Keller on church plants...
The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for 1) the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and 2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else--not crusades, outreach programs, para-church ministries, growing mega-churches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes--will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting.
Is he right?? What does he mean by church planting? I think in Australia when we say church planting we mean small struggling one man show? Is that necessary?
posted by sam at 2:03 PM
2 Comments:
I think he's not too far off the mark.
Building communities of believers who are indigenous to a suburb, or town can helps build communities of believers who invest in the world that immediately surrounds them. I think it can be what makes the church visible to the post-christian world who's not going to go looking for the church.
It is growth, and outward movement that shifts the gaze from our own world, our wants and needs, to the world of people. Centrifugal not centripetal baby!!!!
5:02 PM
mmm... i agree but Keller in other places argues for the mega-church. Well at least outlines the advantages of it.When we do church plants in Australia they are normally a one man show with a small core - around 30-50 people. Why not hold and start bigger? Start with 100 or 200 and maybe 2 staff members...
Apparently in the states "persons born after 1965; are found in very large churches." There are advantages with small (mainly relationships) but there are stacks of advantages with big also. I will post some other day on this stuff...
11:05 AM
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