You, and the people you will plant with, have convictions about what church is and what the priorities are. Before you launch into a frenzy of church planting activity, spend time finding out what you agree on and what you differ on. Can you work through your differences to make a stable cohesive team?
Be honest with each other now; it will avoid tears later. It may help to distinguish between those things you see as essential for the church to be and do for it to be church, and those things which you see as beneficial. You can also explore those things you see as undesirable and those things which are unacceptable. Once you've done this piece of work you will know if you have a common view or if you have show-stopping differences of beliefs in the group.
The essence of church
Here are a few questions to help you explore what the essence of church is:- What is the purpose of this church? Why does it, or why should it exist?
- How will this church join in with God's mission and what will the church's priorities be in mission, evangelism, social action, the environment, peace and justice...? It's all very well to say, "We'll have a holistic mission", but what will be prioritised?
- Will you have services? If yes, what are the non-negotiable ingredients of those services for it to be church? Who gets to do what in the services?
- How should decisions be taken and power work? What is the role of leaders? Do you need an ordained person or not? Arguments and painful church splits often stem from power struggles. And while we're talking about power, what power will any sponsoring or sending churches or organisations have over this church plant and for how long?
- Do you have an understanding of Holy Space? Must that space be reserved for corporate worship? If you have rejected church buildings, will you replace that with a series of events?
- Does the church need to all meet together? On Sundays? Weekly?
- How will you share you lives with each other as Christian community and make it church?
- Does the church need to have a membership, constitution, be a charity or have centralised finances?
- Must it be a Baptist church? How will it relate to the wider Church and be accountable to it?
What's next?1. Introduction |
