In his study of church planting movements world wide, David Garrison came to this conclusion: "In most Church Planting Movements, the first churches were planted by missionaries or by missionary-trained church planters. At some point, however, as the movements entered a multiplicative phase of reproduction, the churches themselves began planting new churches. In order for this to occur, church members have to believe that reproduction is natural and that no external aids are needed to start a new church. In Church Planting Movements, nothing deters the local believers from winning the lost and planting new churches themselves."
In order to plant 200 new churches (actually now 173 since 27 have been planted since 2004) in the Texas District over the next 10 years, a genuine church planting movement must occur and I believe it is already happening. It won't occur with an occasional plant here or there at the prompting of the Texas District, but it will happen as it bubbles up from the local church.
One of the greatest privileges I have as a Mission and Ministry Facilitator is to be invited into what feels to me like "sacred conversations" with pastors, lay leaders and mission planters as they pray, ponder and plan how God is going to use them to plant one or more new churches.
What's even more exciting is when a recently planted church is already engaged in or planning for its next mission start. My colleague Bruce Wurdeman uses the metaphor of a snowball rolling downhill to describe how a Spirit led church planting movement is likely to grow in Texas. At the top of the hill it may look small, but as it rolls downhill, it gathers mass and momentum. That's how I believe God is already acting in the lives of local churches all over Texas. What do you think? What's necessary for a church planting movement to become the norm for the way we spread the Gospel with more and more people in more and more places?
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To answer Paul's last question...church planting will become the norm when disciples of Christ take the church out of the building and into their own neighborhoods and it is simply a natural part of their day. When we start doing missional events in our neighborhood with our family or friends (especially with our children so they can learn from us)without being connected as an official function of a parish or organized by that parish, people will be drawn to that because it's authentic, real, and doesn't have the institution attached to it, just people being Jesus in their own community. All of a sudden, there will be an apparent need in that community now for a church...perhaps it's a few people gathering for coffee and discussion at a local coffe shop who start to see a need for a place to gather and worship. Or maybe it's a playgroup and the parents there begin to pray for each other. We have go beyond the idea of erecting a building somewhere that we THINK has the need. We need to search for the need, talk to people, most importantly, listen to people. Church planting becomes natural when it's not about the building and the end goal isn't a building. When the goal is on saving souls, not whether they attend church or not, is when it will be natural.
I agree that it "will become the norm when disciples of Christ take the church out of the building ...and it is simply a natural part of their day." The issue of course is making it natural. I believe it becomes natural as churches intentionally train people to do it and they practice. When I first learned to tie my shoes it was not natural and I had to have it demonstrated; I moved on to doing it while being coached; Next came doing it by myself -- slowly and tediously at first; Soon I could do it without thinking with my eyes closed...Finally - I taught my own children how to do it. I think that is much like the way Jesus taught the disciples.
well said Paul! Great analogy!
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