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!

The DREAM. Why? How? Who? DNA? HOW DO WE REACH EUROPE?

The DREAM:

Planting Churches that Plant Churches...like a virus, through Western Europe!

Why? Harvest. Matt 28 / Acts 1:8

Who? R.E.A.L. Our job is to find & Release European Apostolic Leaders.

DNA & Values? S.M.A.R.T. If we loose one of these we loose the heart of what we are doing. Supernatural, Multiplication, Apostolic leadership, Reaching the lost, Training & development.

Did you know 88,000 people per year leave the church in Holland. That's 1600 per week!! Two churches close their doors every week in the Netherlands. In 2009 52,000 people left protestant churches in Holland. The % of Christians by the way is higher than most other Western European Countries. (From the Dutch book "The Church is dead - long live the King". by Otto De Bruijne & En Stijn Postema).

In Western Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark), = 332 million people. If there is an average of 3% Evangelical Christian = 10 million Christians, (which I think is high). That leaves 322 million lost...a Christ-less eternity awaits - hell!! Something must be done! Some countries such as Belgium, France & Denmark have only .05 - 1% Evangelical Christians!!

David Womack, "There is only ONE way the Great Commission can be fulfilled, & that is by establishing Gospel preaching congregations in every community on the face of the earth".

C.P.Wagner, in his book "Spreading the Fire, pg 60", says, "The most concrete, lasting form of ministry in Acts is church planting..." In his book, "Blazing the way, pg 48", he says, "No missiological principle is more important than saturation church planting."

Dr Ralph Winter states, "The extensive activity of starting new congregations, the care & feeding of new congregations is thus the central activity to which ALL evangelistic methods must be bent."

Rick Warren, "The BEST way to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus gave to us, is to plant new churches..."

Tim Keller, say's in (Viral Churches, by Stetzer & Bird, pg 72), "If we want to increase the % of Christians in a village, city or Nation, we must plant hundreds of churches". In fact he goes on to say, "New church planting is the ONLY way that we can be sure we are going to increase the number of believers in a city & it's one of the best ways to renew the whole Body of Christ."

Stetzer & Bird in their book, Viral Churches say, "The early church implemented the Great Commission mandate primarily by planting new churches."

C.P.Wagner, sums it all up with his famous quote, "The BEST (my insert - long term) evangelistic method under Heaven is church planting".

An African proverb says, "There is a crime in the desert worse than murder, that is to KNOW where the WATER IS and NOT tell anybody".

If not YOU...WHO?

If not NOW...WHEN?

If not HERE...WHERE?

If indeed the above statements are correct & true, I encourage you to partner in some way with a church planting ministry. Your missions dollar will not be wasted & it will bear fruit for many generations to come!

What are we up to? - Journalling - Sanity restored. The BEST way to fulfill Matt 28!

What are we up to?

• We are off to Karlsruhe, Germany this weekend, (23rd - 26th October), to meet with Bryce & Kate Gilmor, and their family & speak in their church! What a blast from the past this will be. Bryce & Kate are serving with Stieger International. They were in our church in Hamilton many years ago, as singles & then as a young married couple. It will be alot of fun & laughs I'm sure!!
• On the 27th Oct. we are in Ede meeting with a few contacts which I'm sure will be fruitful.
• For three weeks we have been taking the devotions in a Bible School (His Masters Commission) in Amsterdam North. We are really enjoying being with young people again...fun!
• Finding and nurturing the connections in Europe is our main work here. We aim to begin a Saturday & Sunday meeting (2 different places in Amsterdam) before Christmas...we are looking forward to this. We have 2 buildings to use.
• I will put some Church planting quotes at the END of this BLOG.

Journalling - Sanity restored! I have been journalling now for almost 20 years. I think it has been a critical ingredient in my christian life. As I talk to people in leadership, I am surprised at how many DON'T journal.

Journalling is powerful for several reasons...

1. It is like talking to another person. I find that sometimes talking to someone else helps to clarify issues & situations. If the issue is private & personal then it is great to journal it. Also journalling it over a few days or weeks can really help come to some clarification, answers & action points.

2. Journalling captures the issues, concerns, fears, attitudes & bad thinking patterns on the page! This is huge. Our minds can go round & round & round over a hurt, issue or wrong thinking that can be destructive. Remember that from our thinking, comes our emotions, which in turn causes actions. That's good if our thinking is good, but if it is negative or destructive in some way our emotions will be effected and this can lead to wrong actions. So to interrupt stinking thinking journalling is a key. There are times I write out whole prayers.

3. I often receive preaching messages, ideas & revelation while journalling. If we let the theater of our imagination run; where will it take you? I go to all sorts of wonderful places in God, dreaming, imagining & planning. I also capture those thoughts on a page. This enables me to process them - pray about them and see what God says in it all.

People often say as I did when I began, "What do you write". Sometimes you need to prime the pump to get it started. I began by asking the question, "What did I do yesterday?...How did I feel yesterday went?...What am I enjoying today?...What can I give thanks for today?...What are my major concerns at this time?...What is God saying to me about these?..."

I wrote this when I changed Journals at the beginning of 2010...

Why Journal?

-Disappointments are able to be de-cluttered.
-Untruths are brought out into the light.
-Truths are uncovered.
-Sadness is captured & held long enough to ask the appropriate questions.
-Gladness is celebrated.
-Difficulties are able to be spoken about freely & easily.
-It gives counsel.
-Dreams are nurtured.
-Questions are answered.
-Revelation is recorded.
-It brings self awareness.

-My thinking is checked.

-Prayers are recorded & re-prayed.
-It uncovers heartache & brings healing.
-Perspectives are clarified.
-Messages from God are saved.

-Insights are gained & captured.

-The future is discovered & imagined.

-Clarity comes.

-God ideas come to the surface.
So why wouldn't you begin Journalling! Believe me if I can do it, anyone can...

NOW for the quotes...on the BEST way to evangelize!!

(from the book "Viral Churches" - By Ed Stetzer & Warren Bird. Jossey-Bass).

• "The best way to fulfill the great commission that Jesus gave to us in Matt 28, is to plant new Churches". Rick Warren.
• "The single most effective evangelistic method under Heaven is planting new churches" ...who in turn reproduce themselves. Peter Wagner.
• Pauls missionary journeys were church planting journeys.
• Paul planted new churches, that in turn planted new churches.
• The early church implemented the Great Commission mandate primarily by planting churches.
• The healthiest churches are those who reproduce...
• ...Disciples multiplying churches - not the other way around...
• "It's time to stop counting converts and begin counting congregations." Ralph Moore.
• What a great goal for every church plant...for every new church that is planted, to be born pregnant!!!
• To really change things, we need to learn how to multiply churches.
• "The only way to increase the number & percentage of Christians in a city is to plant thousands of new churches". Tim Keller
• "New church planting is the only way that we can be sure we are going to increase the number of believers in a city & one of the best ways to renew the Body of Christ." Tim Keller.

The conclusion:

Let's not waste hard earned mission's dollars...use them to plant new churches!

Thank you for taking the time to read this...

...Until next time... think about how you can multiply yourself...