Exponential Conference Stirrings...

During the conference, I felt myself released to utter this question: “God if you wanted me to plant a church would I follow you?”  I don’t think I’ve even thought about being open to doing anything than what I’m doing where I’m doing it.  I don’t feel God wants me to move away and start from scratch, but I went forward at the last session and surrendered myself to his will.  A women named Valerie anointed me with oil and prayed over God’s plans for my future.  This was a simple but profound step toward letting go of my life.

As I did this, my mind began to spin with ideas of how to make disciples.  How to intentionally build into a few people that I could go up to and say, “I see something in you…” and to begin a journey toward raising them and sending them out. 

I wondered if we could multiply within our region through other models than the traditional church model.  Micro-churches, missional communities, house churches, etc. come to my mind and I wondered about selecting 3 hubs regionally around our church to see if we could start something of a “micro church” and raise up some leaders to lead on all levels.  What if churches of 20 or 30 were meeting in these 4 places with a focus on disciple making and radical evangelism of new believers reaching their friends who reach their friends.  

Thoughts continued to billow like clouds forming a storm front in my head…is there anyone on our staff (part-time or full-time) that we should be preparing to send out to plant a church?  Is there anyone on any of our ministry teams that we should raise up and send out into church multiplication?  Is there anyone leading a Life Group that has a special calling that needs to be identified and unleashed?

I don’t know what the future holds, but I know it has to be more about “sending capacity” than “seating capacity’.  Even thought we are building a new building, I see that more as a hub or beachhead to begin saturating a territory around us…branching out as far as multiplication will take us.  It could have the name Impact, it could have a different name…I don’t care, just as long as people feel a high stakes role in advancing the kingdom of Jesus.  There are people sitting in church every week that God “made for more” and we need to invite them into more or to tell them what we see in them.  We have to begin dreaming big about how to spread the gospel in all kinds of ways to all kinds of people living in all kinds of communities.  I don’t want to limit myself or anyone else by boxing myself into our building and my idea of my plans for my life.  I want always be open to God’s desire for me and for His Church.

I was awakened to expand my thinking at this conference.  Our church planters were challenged to do the same.  To not get so used to addition that we forget about multiplication and disciple-making.  I want to give more people permission to get in on the action of advancing God’s kingdom instead of just growing our church.

My thoughts for now…