In order to cultivate healthy leaders who can effectively plant, develop and sustain healthy congregations, we must be honest about the barriers that too often stand in the path of women. That said, from a ministry perspective, we have an opportunity to offer a voice and example that may be sorely lacking in many communities.
Learn about the heart of a pastor who’s been part of a United Methodist Church that has participated in planting over 140 new churches and seeing more than 14,000 first time professions of faith in the last 7 years. Paul Lawler shares 5 lessons he’s learned along the way today.
One of the problems Christians have in reaching people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus is that after having been a Christian for a while they don’t know anyone who is not a Christian. The church that would reach the unchurched must ask itself—“Do we know any unchurched people and how are we focused on them?”
One of the first questions I am asked when people hear about my appointment to plant a church is “…isn’t there already a Methodist church in Sterlington?“ Yep. There is. “Then why start a new one?”
Interested in planting a church? Wrestle with these questions first: Why do I want to plant a church? What if I fail? Who is my team? What is the mission? Where will I plant? How will I measure?
As Christians with a Wesleyan heritage, we are not starting new faith communities and churches to compete with the Baptist, Assembly of God, or Latter Day Saints. Nor are we starting new churches to ensure the survival of a denomination. Rather, Wesleyans are starting new faith communities and new churches across the land because it is the Wesleyan thing to do.
In light of recent events in Iraq, we’re running the full interview of our time with the Vicar of Baghdad, Canon Andrew White. Rev. Canon Andrew White shares how he ended up in Baghdad and offers helpful insight into what church life looks like in hostile environments. Remember to pray for the global church, especially those who worship and serve in hostile areas.
In the final video of our interview with Ed Stetzer, he discusses why Francis Asbury served as a role model for church planting. Stetzer suggests that part of it had to with the unique combination of missional impulse with deep spirituality. This was energized in part by a commitment to the class meeting.
Wesleyans and Methodists were some of the very early successful church planters in America centuries ago. In this video interview, Ed Stetzer shares why the heritage of church planting is essential to reclaim, and why Wesleyans are specially positioned to do so in America.
