Church Planting Opposition & Support

Written by Don Russell Isnt it amazing how when God leads anyone to do anything new there are always those who oppose it? What is potentially the most disturbing thing is that often the people who logically should be the most accepting of Gods working are the very people through whom the opposition comes. In the case of our new church plant, GracePointe Church, there have been believers who have been excited and joyful for us as we take by faith Gods promises. On the other hand, there have been those who have been conspicuously silent. Although I have mentioned before that I have expected opposition, it has been interesting to see the ways it has come. Let me list them as they have developed. The How Are You Gonna Do That? Crowd These are people who dont see how its going to work so they just look confused. God has not given us every detail of how it will come together yet. We have a shared vision, a plan, and each day a better idea of the timeframe. We dont yet have all the finances. We dont yet have the Sunday meeting location. This is where faith comes in (Gen. 15:1). I expect these are the same kinds of people Abram encountered when God told him to pack up everything and move to a place God would reveal to him once Abram arrived. (Detail people kind of get lost in the shuffle on this one.) The Why Are You Gonna Do That? Crowd These are the people who do not share the vision of what God can do (Gal. 6:5). I dont mind this at all. This group gives me a chance to share what God has placed in our hearts to do for His glory (2 Timothy 4:5). The Why Are You Gonna Do That HERE? Crowd These are the people who dont get why God would have anybody plant a new church anywhere near where any other churches are. The idea is that because there are churches in driving distance, there is no need for more churches. The simple answer is that question is God told us to do so. The call of God is not something to be ignored (Romans 11:29). However, that answer can come across as a little too simple. I also have to concede that there is logic to the initial question. Therefore, the more complex answer is embodied in a responsive question. That question is Do you think that no other new churches are needed because the existing churches are doing such a great job reaching people with the gospel? The sad truth is that in my generation Christianity has done a statistically pathetic job in getting the gospel out to the people in comparison to other groups that claim to have an alternate explanation of the purpose of life. Several false religions and cults come to mind for me, how about you? To be fair, some of these people are well-meaning Christians who dont want to see a new church plant damage the effectiveness and ministry of their existing church. This is a valid point. There have been far too many churches started from a full-blown church split. I dont really know the statistics of how many churches in our culture today have roots in a church conflict. This reminds me of the clash between Barnabus and Paul. They served

together for years. Then they clashed strongly over a people issue (which a little more important than some of the stories Ive heard of churches in our culture; i.e., color of the carpet, chairs vs. pews, etc.) The disturbing thing about this motivation is that it calls into question the character of the church-planting team. Unless real evidence is shown of active proselyting of existing church members away for the purpose of permanently stealing members, this should never be suggested publicly. This is defamation of character. The Why Would You Want to Do That? Crowd These people are stronger than the last group in their objections. These are the people who see no need to start a new ministry anywhere but in a foreign culture. The idea is an old one. I have heard it expressed in the saying, No one should hear the gospel twice until everyone hears it once. The saying sounds good as it attempts to emphasize the importance of each and every soul. I get that. I understand the intent of the pithy saying. The problem is that it does not hold up to reality. Take a survey of the next group of Christians you are in. How many had to hear the gospel multiple times before accepting Christ? Any time Ive taken this type of survey in a church meeting, chapel, or Bible study the results are overwhelmingly tilted toward the heard multiple times group. Usually, the percentage spread is in the neighborhood of 90%/10% in favor of multiple hearings. The ________________________ Crowd These are the people who never say anything. Nothing pro. Nothing con. Nothing at all. They dont support or compliment. They dont criticize or question (to your face anyway). They just stay out of the way to see what happens. They take the tack of if this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it (Acts 5:38-39). This is what I call the Gamaliel syndrome. Gamaliel was a religious leader who, make no mistake, did not accept the message of the apostles regarding the deity of Christ. Gamaliel was the grandson of the revered rabbi Hillel and the teacher of one Saul of Tarsus, known for his fierce persecution of Christianity. Although some see wisdom in his non-committal stance toward the works of God through the apostles, we must recognize that his lack of commitment to the cause of the Jerusalem church resulted in not lifting a finger to be a part of what God is doing. If these people ever get on board with what God is leading the church-planter to do, it is usually too little, too late. The You Shouldnt Do It That Way Crowd This is probably one of the most surprising groups which I have encountered. There are those well-meaning people who have a very well-defined philosophy of have church-planting should be done. This may be due to experience, Biblical study, or respect for others they have known who have been involved in church planting. Their perspective may be due to their knowledge of other peoples failures in church planting. They may believe that the best way is a purely missionary model, a purely bi-vocational model, etc. Regardless of why they feel this way, they voice their opinion as if God can or should only work in one or two ways. God does not use the same methods every time. We do not need to embrace the god in a box mentality. Each ministry is uniquely designed based on Gods purpose, the people to whom God is having us reach, the gifts and personalities of those God has led to serve. The picture is bigger than any one persons preferred methodology. Faith is involved whether God leads one to juggle time in a bi-vocational method or God leads one to give up financial underpinnings to raise support financially. Both have been used before by God as well as several variations.

GracePointes mission is not wrapped up in one person or another persons idea of how we need to do things. Our responsibility is to follow and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. If God is not leading you to join us, fine then go serve God elsewhere as God has led you! We will all reach souls for Christ! Praise the Lord for that. The truth of this is that opposition comes. We are not given the choice of how it will come. We are not given the luxury of deciding how long it will last. We are simply promised to expect it (2 Timothy 3:12). We can handle opposition as long as we are in the Lords will and being controlled by the Holy Spirit. The flip side of this whole situation is that we are still gaining momentum and gaining support. This is what we prefer to focus on. God always provides regardless of how many people allow themselves to become part of the opposition to Gods plan. Those who God has used to recharge our batteries are reflected in the following list. The What Do You Need Crowd These are the people who know they dont have our vision but want to be a part of helping us fulfill it. They want to understand it and are looking for ways they can contribute. Just interacting with this group is an encouragement. Even if they cannot personally meet a physical need, they are a help through prayer and a blessing. The How Can I Help Crowd These are people who buy into either the team due to a preexisting relationship with a team member or into the vision are being something worthy of support. Sometimes these people use their influence or contacts to help provide something that has revealed itself as a part of the overall plan. This may be a one-time gift or an ongoing service. sometimes God will use these servant-hearted people to develop into the next area. The I Want to Help Crowd These are people who are willing to invest their time and energies to assist in getting the project off the ground. Many of these people will make a commitment for 3 months, 6 months, a year, or two years to take charge of an area until God sends us church members who have the gifts and ability to take over an area of responsibility. These people are temporary but incredibly valuable. Every new effort like GracePointe needs a launch team to get all the basic areas covered. We are actively praying now for God to send us these like-minded people. The Thats What Ive Been Looking For Crowd These people see the purpose, share the vision, and/or have a need that our mission meets. These are the people who God leads to us to become part of the family of GracePointe for the long term. These may be people serving at a good church but have been unsettled by the Holy Spirit for some time about stepping up to the next level. They have the need to step out of the boat spiritually. GracePointe will offer them the opportunity to do so. Or, these people may be ones who have been hurt or burned by ministry that got off-course long ago. This left them disillusioned, wondering if pure honest service for God is even possible. GracePointe will resonate with them to restore hope. They are people who we are called to minister to but who will later find themselves ministering to others themselves. The Now I Get It Crowd These are those who have had no real idea who Jesus is and what a fulfilled life is until God brings them across our path to introduce them to the person

of Jesus Christ. They finally get what life is for. They become part of the family of God. I live for these encounters. I want to come into contact with thousands of these people. Although these are not all the groups we will encounter, these are the ones Ive seen so far. Please pray for Gods work here at GracePointe in Jacksonville/Orange Park, Florida. There is a great need here spiritually and a great desire to be used of God to meet those needs.

Written by Rev. Don Russell, Spiritual Growth Pastor, GracePointe Church, Jacksonville, Florida don@thegracepointe.com www.thegracepointe.com