A GUIDE FOR PLANTING MULTICULTURAL CHURCHES

Transcription

1 A GUIDE FOR PLANTING MULTICULTURAL CHURCHES

2 Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. 1999, North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Alpharetta, Georgia All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to: Editorial and Design Manager, North American Mission Board, 4200 North Point Pkwy., Alpharetta, GA ; or call (770) ; or fax (770) ; or

3 And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matt. 16:18-19)

4 INTRODUCTION The multicultural church matches a need in our society. In the Foreword to Manuel Ortiz book One New People: Models for Developing a Multiethnic Church, Harvie M. Conn crystallizes this point: In a day of fear and mistrust the multiethnic (or multicultural) church is a sample of recomposition in Christ. E pluribus unum ( One out of many ) is a visionary slogan in politics; in the multiethnic church it is a response of the Holy Spirit to culture wars. It is well worth more than a quick glance by a fractured society seeking unity in too many superficial solutions, and by a church that often doesn t realize the treasure it has been given. The multicultural church prepares us for a picture of eternity. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev. 5:9). In his book Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby counsels, Find out where the Master is then that is where you need to be. Find out what the Master is doing then that is what you need to be doing. God is already drawing people of every tribe and language and people and nation together to worship Him for all eternity. The multicultural church becomes an example of what can be done on earth and a foretaste of what will be in heaven. Is God calling you as a prayer supporter, a multicultural church planter, a church planting team member, a church planter s mentor, or a helper from a partnering church? If yes or maybe is your answer to one of these, God may use this resource in and through your life.

5 WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL BASIS FOR CHURCH PLANTING? The basis of multicultural church planting can legitimately start where the Scriptures start. God has displayed His creativity not only in the creation of the heavens and the earth, but in ethnic diversity, in redeeming the world, and in building His church. In a fast-forward way, we can see God s plan through other key biblical passages. The Lord had said to Abram, Leave your country, your people and your father s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation...i will make your name great, and you will be a blessing...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Gen. 12:1-3). To this man of faith who would go on a great pilgrimage, God unveiled a plan to reach the world. Through this one man who left his people, all peoples on earth will be blessed. Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age (Matt. 28: 18-20). Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations. This key command echoes in different ways throughout the New Testament (Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-22; Acts 1:8). In Let The Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions, John Piper declares, God s great goal in all history is to uphold and display the glory of His name for the enjoyment of His people from all the nations. In step with God s great goal described by Piper, the Lord has allowed world migration today to bring many different peoples to the major cities. In the major metropolitan areas around the globe, multicultural churches are microcosms that simultaneously reflect a fulfillment of the Great Commission (see Matt. 28:18-20) and foreshadow the reality of heaven (see Rev. 5:9-10; 7:9-10; 14:6-7; 15:4; 21:3). The goal of this guide is to serve as an introduction to multicultural church planting by answering these questions: 1. What is a multicultural church? 2. Why are more multicultural churches needed? 3. Where are new multicultural churches needed? 4. Who is well suited to lead a multicultural church planting team? 5. How are multicultural churches started? 6. When should we consider starting a new multicultural church? WHAT IS A MULTICULTURAL CHURCH? There is a growing discussion of the definition of a multicultural, or multiethnic, church. At a basic level, there is a key distinction between a multi-congregational church and a multicultural church. The multi-congregational church has separate groups of believers working under a common purpose and perhaps in a common building. Often, language is a key factor that keeps the congregations as separate units, though working together.

6 We will be working from a definition drawn by the Multicultural Church Network, SBC: The multicultural church is a biblical community of believers: (1) who have as a current reality or hold as a core value the inclusion of culturally diverse people, and (2) who come together and serve as a single body to live out God s call to be a New Testament church." Furthermore, this guide s emphasis is on multicultural church planting rather than on transitioning a monocultural church to become multicultural. The multi-congregational and transitioning multicultural church models have special issues that will be dealt with in other publications. WHY ARE MORE MULTICULTURAL CHURCHES NEEDED? First, more multicultural churches are needed, simply because more churches are needed in the United States. At first, one may question the appeal for more churches in the United States. However, consider the following: 1. George Gallup estimates the American unchurched population to be 195 million (making the United States the third-largest unchurched nation in the world). 2. No county in America has a greater percentage of churched people today than a decade ago. 3. Half of all churches, within the past year, did not add one new member through conversion growth. 4. North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing! Second, more multiethnic churches are needed, because more varieties of churches are needed in the United States. Charles Chaney, a Southern Baptist missiologist and writer states, America will not be won to Christ by establishing more churches like the vast majority of those we now have. Consequently, more and different churches are needed. Many people are falling through the cracks of existing churches. In an increasingly multicultural, urban society, there are groups of people who do not fit into the traditional categories of churches. Interracial couples and families Ethnic people who prefer speaking English Urban and suburban people in major metropolitan areas who appreciate living, working, and ministering in the midst of ethnic diversity Let s consider the perspective of one group that is falling through the cracks, Generation-X. Tim Celek, Dieter Zander, and Patrick Kampert speak to how Generation-Xers see God and the church in their book Inside the Soul of a New Generation: Insight and Strategies for Reaching Busters: Busters are not resistant to spiritual matters. They re not resistant to the concept of God. But they view the church as being separatist, segregated, institutional, irrelevant, judgmental, holier-than-thou, controlling, authoritarian. And to some degree, they re right.

7 The irony is that the impression some people have of church is not what God calls us to be. The people of God are not to be barrier builders, but barrier breakers through Jesus who makes us one (Eph. 2:14-15, 19). In the face of negative church perceptions, a multicultural church can serve as a gracious apology to the unbelieving world. WHERE ARE NEW MULTICULTURAL CHURCHES NEEDED? New multicultural churches are needed in the cities or sprawling metropolitan areas. In the late 1800s, D.L. Moody stated: Reach the big cities and you reach the nation." Today, Moody s statement could be adapted, Reach the big cities and you reach the world." In A Theology As Big As the City, Ray Bakke and Raymond Bakke comment about the incredible urban growth in the past 100 years: The spectacular growth of large cities on this planet represents an awesome challenge to the church of Jesus Christ on all six continents. In 1900, 8 percent of the world s population lived in cities. By the year 2000, that number will be nearly 50 percent. As believers, the go part of the Great Commission command is still in force. However, we are now also responsible before God on another level. The very people to whom we once had to go many miles to reach have come to us. This is changing the face of urban America. U.S. Population Diversity Year White (non-hispanic) 85% 71% 55% Black 11% 13% 15% Hispanic 4% 11% 22% Asian 0% 4% 8% American Indian 1% 1% 1% In The Urban Christian: Effective Ministry in Today s Urban World, Ray Bakke, Jim Hart, and Raymond Bakke described the heart of multicultural urban ministry: When I began to look seriously at the problems of cities, I realized that the Lord is doing something very unusual in this generation. He seems to be shaking up the world. Go and make disciples of all nations. We know where all the nations are in the big cities. God has brought all the nations here to wherever your big city is. What have been principal receiving areas in the United States? This list includes, but is not limited to: Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Anaheim, Houston, San Diego, Boston, and Washington, D.C. WHO CAN LEAD A MULTICULTURAL CHURCH PLANTING TEAM? In most ministry settings, any available, faithful, and teachable believer can be used greatly of God. In a multicultural church, the challenge level increases, especially for the lead pastor. Therefore, the following background and qualities are valuable for anyone in a leadership role in any church, but especially for the lead pastor of a multicultural church. One well suited for multicultural church leadership has: A commitment to the authority of Scripture; especially principles of reconciliation and unity A commitment to missions A commitment to include people of all ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds

8 A commitment to prayer A servant s heart A sense of humor An ability to enjoy and compromise with different cultural preferences An ability to handle criticism and rejection A strong leadership and pastoral gifts A strong training in theology and in the social sciences (informally or formally) HOW ARE MULTICULTURAL CHURCHES STARTED Multicultural churches can be started through a variety of church planting strategies. In The Church Planter s Toolkit, Logan and Ogne list several possible options: 1. Pioneering: A church planter begins gathering a core group through evangelistic efforts and other contacts. This is the most common strategy employed. 2. Branching: A core group hives off from the parent church and stays in the same general vicinity. 3. Colonizing: A core group intentionally relocates from the mother church to plant a new church. Berkland Baptist Church illustrated this strategy when it sent out church planting teams around the world. 4. Seeding: When key lay leaders move and core groups form in the new community. 5. Adopting: Core groups and/or churches who approach a partnering church for help are embraced. Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago has facilitated the starting of a number of congregations using this method. 6. Partnering: Several churches work in a cooperative venture to start a new church. 7. Revitalizing: A flickering church work is taken over and restarted at the same site. Armitage Baptist Church in Chicago is an example of this. 8. Transplanting: This method is when a church building is sold and the congregation relocates to several new starts. 9. Catalyzing: An apostolic leader sparks multitudes of new churches. Regardless of the strategy chosen for each church start, there are some common steps that should be followed. These steps often overlap, and the order of the steps may vary.

9 STEP ONE STEP TWO STEP THREE STEP FOUR STEP FIVE STEP SIX STEP SEVEN Pray and enlist an intercessory prayer team. Church planting is a spiritual warfare. Therefore, the planter must surround himself with prayer warriors. You begin by contacting people who you know are praying believers. Develop a list of expectations that you will need to share with the people you are recruiting. Give them specific roles they will play and how you plan to communicate with them. Select people you know will intentionally pray with you. Attend a church planter assessment. The assessment will help you reaffirm your gifts and calling. It will also evaluate your weaknesses and strengthens. You will be wise to get training on how to conduct assessments. This tool will help you select a good team or core group for a new church plant. Enlist a mentor.a mentor is someone who walks alongside you in the ministry. He will assume a Barnabas-to-Paul or a Paul-to-Timothy relationship. This person needs to be someone with church planting experience, who can ask perceptive and probing questions concerning your life and ministry. Learn about church planting. The Church Planting Group of the North American Mission Board has developed a valuable tool called Basic Training for Church Planters. The training session prepares you, your spouse, and mentor for a successful launching of the new church. Also a number of organizations and printed materials specializing in equipping church planters exist. For information about Basic Training for Church Planters or to inquire about other resources contact Russell Begaye at rbegaye@namb.net. Develop a church plant proposal. Writing a proposal will provide you the opportunity to articulate your God-given vision, core values, and translate it into a viable plan. A biblical position on unity in diversity and philosophy of ministry should be included. The target audience may be a geographic area (which opens ministry to different ethnic, socioeconomic, and age groups) as opposed to a traditional age and ethnic subsection of the community. Enlist the support of a partnering church. A partnering church gives support to a new church plant. It guides the new church plant from infancy to self-support. The partner church needs to be one that understands the concepts of a multicultural church. The support can be in the form of finance, meeting space, administrative, budgeting, volunteers, and so forth. Do evangelism and core group/leadership development. Jesus key command in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) was make disciples. From the very beginning, it is crucial to set an example of balancing evangelizing, developing disciples, and training leaders. In the desire to realize the vision of a multicultural local church, it is tempting to skip over, and consequently short-circuit, the very process of discipleship Jesus gave us to reach all nations. It is essential not to move too fast at this point. In The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert E. Coleman gets to the heart of Jesus strategy: Why did Jesus deliberately concentrate His life upon comparatively so few people? Jesus was a realist. He fully realized the fickleness of depraved human nature as well as the satanic forces of this world amassed against humanity. In this knowledge He based His evangelism on a plan that would meet the need. The multitudes of discordant and bewildered souls were potentially ready to follow Him but Jesus individually could not possibly give them the personal care they needed. His only hope was to get men imbued with His life who would do it

10 for Him. Hence, He concentrated on those who were to be the beginning of this leadership. Though He did what He could to help the multitudes, He devoted Himself primarily to a few men, rather than the masses in order that the masses could be saved. This was the genius of His strategy. Dr. Ken Horiuchi of Grace Mission in Yao, Japan, would say that a pastor doing the ministry can be the problem of either a microchurch or a megachurch. When the pastor simply is doing ministry rather than discipling, a ceiling is created based on the capacity of that pastor. However, discipleship incorporates everyone into the ministry and strengthens the whole body. STEP EIGHT STEP NINE WHEN SHOULD WE CONSIDER STARTING A NEW MULTICULTURAL CHURCH? Organize ministry systems, structures, and finance. In order to effectively mobilize a core group, a church plant s systems, structures, and financial operations need to be in place. Who serves on what ministry team (worship, children s ministry, greeters, assimilation, spiritual gift identification/ministry deployment? Who reports to whom? When and where does the core group meet? How are the finances handled in an above-reproach manner? Prepare to publicly launch the church. The most important aspect of planting the church is setting the Launch Day. This needs to be set anywhere from nine months to 18 months in advance. Develop in increments of a week your strategy and goals leading up to the Launch Day. The closer you get to the Launch Day your strategy timeline needs to be set on a day-to-day schedule. Some of the items that need to be addressed are: Signs, maps, order of service, clear instructions for all special events, sign up cards, et cetera. An understanding of God s timing is essential in determining when to start a new church. In an urgency to reach the lost and to realize the vision of a multicultural church, it is tempting to race ahead of the Holy Spirit or not to hear God when redirection comes to what seems like a biblically solid and strategic plan. It is important to remember that our knowledge of multiethnic church planting will never exceed our dependence on God. Keep asking God to show you where He is at work. In Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby s life and teaching point us directly back to God: Our church sensed that God wanted us to help start new churches all across Central and Western Canada. We had hundreds of towns and villages that had no evangelical church. To know where to start churches, some churches would start with a population study or survey. Then they would apply human logic to decide where the most promising productive places might be. By now, you know that I would take a different approach. We tried to find out what God already was doing around us. We believed that He would show us where He was at work, and that revelation would be our invitation to join Him. We began praying and watching to see what God would do next in answer to our prayers. Continue learning. Ortiz recommends the homework of biblical study, leadership training, social science research of your community, reflection, meditation, prayer, and, finally, evaluation. The counsel from Ortiz and from Blackaby presents two sides of the same coin preparation and dependency.

11 Expect major adjustments. We should expect redirection from God, especially at the beginning of a church, but also throughout a church s life. The reality of a church plant often is different, and more, than what was expected. When God redirects from the original plan, make the necessary adjustments. In Experiencing God, we face the challenge and possibilities of unreservedly following God: Many of us want God to speak to us and give us an assignment. However, we are not interested in making any major adjustments in our lives. Biblically, that is impossible. Every time God spoke to people in the Scriptures about something He wanted to do through them, major adjustments were necessary. They had to adjust their lives to God. Once the adjustments were made, God accomplished His purposes through those He called. The vision of multicultural churches is from God. The power to plant multicultural churches is through God. The glory from multicultural churches belongs to God. Therefore, with the apostle Paul, we praise Him: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out!...for from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen (Rom. 11:33, 36). For information on planting multicultural churches and the Multicultural Church Network contact Russell Begaye, (770) , or , rbegaye@namb.net.

12 BIBLIOGRAPHY/RESOURCE LIST If only two books were to be read to prepare for multicultural church planting, Blackaby s Experiencing God and Ortiz One New People would be ideal choices. For a growing North American Mission Board online church planting resource, see RESOURCES USED IN THIS GUIDE Church/Church Planting Appleby, Jerry, with Glen Van Dyne. The Church Is in a Stew: Developing Multicongregational Churches. Kansas City, Mo.: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, Conn, Harvie M., ed. Planting and Growing Urban Churches: From Dream to Reality. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, Hesselgrave, David J. Planting Churches Cross-Culturally: A Guide for Home and Foreign Missions. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, Horiuchi, Dr. Ken-Akira. Grace Mission International Partnership. Personal communication, May 17, Kim, Paul. Berkland Baptist Church. Personal communication, May 21, Ortiz, Manuel. One New People: Models for Developing a Multiethnic Church.Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, Schwarz, Christian A. Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches. Carol Stream, Ill.: ChurchSmart Resources, Spader, Dann, and Gary Mayes. Growing a Healthy Church. Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press, Van Engen, Chuck. The Complementarity of Universality and Particularity in God s Mission: Reflections On Planting Multiethnic Congregations in North America (unpublished presentation). Ted W. Ward Consultation The Development and Nurture of Multiethnic Congregations. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago, Ill., November 3-4, Cities Bakke, Ray. A Theology As Big As the City. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, Bakke, Ray, with Jim Hart. The Urban Christian: Effective Ministry in Today s Urban World. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, Greenway, Roger S., and Timothy M. Monsma. Cities: Missions New Frontier. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1989.

13 The Trinary Consultation on Evangelizing World Class Cities Conference Notes. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Ill., March 14-17, Discipleship Resources Lessons on Assurance: Five Life-Changing Bible Studies and Memory Verses For New Christians. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, Swindoll, Charles R. One-on-One Discipleship Bible Study Guide. Anaheim, Calif.: Insight For Living, Washington, Raleigh, and Glen Kehrein and Claude V. King. Break Down The Walls: Experiencing Biblical Reconciliation and Unity in the Body of Christ (interactive workbook). Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press, Willis, Avery T. MasterLife Discipleship Series. Nashville, Tenn.: LifeWay Christian Resources. Evangelism and Discipleship Aldrich, Joseph C. Life-Style Evangelism: Crossing Traditional Boundaries to Reach the Unbelieving World. Portland, Ore.: Multnomah Press, Briner, Bob, and Ray Pritchard. The Leadership Lessons of Jesus: A Timeless Model for Today s Leaders. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman Publishers, Coleman, Robert C. The Master Plan of Evangelism (36th printing). Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, Pollock, John. Moody: The Biography. Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press, Multicultural and Missions Celek, Tim, and Dieter Zander, with Patrick Kampert. Inside the Soul of a New Generation: Insights and Strategies for Reaching Busters. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, Elmer, Duane. Cross-Cultural Conflict: Building Relationships for Effective Ministry.Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, Johnstone, Patrick. The Church Is Bigger Than You Think: Structures and Strategies for the Church in the 21st Century. Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, Lingenfelter, Sherwood G., and Marvin K. Mayers. Ministering Cross-Culturally: A Model for Personal Relationships. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, Muck, Terry. Alien Gods On American Turf: How World Religions Are Evangelizing Your Neighborhood. Wheaton, Ill: Victor Books, 1990.

14 Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, Sire, James W. The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog (3rd. ed.). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, Yep, Jeanette, coordinator. Following Jesus: Without Dishonoring Your Parents Asian American Discipleship. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, Prayer and Spiritual Life Bounds, E.M. Power Through Prayer (16th ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich. Baker Book House, Blackaby, Henry T., and Claude V. King. Experiencing God: How to Live the Full Adventure of Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman Publishers, Hawthorne, Steve, and Graham Kendrick. Prayer-Walking: Praying On-Site With Insight. Orlando, Fla.: Creation House, Vander Griend, Alvin J., with Edith Bajema. The Praying Church Sourcebook: A Complete Guide to Developing Your Prayer Ministry (revised). Grand Rapids, Mich.: CRC Publications, 1997.

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