I planted a simple church a couple of weeks ago. But it didn’t follow the classic Luke 10 pattern. I’d like to tell you that story and what I’ve learned from it.
Normally when I plant a simple church among those who are coming to Christ, or have not yet come to Christ, I do it by following the pattern Jesus taught to apostolic workers in the harvest in Luke 10. You can see a few of my posts about this: Why Simple Churches Don’t Work, Reason #7, Four Keys to Church Planting and Peace to This House. This church has been a bit different.
This church has grown out of the ministry with Vitorio and Toño that I mentioned in Burgers and Jesus. I had been meeting with those two guys for a few weeks when I asked Toño if he would mind if I invited a few some people from our English as Second Language class and others to the group. He thought that would be a good idea.
When I mentioned our group at the ESL class all the Christians wanted to come. I knew from experience that was not a great idea. But, by God´s grace most of them didn´t get what they were looking for (a nice Evangelical Bible study) so they didn´t stay. However, one guy, German, who was already a Christian did stay. But he was not a typical Evangelical. God was actually leading him through detox (see: Bedbugs in Our Suitcase) and was frustrated with the legalism he was seeing. German has stayed and is excited by what we are doing.
I also, in consultation with Toño, invited two other guys, Cesar and Francisco. You can read their stories in Cesar, Man of Peace, Confronting Legalism-A Story from the Harvest and Francisco- Another Story from the Harvest. These are both men I´ve led to the Lord in the last year. Both have acted as men of peace yet we have not been able to start a stable church in their house. In place of that, I´ve discipled them and they have grown. When Francisco and Cesar finally met they found out that they knew each other casually and both were a bit surprised that the other was a new Christian.
So, last Friday all of us got together except for Toño who couldn´t make it. We had a delicious Hispanic meal (arroz con pollo, tongue tacos and tacos al pastor) and started discussing where we´d like to go in the coming time. One thing I was clear on, I was not going to be their pastor and I was not going to be their priest. I was their older, more experienced brother who could guide them to deeper contact with Jesus. I didn´t want to lead this, I wanted them to learn to follow Jesus’ lead. At one point I suggested that we could all bring food and share it in community. Cesar, in whose house we are meeting, said “I can provide food; you guys just bring people who need Jesus.” This, in turn, launched a lively discussion about evangelism without any of the evangelical jargon. It was very refreshing to hear new Christians encouraging each other to share their faith.
What I’ve learned
I believe with my whole heart that simple church planting should follow Jesus’ pattern in Luke 10. But that is not a technique, it is a pattern which is being controlled by Jesus the Lord of the harvest. And, he, as Lord, can change that any way he wishes. This church is a significant variation on the pattern. Cesar is a man of peace, and we are meeting at his house. But we haven’t planted a church in his oikos (network of relationship) but rather gathered a bunch of guys I’ve led to the Lord. This felt more like addition than multiplication for me. But I also felt it was what Jesus wanted done.
Lesson #1: patterns aren’t recipes. They have infinite variations. It is more like making soup with what you have in the kitchen, rather than trying to imitate Martha Stewart exotic recipe with glistening dollops of foie gras butter floating on islands of bok choy in veal stock. Jesus is the chef, you are the chef’s assistant and you put the ingredients in the soup as he suggests. The soup will be different every time.
Lesson #2: Don’t get doctrinaire about how Jesus ought to do it. This church plant was uncomfortable for me. The idea of gathering a bunch of guys I’ve led to the Lord instead of finding the person of peace and allowing the Kingdom to flow outward from there was uncomfortable. But that is what Jesus wanted. He told me to make disciples (Matt 28:19). That’s my job. He’s the Lord and I’m not. I’ll be content with that.
- If we treat Jesus’ teaching in Luke 10 as a technique instead of a pattern what problems could arise?
- Why do you think I was so resistant to having experienced Christians come to the group?
- Why would grouping a series of people I’ve led to the Lord be addition rather than multiplication?
- Why do you think I was so insistent about not being a pastor or priest?