Should you join a Church?

Last night when the core group of Advent Mission Church was meeting someone asked a very important question, "Why join a church? Can't you just go?"


There was a number of good answers given. One great point is made in
the short article below that I kept in my files for such a time as
this! Read it and let me know what you think!



I sent this an a e-mail this morning to the group and thought my blogger friends would like it too!

John Stott on Church Membership

by Thabiti Anyabwile

Last night I began reading through John Stott's The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor.  A dear member of the church gave me an autographed copy after a visit to London and All Souls where Stott served for so many years.

After reading the preface and the first chapter, I'm a little saddened that I've left this book unread for so long.  It's vintage Stott-- relentlessly clear and biblically centered.  In the opening chapter, he spelled out a couple assumptions undergirding the book, assumptions pertinent for recent discussions here on the blog.

Stott writes:

First, I am assuming that we are all committed to the church.  We are not only Christian people; we are also church people.  We are not only committed to Christ, we are also committed to the body of Christ.  At least I hope so.  I trust that none of my readers is that grotesque anomaly, an unchurched Christian.  The New Testament knows nothing of such a person.  For the church lies at the very centre of the eternal purpose of God.  It is not a divine afterthought.  It is not an accident of history.  On the contrary, the church is God's new community.  For his purpose, conceived in a past eternity, being worked out in history, and to be perfected in a future eternity, is not just to save isolated individuals and so perpetuate our loneliness, but rather to build his church, that is, to call out of the world a people for his own glory. ... So then, the reason we are committed to the church is that God is so committed.

A little later, Stott meditates on Acts 2:47 and the hints there of the early church's commitment to evangelism.  Acts 2:47 reads, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."  One of the truths Stott directs us to is:

The Lord did two things together.  He 'added to their number... those who were being saved.'  He didn't add them to the church without saving them, and he didn't save them without adding them to the church.  Salvation and church membership went together; they still do.

In our day, we unfortunately have broken apart what the early church seemed to view as a natural, necessary, and seamless chain of events: gospel preaching and evangelism, leading to conversion and baptism, leading to church membership and communion.  It's difficult to imagine that Paul or Peter or John could conceive of something called a 'Christian' that was not a baptized, communing member of the church.
I think Stott is absolute correct when he refers to such creatures as a "grotesque anomaly."  Part of what is critical to healthy community in the church is the conceptual and temporal tightening of the events
in this chain.  The clearer these things are (the gospel, conversion, the practice and meaning of baptism, church membership and the privilege of communion) and the more joined together they are in practice the stronger will be the ties that bind the church.  Loosen these and you unravel the church.

Is the Church pushing the young people away?

Below is an article that must cause some reaction in us - what is your reaction? Do you agree? Is this true in your experience? To those of you, like me, who have young adult children - it this their experience? I don't often ask for comments, but your comment here will help me as I am in the process of starting a church from scratch.

Christian Post 2/25/09

Why Young People Leave the Church

At the current pace, only 4% of America's teens will end up as Bible-believers, a sharp contrast to 35% of Boomers and 65% of Builders. Why? The Washington Times religion editor, Julia Duin, says "Many regard their church teachings as 'irrelevant' to their daily lives. Going to church is perceived as a 'time-waster.' Sermons are 'bland' and uninspiring," says Duin, "especially to the highly educated, and they do not address the most pressing concerns of congregants. Issues such as chastity, pornography, pre-marital sex, marital struggles, divorce and workplace challenges aren't discussed in detail. In seeking to be inoffensive or entertaining, church leaders do not provide enough spiritual nourishment to sustain their most ardent believers. Many contemporary churches fail to foster deep communities of believers. Disconnected congregants are turning to more intimate house churches. Others, tired of poor Bible teachers, seek in-depth faith explorations by their own efforts or with kindred spirits. Congregants yearn for the miraculous but are only fed the pedantic and innocuous. An increasing number of believers are unmarried, yet many churches are so family-centric they fail to address concerns of those from different walks of life."

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

The Wall Street Journal discusses Church Planting!

I thought this was a great article. It helps explain the bigger concept of why Church Planting is so important!

OPINION: HOUSES OF WORSHIP MARCH 19, 2009, 11:13 P.M. ET
When the Pastor Says It's 'A Time to Sow'
By FRED BARNES

In 2007, my wife Barbara and I left The Falls Church, which we had happily attended from the time we became Christians a quarter-century ago. It's a 277-year-old church in northern Virginia well-known for its popular preacher, the Rev. John Yates, its adherence to tradi

tional biblical teachings and its withdrawal in 2005 from the national Episcopal church. Our three grown daughters and their families stayed behind at The Falls Church.

We didn't leave in anger. We didn't have political or theological anxieties. Rather, we left for a new church because our old church wanted us to. The Falls Church has become entrepreneurial as well as evangelical. It's in the church-planting business. And we were encouraged by Mr. Yates to join Christ the King, the church "planted" near our home in Alexandria. We were a bit ambivalent about the move, but when Christ the King opened its doors in September 2007, we were there.

Well, not quite its doors. The church began with a monthly service in a 600-seat school auditorium. About 30 people showed up, mostly members of the seed group dispatched from The Falls Church. Soon Christ the King, which was launched with a grant of $100,000 from The Falls Church, rented an assembly hall, seating about 100, in a private school and started regular worship every Sunday. Now, with 130 adults and 40 kids, we meet Sunday mornings in another church, whose own service is held in the evening.

But we don't just meet one day a week. One of the problems for a new church is that most of the parishioners don't know one another. They're not yet a community. Barbara and I knew fewer than a dozen of the original members of Christ the King. So David Glade, the 35-year-old pastor, organized everyone into dinner groups that gather monthly. Indeed, they had better gather: When our group skipped a month, Mr. Glade wanted to know why.

Three men's Bible studies have popped up along with a women's group. There is a prayer ministry, a vestry, and a choir led by a volunteer music director. A church retreat is set for August. Newcomers tend to be singles or young couples, and six baptisms are scheduled for the Sunday after next. Barbara and I are the old folks.

"It's a pretty amazing start," Mr. Yates told me. But it's not unusual. Church planting is a burgeoning movement among evangelicals who are conservative in doctrine (but not fundamentalist) and inclusive in their outreach to nonbelievers and lapsed Christians. It's a growing missionary field.

There's a theory behind church planting. It rejects the idea of trying to fill up existing churches before building new ones. Old churches are often "closed clubs" that don't attract new residents or young people or "the lost," says the Rev. Johnny Kurcina, an assistant pastor of The Falls Church. Besides, population increase far exceeds church growth in America. This is especially true in cities.

As an Episcopal Church rector, Mr. Yates began thinking about planting churches 20 years ago. But the bishop of Virginia "wouldn't allow us to discuss it," he says, fearing that new Episcopal churches would lure people from older ones. In 2001, he was allowed to plant a church, but only a county away in a distant exurb.

Mr. Yates was strongly influenced by the Rev. Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan. Mr. Keller has led in creating new churches -- Redeemer has planted more than 100 churches in New York and other cities around the world. Innovative new churches, he has written, are "the research and development department" for Christianity, attract "venturesome people" as fresh leaders, and have the spillover effect of challenging existing churches to revitalize their ministry.

Leaving the Episcopal denomination (while remaining in the Anglican Communion) has given Mr. Yates the freedom to plant churches in urban areas amid many Episcopal churches. (One is next door to Christ the King.) His goal is to plant 20 churches in northern Virginia before retiring. Christ the King was the third, and a fourth was recently planted in Arlington. Mr. Kurcina, 33, who is my son-in-law, is preparing to plant a fifth in Fairfax County.

For a growing number of young preachers like Christ the King's Mr. Glade, planting and then leading a new church is an ideal option. As orthodox Anglicans, they didn't feel welcome in the Episcopal church. And they felt a strong calling to lead their own parish. Mr. Glade grew up as an Episcopalian in Jacksonville, Fla. After graduation from Florida State, he came to The Falls Church as an intern and spent four years as a youth leader before attending Trinity Seminary outside Pittsburgh. He returned to The Falls Church eager to lead a theologically conservative Anglican congregation. "In order to do that, you had to go out and do it yourself," he told me.

"Every new church has an awkward phase, figuring out who they are and getting to know each other," Mr. Glade says. That phase is over. Christ the King has also become financially self-sufficient. It aims to be a "healthy church," like its parent. "A healthy church reproduces itself," Mr. Glade says. Christ the King may soon do just that. Its assistant rector wants to plant his own church.

Mr. Barnes is the executive editor of the Weekly Standard and a Fox News commentator.

Update on Advent Pres Mission Church

Plans are moving forward. Today I met with a group of men (elders) from different churches that have agreed to be my "Oversight Commission." They were most helpful and encouraging. It is great for my soul to meet with men that have a passion for the Kingdom moving forward. Most of these men have known me for quite a while.

Here are a few things that happened and were decided:

• A year one budget was set (July 08-June 09).
• The men were encourage by the fund raising efforts so far and prayed for God to continue to work in that process.
• We set a goal to move to Steele Creek after school is out!
• There was prayer for my house to sell soon.
• I presented to the men a powerpoint (really Keynote - MAC guy don't you know!) presentation that I am using in my fund raising efforts.
• Reported that my prayer team has 78 members so far - if you are reading this would you like to join the team? You must pray and I will give you updates on a regular basis. Comment on this blog or send me an e-mail.
• The men prayed especially for Karen who will be transitioning to a new school in Charlotte for her senior year.
• The men gave wisdom about a baptism that need to be preformed next month.

I don't know if this is interesting to you but it definitely is a "Cross Happening!"

Early this morning (2 AM) Margaret arrive home from College. Oliver, Katie and Mi

chael will arrive tomorrow. [Oliver went today to meet the parents of his girlfriend Callie! Can't wait to hear how that went - I asked Callie if her Dad (Parker) was going to be cleaning his guns when Oliver arrived and she said his Dad actually had mentioned that! - I love the guy already!

If I do not post again until Thanksgiving - have a great day.

I encourage you to do a study of giving thanks in the New Testament and you will find that the Lord Jesus gave thanks all the time - a good pattern for us!

The following verses give us reason to continually give thanks!

1 Corinthians 15:56-58 NIV

56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the la

w. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The Faucet has OPENED!

Today I found out from MNA (the Church Planting arm of our denmination, Mission to North America) that I have my first supporter! MNA does the bookkeeping for free and allows people to give and get receipts for tax deductions! 

Many folks have said they would support us in the grand adventure of starting a church from scratch in Charlotte, but now someone actually signed up with a pledge and $. It is very encouraging.

Last night I met with two dear couples that both said they would invest in this gospel adventure with us. Tonight I met with a session (board of elders) of a small church that has ministered to my family during this transition, they are considering allowing us to be one of their church planting missionaries!

Pray with and for us please.

If you would like to invest, I would love to talk with you or if you wish you can read how to support us by going to the church plant website.

Next week I meet with the national MNA committee in Atlanta. They want to hear about this church plant, my story of church planting and why I would consider doing it again. Evidently there are very few that plant a second church after pastoring one for 15 years like I have. You already knew I was strange! So, now they will know too! They also will officially endorse me. I don't know if I will get a badge or what. At least a free meal that I drive 6 hours to eat! Hopefully, I will be able to meet with other churches in Georgia that might be able to help. There is a common theme here - pray.

But let me tell you about some answers to prayer - we had our first gathering of interested folks considering being a part of the core group. Some were so eager that they joined up on our first meeting - my family (YEA - aren't you glad, I know of some pastor's families that are not supportive - I am blessed.), My Asst. Pastor's family and a young family with a 2 week old little girl. So we will have a baptism soon!

Our next meeting will be Sept. 14th and soon after, we will start evangelistic Bible Studies in the Steele Creek area.

So in many ways the faucet has opened! Pray for a flood!