[CHURCH PLANTING: WHY PLANT CHURCHES] 1. Introduction: Why a Church Planting Class? :

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1 [CHURCH PLANTING: WHY PLANT CHURCHES] 1 Introduction: Why a Church Planting Class? : - Because this is one of the most crucial ways the gospel goes forward - Why for the college and young adult? o We are the most likely to be a part of future church plants - The elders want us all to be more aware of our newest church plant o South Durham Church with Adam Darnell - There has been a resurgence in the past few years with Church Planting o Tim Keller and his Redeemer Network o Acts29 o Sovereign Grace Ministries o NAMB o PlantNC - We want to plant more churches o FBCD used to be a church planting machine o South Durham was the first church we have planted in about 100 years! o We planted the church that planted FBCD THREE THINGS AT WORK IN A CHURCH PLANT: A. THE CHURCH B. THE GOSPEL C. THE CULTURE A) GOSPEL + CULTURE CHURCH = PARACHURCH - People are fed up with the church so they bring the gospel to the culture without it - People think that the church is doing an inadequate job and so they start their own ministries apart from the church - Examples: o Crew, Young Life, IV, - These are not wrong or sinful but it is easy for them to forget about the church or to not think they need the church B) CULTURE + CHURCH GOSPEL = LIBERALISM - Some people are so concerned with being culturally relevant that they forget the gospel - They so badly want to be reach the culture that they become like the culture - They tend to think the answer is education and opportunity C) CHURCH + GOSPEL CULTURE = FUNDAMENTALISM - These people care more about their church than lost people - They love their buildings, programs, committees and traditions more than Christ or lost people - They have no THEOLOGICAL VISION

2 2 [CHURCH PLANTING: WHY PLANT CHURCHES] D) GOSPEL + CULTURE + CHURCH = BIBLICAL CHURCH PLANT - This church contends for the gospel (Jude 3) and contextualizes (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) THEOLOGICAL VISION: - We usually don t see those two words together. - A theological vision is what you want to do with what you know in a particular time and place - How do you get one? o Deep Refection on the Bible o Deep reflection on the Culture My Experience with Campus Outreach as an Arm of the Church: I worked for a ministry for 5 years called Campus Outreach. One of the reasons Campus Outreach was started was because of its strong view of the local church. We didn t want to be a para-church ministry. We wanted to be an arm of the church. We believe that Jesus Christ did not say, I will build my non-profit agency or I will build my para-church ministry but he said I will build my church (Matthew 16:18). So my plan and I hope your plan is to get on board with what God is already doing. There is nothing like the local church. In fact if you turn with me to Matthew 16:18 you will see something very interesting about the local church. Right after Jesus tells us that he will build his church he says that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This shows the aggressive and forward moving nature of the church. Well how does the church move forward? - Through planting new churches - Through making disciples Young Pastors Today Have Two Options (Plant / Revitalize): For many young pastors today you have two options. The first option is to revitalize an old church. In revitalizing an old church it means that you take over a church that is dying and or going liberal. This is a difficult job but in large part this is what Andy Davis did. He took over as the pastor of FBC Durham in 1998 and began to preach the gospel and the entirety of the council of God. He put into place things like Biblical Church membership and we saw things begin to change. The second option for young pastors is to plant churches. There has been a resurgence over the past few years with ministries like Acts29, Sovereign Grace, NAMB, PlantNC and others. The idea is to help men plant churches all over the U.S. and world by making sure they are called, trained and connected. Common Responses to the idea of Church Planting: 1. We don t need new churches we need better ones

3 [CHURCH PLANTING: WHY PLANT CHURCHES] 3 a. We need to revitalize our current churches 2. Our current churches are not even full. Why would we plant more? 3. New churches will just take people from other churches and will hurt them. Here is what Tim Keller says about church planting: The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for 1) the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and 2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else--not crusades, outreach programs, para-church ministries, growing mega-churches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes--will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting. This is an eyebrow raising statement. But to those who have done any study at all, it is not even controversial. 1. Jesus Call was to Plant Churches: a. Matthew 28:18-20 b. To baptize i. Incorporating them into a worshiping community with accountability and boundaries c. We are called to plant worshiping communities d. This is not simply about making converts or even making disciples e. This helps us focus not on only getting decisions from people f. Acts 1:8 i. How to you be a witness in all those different places without churches. We don t need individuals in all those places but churches 2. Paul s Strategy of Church Planting: a. Paul had a two fold strategy: i. He went into the largest city in a region (Acts 16:9,12) ii. He planted churches in each city (Titus 1:5) b. Paul s thought: i. Influence a region through a major city ii. Influence a city through a gospel church c. Paul moving forward to where Christ hasn t been known i. Romans 15:20 d. Your bible maps of Paul s journeys are all about church planting! WE ALSO WANT TO PLANT CHURCHES SO THAT WE CAN BE FAITHFUL TO THE GREAT COMMISION: 1. Newer Churches Better Reach New Generations, New Residents and New People Groups a. Churches cannot change as quickly as society does i. Example of the German District (Restaurants and Churches) b. To reach younger people i. The most unlikely person to go to church is an year old man

4 4 [CHURCH PLANTING: WHY PLANT CHURCHES] c. People can more quickly get into leadership positions 2. They Best Reach the Un-churched: a. 60% to 80% of it s members were not going to any other churches b. Churches 10 years or older gets 80% to 90% of its members from transfer growth c. Why: i. Overtime churches put most of their money toward the needs of it s church members 3. They Best Reach New People Groups: a. Immigrants who need a church in their language b. Different racial groups c. Different socio-economic churches 4. There is a Momentum that Come with Newness: a. Everyone gets excited about something new b. New technology, ipad, phone, book, movie NEW CHURCHES RENEW THE WHOLE BODY OF CHRIST: 1. The Try New Things and Bring New Ideas: a. New churches are the Research and Development part of the body of Christ b. They have the freedom and flexibility to try to new things and to be innovative c. There is so much red tape to get through with older churches d. Older churches cannot as easily or as quickly try something new e. They are innovative i. Technology ii. Music iii. Set-up and specifics iv. Venue v. Service vi. Dress 2. Identify Creative Strong Leaders for the Whole Body: a. People can get into leadership more quickly b. Men want to be a part of a church where they can use their gifts and have influence c. Younger men can more quickly become elders d. The riskiness of a church plant attracts men 3. New Churches Challenge Older Churches to Self-Examination: a. Why are we doing this the way we are? b. How are they reaching so many people? c. Examples in our area: i. The Summit ii. Vintage 21 d. It gives older churches hope that it can be done 4. New Churches Tend to be an Evangelistic Feeder for other Churches: a. Many people will leave church plants and go to other more established churches b. The church plant was too stable c. The church got too big d. There was no good children s ministry

5 [CHURCH PLANTING: WHY PLANT CHURCHES] 5 Conclusion: - Church planting is absolutely necessary and good for everyone in the body of Christ Recommended Resources: Why Plant Churches? (Article by Tim Keller) Center Church (New book by Tim Keller) Church Planter (Book by Darrin Patrick) Planting Missional Churches (Book by Ed Stetzer)