More "Ups" in Church Planting

Here are three more "ups: or joys in planting a new church:

Sixth, there is the joy of planting a small church. Does this sound contradictory? This joy is taken away from many church planters who, if not careful, look at large churches and think that their church is nothing in comparison. Christian Schwarz, In his new book Color Your World with Natural Church Development: Experiencing all that God has Designed you to be (St. Charles, IL: ChurchSmart, 2005), gives a wonderful example of this. In speaking with a pastor of a church in Denmark, he discovers this pastor to be discouraged because he only has a church of 40 people. When Schwarz asked him how many he had 5 years ago, the pastor replied, “about 20.” Schwarz continues, “Did you catch what he said? Their church went from 20 to 40 people in five years? If a mega-church of 20,000 grew at that rate, it would have 40,000 attenders in just five years.” (p. 35). Schwarz has also discovered, in researching churches all over the world, that the larger a church grows the less it experiences quantitative and qualitative growth. So rejoice in what God is doing and don’t look down on the smallness of your church.

Seventh, there is the joy of leaving the work (this is a strange joy for it is mixed with the sorrow of tears in our eyes or heart) and not being needed anymore. Then it is a joy to look back and see that God started the work and he continues it. It is exhilarating to know that a new church has been planted in a region where it will continue to be a living body of believers and will shine for Christ and there is no need for your presence or help. Thus you can go on and see a new church planted in another region. I will never forget the day I turned over the keys for the facilities where our church had been meeting in France. I had to hold back the tears. But after there was the joy of seeing this church move ahead under godly national leadership.

Eighth, there is the joy of seeing the planted church multiply. When we left the Orly Church in France in 1974, Daniel Bordreuil (the French pastor who took responsibility for the church) declared, “O I see, this is a church that plants churches so I guess we should continue.” The result was the planting of two further congregations. And then there was the joy of seeing one of the daughter churches plant its own daughter church so that there was now a first granddaughter church. It has been a joy to challenge the pastor of that granddaughter church to plant a daughter church. This would mean four generations of churches—a goal only God can accomplish.

But an even greater joy is to work in such a way that new churches start with a vision that you share with national believers. This means that you don’t plant the first church at all. Others do it so that from the beginning the work is truly indigenous. This is the joy we are having as we see the great potential in Thailand. We will talk more about this in the section on the newer paradigm of church multiplication. This is the joyful direction we must take more and more so that we see the “sustained multiplication of churches having a missionary sending capacity.”

If you are a discouraged church planter, listen to what God says, “I will build my Church” and not “you will build his church.” He is the Great Planter for what he plants always grows. Paul describes him as “God, who makes things grow.” (1 Cor 3:7b NIV) Just look to him and do ministry by his working and grace and keep that wastebasket handy to throw your letter of resignation in when you get the down times. Weeping may come in the night but there is joy in the morning. Church planters can experience this joy in their lives and ministry.