CHURCH PLANTS
When a pastor starts a church plant from scratch, his values become the values of the church. Those who join after automatically see him/her as the leader and adopt his/her values. When a pastor takes an invitation to shepherd an existing church, it can take three years before he earns the right to begin to persuade a church with established values to change, and usually longer. That’s why church growth experts say the most effective way to reach new converts is through a church plant. So why don’t we all just leave our churches and start new ones?
For starters, its a lot more expensive to start over. Secondly, we have deep relationships with the members of the old church. Thirdly, God has called us to unite and not divide (split). Fourthly, our kids are watching our example and need to see stability in God’s church. Fifthly, its a waste of the church’s resources to keep reinventing the wheel. Sixthly, the man/woman who starts the new church may actually just be rebelling against the spiritual authority God has placed him/her under.
What’s the solution? Find out what the values of the church are early on and see if you agree. If so, support it. If not, don’t even begin to get involved there, because you will eventually be disappointed. At New Hope, what you see is what you get.
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