Mission Alive

A few weeks ago I finished editing a book for the Evangelical Missiological Society called Contextualization and Syncretism: Navigating Cultural Currents. In the introductory chapter I give an example of Jim, the church planter who launched a church which accommodates to popular culture.

When Jim planted a church two years ago, the guiding question forming his strategy was “How can we meet the needs of the people of this community and make this church grow?” Jim developed a core team, launched with an attendance of 300 after six months of planning, and now has an average attendance of 900 people each Sunday. By all appearances he is very successful. However, Jim is inwardly perturbed. He acknowledges that his church attracts people because it caters to what they want. The church is more a vendor of goods and services than a community of the kingdom of God. Jim sees that those attending have mixed motives: Attending is their duty, a place to meet people of influence or where children receive moral instruction. Church attendance assuages guilt and declares to others (and to self) that “I am religious.” A spiritual responsibility has been discharged. Therefore, all is well. Observing the worldliness of members leads him to privately ask, “What have I created?” (William Carey Library 2006, 2; http://www.missionbooks.org/)

Too often church planting has been reduced to drawing people to a meeting on Sunday morning rather than spiritually forming searchers to come to Christ and grow to maturity as his followers. A theme of the book is that the Evangelical Movement, molded by modern rationalism and the desire for relevance, frequently truncates, abuses, and loses the essence of the gospel (William Carey Library 2006, 3). It is one thing to call people to a commitment to “attend church” once a week; it is another to nurture disciples to grow to maturity in the Lord within a community of faith.

Therefore, we are in a process of learning new Christ-formed patterns for the planting of churches in North America. Learning, learning, learning . . . . There seems to be no end. . . . There can be no end of the active engagement of the Gospel and culture. We are learning from the Gospel and our Culture Network about the movement from theology to practice (http://www.gocn.org/). We are learning from the simple church network about community in home fellowships (http://www.house2house.net/). We have learned from Christian Church agencies some processes of training and equipping and the use of mentors and coaches in church planter care (http://church-coaching.com/planterlab.html). We are learning from church-planting churches like the NorthWood Church in Fort Worth how to train apprentices to become church planters within vibrant growing churches (http://glocal.net/v2/index.php). Above all, we are learning from both our successes and mistakes within our community of church planting. We believe in learning . . . learning . . . learning and praise God who is leading us forward in this process.

This enhanced learning is reflected in what is occurring is the church planting training labs.

Church Planting Strategy Lab

We completed our third Church Planters’ Strategy Lab on October 23-27. This was the most focused of the three labs because we concentrated on developing practices of spiritual formation from the point of community connection with searchers and unbelievers, through conversion, to incorporation into the Christian community, to becoming co-laborers and leaders in the mission of God. Each family reads four texts before the lab (Note the first four entries of the annotated bibliography under Resources at http://www.missionalive.org/). Various resource people worked with the church planters in areas of expertise. Rob Knight of the Farmer’s Branch church, for instance, tutored on congregational processes of spiritual formation and spiritual formation in small groups. Holly Allen guided us to experience how children are spiritually nurtured in intergenerational Christian settings. Robbie James not only led us in worship and praise but also guided us to understand the mystery of discovery as themes develop in inductive forms of missional worship. On the final day of the lab each church planting family shared with all participants an initial working plan for a missional church planting.

During the lab, Becky and I found how indispensable we were or how God raises up leaders to step up in times of need. My mother Lorna passed away on Tuesday afternoon, October 24. Thank you for your many cards and calls giving us comfort during a time of grief. Mother lived to be 86 years of age. We miss her greatly, but it was her time to go to be with the Father. On the 25^th, we were able to bring together resource people to take our places and the lab continued to an effective conclusion.

Four church-planting families progressed through the lab. Les and Heatherly McDaniel are working with the Singing Oaks church in Denton, TX, to plant a church in the emerging area between Denton and McKinney called Savannah. Charles and Julie Kiser are partnering with the South MacArthur and Richland Hills Churches of Christ to plant a church in either Dallas-Fort Worth or Southern California. They are currently doing an apprenticeship with the Christ Journey church in Southwest Fort Worth. Ben and Shannon Stevens are being sent by the Kaufman Church of Christ, southeast of Dallas, to plant a church in Forney, TX (a growing area East of Dallas). Ben is the current preaching minister of the Kaufman church. Jeff and Stacey Moore live in Sherwood, Arkansas, and are seeking God’s direction about their context for church planting and support. We believe that God will work not only to plant four growing churches through these families but that church will eventually develop its own church planting movement as churches plant churches which in turn plant churches.

Theology for Church Planting Lab

Our third Theology for Church Planting Lab will be held at the Riverside Church of Christ, 150 E. Beltline Road, Coppell, TX 75019 on Dec. 7-9. The Theology Lab is primarily designed to help church planters develop the theological frameworks for church planting. These frameworks enable church planters to develop practices of ministry that are congruent with the mission of God rather than human ingenuity. The final product of the lab is a statement of missional perspectives, formed by scripture, shaped by divine impulses, and placed in the heart which will continue to guide in the development of all practices (or strategies) of ministry. Church leaders are also invited. This lab will help them to learn to develop theological categories for church renewal and guide them in their movement from theology to practice.

Mission Alive board member and ACU professor Randy Harris will work with me to facilitate this lab. As you know from Randy's preaching, he has the unique ability to engage learners to help them apply theology to practice.

Discovery Lab

During 2006, we have conducted four Discovery Labs. The experience of this three-day lab has been life-changing. Prospective church planters discover not only their giftedness in church planting but also their personal and family readiness. Up to five family units participate together in each Discovery Lab. We are thankful that our Director of Planter Care, Dr. John Cooke, is qualified and personal, gentle and wise. After this Lab qualified candidates enter Mission Alive and begin focused training and equipping in church planting.

The first two Discovery Labs of 2007 are on Jan. 25-27 and Feb. 15-17. Both are full at this point. A third lab will shortly be added. If you desire to become a church planter in the near future through Mission Alive or know of someone who would, please contact us immediately.

As time passes, the quality and focus of these three labs has been enhanced. We pray that God will always lead those of us in Mission Alive as his consummate learners.

Please Prayer with us for . . .

• The Dallas-Fort Worth Church Planting Workshop this weekend (Dec. 1-2) at the Riverside Church of Christ in Coppell. This workshop provides a wonderful format for church leaders to learn about church planting. Email us for a schedule.
• The selection of co-worker families to work with Becky and me in Mission Alive.
• The raising of support for these co-worker families.