why church planting?

A quick rant…

Here’s what someone recently said to me about my dream to plant several churches in the  area: “Why would you break apart churches to do this?” In other words, stay together. Don’t send people from churches because that makes them smaller and hurts them from a resource stand point. My next question was a bit upfront, “Why not plant churches to make other churches smaller so that more can multiply and reach those that aren’t being reached relationally with the Gospel?” In fact, I stared at the dude and said, “Do you think smaller churches are a waste of time?”

You see, I love small church. I grew up in one. I’ve always served in them. I love the fact that nothing works. I work hard at making stuff that’s super old look good. I like that there’s a grind to churches that are underfunded or forgotten by their denominations. Everything feels raw. It’s all unplugged. Live. Flexible. Changing. Nomadic. And sometimes you get a few talented people together to serve in them and they have a worship sense that kicks donkey…

But beyond the urban grind ideals of a small church, the greater part about a smaller community is that you know everyone as well. You can minister to everyone. You can reach other people in your neighborhood faster. No one slips through the cracks. People are prayed for… not forgotten… not marginalized…

In other words, everyone around you matters.

So why would I grow a church larger than three or four hundred anyway? Why would I want to get to let’s say a thousand people only to find people not welcomed well; where you find Christians having the consumer mentality of picking the most trendy churches? Where they come for the size and not for the relationships…

Is it wrong to grow that big? No. Not at all. I’m not saying that at all. In fact, I imagine some of the churches I’d like to plant growing to significant sizes. I’m about to plant myself in a few of them to learn how to raise church planters. But to say that creating smaller churches isn’t as effective or successful just isn’t true.

Couple of my good friends are planting churches just like this:
Bread&Wine, Common Ground, The Table, The Well, Lifehouse, Missio, Evergreen community.

I mean could you imagine us telling Jesus that last 3 years of his life were an utter failure because he didn’t have larger numbers in the end? I mean why spend so much time with just 12 guys of which all eventually abandoned you? I mean by all accounts today we’d say that was a total bust… a failure in ministry.

You see I think the real movement in Portland isn’t a handful of gigantic churches but thousands of small midsized churches that have decided to be faithful to preaching of Christ, moving together to create all kinds of churches for all kinds of people. Churches that will share resources. Churches that get it’s about the kingdom; it’s about loving God and people regardless of how different church models and core values might be in the end.

Here’s to a movement of organic churches that finds greater joy in sending people rather than hoarding them.