In this week’s Theology Matters, Dr. Barcellos gives an update about church planting in Palmdale, California.
CBTS Faculty fully subscribe to the 1689 Confession of Faith, hold an advanced
degree in their field of instruction, and possess significant pastoral experience.
Today we complete our chapter-by-chapter blog discussion of the book Church Planting is For Wimps. For those of you who may have just been browsing, you can always join in! Simply pick up a copy of the book and start reading. If you have missed the previous posts, please read my thoughts on chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, and chapter 7.
Well, it is hard to believe that we have reached our final week together. Mike has really taken us on a whirlwind tour of his life as a church planter (or would it be more accurate to call him a church restorer?). In any case, Mike doesn’t want to end his book without giving some encouragement and comfort to those who seek to plant Christ-centered churches. He recognizes how difficult it is and how easily it can be to get discouraged. Compound this challenge with the constant pressure to “produce results,” and it can quickly overwhelm the best of us.
So, in his last chapter, he deals with the question of numbers and success in ministry head-on. Mike writes:
“Here is my solution, and in many ways the main point I want to make with this book: I want to redefine extraordinary….
“When you plant a church, you are signing on to God’s plan for God’s purposes. It’s up to you to be faithful as you depend on God’s grace to carry out your appointed task. God will use your labors to do his will. It could be that your congregation is meant to be a larger piece of the overall picture, or it could be that it’s meant to be a smaller piece. Either way, don’t forget the privilege it is to be even a ‘small’ part of God’s marvelous plan. It’s an extraordinary calling” (110-111).
What an obvious truth! And yet how easy it can be to get sucked into the comparison game. How many attended worship last Sunday? What are we going to do now that one of our large families has started attending another church? Why isn’t God blessing my ministry like he is ___________? (full in the blank)
I thank Mike for how he ends his book. It is a nice reminder for me as I seek to faithfully serve my Savior. I pray that I will remain faithful to Christ and focused on His glory in my service to Him!
Do you have any final thoughts?
John Divito
Member, Heritage Baptist Church
M.Div. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
CBTS Faculty fully subscribe to the 1689 Confession of Faith, hold an advanced
degree in their field of instruction, and possess significant pastoral experience.
Today we continue our chapter-by-chapter blog discussion of the book Church Planting is For Wimps. For those of you who may have just been browsing so far, it is not too late to join in! Simply pick up a copy of the book and start reading. If you have missed the previous posts, please read my thoughts on chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, and chapter 6.
Mike’s church had grown steadily over the last year and a half, and he and his wife were stressed. Upon meeting with one of his wise pastor friends named Bob, he was told “you are doing everything totally wrong.” While this was a hard pill to swallow, he knew it was true. Both he and his wife were exhausted. They were largely focusing on helping new people assimilate into the congregation. But as his experienced friend told him, Mike should have spent more time training new leaders in the church.
Recognizing the leadership gap at Guilford, Mike began thinking about what this kind of man in their church should look like. His list of qualities basically summarized the biblical qualifications of an elder, so with this in mind he began to plan out how to make this dream a reality. By borrowing Bob’s program, he opened up a time of training to interested men at the church.
And you know what? He had 15 guys at their first meeting. His commitment to them began paying off, and he wound up with a group of guys who were maturing and could be relied upon. As a result, when the church decided to identify new elders and small-group leaders, they already had a group of trained men equipped and ready to serve.
n my mind, this chapter makes a basic yet important point to remember if and when the Lord blesses me with a ministry opportunity. Like Moses, we can run ourselves ragged by trying to do too much. And Bob, like Jethro, gives wise advice in having other qualified men to share the load.
As Mike reminds us, we must not decide who those leaders will be by the standards of the world. He must be a real man:
“Being a real man means being responsible, dependable, humble, and strong. It means pouring yourself out for your wife and kids. It means walking closely with Christ and taking care of people in need” (102).
May the Lord give me the strength to be this kind of a man!
John Divito
Member, Heritage Baptist Church
M.Div. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
CBTS Faculty fully subscribe to the 1689 Confession of Faith, hold an advanced
degree in their field of instruction, and possess significant pastoral experience.