To Plant a Church

Finished our first day of The Art of the Start, a church planters bootcamp being held at the Churchill Meadows Christian Church in Toronto (well, Mississagua, to be exact). It's being led by Phil Claycomb (left) of Nexus Ministries. Phil is a seasoned church planter and consultant who has his finger on the pulse of church planting in our culture.

We spent the day dealing with Biblical and philosophical issues involved in planting, and wrapped up wrestling with concepts like identity markers of a church, mission statements, core values, vision and the like. Stuff we may bat around, but often take little time to ponder and work through thoroughly. Tomorrow we'll do more of the same.

I was struck by quotes like the following:
- Half of all US churches last year did not add one new member through "conversion growth."
- No county in America has a greater percentage of churched persons today than a decade ago.
- The US is the largest post-Christian nation on earth and the third largest unchurched nation. And we lead the world in every category of violent and domestic crime and social decay.

There's no question that we need to be planting churches, places where those who aren't connected to Christ may find new life and hope. Church planting has been shown to be the most effective form of evangelism. It draws a new audience often unreached by previous attempts. It speaks fresh context and relevance to a generation often jaded and wounded by yesterday's church.

But it's risky. 7 of 10 church planting efforts don't make it past five years. The battle is difficult, the costs are high, the enemy rages and the struggle titanic. But as with any endeavor of this kind, the rewards outweigh the risks, and the value can be easily seen as lives are transformed and hope is born.

Pray for church planters in our culture and beyond. And pray for KACC as we enter into this venture to expand the Kingdom's borders in our own backyard.

Because nothing less than eternity is at stake.