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.