Tuesday, July 3, 2007 at 09:42AM Did Jesus ever command us to start churches? Are you called to plant churches? Jesus commanded us to make disciples. This is just a reminder to us to keep the focus in the right place. New disciples result in new churches. Let's keep the disciplemaking primary.
Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 04:45PM Our simple church, Awakening - A Kingdom Community, has multiplied into a downtown street church among the homeless population. It has truly been an organic planting experience. John Lunt, a member of our simple church, heard the calling of the Lord to go downtown and minister to the homeless. As he obeyed, God began to build relationships. George, a homeless man himself who has known the Lord for about 18 months, met John. John quickly saw in the Spirit that George was the influencer, the man of peace, for the homeless community. He is a disciplemaker himself and banded together with John and Ben to see what God wants to do. Lo and behold, a small gathering of new and returning believers has formed. We are in the process of including George in on our regional leadership team so we can have his unique perspective and learn from his example. Ben, also took a group to downtown Fort Worth to explore if God might want to do the same thing there. This is exciting stuff that came about simply because John obeyed the voice of the Lord. Check out his blog for more on the street church.
Thursday, November 9, 2006 at 12:43PM To plant churches, we need to strike the balance between intimacy with Jesus and action towards the lost world. All ministry flows out of our close connection to Jesus. He said, "I am the vine, you are the branches." His life must be flowing through us for us to give it away.
I simply wanted to remind each of you of this to exhort you toward greater fruitfulness in the Kingdom.
Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 12:33PM As a church planter, I have often felt overwhelmed by the call to spread the good news, make new disciples, and see vibrant new churches emerge out of my partnership with the Lord of the harvest. While it is exciting to be "on the edge" it is not the place we are to be.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He provides refreshing and protection as we move along the disciplemaking path. We are to be like Him. Our call to plant churches must also result in establishing them in love. This is more the shepherding role.
I have heard many church planters say, "I am not a pastor, I start churches!" Well, good for them. But, they have just taken a side road on the journey to balancing out their calling. All apostolic types must develop in the Lord to the point where Jesus' love flows freely through them. This type of love is manifest in shepherding each new disciple (an old ones too) the way Jesus shepherded the 12. Though it may be a seasonal call for that specific group until other shepherds are identified, it is part of the church planting cycle that can't be short-circuited or the new church will suffer. Bringing hope, deliverance, refreshing, protection, and healing are part of the pastoral dimension of the apostolic call.
All pastors may not be apostolic, but all apostolic types will have the heart of a shepherd.
Wednesday, August 9, 2006 at 10:40PM The DFW organic team is up and running. I have been planting churches in Dallas since January of 2001 and have never been part of a team that felt like family. Well, times they are a changin' (Bob Dylan, right?). So, in honor of the Lord's goodness, I offer a few thoughts on teaming:
1. It is worth the wait to get the right teammates! Pray, pray, pray. He will answer. Pray Luke 10:2b...it works!
2. To be a team, you must love the Lord and each other more than the work of ministry. I would love these people even if we weren't partnered together in organic church planting and establishing.
3. Pray together (aka hear God). Work together (Do what He says). Play together (Rest and have fun). This is a potent pattern to follow and repeat as a team.
So to Justin and Kelley Nygren, Adam and Diana Clay, Willie and Emily Butler, Travis and Beth Burkhalter, and my Mom...I love each of you and look forward to God's purposes unfolding.