Jesus Mandate... It must happen in Europe!!

Tim Keller from Redeemer presbyterian Church USA, writes a powerful article on 'Why Plant Churches?' For the full article see below...

http://download.redeemer.com/pdf/learn/resources/Why_Plant_Churches-Keller.pdf

Here are a few highlights for me:
In the article he more than suggests that, 'Jesus essential call was to plant churches'. That's powerful. Virtually all of the great evangelistic challenges of the New Testament are basically calls to plant churches... Matt 28:18-20. Acts 2:41-47. The only way to be truely sure you are increasing the number of Christians in a town is to increase the number of churches. 


I believe the Apostle Paul's "missionary journey's" in the book of Acts, should be more accurately called, "Church planting and church strengthening journey's".


It is a great mistake, Keller goes on to say, to choose between church planting & church renewal. Strange as it my seem, the planting of new churches in a city is one of the VERY best ways to revitalize many older churches in the vicinity and renew the whole body of Christ. WHY? 
1. New churches bring new ideas to the whole body. 
2. New churches are the best ways to surface creative, strong leaders for the whole body.
3. New churches challenge other churches to self examination.
4. The new church may be an evangelistic feeder for a whole community. 


"Church planting is still the most effective long term evangelistic method under God's Heaven!" How are you involved?

'How to start a church for dummies'. FAQ's & Info Day!

This weekend a new book in Dutch is being released at Opwekking, 'How to start a church for dummies'. If you purchase your pack at 'Opwekking' (this weekend) - it will give you free access to the FAQ's and information day.


'FAQ's & Information Day' - 25 August, 2012   Time 9:30-13:30
Register by emailing nick@visionchurches.com 
If you have your pack it's free.  Without a pack, the cost is 10 Euro's. You will receive your 'How to start a church for dummies' pack on the day. 


This will be a very exciting time of answering the questions of how to partner together and put feet to the dream of 'planting churches in Western Europe'.

How to start a Church for dummies.

Yesterday I recieved a box of my newly printed books, "How to start a church for dummies".  By the way it's in Dutch. It deals with the ABC's of church planting. It answers questions such as; what is church? It's quite facinating when the question is asked of Christians, "What is church?" The response is quite subjective. What are the componants of a Biblical Church? What do you think? How does one begin a new church? What do you do? It's all in the book...




I am believing this will be a tool to empower Europe's next generation...so they will be able to be effective in the best way to fulfill Matthew 28: the great Commission that Jesus gave to us! This is Church planting! It's still the best long term evangelistic strategy under God's Heaven. Mission leaders around the world believe this to be true. Dr Ralph Winter, Dr C.P.Wagner, Dr Jim Montgomery, Ed Stetzer, Warren Bird, Tim Keller, Rick Warren and Floyd McClung Jr, to name but a few. In the book of Acts, Paul has three so called missionary journeys, I believe, they are three church planting & church strengthening journeys! 




So if all the above is true...if it really is true, are you somehow involved? I am still absolutely convinced that if we are really serious about reaching Europe for Christ, we MUST employ the most effective means...church planting!! 

Developing Spiritually...in the Church????

I think it requires alot of love, joy, peace, forbearance - patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self control to remain committed to a local church. It is much easier to go to a seminar, conference or workshop. These require little commitment and development of the above! In fact in a seminar context, I don't even have to talk to others, let alone get to know them very well. Spiritual development is never developed or tested in a conference context, or in isolation from long term commitment to a community. Spiritual development is the result of commitment long term to a local church. Spiritual development...the fruit of the spirit (as above) are never developed in a micro-wave environment. It is developed over time, as we die to self and commit to a community of faith...the church! That's not easy for me, myself and I have to die! Western Christianity doesn't handle this too well! Yip, the church is still God's plan A! It may be tough but it's the best! It's where true growth takes place. What about the place of Seminars, conferences & workshops? They are there to enhance, support, encourage & come alongside the local church, never to replace it!

How imortant is the customer? How important is the visitor?

How important is the visitor in your church? 
If you are in business, how important is your customer?


Look at what Mahatma Gandhi says: "A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependant on us, we are dependant on him. He is not an interuption in our work, he is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider to our business, He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him, he is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do".    


Healthy churches have at least 5-8 people for every 100 people in service attendance. 


So some questions are: 
How do you treat and how much value do you place on your visitors? 
How can you increase your visitor flow? 
How can you make your visitors FEEL welcome? 

What has Gibraltor got to do with new church starts?

Last year I had the priviledge to speak in what I have been told, the oldest Methodist Church in Europe, Gibraltor! It was planted by one of John Wesley's converts, a solider from England, some 241 years ago.

It was very sobering to read the names on a wooden board inside the church building of the Pastors, Leaders, ministers and their wives. Some came and lived only a few months before a sickness took them, some were there for many years! What an amazing history.

This fires me up...WHY? Because for 241 years a group of people have been faithfully ministring in that community. We are not talking about a one off crusade, concert or conference, which by the way are all valid, but they NEVER replace a new church beginning. Week in & week out, year after year, decade after decade, come difficulties, problems, deaths, heartaches, celebrations, birthdays, marriages, God's word and God's people have been able to continue to speak into that community, encourage and support oneanother, pray for oneanother and Gibraltor and beyond. This for me is another proof, that Christianity works and His Church will absolutely previal. The Pastor and Church have influence to not only the Christian communty, but also to the governers and leaders of Gibraltor. Today it is still a healthy, vibrant, caring, evangelistic Church.

I wonder if indeed John Wesley, let alone the people who began the church had it in there mind the legacy they have left, well over 2 centuries later!! We are not talking about a large church either, but one that certainly has a large influence! The power of the Church...Wow! I want to say it again, but with a twist, "truely church planting is the BEST long term continuous method of evangelism under God's Heaven..."

This really hits home for me, as I was brought up in the Methodist Church in NZ...and I first realized the call of God in my life there, in fact I can still take you to the building & exact spot where this happened. Also I became a Christian in that church.

It's still true, of course with Jesus as the center, as Bill Hybels so firmly states, "the church is the hope of the world..."

Multiplication: Church Planting:

The multipling of churches needs to happen for Europe to be reached for Christ. In fact I say the multiplication of networks / movements must take place if we are serious about reaching Europe with the Gospel of Jesus! Addition is good, for eg: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12; BUT what about 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 81. Muliplication is great!! Actually Jesus spoke about mulitpication in relation to forgiveness 70 x 7. What about when Jesus mentions 30 60 100 times!! The feeding of the 5000 men is a story of multiplication.

Look at the way Elephants reproduce themselves: The are only fertile 4 times a year. One baby per pregnancy. 22 month gestation period. sexual maturity 18 years. Maximum growth potential in 3 years...2 elephants to 3!

Now lets look at Rabbits: Almost continuously fertile. Average of 7 babies per pregnancy. 1 month gestation period. Sexual maturity = 4 months. Maximum growth potential in 3 years...from 2 rabbits to 476 million!!

We can count the apples on an apple tree, but it would be difficult to count the seeds in each apple from that tree. And it would be difficult to count the trees that could be planted from each apple tree...let alone the apples...I hope you can follow that!!! It's simply called multiplication!

more convinced than ever?

After a number of decades of thinking, writing and now living in Europe, I am more convinced than ever that if we are really serious about reaching Europe...particularly the Western Nations, we not only need new Churches we need NETWORKS or MOVEMENTS of churches!

Many Chinese Christians have a motto: "It is GOOD for a Christian to lead someone to Christ. It is BETTER to plant a church. It is BEST to start a church planting movement".

David Garrison in Church Planting Movements, defines what a church planting movement is: "It is a rapid, multiplicative increase of indigenous churches planting churches within a given people group or population segment".

To plant churches that plant churches we need people who are radical, out of the box, risk takers and faith inspired! There must be some in the 320 million in Western Europe!!! If your one of these and looking at impacting your world for eternity...let us know. www.visionchurches.com

Church Planting: Journalling:

I have blogged about the need for Church planting and the value of Journaling.

I encourage you to read these past posts as they are for me critical for ministry...in fact I have a conviction that all missions dollars needs to leveraged to Church Planting. In fact I believe that this IS Biblical MISSION!

Journaling has really helped me to stop the wanderings in my mind and to pull my thoughts through my fingers to the page. It undoubtedly clears the thinking and unclutters revelation and insights from unhealthy thinking.

Healing. Daily Medicine.

I have been praying for people for healing for the past 30 years. I still have a conviction that God wants to heal today! I have seen people healed instantly AND gradually; as they have continually applied the Word of God and joined with others to pray for them.

My new book "Daily Medicine - Thoughts from His Word" will nuture, encourage and empower you to continue to reach out for your miracle. (it's available at AMAZON and Barnes & Noble - hard copy or e-book).

I also seek to answer some very difficult questions regarding healing. It is an easy read for people who are unwell.

I trust this book will inspire and encourage you to believe for yourself, family & friends.

Living in Western Europe we need to experience God's miracle working power. So people will see that God is alive & well today. Arguements and intellectualism abounds regarding God. We live in a dry & weary land, where God was wonderful once, but irrelevant to life today. I am convinced THE Good News message with signs & wonders following is needed to light a fire in peoples hearts!