Many churches believe there is a point in the life of a church where they are ready to be a part of church planting and missions, but most believe that “we aren’t there yet”.
If we grow more…
If we can increase the budget…
If we can activate our people to be more missional…
Then we will help with church planting.
Then we will send people on mission and be more involved in taking mission trips.
After serving for over 35 years in ministry and 15 of that as a church planter, I would say this ideology is actually backwards. Your people will never be more missional until you get more involved in missions. You will never learn how to support church planters and support church planting until you get involved in church planting. You will miss out on radical generosity in your church until you begin to practice radical generosity.
We often act as if there is a ministry stable somewhere where the next Pastor, Staff Member, Church Planter, International and North American Missionary will appear miraculously. Well there is a stable, it is your church. You may have the next one called to ministry sitting in your student ministry, Sunday School class or small group, or worshiping at your church each week.
Unfortunately, we have neglected calling out the called to ministry over the last 25 years by hoping someone else will reach our cities, our nation and the world with the next generation of leaders for the Big “C” church.
Please don’t hear me as being down on the church because I believe there is incredible hope and potential sitting in our services and ministries every week. My experience personally is that when we are more missional in church leadership, our church becomes more missional. If our church leadership is passionate about church planting, helping a church across town or across the nation be planted, then our churches will catch fire with excitement and join in.
I also believe that what we spend our money reflects what we value the most. Our small church plant has decided that we will sacrificially give to church planting and missions, and the Lord has provided all we need. Instead of suffering because of our generosity, we have been blessed and seen some radical generosity from our people.
What do you do?
First, I would ask God what your church should do as it relates to church planting and missions. I know for us, we have adopted one church locally, Dwell Church in Berthoud, that we have helped plant, and one church nationally planting in Syracuse, NY reaching college students. We have also partnered with the Send Relief Center in Pine Ridge, SD reaching Native Americans through ministry and church planting. But you need to do what God tells you to do.
There are great resources and experts available to help through your local association, Colorado Baptists, NAMB and IMB.
Second, do something. Inactivity will only push the ball farther backwards. Find what God has called you to do and start somewhere. Challenge yourself and your church family to be radically generous and just see what God does.
Third, get ready for change. When your people experience radical generosity, missional engagement and life giving ministry, it will change the heart of your church to be more like Jesus.
I pray that God would fire up churches across Colorado for church planting and missions so that we can make Jesus famous and the Gospel available to thousands across our state, our nation and the world.
Doug Hixson is the lead pastor of Connection Church in Longmont.
