I wish I had some good answers . . . I'm looking for the same answers myself. I have this hunch that it's not about "getting people in the doors" as much as it's about getting the people out of the doors, so to speak. In the established churches I've attended the members don't have a big desire to go and be with unchurched people. There's no desire to go and share the good news, maybe we've forgotten that the news is good. Maybe we need to hear the news again in a way that reminds us that it really is good. Maybe we need a kick in the pants. I don't know really. What I do know is that it's crazy to expect different result from doing the same thing - if what we're doing isn't bringing people to an encounter with the Christ then we should try something different.

We have the same questions here, in our small 10 year old church plant. we are about to lose our minister and are looking for a new one, but we are faced with the reality that at one time this church was thriving, growing in Spirit and numbers, changing lives (like Rolo's for one) and now its lost its spark. We are rejoicing for the 2-3 new baptisms per year, but how do we wake people up to get excited for the Lord and evangelism? Its very difficult. I am very excited about Revavatus, I hope to visit next time we're in town.

I got the 'news' this morning from your dad and it is so great that your Easter came through. And I really like the postcards that you guys sent out (I'm assuming that is what the montage pic with mustachios was). I've said before that I don't want to be sold religion, but you really have to do that as a planter or even as a general missionary (not the go somewhere kind, but the spreader of the word kind). I think it has to be done in a way that people don't feel sold, they feel invited and I really think that is what you guys are doing. Obviously, you know that it isn't a quick process-- you guys would freak if you had 75 new people every week for a month-- and as cliche as it sounds, each new person/ family is a big thing. It seems to me that, in a purely numbers type of way, there will be a point where you get the new people who will then be the bringers for their new people, you just have to get to that point. Last time I was there, it was mostly the "same ol people"(and in no way is that depressing), but once that barrier of SOP is broken, it will extend your network and you'll be like Verizon. I understand where you guys are coming from, but from an outsider who doesn't know the plumbing of the church, you guys are doing an amazing job. I'm not really sure where I was going with that, but that's what I have to say, metaphorically.

I'll be honest with you, I'm not running from old established churches, but one of the things I love about starting a new church is that I dont' have to revive a dead horse, instead I get to birth new ones (sorry, that was a terrible illustration).

Arwen: You'd be amazed at how right you are. I've heard a lot of what you said from smart people with their doctorates who write books about starting new churches. Maybe people should stop reading those books and start listening to you. Jesus doesn't need to be sold, he sells himself. And if people dont' want to buy into who/what Jesus is, then there's nothing that a terminator church is going to do about it except for continuing to be like Jesus (or at least trying). What I hate is when people befriend people simply to try to convert them. That is terrible. People aren't projects. People are people who are loved by Jesus. If we can't love and befriend people simply because of their inherant value and lovability then we've got no place starting a church.
I guess I'm just wondering at how I can be healthily proactive in my attempts to create the second best church in the history of mankind. What can I do? Maybe I just ask God and then trust him as he keeps the 75 people a week from coming and instead allows them to trickle in as we are taught how to 'handle' them.

so i had a beautiful response typed up but my computer kicked me off. i will try to recreate it:

First, stop calling them “unchurched.” This is giving you the wrong idea all together. Maybe bringing them to church is not the first step. I think the first step is loving them. Go to where they are and love them. Meet their needs in a physical, nitty gritty, dirty way. Love. Them. Christ walked among the people, healed them and blessed them and met their needs. Show them this. Build relationships with them. Show them that you care for them and love them. Then introduce them to your community. But perhaps not your formal worship. Instead invite them to a book group, an art show put on by your church community, a yard work day at the home of an elderly person, whatevah. Show them that your community truly cares for them and WHY (Christ). Live the resurrection live in front of them. Show them what it looks like to have Christ come in (with his body—that’s YOU) and redeem the world. show them that your community will not judge them, will welcome them, will give them a safe place to be themselves to ask questions and to utilize their talents and abilities. Let them know that if they have a passion for social action (i.e. working with refugees) that your community of Christ followers would love to work with them on setting something up and giving them an outlet for their talents to be put to use for Christ. So many people who do not have relationship with Christ wont go to church because they have misconceptions, have only met hypocrites, don’t resonate with what happens in the formal service, don’t see how “church” really matters in the real world, and don’t understand that to be a Christ follower means having a relationship with the creator and living in a community of believers. Show them these things. Love them. Help them to begin to build relationships with other believers and then with Christ and then . . . just maybe . . . they will be willing to come to the formal worship service on Sunday morning. Sometimes becoming “churched” is the last step in building a relationship with Christ.

I hope that made sense.

Peace.

No, I totally agree. The usage of the term "unchurched" is as apt a word as saying that we need to "get" them into church, as if they are animals that need to be herded into their proper place. More than anything its a neccesity of writing a quick blog and having a small vocabulary.
But what you say is very true. Jesus is so much bigger than Sunday mornings! Those times are such a small part of what being a Christ follower is.
Cool. Thanks for the words. I like it.

anytime! i LOVE dialoguing about this stuff . . . (is dialoguing a word? and, if so, did i even spell it right?)

For the sake of dialoge, I thought of a complication...I like everything you've said (Tabs), but how does that work on a leadership level. What I mean is that for a Christian who is called to a normal job and ministry it all fits perfect. They go about their businiess purposefully being Jesus in their world. But when you're in a leadership possition in a church, particularly a new church, it seems as though you should be finding ways of touching more people (not neccisarily personally). On one level you want to inspire people to be Jesus, on another you want to be Jesus in your community yourself, on another you want to meet new people, on another you want to disciple new followers...Simply "being church" touches a few people (the people you interact with everyday), but I want to touch more people and I want to retain more of the first touch people that invest in some small way.
Is that all making sense? I like what you said on an intimate level and I like to think that it is all that is needed (and maybe it is), but my question is, is there more that a church planter is called to?

i'm not exactly sure what you are asking here . . . i do know that rick, the pastor at imago (where i go) is awesome at interacting with new people and showing them christ. there is a beautiful story about how he built a friendship with this man who did not believe for a long time and now he is the leader of my home community. i could tell it to you, but it is looonnnggg and not for blogging.
since i am not sure what you are asking here, i will just say that maybe the "leader" isn't called to do all the work. that a leader does just as much work as the rest of the "body." just because he is the mouth of the body, doesn't mean he has to be some sort of super recruiter or something . . . is this even along the same lines?

i'll be you could contact rick at pastorrick at imagodeicommunity dot com and ask what this looks like for him (they went from being a small group of 40 people to a church of thousands in 5 years). i'm sure he'd be more than willing to have a conversation with you about it.

i LOVE this dialogue!

peace.

I'm not sure what I'm saying. And I actually really do want to get together with Imago pastors.
I do know that I don't believe that the church planter/pastor/minister needs to be "The Man", a savior in and of himself. That is dangerous thinking. I think there is just something more to it when you are the vision caster, the person who provides the direction (ie the direcion to which Jesus is calling you to of course), yada yada yada. No longer is it just about your own one on relationships, but it's about hundreds even thousands of lost people that you are called to create a church for.
I'm going to stop typing and call a church planter I met yesterday. He has plugs, so he's got to be pretty wise when it comes to this blog.
peace.

plugs? awesome.

maybe the "church planter" and his whole team share the responsibility together of creating a space for god to bring together a church . . . i just don't quite come along side you in your idea of one man having sole responsibility for all the souls at the church. the "minister/preacher/paster/whateverwordyouchoosetouse" is just a voice of guidance and sharing the word and counsel . . . the whole team of elders and deacons, etc share in the vision casting and building up of the body. and the body itself is capable of taking care of each other and being active in their community as well (they are capable of more than most communities often actually end up doing since they are so willing to be passive and say "it's not my responsibility. it's that guy up there with all the words coming out of his mouth."

man, do i sound cranky/bitchy/disagreeable? i hope not. i don't mean to.

i'd love to hear how your conversation with plug man goes! this is waaaayy interesting to me.

grace and peace and a happy weekend to you.

I didn't realize that you had posted back on this. And I doubt that you'll ever read this...but...if that is what I'm saying then I disagree with me too. I think we agree more than it seems. Its just that I'm trying to question and you're trying to answer. So then it looks like you're a bitch and I'm awesome...ok, maybe thats not what it looks like, but anyway. I love the type of church that you go to,and alot of that is what I want Renovatus to be like, the community and the activism. Prayerfuly, God will take us there.

you ARE awesome.

Cool blog, interesting information... Keep it UP » » »