7 things to take away from the Moore College Church Planting Conference:
- A lot of guys think church planting is like the glory boys in the Olympics 100m final. The reality is more like that of a marathon runner limping in to a small crowd. We are sent not to start the race but to finish. (Dave Sheath, Founding Pastor of the Lakes Evangelical Church)
- In thinking about structuring ministry teams, evangelicals go down the ‘office’ line (1 Timothy 3, Titus etc), charismatics go down the ‘gifts’ line (Acts, 1 Corinthians), but both miss the ‘fellow workers/brothers’ described in the end of Paul’s letters. Look there and you will see people without named gifts or offices who are gospel workers with Paul. Does this change the way we should structure our teams? (Steve Cree Southern Cross Presbyterian Church)
- We have got to revitalise existing churches and plant more. The big middle chunk of our churches are not growing. The biggest factor is leadership. We need to support guys and get the right guys in the right places and the wrong guys out (Al Stewart soon to be ex-bishop of Wollongong)
- We need to do mercy ministry in a way that maintains the gospel. Preaching Christ needs to be strong and central but we need to ‘do good to all’ - this must be part of what we do (Justin Moffatt of York Street Anglican)
- The more you are like people - the easier it is to join but the harder it is for them to hear. (Archie Poulos of Moore Theological College)
- Build an expectation of change. New things reach new people. Change the service time and staffing to find new ways to reach people we’re actually not reaching at the moment. (Nigel Fortescue of Narremburn Cammeray Anglican Church)
- It is God who grows the church, not the planter. Be faithful. Pray the very scary prayer that God will refine you as a leader - especially if your church grows quickly (Paul Dale, Church by the Bridge)
