Pastor Tim Keller, of Redeemer Presbyterian Church In New York City, on having a faithful gospel ministry:

I heard about this pastoral challenge in the news a couple days ago.  Pastor Paul Wirth from Relevant Church has launched the “30-Day Sex Challenge.”  Here is a summary from the website:

People are not having enough sex. An epidemic of breakups prove the needs that lead to a great sex life are being overlooked. Dirty dishes, frumpy clothes, and a lack of authentic connections are killing the romance. A great sex life is a challenge and takes focus, determination, and planning. Some say it’s an unrealistic goal, but we disagree. We believe you can have a great sex life, in fact we believe God wants you to have a great sex life.

Relevant Church is proposing a challenge encouraging married couples to purposely engage in sexual activity for 30 days and singles to intentionally forgo sexual activity for 30 days. We know, it sounds crazy. However, we believe this challenge will not only improve sex lives, but also strengthen relationships. In this series married couples will review the obvious needs of him and uncover the forgotten needs of her and singles will cut through the illusions and consider the qualities that result in healthy relationships.

For far too long the church has remained silent on the subject, leading many people to believe that God is against sex, which is completely counter to what the Bible teaches.

Not a bad challenge overall.  One thing may have been overlooked.  There is one week out of the month that may make the challenge impossible to follow through with (ask your wife if you don’t know what I’m talking about).  Anyway, this post does get me thinking about what Christians are known for in today’s culture.

Relevant Church is another plant that has grabbed national headlines.  Next Level Church was the other one for marketing their plant by giving shot glasses to individuals at bar that say “give us a shot” on them (see the post here).  In both these instances, I pray that the leaders of these churches use these moments to point more people to Jesus rather than the how innovative their churches are.  I’m not saying that these pastors are not pointing to Jesus.  However, I’m acknowledging a tendency in our hearts to focus or overemphasize on the secondary (how we are reaching the unchurched) over or against the primary (we exist to worship Jesus, and that is why we are being creative in how we do church).  No doubt the two are related, but who we worship must always be in the forefront.

It seems to me that new churches, and Christians in general, need to be careful about what they are known for.  Are we known for our political leanings?  Are we known for being market savvy?  Are we known for being provocative or creative?  Or are we known for the one we worship?

[HT: CBS News]

My family and I are going to be moving to the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) in early 2009 to plant a church.  For those of you who want to keep updated on the latest on the church planting front, I’ve created a blog called Between Two Cities that will give updates on the plant (not to be confused with Justin Taylor’s blog Between Two Worlds or John Stott’s book by the same title).

Some of you may be wondering why such a young guy is planting a church, especially one that posted something on his blog called Why men in their 20s should not plant churches (FYI, I’m 25).  Well, God’s call seems clearly confirmed by both the Evangelical Free Church approving me as a planter, and the elders at Evanston Bible Fellowship giving me a blessing.

Please pray for this plant.  Pray that the gospel of God’s grace would penetrate the lives of those who need it from the Twin Cities, and that the gospel would penetrate the planter as well.

God is good!

Found this article in the news today:

CHARLOTTE, N.C.  —  To get people to attend his new church campus, Robbie McLaughlin is sending his message out to where the people are.

Next Friday, staffers from Next Level Church of Matthews will go to bars in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte to hand out shot glasses which ask patrons to “give us a shot” and bear the slogan, “Real church for real people.”

The idea is to draw people to the Ballantyne campus, which opens next month.

McLaughlin is the pastor, and said he is confident that it will be controversial, but he said the goal is not necessarily to impress people who already go to church. He said it’s to impress people who don’t.

Next Level is a nontraditional church that encourages members to dress casually and snack on coffee and doughnuts during services.

McLaughlin said the idea has caught on, and in two years, the church has grown from a handful of members to more than 700.

The above is a full quote of “Give Us a Shot,” a news article from Fox News.  I wonder if church attendance for the unchurched or if slamming shots of whiskey will be encouraged more by handing out these shot glasses.  I pray that it is the former.  Here is what the church’s blog says:

1. It is time for the church to stop expecting people to come to us and time for us to go to them…to where they live, work, socialize, and play. Coffee shops, bars, clubs…wherever they are.

2. Jesus identified himself with drinkers and partiers – not sharing in their excesses, but living life with them. That’s what we want, because that’s what he did.

3. We will do anything, anything, anything that does not violate God’s word to help disconnected people get connected to God.

We’ll take blowback, we’re sure. No one else in Charlotte has done anything remotely-freaking-like-this…and this is still a churched town.
And that is OK.

As we sang this morning…”It’s not for us, it’s all for You”.

Keep checking back – we’ll relate the stories of what God is doing as they happen!

Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley is a book that the elders at Evanston Bible Fellowship are reading to re-articulate our vision for this local church.  This book is both short and helpful.  Here are the main points of the book, which Pastor Stanley calls five things that “significantly increase the adhesiveness of your vision” (p. 18):

1.  State the vision simply.  “People don’t remember or embrace paragraphs.  They remember and embrace sentences … When people complained about what we did and din’t do compared to the other churches they had attended, we simply shared our vision … It is better to have a vision statement that is incomplete and memorable than to have one that is complete and forgettable … you have limited opportunities to cast your vision to the drive-by audience” (pp. 19-20).
2. Cast the vision convincingly.  “If you haven’t defined the problem, determined a solution, and discovered a compelling reason why now is the time to act, you aren’t ready to go public with your vision.  It won’t stick … If you and your team will set aside time to define the problem, state your vision as a solution, and discover a compelling reason why now is the time to act, you will walk away from that meeting, or series of meetings, with more passion for what you are about than you thought possible” (pp. 32-33).
3. Repeat the vision regularly.  Also, not only repeat it regularly, but also use the best times and various means to do so.  What time of year would be best to present the vision to your people?  What means of communication will be most effective, public speaking, handing out CDs or sending out newsletters?  “We all need to be reminded why we are doing what we are doing.  We need to be reminded what’s at stake.  We need to be reminded of the vision.  And we need it more often than most leaders realize” (p. 38).
4. Celebrate the vision systematically.  “How do I make sure that what I’m envisioning is the same thing the people around me are envisioning?  One way is to celebrate real-world events that illustrate what you envision” (p. 39).  Share letters or e-mails, share them during corporate gatherings or staff meetings or baptisms.  “Figure out how to build celebration in the rhythm of your organization.  For your vision to stick, it must be celebrated.  The people in your organization are already celebrating something.  But if there is a disconnect between your vision and what’s being celebrated, that’s a dynamic that needs immediate attention” (p. 46).
5. Embrace the vision personally.  “Living out the vision establishes credibility and makes you a leader worth following.  When people are convinced that the vision has stuck with you, it is easier for them to make an effort to stick with the vision” (p. 47).  “You want people who choose to follow you to end their jounrneys with more respect for you than when they began.  For that to happen, you have tto embrace and live out the vision” (pp. 50-51).  “To make vision stick, we not only need to embrace it personally, we need to communicate it honestly.  Let your staff know about your vision successes and your vision failures.  Let them see your passion when it is hot.  And even whe you’re running on fumes, let them know you are still committed.  That kind of transparency builds trust.  It will help ensure that your vision sticks” (pp. 53-54).

Stanley makes two other good points in his book.  One is that it “is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that people understand an embrace the vision of the organization” (p. 17).  For the local church, that means the elders hold this responsibility.  Second, he gives great wisdom about indicators that the main vision is slipping.  Consider these notes:

• “Leaders must keep their antennae up for new things that have the potential to distract from the main thing” (p. 55).
• “‘Think steps, not programs.’  Our vision is not a smorgasbord of programs.  We want to help people take steps in their spiritual journeys.  If a new idea provides a step in a specific direction, we will consider it.  If not, we won’t” (p. 57).
• “Vision, not people’s random ideas, should determine programming.  Vision, not a cool PowerPoint presentation, should determine which new initiatives are funded by your organization.  Vision, not the promise of great returns, should determine which products are launched” (p. 58).
• “If people around you aren’t asking the right questions, telling the right stories, or complaining about the right things, your vision may be slipping” (p. 59).

Overall, great book to use if you are starting the journey of re-articulating the vision of your church.  Some people may not like the business like language in the book, but that is such a small critique to focus on.  After all, perhaps one can then use the book as a gift to your secular corporate boss who does not know Christ as a way to start discussion about not only vision but also the gospel.

I’m a person in his 20s who desires to plant a church, and to plant one hopefully soon.  However, I pray that God would give me much wisdom in terms of timing and having patience with what his will is on the matter.  I ran across an article that is a means to that end.

Ryan Mobley, a church planting pastor who started a church in Springfield, IL, wrote an article for Acts 29 called “Why I Had to be 34 Before I Planted a Church.”  I’d encourage all other young men who are thinking about church planting to read this article, and continue to pray and think wisely on the matter.  Here are some main points why Pastor Mobley thinks it was better for him to be a church planter at 34 rather than 24:

• I was too young and inexperienced in both life and ministry.
• My wife needed to be called as well.
• I needed to be a dad.
• I needed experience in leading.
• I needed experience in pastoring.
• I needed time to solidify my theology.
• I needed to plant out of the right spirit.
• I simply needed to be older to attract older people.

Obviously these are personal reasons, but they are practical and wise.  One may still be called by God to plant a church in his 20s, but it may be wise to consider some of these questions that Pastor Mobley asks:

• If you’ve never been in ministry vocationally and feel called to plant a church, take some time to at least intern at a church plant to get a feel for it.
• If you are called to church plant, does that call have to come into fruition right away? Should you take some time for ministry experience, church planting internship, secular market vocation, education, etc? Maybe God’s plan is for you to plant in the future.
• Are you married and do you have any kids? I can’t say that being married with children is a must (Paul wasn’t either of those), but it sure does help practically.
• What percentage of you wants to plant out of rebellion to the “modern church”? I think there always has to be some dissatisfaction with the established church (if there wasn’t, don’t start a new one, just go get on staff at a good church), but it can’t be the majority of your drive.

Good questions, and ones that I will be considering.

In the latest edition of Christianity Today, there is an article titled “Go and Plant Churches of All People.” In this article, author Tim Stafford writes about the growing and effective trend of church planting among many denominations and networks. The article explains that fifty years ago, Billy Graham type crusades were the most popular way to reach others for Jesus. Thirty years ago, when these evangelistic crusades died off, personal evangelism through the “Four Spiritual Laws” or “Evangelism Explosion” were the way to do evangelism. Presently, Stafford explains, crusades “haven’t disappeared, and churches still teach personal witness. But today, church planting is the default mode for evangelsim. Go to any evangelical denomination, ask them what they are doing to grow, and they will refer you to the church-planting office.”

What great news! Why? Because church planting is biblical. Give Acts a read, it is the first book ever written on church planting. Acts highlights that the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan occurs through the multiplication of local churches. Paul focused on this method almost exclusively when he traveled on his missionary journeys. Now it is encouraging to see that church leaders today are understanding the important role that church planting plays in the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan!

(a picture of the Phoenix skyline)

An analysis of Census reported that southern cities are growing much more than northern cities (click here for an USA Today article on the subject). The only exception to this trend is New York, which added the greatest amount with 206,000 people. Among the cities that grew the most, Phoenix tops the list, even bumping Philadelphia from the number five spot. Here is a snapshot of the top ten cities (click here for top 125):

New York	8,214,426	1	1	2.6%
Los Angeles	3,849,378	2	2	4.2%
Chicago	2,833,321	3	3	-2.2%
Houston	2,144,491	4	4	8.8%
Phoenix	1,512,986	5	6	14.5%
Philadelphia	1,448,394	6	5	-4.6%
San Antonio	1,296,682	7	9	11.8%
San Diego	1,256,951	8	7	2.7%
Dallas	1,232,940	9	8	3.7%
San Jose, Calif.	929,936	10	11	3.9%

In Illinois, Chicago lost 2.2%, but the city of Joliet that is 40 miles from the city saw tremendous growth. As the Chicago Tribune reports (click here for full article):

Joliet added more than 35,000 people between 2000 and 2006, more than any other city in the state. Joliet’s one-year population jump of 6,500 residents between 2005 and 2006 also was tops in the state and was the 12th-highest growth rate of cities of 100,000 or more in the country. Joliet’s estimated population for 2006 was 142,702.

Of the 25 fastest-growing large cities in the nation, Joliet is the only one not in the South or the West. Other Illinois towns showing significant growth since 2000 are Aurora, Plainfield, Romeoville, Naperville and Huntley.

These are fascinating demographics from a church planting perspective, particularly planters that want to reach large and growing cities.

(a picture of Tokyo’s skyline)

London’s The Economist has an insightful article that is titled “The World Goes to Town.” It makes many points that has major implications on global church planting and world missions. Consider the following quotes from the article:

The sheer scale and speed of the current urban expansion make it unlike any of the big changes that have punctuated urban history. It mostly consists of poor people migrating in unprecedented numbers, and then producing babies on a similarly unprecedented scale. It is thus largely a phenomenon of poor and middle-income countries; the rich world has put most of its urbanisation behind it.

In poor countries, though, the trend is set to continue. The United Nations forecasts that today’s urban population of 3.2 billion will rise to nearly 5 billion by 2030, when three out of five people will live in cities. The increase will be most dramatic in the poorest and least-urbanised continents, Asia and Africa. They are the ones least able to cope. Already over 90% of the urban population of Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda, three of the world’s most rural countries, live in slums.

Within ten years the world will have nearly 500 cities of more than 1m people. Most of the newcomers will be absorbed in a metropolis of up to 5m people. But some will live in a megacity, defined as home to 10m or more inhabitants. In 1950 only New York and Tokyo could claim to be as big, but by 2020, says the UN, nine cities—Delhi, Dhaka, Jakarta, Lagos, Mexico City, Mumbai, New York, São Paulo and Tokyo—will have more than 20m inhabitants. Greater Tokyo already has 35m, more than the entire population of Canada.

These megacities are becoming centers of secularization because of the gospel vacuum that exists in these fast growing-massive cities. All places–countries, towns, suburbs, and cities–need the redemption of the gospel. However, these growing megacities are becoming centers that are in desperate need of redemption because of the massive population explosion and the great suffering that exists because of poverty. Considering the above article, it seems that church planting and world missions is not keeping up with this trend.

After reading this article, my heart melts for the massive need in these cities for the gospel. On the other hand, my heart is hopeful for the amount of people that can be reached by reaching the city with the gospel. My prayer is that the church may be dedicated to reaching these global cities through church planting and world missions in a way that transforms the people and culture with the power of the gospel.

For more comments on this article, see Dr. Al Mohler’s blog here.