Church Planting Movements
April 12, 2008 – 10:05 am
On our trip to Phoenix a few months ago, I was in a conversation with a longtime friend. As I was describing a little about what we were hoping to do in Austin, he asked me if I was familiar with the book Church Planting Movements. It was a book that he had read as part of the missions team at Central, where I used to be on staff.
I wasn’t familiar with the book. I am now — he was kind enough to give me his copy.
Many have heard us describe that we hope to engage in Austin much like a missionary might move into a foreign culture. Church Planting Movements has been helpful to us to put language to what we feel called to shape in Austin. The book is a study of where the church has been multiplying quickly around the world. They are finding that this happens through smaller church communities, often meeting in homes, which are able to quickly and easily reproduce.
I believe that the traditional and familiar models of the church here in the United States can continue to be effective. I have seen too many beautiful things happen in the two churches where I have served to think otherwise. But chunks of American culture, especially in our urban centers, have become post-Christian. There is little or no understanding of what the message of the kingdom of God is.
It is because of this that we are passionate about moving into Austin with a heart and mind of cross cultural workers. Church Planting Movements has given us a helpful look at how our church community can begin to form…and multiply. We pray that we can not only start a church, but stimulate a church planting movement.
If you are curious to learn more about how God is at work around the world, I’d encourage you to pick up a copy of the book. The cheapest I have found it is on the Church Planting Movements website.
