“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Romans 10:14-17
By DAVID DIXON, EPD TEAM
When we talk about church planting it is easy to start with a picture in our minds of another building, in a new location, filled with new people worshipping. While this may be one of the outcomes of church planting, it is not the endgame of church planting.
We don’t start with that Sunday gathering in mind; we start with making a disciple. In every community, there is a need for people to encounter Jesus. In every neighborhood, there are people who need to see what it looks like to live with Jesus and to hear the good news of what He has done.
Church planting is not about expanding The Alliance (or any denomination); it is about mobilizing the people of Jesus toward His mission to reach those who are far from Him. It is not about building a kingdom of brick and mortar; it is about seeing the Kingdom of God multiply in our towns and cities as people come to follow Jesus.
These kinds of church plants aren’t to be led by rebels, dissenters, or narcissists running from other situations or seeking to build empires. They are to be led by men and women, filled with the Holy Spirit, who have matured through the trials of life and are engaging the mission of Jesus.
The goal of church planting is to see lives transformed through Gospel communities that make disciples and to see those communities spring up in every neighborhood, town, and city.
“Wait, isn’t that the goal of every church?” you might say.
It is. It should be. That is why church planting is not for a select few or only those with certain giftings.
To see the good news of our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King impact every street and segment of our district, it is going to take each church working together under the banner of Jesus. It’s going to take each church embracing their call to be involved in multiplication and making the needed changes now that will reverberate into the future.
“Church planting is not something wonderful, but extra that we do. It should be the normal fruit of everything we do,” says my friend, Alan Rathbun.
You and your church are needed as a part of this great collaboration.
Whether you are in an urban, suburban, or rural context, we need your contribution. Whether your church is small, medium, or large, each church is in a specific community that God has entrusted them to reach. It doesn’t matter how much money you have in the bank or what kind of building you have; you can make disciples and plant churches.
When we talk about church planting, that is why our district team talks often about developing workers for increasing Gospel impact. We long to see each worker, church, and region collaborating to see the Gospel proclaimed and lived out in every community.
Together, let’s be a people that pursue Jesus and what He values most. If we do, I am convinced, we will have the great privilege of seeing people come to faith, Gospel communities formed, and churches planted both in and out of Eastern PA because of what Jesus has done in us and through us.
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Learn more about church planting in Eastern PA.