My good friends Jason and Renee Exley are planting a new church in Midlothian, TX, and I'm excited for them.
They are now building through "pre-launch small groups" and preparing for their launch on Easter Sunday, April 16th. Did I say I'm excited for them? This is really a neat time for them. Jason is a missionary kid that grew up planting churches in Argentina and Renee is the daughter of a pastor who God used in growing a church from 70 to 800, so I'd say they have a great practical background for this. They've also been great youth pastors for 6 years.
I've been thinking a lot about church plants and models where large churches give birth to smaller ones. I feel like I'm involved in a church body that is currently inward facing, and I don't know that this is bad at this time in the church's life based on recent events, but I want to start facing outwards. However, I do feel like I'm in the church where God wants me to be right now, so perhaps during our involvement things will begin shifting outwards.
In a letter Jason sent me describing this new venture he stated an interesting comment that church plants have historically be highly effective evangelical tools and that 80% of people who come to Christ do so in a church that is 2 years old or less. I don't know where he got that statistic, but it's an interesting idea to consider.
Anyway, I'm excited for them. If anyone is interested, here is their website:
They are now building through "pre-launch small groups" and preparing for their launch on Easter Sunday, April 16th. Did I say I'm excited for them? This is really a neat time for them. Jason is a missionary kid that grew up planting churches in Argentina and Renee is the daughter of a pastor who God used in growing a church from 70 to 800, so I'd say they have a great practical background for this. They've also been great youth pastors for 6 years.
I've been thinking a lot about church plants and models where large churches give birth to smaller ones. I feel like I'm involved in a church body that is currently inward facing, and I don't know that this is bad at this time in the church's life based on recent events, but I want to start facing outwards. However, I do feel like I'm in the church where God wants me to be right now, so perhaps during our involvement things will begin shifting outwards.
In a letter Jason sent me describing this new venture he stated an interesting comment that church plants have historically be highly effective evangelical tools and that 80% of people who come to Christ do so in a church that is 2 years old or less. I don't know where he got that statistic, but it's an interesting idea to consider.
Anyway, I'm excited for them. If anyone is interested, here is their website:
www.lifeunusual.com
Technorati Tags: life church, emerging church, church plant
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4 comments:
You are a kindred spirit Nathan Atkinson.
Couldn't agree more. I'd love to tell you about a couple of ideas.
I definitely agree that we are a very generous church in giving to ministries that are outward looking, and I'm thankful to see this. This makes us great silent partners with outward facing ministries.
The Katrina relief was also an amazing effort. The church really stepped up there.
I did not know about the Longview church plant. That's great!
By inwardfacing, I'm referring to the culture overall and I'm comparing it to another church in another town, which may or may not be a fair thing to do. Our routine ministries that happen on a regular basis seem to be fellowships and discipleship opportunities for the current church body, which are indeed necessary to disciple the flock. However, I don't see regular outreaches beyond our doors as much as I have seen before.
At this other church, we had different missionaries speaking in our services on a frequent basis, keeping the congregants perspective facing the world, we had annual community service events like a citywide Easter egg hunt with 50,000 eggs, participation in the chrstmas parade, interchurch service week where 5 churches across denominations got together and had a week of meetings together at each other's sanctuary each night. We also had other regular outreaches including a churchwide Mexico mission trip available twice a year, the women's ministry did outreaches to exotic dancers in local clubs, college group did move in help at the university, youth would periodically stand on a busy street corner and hand out free water bottles just to share the love. The church talked about outreach a lot and tried to find any creative little way to live it.
I love my church now. God is in our midst every service and He is blessing us for our financial generousity and kind hearts. And I believe the church has a right to face inwards for a while just to heal from recent tearings. I just think that we are a blessed church full of great potential to always improve.
I agree with you, Nathan. I see our "inward facing" as more of a regrouping. Every time we seem to get back on our feet, something else happens (for example, pastors leaving, pastors coming, plans and events that can't get off the ground floor, etc.). I am very excited about this time in our church history though. I look at it, as I think Cam does from his comments, as the "calm" before the storm. I think big things are about to happen at Rose Heights and I see our age group as the catalyst for those changes. I would love to see a revival like the kind we had in the 80's, too, and I think we could see something like that happen here in the very near future.
I really like this church's website -- very contemporary. I wish RH would focus a little more on theirs. I know the party-line on this issue, but the website is our face to the community and needs some serious work.
I appreciate the comments from Cameron & Bryan. Only being in town the last 2 years, I don't know anything about th 80s. However, I am excited about what God has in store for the future of our congregation and the seeds he is planting in the present, especially those that I see in our age group.
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