Things I've learnt from church-planting: Committing for the long haul

Some background information will help as I reflect on the history of Cumberland Uni Church.

Cumberland Uni Church began as a plant from St Pauls Anglican Church Carlingford. St Paul's remains a church committed to seeing gospel growth through the planting of new congregations both at their main Carlingford site, as well as in surrounding suburbs. In 2003, Marty Field began as AFES staffworker at Sydney Uni Cumberland Campus, just down the road from St Paul's. Over the course of that first year, Marty soon recognised the need for a local church congregation to serve the students. People were becoming Christians, but where were they to gather with God's people? In terms of faithful Bible teaching, there was a somewhat limited supply in the area near to the campus. Faithfulness in the area of teaching is measured on a spectrum. There were and are churches that teach the Bible. But there was no local English speaking night service targeted at young adults. Students that did live locally were travelling some distance to attend church. Many of these attended St Paul's.

You have probably guessed the conclusion to this little story - Marty asked St Paul's to consider planting a church. They said yes... kind of.

The philosophy of St Paul's up until that point had been primarily to grow to a certain size (say 150) and then take a percentage of those people and start again at both the new and original site. Uni Church was something different. The new congregation was to consist of Marty, a Cumbo MTS apprentice, a number of St Paul's people with Cumbo links, a student minister, an old head with some planting experience, plus some recruited students (including me) who lived locally yet attended other churches.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we began Uni Church with a team of 13 people. After two years the core of 13 was down to about 6. Another two years and we were down to 3. Every single member of that core team was committed to seeing the gospel going out. So why did people leave? Unfortunately, they left for good reasons. I say unfortunately because it is to my shame that looking back, if I'm brutally honest, I really resented that so many people chose to leave. Maybe if they left for bad reasons, I could be forgiven for this lingering disappointment. But almost every single person that left, did so to focus on other ministries. These other ministries were many and varied; in country areas, overseas, and other para-church organisations.

I also want to knock on the head the concept that godly spin-doctors would wish to relabel this leaving as "being sent". We did send people out. But not in the sense of as a church wishing to be generous and choosing to be committed to exporting their members for the sake of the gospel in the wider world. We had some link missionaries, but as a congregation we were still too young and small to be exporting from within our midst. People decided to focus their energies elsewhere. I realise this assessment appears overly negative. I want to be clear, it's not a bad thing that people chose to focus on other ministries. I myself am finishing in a months time to do just the same. And people were committing to long term ministries - just not to the long term ministry of Cumberland Uni Church. The dramatic decrease in the number of the core was a big factor in stopping the plant in it's tracks.

This isn't inherently a problem. It's a great opportunity, as one perceived issue of church planting teams is the potential for cliques to form as they go through the challenges of ministry together. A large turnover of people forces the breakdown of the core group. The hope is that this in turn guarantees that others are invited to partner in the work - to own it for themselves. This happened to some degree, but then circumstance hit. All our student contacts within the residential college graduated or left college. The other main student accommodation area - the local nurses quarters was demolished. Our supply of local students dried up. At this stage, the first batch of students began to graduate and like all university ministries the natural and regular turnover began. Combined with the dwindling core, we really couldn't sustain the ministry in it's current format. But that didn't stop us trying.

In short; the ministry changed, but we didn't.

Tomorrow; "Things I've learnt from church-planting: Don't look at the empty seats."

How many people do you need to plant a church?

Two. Jesus, and someone to talk about him.

Of course, to actually become a church you'll eventually need more than one person who knows Jesus. But to start with, you just need one person who knows Jesus who's willing to talk about him.

The moral to the story; there may be ideal numbers of people depending on the type of gathering you wish to grow, but for the most part I need to quit my whining and get on with it. You may wish to start with 30 (15 core and 15 partners) you may wish to start with 50, you may wish to start with 150 - and there is wisdom to each. But if we want to start something new, we have who we have. So let's get to work.

We started Cumberland Uni Church (that's university, not unitarian) with 13 people. After 4 years, of the original planting core there were three of us left. I went to type 'just three' but had to stop myself. We have who we have. Let's get to work.

Tomorrow*: why starting with 13 people didn't really work.

*Should the Lord not return.

JD on insurance

More wisdom from James Davidson. This time on Christians and insurance;

My philosophy is only insure things that will absolutely cripple you financially. It's also why I believe in having a high excess. You might have to make some sacrifices, but you can generally find a few thousand dollars.

On Proverbs for the new Christian

James Davidson on Proverbs;

I didn't grow up with Christian parents. When I first became a Christian, I found reading Proverbs was like sitting down with an older godly Christian getting nuggets of wisdom.

Resurrection Limericks

As part of my campaign to "un" my life. I am purging all messages and old contacts in my phone as I prepare to update to an iPhone.

I came across these limericks I wrote last year at Mid Year Conference on the Resurrection. One was written each night as part of a competition. Phillip Jensen was the speaker. If I remember correctly, I was typing these on my phone while mildly suffocating inside my sleeping bag. I had placed my entire body inside the bag so that the screen brightness didn't bother the other guys in the room.

Night 1

They say mind is meant to be foggy

Two hour talk makes me feel groggy

But sweet dreams tonight

Imagining my

Glorious resurrection body.

Night 2

Resurrection age has begun

Spirit now; body still to come

I'm starting to fret

I'll forever regret

Getting a tattoo that says "Mum"

Night 3

Should you marry or stay as you are?

When dating how far is too far?

Now set with the answers

I fancy my chances

At the girls singleness seminar

Night 4

The prayer house was too small in size

To fit in all the girls and the guys

But about 1AM

Shut down by 'the man'

We were probably being unwise

When the floor falls and you're floored (revealing your flaws)

For the last four years we've been paying $75 a week rent. That's right, I haven't missed any digits, just $75. This was not for a shoe box or a garage but what I would describe as a 2-3 bedroom house, with recently renovated bathroom and kitchen. Air-conditioning, large backyard, carport and a outback loo to boot! (Yes, that is our house above.)

Sadly, the generous lady owner has died. Her family understandably wants to sell quickly. That means we are out of here in the next month or two.

For some unknown reason, the Bible college we are attending next year is in one of the more expensive parts of town (before any toffs* complain, Newtown is expensive compared to anything west of there). In Newtown, for $75 we could probably rent a car parking space during office hours. So our budget is now down the toilet as well as a planned trip with the in-laws to visit family in the US next year. This current development and the location of Moore college has actually for the first time got us thinking more seriously about moving to Brisbane. But between moving churches, support networks, and starting Bible college, we were hoping that staying in our house would be the one constant. God has better ideas. I think a move of cities would be just too much.

God has been very great in providing so abundantly (and affordably) for us for the first four years of our marriage. But it's still hard not to be anxious about moving and finding an affordable place in the current market. Today has really revealed to me my trust and comfort and security that I find in things rather than in God to provide things.

*According to wikipedia;

In British English slang, a toff is a mildly derogatory term for someone with an aristocratic background, particularly someone who exudes an air of superiority. For instance, The Toff, a character from the series of adventure novels by John Creasey is an upper-class crime sleuth, who uses a common caricature of a toff - a line drawing with a top hat, monocle, bow-tie and cigarette with a holder - as his calling card.

The word toff is thought to come from the word tuft, which was a gold tassel worn by titled undergraduates at Oxford University or Cambridge University.

We came. We laboured. We burnt out.

6 years into our church plant.

The core is had it.

Time to change some things.

Ruth-less

'S' and I have been spring cleaning.

I'm trying to 'un' my life.

Our tagline has been;

We're being so ruthless that if Ruth was here, she'd have to leave.

Harry is a biblical name

Gordo today at lunchtime bible teaching on Genesis 25;

Esau's name sounds like the Hebrew word for hairy... if you mumble a bit.

Which makes one ask the question - wouldn't it be better if his name was Harry?

A glowing endorsement

I know Simone through the blogosphere. I also know people who know Simone in the atmosphere (is that the real world alternative to the blogosphere?)

I added Simone's another something to my 'blog this' sidebar some time ago. Who knows, one day we may even be familiar enough that she invites me to her invitation only lyrics leftover blog. I don't even know what it is. Or even if I want to be invited there. But it seems like a symbolic inner circle which I wouldn't expect knowing someone purely over the interwebs.

Simone has just returned the favour and added me to her blog sidebar.

This addition was accompanied by perhaps the most glowing review I will ever receive

I've updated my sidebar blog list for the first time since February. Additions include:

• my brother-in-law Phil, who writes on politcal stuff,
  
• prolific commenter Laetitia,who blogs occasionally,
• Sam and Soph who have a delightful line of colour up the top of their page,
• Al who commutes interstate to college,
• Wendy, missionary in Japan, currently on home assignment,
• Izaac, who has a z in his name.

On raving about your marriage

Do you whinge about people who talk glowingly (almost sickeningly) about their marriage? Shame on you.

As long as they're not giving an unrealistic view of the marriage, or idolising their partner, I say go for it. So many people are in bad marriages. So many Christians are in the situation of not having been raised witnessing godly marriage. With the approval of both parties, it's great to speak honestly about what works for you (and what doesn't) in order to model to others what it means to work hard at a godly marriage. Do people only have permission to speak to others about their marriage if it's going poorly? I agree it sucks if raving about their marriage is the only thing a person ever talks about, but apart from your relationship with God, for those who are married it is the most significant relationship in your life.

End rant.

S and I are thankful for those who spoke and continue to speak to us honestly about marriage - especially to those who invited us into their homes to share a part of their lives with us. I love seeing godly marriage in practice and saying to myself "Oh, that's how it's supposed to work!"

8 Days a Week

The headline: Nine-to-five days are gone

The reality: Another victory for atheistic materialism.

The sabbath: Even as God's people we have to be told to take a day off.

I'm not sure what this reveals about our hearts, but it is a rather fascinating thing to have to be commanded to do.

Here's to ears to hear!

I've heard of ministers who, in order to ensure they keep working and thinking hard, discard of all their old sermons periodically. Sometimes this happens through a computer crash (though with the tendency for using Mac's amongst full-time gospel workers this is obviously decreased). I havn't yet preached enough sermons for this to be an issue but I see that I will need to form some sort of a plan regarding possible sermon destruction in the future.

I'm preaching this Sunday on Luke 8:1-21. And as I rifled through my folder of notes I've taken during sermons, I found this brief reflection I'd written for our supporters letter on Luke 8:4-21.

HERE'S TO EARS TO HEAR! 

I don’t know a lot about farming, but even I can see the farmer Jesus describes in the parable of the sower is quite fortuitous. As the sower randomly scatters the seed, they fall on different surfaces and soils and so grow differently. He plants seed like I clean the toilet – flush a few times and hope for the best. Which explains both why Sarah cleans our bathroom, and the varying results of the farmer’s sowing. But Jesus parable isn’t about farming techniques – it’s all about ears. 

As Jesus concludes the parable he says “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” [8:8]. Each of the four soils represents people who have heard the word of God – yet despite hearing the word, three don’t survive. This is a sober warning for everyone who studies the scriptures, whether privately or corporately. It’s not enough to simply hear the word of God. Rather we must hear God’s word and respond appropriately. As Jesus explains to his disciples “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away” [8:18] 

Take care then HOW you hear. The people in the good soil “are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience” [8:15]. It’s not simply enough to hear God’s word – to have the sound waves travel down your ear canal. No, you need to REALLY HEAR the word of God. We must be “those who hear the word of God and do it” [8:21]. 

Are you hearing the word of God? I hope you are. But we must take care how we hear. This explains in part why churches all over the world are filled with apathetic, immature, stagnant Christians. Simply attending church is not enough. Reading the Bible as a purely intellectual exercise is not enough. Listening to a sermon each Sunday is not enough. God’s powerful word must not be repelled by a stubborn heart but rather received with joy and an appropriate response. It doesn’t happen by osmosis, no more than sleeping with lecture notes under your pillow prepares you for an exam. Take care then how you hear. Let's be doers of the word and not hearers only.

In hindsight I would say by the very nature of the form I was writing, my understanding is overly simplistic. I've also changed my mind on the third soil. While it is certainly not a picture of health, their eternal resting place is not made explicit.