This question was asked of me on my homeschool forum. I thought it was such an EXCELLENT question, and I knew that this was great blog fodder.
Amy/Brown Eyed Girl, your story is an example of something that has long make me scratch my head. Can I use you as an example, but assure you it is only that with specifics, and am glad that maybe you can expand on my lack of understanding, along with others? I imagine Amy, that you are asked these questions by others, and that others who church plant have been asked them as well. I just haven't heard the response, and want to open up the question to all, but using some specifics from your story (not everything in here though is your story).
This happens all over the world, but for question's sake, why do people move around the US to plant churches? I have been wondering about this for at least the past 15 years as I see churches come and go. Amy, you said Austin hosted a church planters conference last month, and that there are something like 70 organized plants in process (that have made themselves known to this organization formed to help church planters in the Austin area). And then, you are in Austin, but are moving to plant a church in KC? If there isn't a need in Austin, why are so many planters moving to this "city ready to harvest"? And KC - are there no good churches there? PLEASE don't read snark in my question - I am completely sincere when I look at this logically. I think your one and main answer is because you have felt an impression, is there anything else that goes into this decision? Have you ever had more understanding of why God would switch people in cities, giving them hearts for the people in each other's towns? I think it's obvious to read confusion on my part - so I'm just going to ask for clarification. I believe you (Amy) to have sincerity in your heart, just as I hear in many other peoples' who are passionate about moving and starting churches where there are already ones in existence. But doesn't that seem illogical to spend the time and raise the money to serve in a different zip code (one that has churches - not ones in remote area with few services)? Are people that different?
I live in this little community - as in, 3k people. We had 5 church plants in the last 3 yeas from people being led to start churches here - they are all within 3 blocks of each other, and we are a one-stoplight town. Funeral home, small grocer, 2 gas stations, a hair place, and now 5 churches. We have 2.5 million churches of every imaginable flavor within an hour's drive (slight exaggeration). But these families are led to move here to serve our under-served community, and after 3 years, they each have 2-6 family units, and are not surviving. I look around at my neighbors, at the strong network we've got going on, and say, "huh? Did you know we were needy?" We have access to churches, a plethora of them.
I honestly don't get it. The people who planted here had visions of who we were, and how much God loved us and we needed them. I will be honest in that it was offensive in talking with 1 of the 5, telling me how blessed they were in faith and only wanted to serve God in wherever the lost and hungry were, and God kept showing him here, telling him we were a town without a shepherd. Okay, that piqued my snark, but it is with just that one of the five. It more befuddles my logical than affronts my pride to be hand-delivered a messiah figure. For most I think, "Can't you just be honest and admit you have a 7-year itch and want to move somewhere else, somewhere that buys you a better view out your window, a better house, a better garden, someplace away from your annoying neighbors next door?" It's one thing to move to the inner city to a life of living more sacrificially, to a place with numerous challenges, but most I see are a step up in lifestyle, and thus, God blessing them. The inner-city, or economically destitute areas, God doesn't send too many too.
Okay, snark check tells me maybe I am too much here, but it is a question that I've had for a long time, and I guess I don't want to smile silently in support for something I don't understand. Maybe instead, I could be enlightened??? I want to correct assumptions that I'm not so sure of anymore.Signed, Stick Girl "I am Stick Girl because stick people reflect very simple, uncluttered lives. Stick people are the figures that children first draw, and children freely live the essence of simplicity that Christ saw fit to hold up as an example to adults. That is maybe my life's pursuit, to live out the profound beauty in simplicity as an expression of worship."
(she asked me, on a busy day....)
First thoughts in my head:
A. Going to church doesn't make one a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes one a hamburger. There are many, many people "buying" their religious goods and services at institutions created in the U. S. to provide religious goods and services. A consumer of religious goods and services sits in a pew, "gets fed the Word" and holds up the 4 walls of a "holy" building that is empty during the week. They throw a few bucks into the offering plate, but rarely really *do* anything.
B. Austin is more like Europe than most of the U. S. Statistically, 40% of people claim to attend a Christian church in the U. S. However, in Europe, that number is less than 15% and in some places less than 10%. In Austin, the number of people who claim to attend a Christian church is about 12%. On any given Sunday morning (or whatever time the Sabbath service occurs, Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night), you will find only about 100,000 in the greater Austin area heading to a place of worship. There are about 600 churches at my last count, and statistically most churches have 50-100 people in them. There are a few mega-churches in our statistical area and I know a good number that have fewer than 50 people. But that leaves about 900,000 people in the greater Austin area who are unchurched.
C. China is quickly becoming the most increasingly churched population in the world. How is it happening? By a network of house churches/ missional communities. There are more Christians in China than in the U. S. And it's all done by missional community.
D. The community of Kansas City is struggling. Financially, relationally. No one who lives there already feels compelled to move out of the suburbs and back into Midtown or the inner city. They just closed half the schools because attendance has dropped to less than 18,000 from 36,000 just ten years ago. Peak attendance was 40-50 years ago at about 80,000. Kansas City needs families. People of vision. People who are missional about community. (AISD on the other hand, has 82,000+ students. Representing a lot of families and community presence.)
What it all boils down to for me though, is God called us to Kansas City. I would not have chosen KCMO as a place I'd ever live. 9 months ago I laughed at the idea. I scoffed it. I refused to even consider it. Then God sent me, and I saw KC and fell in love with it.
We aren't planting a "church." We are being the church. And I think there is a difference.
Check out:
A. Going to church doesn't make one a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes one a hamburger. There are many, many people "buying" their religious goods and services at institutions created in the U. S. to provide religious goods and services. A consumer of religious goods and services sits in a pew, "gets fed the Word" and holds up the 4 walls of a "holy" building that is empty during the week. They throw a few bucks into the offering plate, but rarely really *do* anything.
B. Austin is more like Europe than most of the U. S. Statistically, 40% of people claim to attend a Christian church in the U. S. However, in Europe, that number is less than 15% and in some places less than 10%. In Austin, the number of people who claim to attend a Christian church is about 12%. On any given Sunday morning (or whatever time the Sabbath service occurs, Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night), you will find only about 100,000 in the greater Austin area heading to a place of worship. There are about 600 churches at my last count, and statistically most churches have 50-100 people in them. There are a few mega-churches in our statistical area and I know a good number that have fewer than 50 people. But that leaves about 900,000 people in the greater Austin area who are unchurched.
C. China is quickly becoming the most increasingly churched population in the world. How is it happening? By a network of house churches/ missional communities. There are more Christians in China than in the U. S. And it's all done by missional community.
D. The community of Kansas City is struggling. Financially, relationally. No one who lives there already feels compelled to move out of the suburbs and back into Midtown or the inner city. They just closed half the schools because attendance has dropped to less than 18,000 from 36,000 just ten years ago. Peak attendance was 40-50 years ago at about 80,000. Kansas City needs families. People of vision. People who are missional about community. (AISD on the other hand, has 82,000+ students. Representing a lot of families and community presence.)
What it all boils down to for me though, is God called us to Kansas City. I would not have chosen KCMO as a place I'd ever live. 9 months ago I laughed at the idea. I scoffed it. I refused to even consider it. Then God sent me, and I saw KC and fell in love with it.
We aren't planting a "church." We are being the church. And I think there is a difference.
Check out:
Francis Chan at the Verge conference I was at:
1 comments:
Great question and good insight Stick Girl and Amy!
I would add, for me, since we moved to KC from Tulsa (where I grew up and lived for most of my life), that I think God calling us to Kansas City was also about me and my dependence on things outside of Christ and my relationship with Him. God had stuff to teach me, and I needed to be vulnerable in ways I probably wouldn't have been in my most familiar surroundings to have heard Him and obeyed. He had the grace to get me to a place where I could hear him without some of those distractions.
Yes, we live in the "inner city" (feels weird to call it that, because it's just my neighborhood), but I don't ever feel like I'm being so sacrificial or generous to move here. The people around me (really, all people) have a story of pain and hardship and joy and comfort, and I can offer them some hope in Christ. Some of them already hope in Him. All of them can teach me something about life and a perspective I might not have had in my short 30 years. We feel blessed to be a part of this community, the good, bad and ugly (which all communities have, right?).
Amy, glad God has called you guys to come, too. I look forward to getting to know you!
Courtney
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