I Predict the Future (Or At Least Offer Some Encouragement About Where To Go)

The other day I was talking with another church planter here in Portland and the topic came up in which we both see a fairly major shift in church philosophy looming on the horizon.  For the past 20 years the goal of most evangelical congregations has been to get as big as they possibly can.  Many in my generation have this pervasive feeling that that mindset is evidence of the church buying in to the “bigger-is-better” attitudes of most of America.

The trend among 20-somethings in most places in America is a desire to be a part of smaller, more organic/natural, communities that emphasize simplicity over big production worship services.  When I was in Grand Rapids, I attend Mars Hill Bible Church several times.  Each time, attendance was drastically lower, resulting in an announcement the last time I was there that they would be ending 1 of their 3 services.  I suspect a number of mega-churches around the nation are experiencing similar struggles in keeping the current college and young-adult group around.  Much has been said about this.  Conversely, the house-church movement is growing and more small church plants are thriving and doing a better job of producing disciples than the big churches with their big budgets.

I have to admit that I frequently find myself wishing for a large congregation; day-dreaming about what it would be like to start a church and become the next Rob Bell or Francis Chan.  We have to admire these men who are able to pull together just the right mix of people who go out and take their communities by storm.  I have no doubts that God has worked through these men and that lives have been transformed by their preaching of the Gospel.

Filed under: Church, Church Planting, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry

How To Plant a Church

I’ve had several conversations over the past few weeks in which I’ve been asked, How do you start a church? There are a lot of ideas about how to start a church with virtually every well-known church planter writing a book or two about the process they went through.  I’ve read enough of these books to know that nobody has the right answer.  The reason is that there’s no such thing as a single right and most effective way to plant churches.  Some church planters never intended to start a new church, it just happened; other have tried several different models in several different places but have repeatedly come up short.  Church planting requires a different strategy for different people in different places.

But in any case, it seems necessary to me to have at least the basic framework of a strategy/process in place within the first few months.  The first year of a church plant is vital to creating the DNA of a church.  Exactly like DNA in the biological sense, the DNA of a congregation determines everything about that congregation: what will it look like, how will it function, how will it deal with changes and trials, who will be a part of it, etc.  I’m inexperienced, but I suspect that most church plant attempts greatly underestimate the influence and importance of a church’s DNA.  So in planting a new church here in Portland, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about DNA and how best to proceed so that this future congregation will be set-up for success and effectively minister to the community.

Filed under: Church, Church Planting, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry

Should Churches Really Try to Create Community?

Yes, I’m being antagonistic.  And yes, I want lots of people to read this post and think hard about this question.

As a church planter, I’m constantly thinking about and mulling ways to apply God’s Word.  Specifically, with LifeSTREAM Church we adopted an three-fold desire to “Love God, love others, follow Jesus.”  And even though we haven’t gotten ourselves to the point of actually holding a church service, I have been especially pre-occupied with the question of what will our church look like.

At this point, the identity statement of LifeSTREAM Church states that we are “a gathering of messy people who strive to creatively love God, love others, and follow Jesus every day in every way possible.”  There are a few words that were intentionally selected that most people would probably skim right over the top of.  Perhaps the most important of these words is “gathering.”

We’re using “gathering” over “community” for the simple reason that we’re not sure churches really should be in the business of creating community.  I will admit that in certain areas the church may be in the best position to create a sense of community within a particular context, but at least in the neighborhood where we work, play and live community is hardly lacking.

Community has become a bit of a catch-phrase within the North American church.  By my estimate, it came into common parlance first within the emergent church and their emphasis on “authentic community.”  Non-emergents rightly challenged what was meant by “authentic” and “community.”  But over time, even the more general evangelical congregations began to adopt community as a primary value.  Again, in certain places community may be a legitimate need, but I’d be willing to bet that it’s not nearly as immediate a need as many congregations believe it is.

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Church Planting, Culture, Discipleship, Evangelism, Leadership, Ministry

Worldview & Church Planting, Pt. 4 (Final)

Current trends in church planting heavily utilize the ideas of “missional” and “incarnational.”  These terms are frequently employed as a framework for everything a church plant does.  But much like the variety of definitions of “missional,” there are just as wide a variety of applications for the term.  This leads me to the second question: What does a church plant rooted in a Reformed world and life view “look” like? That is to say, what would such a church plant do?  What ministries would they create or get involved in?

Beginning with the most general, one clear aspect of such a church plant would be missions.  I have already shown how Bavinck suggests that missions is an essential activity of the church in general, but especially in the context of a church plant, the essential nature of missions is emphasized.  Church plants by definition are intended to minister to those in the community who do not already have a relationship with Christ.  As such, the young congregation and each individual is placed in a position not unlike that of a missionary in relation to society.  This is the posture aspect that Stetzer and Halter each emphasize.

The second aspect is “incarnational.”  While missional is more akin to a particular mindset, incarnational deals with specific actions.  This is where we can actually speak of what a Reformed church plant “looks” like.

The Reformed church plant is first and foremost concerned with declaring the lordship of Christ over all creation.  Unfortunately, those individuals who do not profess a commitment to Christ, do not recognize this fundamental principle.  In most cases, the world must see God’s people living and the difference the Gospel has made in their lives.  Incarnational embodies just that – a living out of our faith as a daily, public declaration of Jesus’ lordship over us.

A church plant can do this in two ways: 1) through the manner that weekly services and Bible studies are conducted; and 2) through the conscious effort of the individuals living according to God’s torah [Instruction, guidance, law.  Torah is not relegated to just one part of Scripture, but is contained within all of Scripture.].  In both ways, Jesus is declared king.

There is very little that is actually “off-limits” for a Reformed church plant (or established congregation).  Because of the close relationship between “incarnational” and Christ’s lordship over all, the Christian and the church can be encouraged as they become involved in community groups that are not distinctly Christian as a means of reaching out to the community.  Naturally, there is wisdom and discernment to be practiced, but our churches and members can rest easy knowing that it is perfectly acceptable to volunteer and partner with local schools, shelters, Boys and Girls clubs, and various other non-profits.  I may even go so far as to suggest that the Christian has an obligation to engage in such activities for the benefit of all creation.

The Reformed world and life view enables and encourages God’s people to engage society with confidence that the Holy Spirit will work, the Gospel will be preached, the reign of Christ proclaimed, and the knowledge of the Lord spread throughout the world.

Filed under: Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Church Planting, Leadership, Ministry, Philosophy, Theology

Next Stop “Unchurched” Portland

Here’s an article recently published about the work Mishaela and I will be doing in Portland.  Major shout-out to Betsy who did the interview and wrote the article.  I’ve pasted the text below, or you can find online here.  In any case it’s not about me, it’s about what God is starting to do in Portland.  There is a need peeps – how about if we stop bickering about relatively insignificant, menial things and start making disciples in the places that need it most!

Happy reading…

June 8, 2009 — When Portland, Oregon native Jason De Vries and his wife Mishaela were considering sites for their new ministry, they knew their hometown would make the perfect location. Not because of its stunning natural beauty or proximity to family. But because of its residents’ need for Jesus.

Portland, which has a population of about 2.2 million in the metro area, is one of the most unchurched cities in America. A study from 2000 estimates that only 25 percent of Portland residents claim affiliation with any kind of religion. Established churches in the area often struggle in reaching local residents because of certain negative stereotypes against Christians.

With establishing a new Christian ministry in Portland in mind, Jason and Mishaela moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in July, 2007 so that Jason could attend Calvin Theological Seminary, from which he recently graduated with an M. Div. degree.

He is almost finished with his Christian Reformed Home Missions-funded internship atMonroe Community Church, a Home Missions church plant in downtown Grand Rapids. There he has learned the ropes of church leadership and refined skills for outreach ministry.

The couple plan to return west to Oregon sometime in July. They are optimistic that their ministry will succeed.

Despite its unchurched reputation, Portland holds promise: communities there are very strong and vibrant. Neighbors seek out neighbors for friendship and support. Portland is third in the nation for its high volunteer rates.

The culture emphasizes creative arts and individual expression, and it promotes stewardship of the earth by encouraging organic, fair-trade foods and clean energy. Because of these things, Jason DeVries explains, people living in Portland already “resonate with the concept of reconciliation.”

Most importantly, however, residents are familiar with and respect Jesus, regardless of their connection with the church. “People are ready for the gospel, says Jason DeVries.

The couple’s long-term vision for ministry in Portland is two-fold. First, break down the stereotypes of Christians through an active, but not aggressive, presence; consistently demonstrating love and respect. Their ministry will utilize the thriving communities already present in order to build a network of relationships.

Second, Jason and Mishaela envision future partnerships with other churches and Home Missions to expand the presence of the CRC in the Pacific Northwest.

Jason says they will offer what he refers to as “incarnational ministry,” that is, ministry that involves all members of a church living out the gospel and working to bring about the Kingdom alongside of others in concrete ways.

—Betsy Vandenberg, Christian Reformed Home Missions

Filed under: Church, Church Planting, Culture, Evangelism, Leadership, Ministry