but the minute I moved out to my own place at the age of 19, it seems that things are never constant. As much as I dislike chaos, I have to admit that there are aspects of it that suit my nature. I get bored easily and if I’m not being active in something, it eventually starts to kill me inside. I’m kind of an extreme person, either all in or all out. Working in the middle is hard for me to maintain.
When one talks about change, yet doesn’t embrace it, in the end they don’t experience the joys of change. Yes, I believe that there can be great joy found in change. Too often we get comfortable–even when it involves pain–and we see things change around us yet are stuck in the same place. Change scares me, yet at the same time it excites me. However, change for the sake of change doesn’t make sense to me. There must be either something positive or something negative that results in change. You can’t experience change and end up the same. I know, because all I’ve ever known was change. It’s like a cause-and-effect situation.
When I encounter change, I too must change. Whether it’s for better or worse, I need change in order to be changed. It’s my life cycle. I find it rooted in my relationship with Christ. He changed me so that I would never be the same. Even my actions, if repeated, are not exactly the same. My heart…mind…soul…have been transformed. I can never be the same. I choose to embrace change and find renewal in it. In my heart is repentance, yet I am not sure why. I must embrace it.
Father God, I am not sure why I feel this way today, but please show me how I have been trying to live apart from you. Bring me clarity to my ever-changing surroundings and situations and draw me closer to you. Show me how to embrace this change with the passion and enthusiasm that Christ has in me as I am led to seek your will for my life. I want to embrace this new change, but I feel misplaced somehow. Thank you Lord for surrounding me with some wonderful, supportive friends that share their love for me without conditions. I am who I am because of who you have brought into my life. I know I need a change and that I need to change. Please help me get through this time and share your wisdom with me for this new season. Show me what I need to turn away from so that I may know your peace. In the name of Christ Jesus, amen.
10 Questions About Shutting Down A Church Plant: Dave Ingland
// March 11th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // church planting
I’m closing out this series with a culmination of things already expressed within the previous posts from Wayne Park, Elora Ramirez, and Rindy Walton (If you have not read these posts yet, please take a few minutes to do so now). My experience is kind of like a blend of all 3 of the previous experiences, yet different at the same time. I’m hopeful that I share my experience that it will speak to someone and give them the courage to say no rather than push through and create more pain, or cause them to recognize some things and push forward even stronger. Here are my answers in regards to the story behind shutting down Revolution Church Sacramento in January 2010:
- 1. On a scale of 1-10, how confident were you in your call to plant a church?
For me, there was no doubt in my mind that I was a 10+ in my calling to plant a church. I felt the call from the first time I sensed God’s voice speak to me and lead me to a seminary that met me where I was at and equipped and empowered me to take the next steps in my journey. Going from Atheist to church planter in 4 years I think was an outward sign of my confidence in that calling.
2. Were you launched from a parent church, denomination, church plant group, or independently?
Initially our hope was to be birthed as a daughter church from a strong mother church, but that never really came to fruition. So, we were independent and continually seeking to network and partner with more-established churches to help us with spiritual and financial support as well as accountability.
3. Where were you strongest in your resources (finances, people, equipment, etc.) at time of launch?
We were weak in every single area that church planters are expected to be prepared in, however I felt strong in my calling. Many, many people believed in my calling and supported our faithfulness as a church plant, but obviously it takes more than calling and faithfulness in order to survive as a unique ministry with no model already in existence to look towards. We went into preview services with the belief that we had a strong group of people committed to start something new, but had some issues with alignment and expression of vision. In other words, it was probably the right people, but the wrong place and wrong time.
4. Where were you the weakest in your resources at time of launch?
Again, we were pretty weak across the board, but our biggest weakness I think was people. We had no finances going into this, but God always seems to provide for that, but I think we should have spent more time as a group engaging each other and connecting with our community more before we had thoughts of launching weekly, corporate worship gatherings.
5. Where did you expend most of your time and energy following your launch date?
We never really launched. We went from preview services to disbanding and trying to regroup. Most of our energies following our preview services though went in to figuring what we did wrong and how we could move forward without making similar mistakes.
6. What was your biggest disappointment?
Initially, my biggest disappointment was within me. I did my best to cater to our launch team rather than stay true to the vision I felt God compelled to operate within. In hindsight though, I actually don’t feel the emotions of disappointment. I think our church plant experience did much to humble us and draw me personally back to God, rather than try and find my worth chasing after an idol known as “Church planting.” Some members of our launch team are now gathering to explore the possibilities of working towards an second generation Asian-American ministry, others have re-connected with their families and are now attending worship services together rather than apart, some have moved away to new cities and others have become closer friends of mine as a result of our time in ministry together. While I am somewhat disappointed that my dream of seeing a viable multi-cultural ministry with a focus on racial reconciliation take shape in Sacramento, how can I really be disappointed seeing all the positive things that have emerged through connections made as a result of our church plant efforts?
7. Was starting the church plant, or shutting it down the hardest for you?
I go back to my calling to answer this. Starting the church plant felt like my destiny. I dreamed it, studied it, lived it, shared about it…I knew no other future than starting Revolution Church Sacramento. Shutting things down–although the decision came quickly–was difficult to accept. I had to recognize that I had failed and as a result began beating myself up over the experience.
8. Would you consider (or have you considered) church planting again? Why or why not?
Originally I felt like Revolution Church Sacramento was a fulfillment of my dreams–my destiny as a church planter. So, when that got shut down, I felt like my church planting days were behind me. I was being moved into something new and had no idea what that was going to be. As I’ve had time to reflect on things and evaluate how I perceive things, I must admit that I feel the calling of church planting is a part of who I am and who I was created to be. I don’t feel called to actively pursue reaching a community of people with the goal of leading another church plant, but I do feel a draw to a group of people and sense that the time will come when I will be passionately engaged in helping to form a missional community that wants to share the transformation power of the gospel of Christ in acts of service and compassion rather than obligation. For now, I am at peace with where we are at and excited about some new opportunities that weren’t even in my line of sight when I lived and breathed Revolution Church Sacramento. I’m thankful for second chances.
9. What is the one thing you’d tell someone before they got involved in church planting?
Calling is not everything! You were not called to be alone! Really pause and discern prayerfully when you sense God changing the direction of your ministry! Don’t put your worth in your ministry…God wants to have a relationship with you through his Son Christ much more than he cares about how well you plant a church. It’s not one thing, but I feel each is equally as important as the other.
10. What can we as the local church do to be more supportive of church planters?
Some churches support church plants through finances or gifts of equipment, while others support them through sending people. However, if you’re a church that pledges to pray for a church plant, please honor that commitment and keep them in your prayers. Once is not enough! Remember that for the most part churches were started in a time when giving and raising financial support for new ministry was much easier than it is today. Imagine what it’s like for that new church plant venturing in faith in this climate of post-Christian life. Maybe you can’t (or won’t) sacrifice with finances, people, or other resources, but in reality each of us can pray and stay encouraging…it costs us nothing, but always returns much.
Please know that none of the 4 posts in this blog series were meant to be critical of the church or discouraging of church planters. Our experiences were shared in the hopes that they benefit others who are struggling or can be better-prepared as a result of our collective insights. Somedays the only thing holding everything together may be your calling, but your calling isn’t sufficient to provide everything it takes to be a healthy and thriving church plant. Always stay open to learning and if there is anything I can do to help you or you’d like someone to pray with you for a season, I am here for you. We all are here for you!
When a church plant never even launches: Rindy Walton
// March 10th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // church planting
My friend Rindy Walton talked about her experiences with me about a year ago. She was part of a church planting team where the church never even had its first launch service. Know that she sold her house and moved to a different state to help plant this new church. As odd as it may seem, there is much to learn from Rindy and her experience of never celebrating the struggles of church planting with a corporate worship service. Here is how she responded to 10 questions about that experience:
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1. On a scale of 1-10, how confident were you in your call to plant a church?
Thanks to Rindy for sharing her experiences with us! While it may seem uncommon, know that this situation is much more common than you know. It’s just that failed starts like this aren’t often talked about because they are difficult to accept. May this help many others about to get involved in church planting or those struggling whether to keep going when it seems like you’re going no where.
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