Is it possible to plant a church with a budget remarkably lower than normal? I’ve done it–twice. Before I share that story, a brief look at church planting in North America over the past 20 years. Church planting has entered contemporary church practice as an attractive and practical way to address decline. Globally, church planting in countries like China or …
5 Steps for Creating a Discipleship Pathway
Here in upstate NY we have this beautiful region for climbing called “The Gunks”. The Gunks come to mind when considering discipleship. They are one of America’s premier climbing areas. It’s just minutes from New Paltz, a funky college town, and 85 miles from New York City. Climbing here is characterized by huge rock roofs that shoot over the trails, …
The V3 Movement Partners with the Inhabit Conference
At the V3 Church Planting Movement we get the question all the time “Why do we need to plant more churches?” It is a valid question. Certainly in most cities we can see a church edifice every couple miles and in some cities every few blocks. It might appear we don’t need any new churches. Additionally, the church currently does …
Beyond Colorblind
I sat down for lunch with a young woman from my church the other day. She’s a Sociology major with a growing heart for justice. As she shared with me about her classes this quarter she articulated a frustration that I think many feel. She had been learning about racial inequality, systemic injustice and ethnic brokenness and it was breaking …
How Do You Decide Where to Plant a Church?
Many future church planters ask, “where’s the best place to plant a church?” The most brilliant response? “It all depends.” Are you looking for the places with the fewest number of churches, the fastest growing, the most millennials, the largest retirement villages, the best college towns, the largest Asian population, the densest, walkable communities… or something else? This entry is …
Christian “Tweeners” in the Shifting Story of the Church
“Cats Cradle,” it’s called, a kids game using a piece of string tied together to make figures with your hands. It’s hard to describe. To (literally) grasp the fun, you have to try it for yourself. I introduced Cat’s Cradle to my 9 year old daughter recently as she characterized her perplexing experience of recess in the 4th grade. “We …
For Love Of The World, Do Something Foolish this Lent
This year Lent begins on Valentine’s Day and ends on April Fools Day, a little challenging in perspectives for those of us that like to adhere to the church calendar while still observing some of the practices of our secular culture. On Godspace, we have chosen the theme “For Love Of The World God Did Foolish Things” as our Lenten theme using …
Three Keys to Leading Your Church Plant to Read the Whole Bible
I am a goal setter. New Year’s Day is always a day of possibility and hope and typically involves setting annual goals. I love the idea of a clean slate with a fresh new calendar year and striving towards something with intention. This year I invited my church to read through the Bible with me. I declared 2018 “The year …
Reframing: How to Develop Your Leadership "Lens" in a Diverse World
Missional leadership depends upon the art of reframing. Reframing helps us to take a walk in someone else’s shoes and see the world from a different vantage point. Leaders who can reframe a context or situation can turn conflict into opportunity; despair into hope; sorrow into joy. An Alternate Lens When you are teaching a class, preaching, leading a formation …
3 Things To Do Instead of Looking for a Church Plant Core Team
One of the most common questions I get is “where did you find people to come help you plant a church?” “How did you find people for your team?” Today, after over 2o years of ministry and 10 years of church planting, I believe there is a systemic problem that can arise from these types of questions. Parachuting in to …