Can One Size Fit All?

I had an interesting lunch with a gentleman who recently began attending my church. He informed me that he had moved to our community from the Midwest a few months ago, and that he and his wife had been actively seeking a church. He came from a non-demoninational, evangelical background. In fact, he had just come to know Christ about five years ago. He further informed me that we were #7 in his visiting order. He had simply been visiting congregations at random from the listing provided on the "church page" of the local weekly newspaper.

He let me know that he loved our church. But the thing that shocked him the most was the fact that we were a Baptist church. Indeed, he told me that we were unlike any Baptist church he had ever seen. He had visited several over the years, and the word he used to describe his experiences was an interesting one ... "cookie cutter." His experience, for the most part, in Baptist churches had pretty much been the same. He saw it is "predictable." After he visited in our worship, he felt compelled to call home and talk to his former pastor to get the "low down" on this "new generation" Baptist stuff. Was it legit? Could he trust it?

Thankfully, that pastor affirmed our denomination and our church's ministry. This man and his wife are rapidly and joyfully integrating into the life of our church.

But those words he used have stuck with me ... "cookie cutter."

Kima Jude, in the new Fall 2006 edition of On Mission magazine, has written an interesting article entitled "One Size Doesn't Fit All: Planting Missional Churches." It is a great article. I think that, if there were any way to make it happen (and, obviously, there is not), it should be required reading for every pastor of every Southern Baptist church. Perhaps, then, much of the fear and animosity directed at church plants (and church planters) by established, historical churches could be averted. Perhaps, then, we could combat the attitude and appearance of "uniformity" that exists among our churches, that idea that we are a bunch of "cookie cuter" congregations.


Following are a few quotes from the article:

"Missionaries still travel great distances to share Christ and plant churches, but others merely walk around the block to do it. Like their international counterparts, North American church planters and churches take a missional approach to church planting. They identify an unreached people group, learn their language, study their customs and notice how they dress. When they plant a church, they design it to be biblically sound and -- to some degree -- resemble the people they hope to reach."

"... on mission Christians no longer have to travel far to encounter exotic cultures peopled by those who speak a different language and practice different customs."

"A church plant seeking to reach people in North American culture cannot take a cookie-cutter approach."

"Missional churches take the unchanging Gospel into the culture they find themselves in whether it is traditional, contemporary, emerging or something else."


Great points all. But the problem in North American churches, and North American church planting, arises at the interface of church and culture (especially in the South). Many, if not most, of our Southern Baptist churches which exhibit a traditional mindset and methodology tend to view the culture of church as being "against" the culture of "the world." Indeed, the biblical references to "the world" are often taken as proof positive that all things of the world are evil, therefore culture is evil, therefore the church must be insulated from it. So the church develops its own isolated culture, with its own practices, rules, and even its own language (which I affectionately call "Christianese"). One must abandon the culture of the world and become "assimilated" into the culture of the church in order to fit in ... in order to be truly holy. You see the line of reasoning...

Then, when a church planter and a new church plant enter into a community, seeking to engage the culture and people "where they are," that church planter and church plant are so often tragically painted as "worldly," "liberal," "charismatic," and, most assuredly, "not Baptist." I know that this is the case, because it has happened to me and the church that I have planted in my community. When word got out that we would not have the word "Baptist" in our name, were wearing jeans to church, used videos in worship, didn't have a "Sunday School," and didn't hold monthly business meetings, we were alienated and ostracized by the local Southern Baptist community. And all that we attempt to do is meet people "where they are" and do ministry within the culture that we live.

Is my experience the exception? Or does it tend to be more of "the rule," especially in the churched (albeit declining churched) southern United States?

I would love to hear about the experiences of other church planters. What can we do, as a denomination, to rediscover the truth of being missional (within the culture) in all of our churches, as well as our church plants? What can be done to awaken a passion for church planting among all of our churches? How can we become known as "cookies" of all shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors?

Chronological Bible Storying - A Strategy to Reach the Next Generation?

I just received the Summer 2006 edition of To the Ends of the Earth from the International Mission Board. The publication focuses upon the use of storying techniques to teach the Gospel to people groups in oral cultures. The strategy is simple. Missionaries utilize a simple series of pictures to tell the entore story of the Bible fom Creation to Christ.

Interestingly, the piece points out that describing a culture as "oral" does not mean it is "illiterate." Indeed, Grant Lovejoy, director of orality strategy at the IMB says, "...we learned that there are a lot of people who can read and write fine, but are still oral by preference." Interestingly, this tool that was developed to reach the illiterate is proving successful even among well-educated people.

This strategy has led me to consider possible implications for sharing the Gospel within the next generation in North America ... our children and teen-agers. Overall, ours is a literate culture. Most of our children and teens are quite capable of reading and writing. But, it has been my experience that even though children enjoy reading in their early years, many of them lose their love for the practice when they reach the teen years. So, we must study and determine, is the printed word the best method for reaching this next generation ... especially our teens? Is our investment as Southern Baptists in millions of dollars of quarterly Sunday School and discipleship training booklets the best investment of those dollars. I must confess, I am beginning to doubt it.

But is this generations of teens an oral culture? In many ways they are, expecially with regard to music. I think that the I-pod is a vast, uncharted frontier for reaching out to our youth. But, even moreso than oral, I believe that the next generation is a visual culture. Just think about it ... video games, computers, TV, DVD, video podcasts ... even their cell phones take pictures! Are we presently attempting to reach a visual (and semi-oral) generation with words on paper? Are pretty color graphics (still on paper) enough? Are we "missing the boat?"

Maybe ... just maybe ... we should be investing in more high-tech visual presentations of the Scriptures and the Gospel message. Maybe we should be overlaying the story of Scripture on popular music tracks. I don't know. But what I do know is this ... we have to start doing something differently. I believe we have already let a couple of generations "slip through the cracks" in the late 20th century church. Surely, we won't continue to make the same mistakes and keep using the same ineffective methods with the next generation. Or will we?

Cowboy Churches ... Can Students Be Involved?

I guess I have heard about "cowboy churches" before. But I never gave them much thought. Until this week.

I ran across an old article on the Church Planting Village about these "cowboy churches." According to this article, the sheer number of people involved in the "cowboy" or "western" culture is huge. Indeed, based upon studies of musical tastes, this "people group" (can we call them that? ... I suppose so!) is approximately twice as large as any other people group in North America.

This article led me to another very interesting site hosted by the Cowboy Church Network. Check it out. You can even order a belt buckle!

So, I am sold! I am intrigued. I already have a couple of guys in my church checking out the possibilities of planting a "cowboy church" in our area.

The question for me is this ... how will students connect? Is there a significant number of youth involved in the agricultural / "cowboy" culture in our country? As I look at the youth in my community, I have to think that there is. In my daughter's class there is one girl who lives and breathes horses and rodeos. Others own horses and are involved to a somewhat lesser extent. A trip to our local high school will reveal a plethora of the famed blue and yellow AG jackets (FFA - Future Farmers of America). But can we engage them in church planting? Specifically, is the growing phenomenon of "cowboy" churches an opportunity to reach all of our young "cowboys" and "cowgirls," in addition to their "cowboy" parents?

I would like some input from people who have "cowboy" churches in their area, or who may have attended one. What was it like? What did you think? How can we engage students in this kind of work?

House Churches ... Will They Work in North America?

A recent Barna Update has revealed some surprising trends in American the church attendance. Barna's recent study indicates that 9% of adults attend a house church during a typical week. A decade ago, this number was a meager 1% of the population in attendance each week. The current 9% level translates to about 20 million adults in attendance at a house church on any given week. Over the course of a month, approximately 43 million adults attend house churches! (Check out the update. It is a fascinating read.)

Barna believes that this trend will continue to rise over the next two decades. Indeed, he estimates that the level of participation will double over the next decade. It seems that he believes house churches are "here to stay" in North America.

I have to admit that I have always been a bit skeptical about the viability of house churches in a North American context. I suppose I always thought that the consumer-driven American culture would demand more, not less, from its weekly gathering of faith. But it seems that I may have been wrong. Publications focusing upon house churches (or simple churches) abound. There are various networks throughout North America. Just google the words "house church" and watch your screen fill up!

What do you think? Are house churches here to stay? Are you involved in a house church? What are the positives of house church? What are the negatives? Would you "give up" your full-service congregation for the simplicity of a house church?

Where are the Men?

The Western Recorder, the weekly newspaper of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, ran a fascinating story this past week by Kristen Campbell of the Religion News Service entitled, "Getting Men to Church."

Much of the article is an analysis of David Murrow's book, Why Men Hate Going to Church.

Consider these interesting insights that Campbell noted and quoted from Murrow's book:

• "My background is in marketing and advertising ... the target audience of almost everything about church culture was a 50 to 55-year-old woman."

• The theology and practices of Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam offer "uniquely masculine experiences. Every Muslim man knows that he is locked in a great battle between good and evil, and although that was a prevalent teaching in Christianity until about 100 years ago, today it's primarily about having a relationship with a man who loves you unconditionally. And if that's the punch line of the gospel, then you're going to have a lot more women than men taking you up on your offer because women are interested in a personal relationship with a man who loves you unconditionally. Men, generally, are not."

• On Sunday morning, "We're going to sing love songs to Jesus and there's going to be fresh flowers on the altar and quilted banners on the walls."

Pretty heavy stuff. We have all recognized for generations the glaring absence of men from our churches. Maybe it's not because they're simply not interested in spiritual matters. Perhaps they are just not engaged by the overwhelmingly feminine presentation of the faith in our churches.

What do you think? And what should these insights mean to us as we consider the task of Church Planting in the North American culture?

Weekend Feature - David Coram, Church Planter

David Coram is the Church Planter / Pastor at Living Waters Fellowship in Oak Grove, Kentucky. Oak Grove is a "bedroom" community just outside the main gate of Fort Campbell, home of the famed 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

David is retired from the Army. He is a former enlisted man, warrant officer /helicopter aviator, and commissioned chaplain. He knows the culture and language of the military. He knows the unique ministry needs of military families. He knows his community. Living Waters is a distinctly military-focused church. Check out the Living Waters Fellowship web site. Or drop David an e-mail of encouragement. Be sure to add David and the ministries of Living Waters to your daily prayer list this week.

Analyzing Data & Doing Something About It

On my recent trip to Savannah, I read through the 2005 Georgia Baptist Convention Annual to get up to speed on Savannah-area churches. I know, I know, I really need a hobby, but I am genuinely interested in this stuff. I love numbers and statistics and think they have real value in formulating strategy to make the church more effective. So imagine my surprise when I found the following:
-In 2005, there were 32,000 members of Southern Baptist churches in the Savannah Baptist Association.
-In 2005, these 32,000 baptized 526 new believers in their churches.

Now think about that. Get out your calculator. That is 32,000/500 or 60.8. It took 61 church members a year to baptize 1 new believer in Savannah in 2005. So how does the Savannah Baptist Association go about increasing the number of baptisms? How can they reach more people with the gospel even as more and more people move into the area?

There are roughly 300,000 people in Savannah with 41,000 new homes already approved in the area. Effingham County, to the northeast of the city, is the 28th fastest growing county in America. So as we look at the picture above, we need a drastic solution.

Ah ha!

The average new church baptizes 1 person a year for every 10 people. What if we could plant and grow a church next year in every one of the 21 sites we identified this week? That is 21 churches x (average church size in Savannah) 150 people /10 or 315 new baptized believers in Savannah next year. Look what happens if we add those new Christ-followers into this equation and each of those new churches plants a church every year in Savannah and then each of those plants a church and so on:
2007: 315
2008: 630
2009: 1260
2010: 2530
2011: 5040
2012: 10080
2013: 20160
2014: 40320
2015: 80640
2016: 161280
2017: 322560 new baptized Christ-followers

In ten years, according to this new math, we would reach the current population of Savannah, not counting what existing churches are doing and those in other denominations and not accounting for a church size larger than 150. So why can't we do it? Why can't we make the math work in a good way?

This is not about new churches vs. old churches. There are plenty of churches of every age who are effective or ineffective. What we are certain of is that planting multiplying churches is our most effective way to reach people with the gospel. This truth has been proven time and again in place after place. And if the churches in Savannah can plant new churches exponentially, it will happen there too. And what a satisfaction, what a joy to participate in this great kingdom-building experience! As a pastor, I am learning that our church's greatest legacy is going to be the hundreds of daughter and grand-daughter churches that are planted through us and the churches we plant.

I know my math is a little funny, but you get the point, don't you? What would it take to see this happen in your area? Let me encourage you to find the numbers, do the math and then do some new math. What would it take to see this happen where you live?

Church Planting Probe in Savannah

I just spent the last two days participating in a Church Planting Probe in Savannah, Georgia. This event was sponsored by the Georgia Baptist Convention, who partners with Mission M Possible in the Georgia Student Church Planting Network, and the Savannah Baptist Association. A Church Planting Probe is done in most associations every few years to determine where there are needs for new churches based on population growth, population shift and people group changes in the area. We divided Savannah up into five areas and then dispatched a team to each area to drive around, ask questions and assess the needs. We used demographic data and maps to guide our search and at the end of the day had 21 new sites for churches! There is tremendous need for new churches in Savannah.

Now comes the hard part: praying for workers for the harvest. Savannah needs church planters and church planting mission teams. Mission M Possible will be partnering with the Savannah association by mobilizing our network to help plant churches there. We have a week-long training and mobilization event there next summer (see www.missionmpossible.net for more more info) and can facilitate groups there anytime you are ready to serve. So can you help in Savannah? There is much you can do to help even if you are in another town or state. Send us comments and let us know if you are able and willing to be part of a church planting revolution in Savannah!

If you feel there is a need for a church planting probe in your area, let us know. We will help you contact your state convention or missions organization to locate the most recent data and determine church planting needs. Sometimes the best way to determine the need for new churches is to ask the locals. So what church planting needs do you see in your community?

Hurricane Katrina: What Has Been Her Impact Upon North American Missions Volunteerism and Church Planting?

Without a doubt, the Southern Baptist response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was tremendous. Thousands of volunteers have journeyed to the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast to bring relief and help rebuild. My church has been in the middle of these efforts. We have mobilized four teams to serve in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana since last September.

Disaster Relief has been one of the true "bright spots" in Baptist life. Our Disaster Relief efforts have done much to foster good will toward Southern Baptists throughout the U.S. But what type of impact have Hurricane Katrina, and the subsequent relief and rebuild efforts, had upon Southern Baptist volunteerism?

I haven't found any serious studies or information on the internet about this impact. No one really seems to be talking about it. But in my "unofficial" contacts with missions volunteer coordinators in various parts of the U.S., I have found an overall downward trend in the number of available volunteers. Most of these missions leaders/coordinators have been quick to explain this phenomenon. They have said, repeatedly, "Everyone is going to the Gulf Coast..."

Yes, our response to this disaster has been incredible. It has raised the level of missions awareness in our convention. But was/is it a "flash in the pan?" Has there been a negative impact upon our missions efforts in other areas of North America? Is Hurricane Katrina still taking her toll ... upon our overall missions efforts? Has there been any impact, good or bad, upon North American Church Planting as a result of our intense Disaster Relief response?