Soma

The other day I noticed an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal by Fred Barnes on his experience of church planting.  He was a founding member of a church plant, and was trying to describe to the readers of the Wall Street Journal why this was something he and his family were interested in, and why there is a growing movement of church planting all across the country (and world).

As a church planter, the article definitely intrigued me, but what intrigued me even more was Al Mohler’s commentary on this same article.  Mohler is the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (where I’m currently enrolled) and wrote a post commending Barnes and reminding all of us that while church planing is definitely a growing movement at the moment, it is simply the newest version of a very very old idea.

The only strange aspect of this article is the sense that church planting is a new idea.  Church planting is indeed a “burgeoning movement,” but it is not new.  As a matter of fact, the church planting movement began in the first century — and was central to the New Testament pattern for the church.  If this seems new to some, it is only because they are rediscovering a very old idea.

On the other hand, there is something newly energetic about the church planting movement.  Younger pastors are increasingly attracted to the vision of starting a new congregation and seeing it established with solid conviction, deep passion, evangelistic commitment, and strategic focus. They see the need and are ready to take up the challenge.

They also understand the New Testament’s impulse toward reproduction.  Christians are to reproduce themselves through witness and evangelism, and churches are to reproduce themselves through missions and church planting.  Growth leads to growth.

It is a sweet reminder to all of us at Shoreline that what we have done (having planted a church) or what we are doing (multiplying ourselves and living life in missional community) is not only not unique, but it is nowhere near new.  We are playing our small part in the grandios slavation story of Christ and His Church and we are just a handful of the millions and millions of brothers and sisters all over the globe and throughout history who are trying deserately to be faithful just like we are (most of them probably even more faithfully than we are).  It is a humbling thing to remember, but also a very exciting one.  An excitement that is only intensified by identifying with Mohler’s closing commentary:

The most powerful ideas are rarely new, but these same ideas must be captured anew again and again.  Jesus Christ promised that the very gates of hell will not prevail against His church.  This new generation of young pastors intends to push back against hell through bold and visionary ministry.  Expect to see the sparks fly.