As you may have heard, some friends and I are planting a church. Over the next few weeks, I want to post some of the central parts of the vision God has given us. I’d love to hear your responses.
While it is of course exciting to plant a church, it’s also possible to do it for all the wrong reasons, so in our prayer and struggle to discern our motives and figure out why we were feeling tugged in this direction, we thought it only responsible to answer one of those “elephant-in-the-room” questions first:
Does Fort Wayne need another church?
It’s a legitimate question, and it all depends on what you mean by “church.”
- If you mean a nice building where nice people can come to hear nice music and a nice sermon about being nice to others, then probably not.
- If you mean a meeting where the music is peppy, the singers are pretty, the children’s ministry looks like Disney World, and the sermons are all about becoming a better you, then probably not.
- If you mean a religious bunker where people can hide from the wicked world and hear a preacher confirm their pre-conceived notions about how right they are and how wrong everyone else is, then probably not.
But, if by “church” you mean a community of people who are joyfully worshiping God, faithfully following Jesus, being radically transformed by the Holy Spirit, and sent as missionaries to their own backyards to actively join God in the renewal of all things, then the answer to the question is definitely yes. Every city needs more of those. A lot more.
We believe that multiplying these kinds of communities lies at the very heart of the good news of Jesus, and we dare to imagine a movement that cultivates and multiplies disciples-in-community across the Fort Wayne region who are engaged with and seeking the renewal and transformation of their communities and cultures.
We have no energy or desire to simply “increase our tribe,” (i.e. gather more and more people together in the same room at the same time) but are passionate about instigating and participating in a city-wide, kingdom-sized, missional movement that impacts Fort Wayne and beyond.
Next post – Our Mission: To Join God In His
Hey like the new blog and looking forward to watching things unfold.
What you speak is radical and dangerous…and totally needed. It is a scary thing to commit to. To love others is truly a heavy thing indeed.
B! I’m very glad you posted this since I’ve been forgetting to ask you if I could read it. I feel like I fully understand things more when I can read them.
“Each generation must find its own way” is a quote that comes to mind. Also reminded of the scripture about how we “young” guys are called to set an example for the older ones in our lives, love, and godliness. The church needs “fresh blood” to stimulate it, bring new life, and motivate it to keep pressing forward toward the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan. We can also help be “peacemakers,” who are really and truly sons of God.