Networking and Church Planting
Today was a great day! In fact, if you had followed my twitter at any point today, you probably saw that I was at many different churches tweeting like a mad-man (what’s new, right?). I traveled along with eight church interns , one current MCM pastor, and a future MCM church pastor to every location to see and experience what God is up to through this amazing network in Pittsburgh. We left around 10am and didn’t get back to Allison Park Church until around 6pm. It was a long day, but it was very fruitful! Let me take a moment and explain what this was all about. Each church was either planted by assisted or started out of Allison Park Church. There are a total of eight churches and Lifestone Church in March of 2010 will be the 9th church to be planted out of APC. The 10th church plant is also in the works for the Fall of 2010. So needless to say, Holy Spirit is working in amazing ways in this great city! While at each church, we were able to hear from the pastor about their heart for the community in which they serve and we also got to experience the atmosphere of the church itself.
While on this church tour today, it got me thinking about the Kingdom impact a church planting network really can make! I am certainly in awe of what God is doing in and through the MCM and I am seeing first hand the result of God’s provision, blessing, creativity and heart for his people, but I am also astounded at how people can strengthen and propel each other into Kingdom advancement. I was talking to a good friend of mine the other day who is in no way directly connected to this network of church planting in Pittsburgh. As I was sharing with him what is happening here, he asked a question that made me think about what tremendous power is in a network like this. He said, “Jack, how come no other churches around the country are doing what you guys are doing in Pittsburgh?” That question caused me to think about what God could actually do if church planting networks began to pop up all over this great country and started making dreams and visions come true for people who feel called to plant a church. What if we began to invest leadership and finances into these networks? What if churches stepped out of their boxes of “inward growth” and began take giant leaps of faith by investing in church planting? Yes, God is going to do great things through church planting networks like these, but God also wants us to do great things too!!! Disclaimer: You better give him the glory for those great things, but God still wants to see you experience huge victories as you plant churches, network leaders, reach cities, save souls, rescue the oppressed and help the hurting.
Can you imagine what God could do and what we could do if more churches/pastors got a vision to reach their cities by planting churches??? We would have “MCM” type of networks in hundreds of cities all doing the same thing, making disciples and watching Jesus build HIS church! If you don’t believe me, just a take a journey out to Pittsburgh sometime and let me take you around to show you the Kingdom impact church planting has made and is making!
If you are interested in planting a church or being a part of what God is doing in our new church coming in March, please get in touch with me. I would love to talk with you and hear your heart!
God’s power is in church planting, do doubt! But people coming together, linking arms, supporting each other, helping each other and networking for God’s Kingdom to go forward…….there is power in that too!!!!
