I like to talk about church planting… and we have quite a bit going on, right now, in this area.
But I have become so much more aware, recently, that it’s not at all about planting churches… but it is about planting the Kingdom life among people… It’s about people… it’s about God’s life being planted and nurtured within people… it’s not about churches. Churches, or gatherings, take place as a secondary result of the Kingdom being planted into the lives of people.
As we have attempted to “coach” others in “planting churches,” we realized that we were focusing on the wrong thing. Those who were “church planting” became focused on “the gathering.” Who would come to “the gathering.” What would people do at “the gathering.” How should “the gathering” be structured. And we were missing the whole point.
The point is people.
So, we began to re-focus on what it’s about. We began to talk about caring for, nurturing, helping, loving, shepherding, praying for… people. Period. Who are the people in your life that you are called to be involved with. Pray for them. Love them. Deepen your relationship with them. Then, if there are a couple of those people who would benefit from some sort of gathering, then fine… begin to gather with them because that is what is best for them. In other words, keep the focus on loving people and what’s best for those people you are called to love. Don’t just love people who might come to “your” gathering… just love people… all of them. Become a Kingdom person who simply sows kingdom life into those around you. As you love them, some may eventually gather with you and some won’t. That’s beside the point. Love them all and be a kingdom person to all of them. Plant Kingdom life into people, nurture that life, water that life… and only gather with some of them if the gathering enhances that process.
Be the church everywhere… gather the church when it’s best for the church… and we will become “church planters.”
Comments
4 responses to “Planting the Kingdom Not Churches”
EXACTLY!
My wife and I are new to this idea (however it has been in our hearts for years … it is now being drawn out) and i often think of the meeting and what our worshiping community will look like. I wonder how will Freedom “church” appear as we divide like cells and be the Chruch all the while forgetting that it is about Jesus being made real in people. Thank you for the reminder.
What a challenge! Thank you for your insights. When I picture Jesus in my mind, I see that intense love for people. No seeking person was ever excluded, and when ever he spoke one on one with someone his conversation seemed to boil down to: love me, love others.
Could I dare let go of all the “security blankets” of “regular” church life and adventure out with only one expectation; finding Jesus in the eyes of people whom I have not yet met.
Amen Bro!
This is Kevin (up in the No. County), just started to check in on your blog and I love what I am reading here.
I just finished Wolfgang Simson’s book and he said the same thing about how the church needs to change from “come here” to “go there” in our aproach to reaching those outside of the Father’s family.
It is in our definition of “church” that we will find the what, where, how, when, and why we meet as the Church. The very term “The Body of Christ” is our first clue as to what we are and how we are to be. As the “Body of Christ” we are the only visible Jesus the world will encounter in their daily lives. They need to see Jesus at the check out line, at the gas station, in the break room at work. They will never encounter Jesus if we wait for them to find there way to “our meeting” we need to meet them where they are. Jesus did most of his work in the every day places where people where. He ate with them, walked with them, sat at the well with them, wept with them, and I am sure laughed with them.
Jesus said “GO” – I wonder what part of that one syllable, two letter word that is so hard for us to understand. I think that Jesus made it simple for us because he knew that we are so thick and stuborn that we would try to make a program out of it and park ourselves somewhere waiting for the crowds to show up. But Jesus said go INTO all the world.
I think three words describe our mission… Intersect, Interact, Interject. We are to meet people where their path crosses ours, develope a relationship with them, and then insert the Kingdom of God into there lives.
Plant the gospel, use words if necessary.
Peace, Love, and Light through Jesus the Christ! (John 14:6)
Kevin
Thank you for this post. In looking at the needs of those around me, I’ve been picturing “the gathering” a bit too much, stressing about holding “a gathering” in my tiny home, when I need to really rather focus on the people whose hunger I see around me. I need to stop focusing on the where and what, and rather look at the who and why. Thanks for heading my thoughts in the right direction!