Team or Teamwork?

You can have a team without teamwork. We tend to place the emphasis on compiling a team of talented individuals – though we realize that teamwork is often a better indicator of success than team members. I just read these quotes in a Fast Company article by Dan & Chip Heath:

We tend to underestimate the amount of effort needed to coordinate with other people…. The relay team with the fastest sprinters doesn’t always win, and the business with the most talented employees doesn’t either. Coordination is the unsung hero of successful teams.

The World Cup provides a beautiful illustration of the importance of teamwork. A superstar like Wayne Rooney struggled to even touch the ball in some of England’s matches. Unlike the NBA, where late in a game a superstar like Lebron James can take the ball every possession and try to bull his way through the defense, soccer absolutely demands teamwork.

Soccer is a beautiful game, but nothing should be more beautiful than the teamwork of God’s people doing God’s work together as the body of Christ. Be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another. I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think. We are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. (Phil. 2:2; I Pet. 4:10; Rom. 12:3, 5; I Cor. 12:26)

In the next post, we’ll consider some of the key components of teamwork. But until then, reflect on the team that you are a part of, whether it be in church planting, missions, or simply a local church. Are you like a coordinated team demonstrating teamwork, or like a group of individuals pulling in separate directions?

Rancho Update & Facility Hunting

Praise the Lord for a very generous gift from the Arch Ministries golf tournament at the National Church Planting Conference last week! With these funds, the gifts from the people of Grace in Menifee, and a few gifts from others, we have close to $20,000 for startup costs in Rancho (part of this we will need to use to supplement the True’s salary).

The Rancho team is busy looking at facility possibilities for the launch of Sunday morning services this fall. Pastor Eric sent me a note about the interesting comparison between the Rancho/Menifee search results from loopnet.com. As of today, if you search for available industrial / office / special purpose lease space, you get:

• Menifee: 8 results
• Rancho Cucamonga: 241 results

This does not make it simple to find an (affordable!) facility in Rancho, but it does highlight the challenge in Menifee. Thank you for interceding before the throne of the One who rules and owns it all. His way is perfect!

My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness

On a rainy day in December of 2002, David Wilkinson and I drove the streets of Rancho Cucamonga. We were looking for a place to plant a church – a place to get started serving the Lord in Southern California, with the dream that the church plant might have reproduction in its DNA. Maybe that first church could plant another church. Maybe in God’s kindness a vibrant church planting movement might develop in Southern California. We ended up in Menifee, about 45 minutes to the southeast, where God allowed us to get started.

Today, on a beautiful sunny day seven and a half years later, I walked the streets of Rancho Cucamonga. In my hands was a stack of invitations to Grace Bible Church of Rancho Cucamonga – starting in the fall of 2010, with a Sunday night Bible study that has already begun. I put one of those cards on the first door, and paused just a moment to look at it: “Grace Bible Church of Rancho Cucamonga.” A big smile flowed from my heart to my face. My heart is filled with thankfulness.

Rancho update: Sunday nights & website

Grace Bible Church of Rancho Cucamonga’s website is now live:

www.graceofrancho.com

More importantly, the Sunday evening Bible study is “live” as well!

Church Planters: Stop Reading Acts

Of course I’m playing a bit of a game with that title. Acts is a fantastic record of the “Acts of Christ” after His ascension, the early outworking of the Great Commission. I would not have embarked on church planting had God not powerfully worked in my heart through that book.

But may I suggest that the New Testament epistles are every bit as important for church planters today? The later chapters of the book of Acts focus upon Paul himself, rather than the development of those first church plants. You have to turn to the epistles to see what the Great Commission looked like after that very first wave of ministry, represented by Paul (though many others were involved).

If you only read Acts, you could become a rather discouraged church planter. Why aren’t you seeing conversions on that scale? Why do you have to spend so much of your time dealing with disgruntled people? Why can’t it just be simple?

First of all, I’m sure we all realize that Paul’s ministry recorded in Acts was probably not as simple as it may seem from a quick reading. But secondly, if you continue reading into the Epistles, you discover that it was not long before Paul faced many of the frustrations and distractions and complications that we face today.

The Great Commission happens in different stages and in different settings. We are not wise to wish we were in a different stage or setting. For example, we pray that some day the North Korean dictatorship will fall, and Christians will be able to freely share the gospel with people who are absolutely ignorant about the Bible. That will be a fabulous day, but the setting will not continue forever. Churches will be planted. Problems will arise. Organization and administration will be necessary. Theological differences will develop. Should we, at that point, give up on the Great Commission in North Korea and move on to the next fresh ground? No way – that’s not what Paul did.

As church planters, we rightly love Romans 15:20: “I have strived to preach the gospel not where Christ was named.” But let’s not forget how much Paul labored to help local churches as they developed and struggled (see Galatians – I & II Corinthians – etc.). Do we love Romans 15:20 because we think it will allow us to avoid all of the problems that Paul himself faced as the churches developed?

Though the history in Acts ended in the first century, the Acts of Christ continue. It doesn’t always look like it did the very first time Paul arrived in Athens or Antioch. But do not despise these days. Do not wistfully look back at Acts and wish you could be at that stage of Great Commission ministry. Instead, be emboldened by the Acts of Christ at that stage and in that setting – and look expectantly for the Acts of Christ in your God-given stage and setting.

Church planters: keep loving Acts, and love the Epistles. You will find great encouragement and instruction there.

Micro-finance for church planting

Interesting thoughts here:

http://doxologie.org/church/micro-financing-church-planting/

It’s always a good idea to make it simple for people to give, and to make it possible for them to give in the ways they are most comfortable with. Sometimes we make it too hard.

On a similar note, more and more churches are taking credit card contributions and encouraging their members to set up recurring donations. But is it good stewardship of the Lord’s money to give Visa or Mastercard 2% of every donation? And are some church members simply piling onto their already-overwhelming credit card debt in the process? Just thinking…

“Mega-Regions” = Church Planting Movements!

This morning Dr. Mohler tweeted this article from guardian.co.uk about the world’s quickly-developing “mega-regions” or “endless cities.” Exhibit number one is Hong Kong – Shenhzen – Guangzhou (which I had the privilege of visiting a couple of years ago) with a population well over 100 million people.

The article mentions Los Angeles as one of the early examples of this trend. Southern California is not one city, but hundreds of cities that run together in a massive urban area. “Region” is a good word to use, and “endless city” is exactly what we experienced when we came here for the first time. You can drive for hours without leaving the city. We stopped talking about ‘Los Angeles’ several years ago and started emphasizing the three major metropolitan areas that all run together to form metropolitan Southern California.

Important biblical and doxological reasons call us to move away from a hyper-independent model of church planting, but if we need a practical reason “mega-regions” certainly provide one. “Endless cities” are endless opportunities for church planting movements.

As the article emphasizes, “mega-regions” can create sociological and ecological problems on a frightening scale. But from a Great Commission perspective, it also creates fertile ground for church planting movements as fields that are white unto harvest run together in endless cities.

Choosing a Target Area for Church Planting

I’ve written a new article to answer the common question: “How did you choose your location for the church plant?” It’s too long for a blog post, but you can read it here.

Megachurch: So That’s How It Happens

An article in the latest issue of Leadership includes a summary of how a church plant not far from us grew into a megachurch in a big hurry (it’s actually part of the introduction to an article on how that church overcame some serious problems). It’s a fascinating little glimpse behind the scenes of the Southern California way of developing churches:

“I planted — Church in 1984. Within five years we averaged 200 attenders, and then we went into overdrive.

“At a ‘How to Break the 200 Barrier’ conference, I heard John Maxwell say, ‘I’m praying for 1,000 churches to reach 1,000 in attendance.’ Immediately I knew that was my goal – I wanted to lead one of those churches reaching 1,000 people for Christ. I started doing the necessary things to grow the church.

“Step one was to ‘staff for growth.’ My first hire was a high-octane organizational genius. He had a knack for identifying a trend, programming to it, and rolling out events for our target group. He did an amazing job.

“Soon our AWANA ministry was attracting more than 200 kids, the youth ministry was almost that size, and we attracted thousands of seekers with special events like the drama ‘Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames.’ We brought in speakers such as Oliver North who spoke to a packed house and helped created a positive buzz about our church in the community.

“By 1998, we reached a peak attendance of 1,000. We added more staff and planned for a new building. The sky was the limit. I was living every church planter’s dream…”

He continues to describe how it turned into a nightmare, but that’s not really my point. I just think that brief summary provides a fascinating window into the thought processes, priorities, and strategies of these churches.

Same Christ, Same Strategy, Different Continent

I’ve been enjoying the Jan/Feb issue of Frontline magazine with its emphasis on Africa. The articles lay out vision and strategy principles very similar to ours here in Southern California, such as:

• urbanization and the importance of strategic cities
• the importance of laying a strong foundation for durable, long-term ministry
• the importance of indigenous, self-sustaining church planting movements

I also appreciate the frankness of the writers as they face the realities of what has happened and is happening in Africa:

• Churches that are turned over to poorly trained nationals often end up in theological liberalism or other compromise
• Many church plants end up being terminal churches, where “congregations never own the ministry and the people become spectators instead of participants.” They are “without reproductive power.”
• “It could be that the legacy … will be church plants that are dependent, unproductive, and slowly dying off.” 
• One national pastor writes: “The cliche ‘Christianity in Africa is many miles wide but only a few inches deep’ … still remains a reality to this day.” 

As I read those things, I am warned about dangers that need to be avoided here. I am also humbled at how many challenges they face that we do not face here. We do not have to deal with ethnic and religious butchering, uncountable inflation, utter starvation, staggering government corruption, thousands of tribal dialects, and massive culture shock. No matter how bad of a reputation California may have, it’s a cakewalk compared to most places in Africa (for example, see this).

And so I ask this: with all of our spiritual and physical resources in America, have we accomplished these goals as listed above? Have we seen durable, indigenous, self-sustaining church planting movements developed in our strategic cities? And if we haven’t managed to do it here, why do we expect to go to a field as challenging as Africa and do it there? 

May God pour out His blessing on my faithful brothers and sisters in Africa. Thank you for the honest and hopeful articles. And may God help us here in America to pursue the same goals with Christ-centered dependence and vision.