50 Ways to Reach People for Christ
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 10:13AM (from Stacey Midge)
I need to give a preface to this post. I really am not trying to pick on the church multiplication people. Really. I am all for new churches where they are needed, and the church planters I meet at General Synod and other RCA events are some of the most energetic, creative, fun people around. One of the most inspiring conversations I had at Conversations was with a pastor whose church is very focused on multiplication, whose intentional leadership development process is so amazing that I want to steal it and implement it in my own congregation tomorrow. I took the church planter assessment myself, found it to be tremendously helpful, and perennially consider launching a second campus from my own congregation. I AM NOT AGAINST NEW CHURCHES. Okay? It's just become such a huge part of our denominational focus that sometimes it draws some critical reactions. When I post things like I am about to post, I am hoping for engagement around these ideas, so yes, I sometimes speak strongly from a critical perspective, so that you care about coming back at me about it. Please, consider that an invitation. All of that said...
The phrase I've heard most often in the last three days is: "Planting new churches is the most effective way to reach people for Christ." It is fast becoming my least favorite phrase, partially because I have yet to see any substantiating evidence (although I'd be open to seeing some if any of you have it), and partially because I'm not even sure exactly what it means. The truth of it is widely assumed and strongly defended, even though the only support most people can give for it is anecdotal. And maybe it is true in their experiences, and in their contexts.