The Challenge

Our family recently had a chance to go up to the Bay Area to attend a wedding and continue preparations for the new church plant planned for the fall of 2012.  I was reminded how hard it is to travel with two children but in between all the complaining and bickering, I was able to think about what lies ahead for us.  In speaking with many people who are currently living and working in Northern California, it is apparent that starting this church will not be an easy task.  I don't think I fully understood the extent of the negative stigma that Christianity has in the eyes of the general public until I heard about the open hostility of atheists and the forbidding of even mentioning the word "Christmas" in the workplace.  One person summed it up well when he mentioned that people in the San Francisco Bay Area are "intolerant towards anything they perceive as being intolerant".

When a church is faced with these types of obstacles, it generally reacts in one of two ways.  The first reaction is to become completely exclusive and take an "Us vs the World" type of mentality.  There is a high emphasis on truth but little in the way of influencing the world with that truth.  The second is the opposite reaction that avoids certain hard truths of Scripture in order to maintain the appearance of being inclusive.  This may draw large numbers of seekers but it often fails to lead them to deeper spiritual growth. I believe the biblical model of church is to somehow live in the tension between these two opposite and polar reactions especially in a society that is becoming increasingly anti-Christian.  The greatest challenge facing our church is maintaining our identity as an inclusive and loving community without compromising what we believe to be true.

Jesus provides many examples of how we are called to live in this tension throughout the gospels.  As he encounters people from all different walks of life, his love as well as his message remains the same.  From the rich young ruler that is told to give up all his riches to the women who is saved from her adultery and told to sin no more, Christ alone gives us a model that is worth following.  As we look forward to laying down the foundation of this new church, I pray that we would be given the love and compassion as well the wisdom and courage to minister in the same way.
   

Beautiful Day in Nor Cal!

 

Congratulations Joe and Jing!

The Next Step

We just wrapped up the AMI lead pastors planning retreat for 2012 in NYC and it was an incredible blessing to spend time with friends and partners in the gospel.   We talked a lot, ate even more, and just had a great time of fellowship and prayer.  When I first joined AMI five years ago, I wasn't quite sure where we were headed in terms of vision and future plans but I remember Pastor Young from Grace Covenant Church talking to me about the relational aspect of the apostolic paradigm of ministry and reminding me that where we are headed isn't as important as who we are headed there with.  Somehow by God's sovereign hand, this rag-tag group of leaders has been brought together and we now find ourselves on a bus that God seems to be taking somewhere.  If there was ever a time I needed to volunteer to spend 3 whole days in a hotel room scheduling and planning, it would definitely be with this group. 

I'm keenly aware that we have something special and that the majority of pastors in the United States don't enjoy the camarderie, accountability, mentorship, support, and laughter that is shared among the pastors of AMI.  Our philosophy is a simple one: that healthy pastors equate to healthy churches and that can only be accomplished as we link our arms together in holy fellowship.  As my family gets ready to go up to the Bay Area for our second visit later this week, it is with the faith that God will be with us and provide many people who will journey with us.  And so as we look to the next step, I find myself amazed at where the Lord is taking us and who we are going there with including the pastors but also the many people who have already been placed in Northern California for this specific purpose.  It is also reassuring to know that we are a part of something so much greater than merely the plans for a new church in the Bay Area, that already doors of opportunity to share the gospel are opening in places like Vietnam and Romania.  In God's economy, the sum is always greater than the individual components as He brings us together in love and the pursuit of His kingdom.

Why Church Plant?

One of my great passions in life is to see new churches being planted.  I realize that there are many dissentors who can't readily see the benefits of starting new churches especially in areas where there are already established ministries.  It is not uncommon for churches and pastors to become territorial and feel like there isn't room enough for another congregation in their area.  And although this may be true in a small mid-western town or an island with a limited population, it simply isn't true in the majority of our cities.

From a kingdom perspective, there is simply nothing more exciting and life-giving than the birth of a new church. All of the denominational studies point out that church plants experience the majority of their growth (60-80%) through the addition of those individuals who are not currently part of a worshipping community.  Conversely, chuches that are 10-15 years of age grow primarily through the transfer of believers (80-90%) from already existing churches.  In addition, we need to keep in mind that the biblical mandate of the church is not only to evangelize but also to baptize new converts into a local body of believers for growth and accountability.  In other words, the making of disciples is intricately tied to the planting of healthy new congregations. 

I firmly believe that Acts Ministries International (AMI) is part of the greater church planting movement that saw its beginnings at the end of the last century.  Dr. David Garrison writes in his book these prophetic words:

God has shown us that He is indeed doing something in our days among the peoples of the earth - something so amazing we would not have believed it had we not seen it with our own eyes (Hab. 1:5).  We are calling this amazing thing Church Planting Movements.  

He cites a number of common characteristics of congregations involved in these CPMs, which include extraordinary prayer, abudant evangelism, the authority of God's word, and focus on lay leadership.  These four reasons alone should excite us to join the move of God in our day.  I know that it stirred me deeply to know that I have been called to something so much bigger than myself. 

On our first scouting trip to Northern California, we were able to meet with a number of men and women who share this vision and will be partnering with us on this incredible journey of living out God's will.  May our united prayer be that the glory of God would cover the earth as the waters cover the seas!

Lunch in Moutain View with Kieu-Thu, Minh, and Danny.

Coffee near UCSF with Grace and Beverly.