An interesting post against planting churches and church growth from a self-identified former preacher.
What we need badly is for our leaders to get a clear understanding that our goal is to get the gospel into as many communities as possible and to make self-replicating disciples everywhere we can regardless of whether those people ever come to our existing churches. We need to measure our work by the impact we are having in the world for the sake of the Kingdom rather than by how many people show up on a Sunday. We need to count what we sow and let God count what grows. That number matters of course, but if church growth is the only way we can count, we will stunt the growth of the Kingdom and maybe even trap it in a place where it cannot reach the world.
Yep. I still think we need to have places to receive the sacraments though, and I appreciate having a beautiful place to pray. We could learn a lot from our Muslim and Jewish friends about family worship and prayer.
But how does one get the Gospel into the community if you don’t plant a church or care for it? He is right that when you focus on the numbers you can “kill” a good thing but I think you have to have the church to accomplish the goals that we have been asked by God to meet.
In peace,
Tony Mitchell, PhD.
7 East Willow Street
Beacon, NY 12508
(914) 456-9247
TonyMitchellPhD@optimum.net
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. (Henry David Thoreau)
And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8: 32)
Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind. (John F. Kennedy)
My blog is “Thoughts From The Heart On The Left” and deals with topics of faith and science and the interaction between the two; I would be interested in reading your comments.