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The Age of the Church Plant is Over in the USA
Thoughts which carry me to Jesus, and to the Cross:
“But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path, but the LORD caused the sin of all of us to attack him. He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth. He was led away after an unjust trial— but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded.” (Isaiah 53:4–8, NET)
“Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” (Ephesians 5:1–2, NET)
The first work that blessed Francis undertook, after he had gained his freedom from the hands of his carnally-minded father, was to build a house of God. He did not try to build a new one, but he repaired an old one, restored an ancient one. He did not tear out the foundation, but he built upon it, always reserving to Christ his prerogative, although unaware of it, for no one can lay another foundation, but that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus
959 When they take their little children in their arms, mothers—good mothers— make sure they do not have any pins in their clothes which could hurt them. When we deal with souls, we should have the same gentleness, together with all the determination required.
It was nearly 30 years ago that I was told, “just close the church, start a bunch of Bible Studies and re-open the church in 6 or 9 months with a new name.”
So said my mentors, experts in planting churches and in church growth. The church under discussion had diminished to the point where attendance could be counted on two hands and a foot, and all but my wife and I were over 70.
11 years later I was told – don’t accept the call to that church, it will kill you and it will die within 2-3 years. The people are too broken, too argumentative, too divided. No pastor can change that. DON’T TAKE IT.
Yesterday, I saw a young pastor suggesting that such “dead” churches can find growth by simply becoming a “church plant”, and using the same strategies that you would if you were starting from scratch.
What I believed in my young naivete, I know now to be true. Do that, and you will have a nice empty building to sell, and underwrite more church planting failures.
What if, instead of forcing their hand, writing the old guard of the church off and running them off, we actually imitated Christ in their presence. What if we joined them in their brokenness and carried it to Jesus with them? What if we lived in love for them, sacrificing what is needed, and didn’t care if the rest of the world noticed? What if we treated them with the pastoral care that a mother has for her little children.
Francis didn’t try to build a new church, but rebuild the ancient one. These churches that once thrived and were community centers. welcoming broken people and offering them life in Christ. Oddly enough, that church is still there, centuries later, still pointing to Jesus, still telling people their sins are forgiven, still giving out the sacraments. It’s “life-cycle” didn’t end at 40 years, its meaningful ministry keeps going.
I firmly believe the age of church planting is over. What we need in the USA and Europe is too rebuild on the ancient foundations of Christ. It will take sacrifice, it will mean joining people in their brokenness, it will means ministry…and prayer,
SO be it.
Escrivá, Josemaría. Furrow (p. 162). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Pasquale, G., ed. (2011). Day by Day with Saint Francis: 365 Meditations (p. 230). New City Press.
Has the Church Given Up?
Devotional Thought fo the Day:
20 Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— 21 may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21 (NLT)
8 In every church service I want the men to pray, men who are dedicated to God and can lift up their hands in prayer without anger or argument. 1 Timothy 2:8 (TEV)
372 If you persevere in your prayer, with “personal perseverance”, God Our Lord will give you all the means you need to be more effective and to spread his kingdom in the world. But you have to keep faithful: asking, asking, asking… Are you really behaving this way?
16 Ultimately, if we should list as sacraments all the things that have God’s command and a promise added to them, then why not prayer, which can most truly be called a sacrament? It has both the command of God and many promises. If it were placed among the sacraments and thus given, so to speak, a more exalted position, this would move men to pray
The first quote, from the book of Hebrews, is how we often end our service. It is a benediction, a blessing, but it is also a prayer. Interestingly enough, it is not a suggested to be used in most of the liturgies I have seen over the years, as I’ve researched liturgy and worship. There are others; the Aaronic Blessing is popular, so is one in a Trinitarian format, but not this one from Hebrews.
It popped into my mind, as I read St Josemaria’s words this morning, (the quote in green) And as I contemplated this blog, I started to think about prayer, especially prayer for God’s people to .. well be the people of God. To live life with Him in a way that brings God great joy.
I thought of the prayers that begin most of Paul’s letters and the prayers of Christ for the church. You see, this prayer/blessing of Hebrews does not stand alone. I also thought of a great book on Church Revitalization, and the author’s insistence on the prayer team, noting it is more importance than vision casting, or those who work the change. (I’ve seen that part often dropped as churches adapt the book to their own need)
Then I thought of the articles I read yesterday. Articles that talked about churches closing, and another about the dwindling numbers of seminarians, and church attendance. I thought of as well recent conversations with pastors, who talk of dry lives, and as well, struggle to see any benefit to prayer. Is there a correlation between our lack of prayer, and our observation of a church that is weak, sick, and even dying and our lack of persistent prayer? If we judged the effectiveness of the church based on the prayers of pastors and people, would we have to say the church has given up and surrendered?
Luther would say that we pray, not that God is hindered by its lack, but because we are. Our lack of prayer results in a supernatural pessimism, and even apathy. We know that prayer and faith go together, as we pray, so we depend on God to see those prayers addressed and answered in our lives, in our communities.
So why don’t we pray, and why don’t we pray as this passage and so many others indicate? Is it because we don’t see prayer as a sacramental act, a blessing where God comes and communes with us? If we did, as the Lutheran Confessions advise, and see Prayer truly as a sacrament, would it make a difference?
I think it would. It would stop us from seeing prayer as a duty, and see it as the wonderful blessing it is, we would persevere, not because it might manipulate God, but because of the peace that comes from knowing God is dealing with it. As we pray, the anxiety is reduced, our trust and dependence on God grows, and we become sure of God’s wisdom and strength at work. What a blessing this is! What a comfort!
if we would see the church grow, if we would encourage men to become pastors and encourage people to serve in the church and its ministries, prayer is the key. Fellowship with God that breeds and magnifies the trust that knows the transformation God works in us, and celebrates our union with God.
This is when ministry is at its strongest, when we are relying and depending on God, and we truly see His work in us, and the joy it creates.
My friends, hold up your holy hands, depend on God and ask Him to bless His people everywhere. AMEN.
Escriva, Josemaria. The Forge (Kindle Locations 1462-1465). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Tappert, T. G. (Ed.). (1959). The Book of Concord the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. (p. 213). Philadelphia: Mühlenberg Press.
