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So You Wanna Plant a Church – Part Three
All church planters have a vision for their church. But I wonder how many have a vision for their city?
I will admit that I have gotten stuck in the muddy patch of dreaming about the church when I should have been asking the city to show me where it hurts. I foolishly thought my city didn’t have many needs. I mean, we’re in Rapid City, South Dakota for crying out loud. Then, about a year ago, I had a weekend that shattered the stained glass over my eyes. Four stories screamed out to me. Four stories in need of the gospel.
That weekend began on a Friday. I had lunch with a friend when he blindsided me with the news that some friends of ours (who seemed so together and just had their second child) were splitting up because the dude left his wife for another woman, who happened to be the wife of another friend of mine. I was hot and disappointed! How did I not see that?
The second story arrived that Saturday morning as I awoke to the news that an 18-year-old I knew had taken his life. I was stunned. I wish I could say that was the only suicide I had heard of in my city, but it was one of many. You never know how bad someone is hurting.
Later that day, I discovered a girl I had gone to school with was busted for meth here in town. She is so bright and has a beautiful baby, but clearly, her life was not what it could and should be. I’ve sinced discovered meth is a serious and prevalent problem in my city. We’re among the top spots per-capita in the country for meth use.
Then that Sunday, I had an appointment with a local pastor at a coffee shop. I had a bunch of questions I wanted to ask him but our conversation quickly turned to the events of the weekend. The broken homes, broken hearts, lost lives, and hopelessness I had just been hit with. As I shared, he initially was pointing a finger at those sinners as the stench of his self-righteousness covered the aroma of espresso beans. This was all a mask as he would soon admit his own struggle that was damaging his relationships and his ministry: pornography. At first I wanted to point the finger back at him, but instead I gave him grace, an ear, and friendship.
That weekend, God showed me that the sore spots were in my city all along. Lying latent under the surface of the people that I knew. I guess I never dug more than an inch deep in those relationships to find out.
When you set out to start a church, you need to have a burden for the people in your city. There is room for the gospel in your city. Read your local newspaper for a month and start listing all the stories that could be changed if the grace and truth of Jesus was present in them. Also, build relationships with people and get more than an inch deep when their hearts are located miles within. This will require you to share your heart as well. Are you willing to share you heart?
If you truly want to change a city, be prepared for change yourself. It won’t be easy, but you don’t start a church because it’s easy, you start a church because God said so.
Are you willing to hurt like hell sometimes to keep others from going there? Are you willing to bring a bit of heaven on earth to awaken the hearts of others to the hope of the Kingdom of heaven? Are you willing to be a little Jesus in a world in need of the risen King Jesus?
Your city needs you, disciple, church planter, pastor, to do what God is calling you to do. The question is, are you willing to get your fingernails dirty to do it?
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Great post Jason!
One of the things that really impacted me at a time when I was wavering in my actions was when we were about to do our pre-launch services for for those supporting us in our home church. I was questioning things and had just submitted a video teaching to for the One Prayer project at LifeChurch.tv and then I heard it. The song God of this City from Chris Tomlin. I incorporated that song into a worship set during one of the services and was so moved to tears I could hardly speak to the people about the burden God had put on my heart for our city. I know that God is sharing this burden with others for our city, Rapid City, and around the globe. When we all connect through Gods church is going to be an amazing time to witness transformation through the changed hearts within the church, helping to change hardened and hurting hearts for those secretly dying all alone.
God definitely calls people to lead others on such a journey, but as you said, he also calls them to a particular city with a particular vision for the people there. Where it goes from there is only up to God and his Holy Spirit.
@Paul – Thanks.
@ Dave – You pretty much wrote your own blog post Dave.
Well said.