Tom Elenbaas and I are attending the North American Network conference in Miami with Dr. Tim Keller, the staff of Redeemer City to City, and representatives from a number of church multiplication networks from around the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Often the question of church planting vs. revitalization comes up. "Why plant new churches when there are so many to revitalize?" or "In these tough economic times, we need to care for the poor and hurting rather than plant new churches." Al Barth from Redeemer City to City put it well yesterday when he said: "Church planting is the point of the spear when it comes to wholistic, gospel transformation in a city."
Church planting is the "lead discipline" in a gospel movement. Revitalization, reaching children, connecting with the broken and needy, making deeper and more devoted disciples...are all necessary and God is calling us to all of them. But the point of the spear...must be church planting and turning the hearts of people to Christ and his gospel of grace. The Kingdom of God comes when the church is vital and alive and growing as a sign of the Kingdom!
In my experience...churches that plant churches...are more likely to be doing all of these other things as well.
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