In the midst of getting ready to move to Riverside, CA, my wife allowed me to sneak out of the house on Friday to catch the last two sessions of The Global Church Advancement conference (geared for church planters) was held at the north campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church. The long list of speakers included John Piper, Ed Stetzer, Randy Pope, and Steve Childers, and there were both large-group sessions as well as many advanced training workshops.
The banner over the entire conference was that the advancement of the church is the hope of the world. The leadership held out a beautiful, robust vision of church planting in America with a view to the nations both in our midst and beyond our borders–all undergirded and motivated by the supremacy of God’s glory in Christ, the One who is building His church. The importance of church planting today is clear: Even the USA, once assumed Christianized by many, has now become one of the largest, most fertile mission fields in the world. Since 1990, when there were 27 churches for every 10,000 people in the U.S., the spread of churches has fallen behind demographic growth so that there are now only 12 churches for every 10,000 people (Ref: Lost in America, T. Clegg).
The last session, entitled “The Main Thing,” featured Steve Childers walking us through the eight things that every church planter should know before planting a church. The following is not an authoritative blog by any means; just my scribblings as best as I can now read them. I thought I’d pass them along for whatever it may be worth.
1. A biblical view of success
Childers defined success as “faithfully pleasing God with all the resources and responsibilities He has given you.” Leave the results up to God, and find joy in who you are in Him, not in what they do for Him. Don’t sacrifice others on the altar of success. The book Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome
2. Managing Your Time vs. Managing Your Life
The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities. The urgent easily crowds out the important. An exalted sense of self-importance (a.k.a., pride) drives workaholicism. The root of anxiety and fear is likewise pride.
Steve recounted that he was personally advised to have one hour a day with his family, totally unplugged (no media). In addition, one day/week. And once a month, two days in a row (with intentional inclusion of his wife). And a minimum of two weeks/year. It takes at least three days away from the stress of a job to really be on vacation.
3. Understand the difference between goals and desires.
Goals are things that are in your control. Desires are things that are outside your control. Work hard on your goals. Pray for your desires. Examples of goals include daily Bible reading and prayer for one’s self, wife/kids, and church. Examples of desires include things like “ten conversions over the upcoming year.”
4. God is a Father, not just a General and a Master.
5. The way up is the way down.
God is opposed to the proud. God shows strength primarily via human weakness (I Cor 1). God can glorify Himself by your lack of resources or by your renouncing your dependence upon those resources.
6. People or programs
It is hard to lead (programs), but it is harder to love (people). The latter is more vital.
7. Process living vs. product living
Discontentment is sometimes cast in the form of objectives (we can’t be happy until we accomplish X). Joy in process lasts longer than joy in the product. Most of life is process. Enjoy the process.
8. Make the main thing the main thing.
Behold the beauty of God. Keep the Great Commandment central.