This post is part of a larger NuDunker conversation, “NuDunekrs, nu churches: Planting the Church of the Brethren” including a series of blog posts and a live Google+ hangout Friday, 12/6 at 10 AM eastern. You can find other blogs and comments on the event page above. We would love for you to add your voice to the discussion!
Ever since my seminary days I’ve found myself bumping up against and travelling alongside church planters. These entrepreneurial, creative, passionate, charismatic folks are inspirational in how they look across the landscape of society, near and far, and have the audacity faithfulness to say: “You know what we need? Another church!”
It also happens that church planters tend to have a strong sense of the pulse of how the world around us is changing as we move further into the 21st century, especially with regards to the shape and role of the church. It was in a seminary class connected to a church-planting conference that I first engaged concepts like post-Christendom, Missio Dei (the mission of God), and others that have informed my own life and ministry.
I never really planned to be a pastor in the first place. But, after having pastored with a unique, dynamic, and non-traditional congregation, I’ve said on several occasions how I can’t imagine working with another church so open to change and re-imagining. At least, not without starting from scratch by planting a new church.
Over the past 5+ years our church has faced numerous struggles, challenges, and changes. Less than a month ago we set in motion some major reformations – reconfiguring our leadership to be simpler and less hierarchical, seeking to relieve ourselves of the burden of our building, reimagining worship patterns, and moving to a 1/2-time paid pastoral arrangement. Through this process I’ve come to recognize that we’re looking more and more like a church plant than an established congregation, and each of these decisions pushes us farther in that direction.
Something that has always attracted me to church planters, and to new church starts, is the clarity of purpose and vision that is required for such undertakings. You must have a sense of what God is calling you to, not just in general, but in particular. You must be willing to think outside the box without the financial and personnel resources of a larger, established congregation. Rarely do new church planters look around at the existing churches in a neighborhood and say “We’re just going to try to do the same thing as everyone else, only better!” As our congregation takes steps toward doing church differently, it is these very questions of vision, identity, and purpose we must answer to keep from falling into the trap of just trying to compete with what other churches are already doing.
In his blog post for this NuDunker series, Exponential Vitality, Josh discusses the zero-sum thinking that often pits planting new churches against supporting existing (often dwindling) churches. What I’m discovering is not only is there space (and need) for new churches and old churches alike, but also for churches that are willing to step back, look at their context, their resources, and where Christ is at work among them and around them, and to then follow the creative, inventive lead of church planters. We must think not only of birth/planting, and death/hospice, but rebirth and resurrection.
For me, continuing the work of Jesus isn’t just about planting churches to reach people and communities in new ways, or comforting and maintaining old churches with palliative care. I’m recognizing that part of my own calling is to plant and nurture the seeds of change within existing congregations, helping us to see places where patterns, models, and even theologies have outlived their faithfulness. I am finding myself becoming a church planter in my own transforming congregation. I just hope that some of the entrepreneurial, creative, passionate, charismatic Spirit that my church-planting friends seem to exude can rub off on me.
If nothing else, I can say with them: “You know what we need? Another transformed, enlivened, unique church!”
