Pondering My Church Planting Experience and an Admonishment

Over the past four weeks or so, I've had two comments stand out to me in which I was specifically addressed as a "church planter". Yes, I suppose this is true. My family and I did that thing where you sell your house, get a new job, move, and spend most of your time meeting people in your new community and helping to support and grow a new church. It was a huge step of faith. And I'm certainly going to embrace the promises that God makes for people who do such a thing (helloooo Mark 10:28-30). But...what I'd like to focus on today is the face that you and I aren't that different. We aren't different at all, really. Or at least we shouldn't be. 

We are very careful not to say that we moved to Rochester because "God told us to." The truth is that God invited us to. We chose to accept that invitation and embark on a journey unlike any other. We've chosen to embrace certain aspects of the "missionary lifestyle". What I hope to help you understand today, however, is that it doesn't matter if you go or stay, if you move an hour away or half a world away. We are the same. We are called to the same thing.

We are seed sowers, church growers. Gospel preachers and people reachers. We are Truth tellers and Jesus sellers. You and I are the same in God's eyes. We have received the same free gift, and we are uniquely chosen to pass that gift on through the power of our testimony and the circle of influence we have been placed in by God's grace alone.

There is nothing about me as an individual or us as a family that uniquely qualifies us to live differently than you. Being on this "church plant" has definitely changed me, but in many ways I grieve the fact that it took this long for me to truly understand. Why aren't we all living as "church planters"? Why did it take giving up familiarity, precious relationships, a settled home, and a beloved church for me to see what God was asking of me when He commissioned me? 

There are many ways that my life changed as God opened my eyes to this calling...the calling in Matthew 28:16-20. I would like to share some of them with you today in hopes that you will feel stirred to prayerfully examine the way you are (or are not) living out the Great Commission. I do not share this to boast at all. It is purely by God's grace and the strength of the Holy Spirit that we have been able to even attempt to make any difference here in Rochester, especially in the face of so many personal trials. So please, let God work through my experiences so that you can live more fruitfully for Him.

1. The church isn't a building.

Those of you who attend my "old church" know that this has been spoken about on many occasions. But I didn't really, truly understand until I became a part of a church that doesn't have a permanent home yet. We rent a space that we set up and tear down every Sunday before and after our service. It's a ton of work...and a spectacular bonding experience with our new church body. More importantly, though, is the way that it changes the focus from "what are we" as a church to "who are we" as a church. Our sweet little church doesn't have a plethora of ministries to get involved in. That is intentional...it's not part of our vision. Our vision is relationship. Isn't that what Jesus wants? We don't have offices, classrooms, and designated ministry spaces that define us. We have people. Most of us had never even met one another when we came here. I remember walking into church for the first time, at our pastor's home, and thinking "Ok God. This is the family you picked for me. Show me how to love them." 

So, my friends, how do you see church? Do you pick and choose who you love, who you associate with, and who you think is more "worthy" of the Gospel? When you think of "going to church" do you think of walking through the doors of a familiar building, or of embracing (both physically and conversationally) a group of people that are doing life just like you are? Is church a place to be fed spiritually, or is it a place to encourage and be encouraged? Is it about the what or the who?

2. The only thing I'm here to sell is Jesus.

I've been involved in many MLM companies throughout my adult years. One thing that they've all had in common is the way you grow your business. You are your best advertisement. Whether you're selling lipstick, purses, oils, salt and pepper shakers, or buttery leggings, the way you grow your business is to dress the part. Everywhere you go, you enter in with the mindset of "who can I talk to about my business today?" or "who needs what I have?" Well, guess what...there's something WAY more useful and life changing than lipstick and leggings. It's Jesus, right? If we believe it, why don't we live it out?

Since coming to Rochester, and much thanks to the encouragement of my pastors, I've learned to watch for and seek out opportunities to talk about God and about my church. It's been a lonely road these first few months, so I'll often find myself searching for something to do during the day with my kids. Two of my favorites are Chick-fil-a (hooray for indoor play areas!) and the library. Each time I go out, I pray that God will lead me to people that I can talk to about Him and about the reason I came here. I've had some incredible conversations with total strangers about their spiritual journeys, and had countless opportunities to invite people to church. No, it doesn't happen every time. Sometimes I shrink back. But when I choose to be bold, it yields beautiful results.

So...even if you haven't moved to help start a church, have you been looking for opportunities to share about God and to invite others to your church? Whether you go to a large church or small, new or old, contemporary or old fashioned, how are you seeking to help grow the Kingdom? 

3. Serve, not be served.

We have all been encouraged to serve in our church. We hear it from the pulpit. We hear it from our small group leaders. And (hopefully) we read it in the Bible. I came here from a very large church that had unending opportunities to serve which I could choose based on my unique giftings and interests. I could run my finger down a list, choose a ministry that appealed to me, sign up to serve once or twice, and feel like I had done my part. What happened when I came here, to a church of 30 adults, when we needed 32 people to run a Sunday service? Well, I couldn't get choosy, that's for sure! It's a pretty simple way to operate. You see a need, you check and see if you're available, and you fill the need. You do what needs doing, when it needs doing, and offer up your energy with a thankful heart. This has been one of the most transformative experiences of my entire life.

Don't get me wrong, spiritual gift surveys have their place. Making an effort to use our gifts in the most efficient way possible has its place. But there is something so beautiful and freeing about saying, "here I am Lord, send me!" and letting go of what we want for the good of the body. Sunday is my favorite day of the week. Not only do I get to be around people that are above the age of seven (I do love my kids, but I spend more time talking about cats and wiping butts than I care to sometimes), but I get to go and give of myself fully in response to the way God gave His son for me. I dream of serving on the worship team and using the gifts that God gave me (and my music education). Right now though, that's not what God has. Right now he has other holes in the church that need to be filled. I never imagined myself as the ministry leader for Sunday school, and it has been one of the most encouraging, humbling, and lovely experiences of my spiritual walk.

So...are you more focused on serving for YOU, or serving for GOD? Are you more concerned about what you have to give, than where the church needs giving? What would happen if you stepped outside of your comfort zone and filled a need that makes you a little bit uncomfortable, even if only for a short time? Are you serving because you hope that experience will serve you, or are you serving because you sincerely desire to give of yourself out of a deep sense of gratitude to your heavenly father? 

This post is getting a bit long, so I think that will be it for tonight. My point, dear brothers and sisters, is this. YOU are a church planter too. Instead of leaving the church planting up to the "church planters", come with me on this journey. Pray that God will change our hearts as His body. Pray that we can be used in unimaginable ways; that we can live outside ourselves supernaturally and enjoy the fruit that comes from it. Pray that the Holy Spirit will equip us to serve even when we don't feel like it. Pray that He will use us as His hands and feet, and build his kingdom and His church through our feeble efforts.