I love the church. I’ve been a part of it almost my whole life and I can bear witness to how God has changed me through it. That is why I’m very excited about our Re:Train class in two days – Missional Ecclesiology, taught by Southern Seminary professor Gregg Allison. The books we read in the pre-class work were engaging and challenging and I’m looking forward to in-class discussions that could find people in different camps (things like elder-ruled vs. elder-led, congregationalism, infant baptism, etc). As a primer for class, Dr. Allison has posted articles for the past two days on TheResurgence.com detailing six characteristics of the missional church.

The first article deals with trinitarian aspects of the church

1. Doxological: Oriented to the Glory of God

The church is doxological, or oriented to the glory of God. Like everything else that God has created—the heavens and the earth (Psalm 19:1; Psalm 108:5), the angelic realm (Psalm 29:1-2), and human beings as the divine image-bearers (Psalm 8:5), the church is characterized by an orientation to give God glory (Ephesians 3:21).

Specifically, the church is to be orthodoxological, or oriented to the proper (Gr. ortho) glory (Gr. doxa) of God. Implied in this imperative is the possibility for the church to engage in false glory giving, or idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 John 5:20-21; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4). Manifestations of the church’s false gods include money, power, societal approbation, its pastor or its programs, political persuasion, size, and the like. The church must avoid such idolatry and be oriented to the proper glory of God.

2. Logocentric: Focused on the Word

The church is logocentric, or focused on the logos, the Word, understood in two senses to refer to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, and Scripture, the inspired Word of God. As for the first sense, the eternal Word of God, the second person of the Trinity, took on the fullness of human nature and became the incarnate God-man, Jesus Christ John 1:1, John 1:14). He promised, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18), and he is its cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20) and its head (Ephesians 1:20-23). The church is centered on this incarnate Word of God.

In the second sense of logos, the church is Word-centered in that it focuses on Scripture, the inspired Word of God. This inspired, sufficient, necessary, truthful (inerrant), clear, authoritative, and productive Word announces salvation (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14), brings new birth (1 Peter 1:23), ignites faith (Romans 10:13-17), presents sound doctrine and equips the church for good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and, while providing cohesion and nourishment for the church, also destabilizes it by confronting its many sins. The church is centered on this inspired Word of God.

3. Pneumadynamic: Empowered by the Spirit

The church is pneumadynamic, or created, gathered, gifted, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. He inaugurated the first church on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-5), and this church in Jerusalem multiplied and expanded through the evangelistic centrifugal movement orchestrated by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). In these churches, the Spirit distributes spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11) for “the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7), while also being the creator and sustainer of unity (Ephesians 4:3) by supplying genuine love among church members (Romans 15:30; Colossians 1:8) and fostering an atmosphere of righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17). Certain members are installed as leaders in the church by the appointment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28; Acts 13:2-3). Thus, the church is Spirit-activated.

The second article deals with the “gatheredness and sendedness of the church”.

4. Covenantal: Relationship with God and Others

The church is covenantal, or gathered as members in new covenant relationship with God and in covenant relationship with each other. As for the first covenantal aspect, the new covenant:

1. is a unilateral agreement, established by God and God alone
2. creates a structured relationship between him and his covenant partners, Christ-followers “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9)
3. features binding obligations on the part of both God and his covenant partners (e.g., 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; Matthew 22:37-40; Matthew 28:19-10; Galatians 6:2)
4. is sealed by two covenantal signs, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

As for the second covenantal aspect, the new covenant places church members into relationship with one another (Ephesians 4:17-5:14). This aspect may be best expressed by means of a church covenant, an agreement that binds those who affirm it to life together in the church.

5. Confessional: United by Common Faith

The church is confessional, or united by both personal confession of faith in Christ and common confession of the historic Christian faith. All church members must have a credible profession of faith in Christ as they have heard about his person and work through the gospel (Romans 10:8-13). This aspect is the act of faith that leads to salvation.

Additionally, the church as a corporate assembly regularly makes a common confession of the Christian faith (e.g., 1 Timothy 3:15-16), professing together the sound doctrine that unites the church (Ephesians 4:4-6) and brings it to maturity while keeping it from going adrift (Ephesians 4:13-15). This aspect is the content of the Christian faith that marks the church throughout the ages.

6. Missional: Divinely Called and Sent

As discussed above, the church is missional, or identified as the body of divinely-called and divinely-sent ministers to proclaim the gospel and advance the kingdom of God.

7. Historical Reality, Future Hope

The church is spatio-temporal-eschatological (here and not-here, oralready but not yet), or assembled as a historical reality (located in space and time) and possessing a certain hope and clear destiny (eschatology) while it lives the strangeness of its existence in the here-and-now. Christians meet together to worship God “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24) in local churches that, while they may be anywhere (that is, the location is not the issue; John 4:20-21), they are always somewhere also. This spatial characteristic means that the church takes up physical space—often a building—and prompts reflection on an important question: Does this physical space advance or obstruct what the church is seeking to be and do?

Legacy

The temporal element means that a church has a heritage that goes before the current manifestation of gathered people, and this legacy exerts a powerful influence for either good or bad on the current expression of the church. Additionally, if the Lord wills, the church will have a future that goes beyond the current manifestation of gathered people, and this hope prompts reflection on what kind of reputation this current expression of the church will bequeath to its next iteration.

Sojourners

Beyond its being “here,” the church is also “not here,” in that what the church experiences now is only a foretaste, a down payment, of a promise of yet more to come. The church lives in a “boundary epoch” between the two advents of Jesus Christ, so it is composed of strangers and aliens (1 Peter 1:11), sojourners who are in the world and for the world, but not of the world. The eschatological church awaits a greater reality (Revelation 21-22).

Building a core group is vitally important to planting a church. It’s also one of the areas that intimidates me. I love sharing my vision for a gospel-centered church in Ann Arbor with others, but the mechanics of turning that sharing into a somewhat cohesive group are fairly unknown. A post like this one from the Sojourn Community Church Church Planting Blog is very helpful to me, as it includes some examples of expectations for members of a core group.

As church planters bring together their core group it would be beneficial to write up a document that deals with correct and incorrect expectations members of the core group may have.  The church planter should lead the core group in reading and praying through the list of expectations in the document.  This process may help prevent unneeded or premature departures from the core group when personal expectations are not met.

Here is a sample list of expectations that could be included in such a document.  The expectations listed below have been adapted from a document developed at Fellowship Memphis in Memphis, TN.

As a member of the core group I need to understand that:

1. Church Planting is exciting, but it will also bring times of pain, frustration, and disappointment.
2. Even though gospel renewal may be taking place in the church, not everything will be as I think it should be.  The church will not be a perfect church.  Not every expectation will be met.
3. At times the leadership may choose to focus on a particular ministry or take the church in a slightly different direction than I would take it.  In these times I should stand behind the leadership, believe the best about them, and trust that they are prayerfully leading the church as Christ leads them.
4. Sacrifice is the norm, not the exception.
5. Organizational and leadership structures will be fluid.  I may be in charge of one ministry one year and another the following year depending on the need.  Someone from the outside may be brought in to lead the ministry I was leading.  I should not have “pet projects” that I feel I have to lead myself.  Moreover, I may never have a leadership role in the church. Being in the core group does not guarantee me a position at the church. The church needs to place in leadership those who are best qualified not just those who have been around the longest.
6. Many times my ideas will not be chosen. I should be OK with that. It is about God and his glory; it is not about me.
7. I need to be careful not to expect that the church plant will look like the churches I have been a part of in the past. Each context is different and requires different types of churches.  What works in one location may not be the best approach in another location.
8. I need to examine my motivation for joining the core group.  Is God calling me to the core group for this season of my life or am I just trying to escape a current situation? Am I following a personality or ministry philosophy?

As you can see many more expectations could be added to the list.  Some of the expectations may be general while others may be more specific to your situation.  Letting members of the core group know what to expect up front will inevitably lead to a healthier core group, which in turn will help the church be more effective in reaching its community with the gospel.

When the Ann Arbor News became AnnArbor.com, I was worried that any religion coverage would be gone since there doesn’t seem to be a big audience for it in town. Needless to say, I was encouraged to see some articles about faith appearing online, and in print in the Thursday paper.

Since there was still going to be some religion reporting in the paper, I decided to submit a story idea. Twp months ago, I wrote an email to a writer for AnnArbor.com suggesting a story about church planting in Ann Arbor. Here’s the email

I noticed that you’ve written the last two religion articles for AnnArbor.com and I wanted to suggest a story for you. Church planting, starting  new churches, has been a growing trend in evangelical Christianity  over the past few years and there are a number of church plants in  Ann Arbor and Ypsi now or coming soon. 

• University Reformed Church replanted as Grace Ann Arbor, official re-launch Sept 13
• Mosaic Church, a plant of Oak Pointe church in Novi, official launch Sept 13
• The Greenroom, a church focused on reaching the arts community in Ann Arbor, is being planted by The River Community Church in Hartland
• Connections Community Church was planted last April in Ypsi

The sudden increase is in stark contrast to the previous 20 years which has seen very few (maybe 3) churches planted in Ann Arbor in that are not mainly student focused. For full disclosure, I’m part of Grace Ann Arbor, serving as the Church Planting resident and  looking to plant a church in Ann Arbor most likely in 2011.

I didn’t see any articles in the paper relating to this topic, so I figured the editors decided that this wasn’t a good story.

I was pretty surprised, then, that on Monday, October 6, Janet Miller of the AnnArbor.com called to interview me for an article related to the story idea that I submitted. We talked for about 30 minutes, about church planting, its presence in the Bible, its necessity, etc. She asked me if only evangelical churches plan (no), how it works, if when I plant I plan to target specific demographics or niches (no), thinks like that. I thought it went pretty well, although I realized after the fact that I need a clearer, more concise definition of gospel-centered church for the next time I’m in that situation.

When today came, I went outside to get the paper (Brrrr) and found the article, which online is entitled New churches planted to reach special niches, new members but in print the headline has something to do with technology (not entirely sure why there are such different headlines). All in all, the article seemed pretty fair. I would have loved to have heard from Shannon Nielsen at Mosaic Church or Dexter Hardy at Connections Community Church to get the perspective of churches that were starting more from scratch, but I realize that every article can’t cover everything. I’m praying that God will be glorified through this article, that people will be transformed through the regeneration available through the Holy Spirit’s work in us and that Christ and His cross will be proclaimed by these, and all, churches in Ann Arbor.

Finding a facility is one of the most daunting aspects of planting a church. I’ve thought a little about possible locations in Ann Arbor, but I haven’t put the effort into the search that I know it needs. The Acts 29 Network blog has recently posted a three part series (part one, part two, part three) written by Mark Driscoll listing twenty-three factors to consider when looking for a facility for a church. Now the search looks even more difficult!

1. Sight – Does the building look nice and well-maintained?
2. Time Flexibility – Is there freedom to change service times, come in early to setup, add a second service?
3. Set-Up and Tear Down – How much effort is required? Is there storage?
4. Smell - Gyms smell like sweat, cafeterias smell like food. Keep in mind the original use of your facility
5. Comfort – Is there AC/heat? Is there ventilation? Is there proper seating?
6. Lighting – Is the room too light for projection or too dark for seeing?
7. Acoustics – How well does the room reflect/absorb sound?
8. Power – Does the facility have sufficient, clean power?
9. Location – Where is the facility located? Is it near major roads/freeways? Is it in the location to which you’re called?
10. Children’s Space – Is there sufficient space for children’s ministry? Can that area be safe, secure, and clean?
11. Room for Fellowship – Is there sufficient space for people to hang out and mingle before and after service?
12. Cost – How much does the facility cost?
13. Storage – Can things like sound equipment and children’s ministry supplies be stored on-site?
14. Public Perception – Will the location affect people’s view of the church?
15. Parking – Is there sufficient parking (one space for every two or three church attendees)?
16. Additional Space – Is there a kitchen/gym/dining area? Are there additional classroom spaces or office space?
17. Additional Use – Can the facility be used for special events or services or for midweek activities?
18. Cleanliness – Is the location clean? Cleanliness says a lot
19. Accessibility – Is the location easy to find? Near major roads or highways?
20. Signage – Can temporary or permanent signs be used to indicate events and services?
21. Conflicting Dates – Can you be “bumped” from the facility? Does your rental take precedence over others?
22. Contact Length – “It is to your benefit to negotiate for a long-term contract that provides you a short escape clause should you decide to move to another location”
23. Facility Options for Consideration – “schools, churches, hotels, warehouses, community centers, theaters, and concert venues.”

I started the Acts 29 Network application process back in March. The process includes completing a number of documents like a testimony & call narrative, an overview of my marriage & family life, my theological and pastoral positions, a planting strategy and timeline, and an essay written by Julie about my call, her rote in that, her thoughts, etc. Addtionally I took entrepreneurial and DISC assessments and got references from a supervisor (Joel VanderSchel, pastor at New Life Church), a friend (Chris Rhodenhizer, pastor at Image Church), and a disciple (someone who was part of the small group that I led in Virginia). It was a very thorough application process that I completed last Friday.

After completing all the materials, the next to-do is a phone interview with Tyler Powell, the Church Planting Strategist with the Acts 29 Network. I had my phone interview last night and it went pretty well, I think. I was pretty nervous before it mostly because of the unknown of what exactly he would ask, how I would respond, etc. Some things came up that are concerns as I go forward with the Acts 29 application process

1. Very low entrepreneurial skills as measured by the evaluation
2. A DISC “score” that would be inconsistent with the typical profile of a successful church planter. #1 and #2 combined “might” indicate that I’m more of a #2 than lead planter. This is one area that the Acts 29 Assessment should give me some clarity on.
3. The church polity (government) that I intend to follow differs from many in Acts 29 and I need to provide additional clarity about what I mean when I say “elder-led congregationalism”. For a good summary of a summary of what I intend, read P.J. Tibayan’s blog post
4. My timeline (18-24 months) is further out than is typical (12-18 months) for men going through assessment. I based my timeline on a couple of factors
   1. Re:Train goes through June and I will very busy with that.
   2. Being in a college town makes launching in the fall natural and fall 2010 seems unlikely
   3. Launching at the beginning of second semester may work in the south, but January in Michigan would be dicey

So, there are definitely some potential red flags, but none of them were a great surprise to me. What I have consistently said is that I desire the input of men who have gone through the church planting process who can let me know if they see this as what God is calling me to and equipping me for. To that end, Julie and I will be assessed at the November Acts 29 Boot Camp in Louisville and from there we hope and pray to have additional clarity about the call to plant churches in Ann Arbor and beyond.

I have also prayed for patience, wisdom, and insight from God as I go through all of this, that I would welcome correction and direction humbly and that I would not seek glory for myself through church planting, but that my chief aim would be to magnify the name of the Lord. If I can do that, worship the Lord and lift Him up, then I will be content however He uses me.

Just as our discipleship class took place in Re:Train, there have been a number of great posts about discipleship from around the web. Here’s another one from Thom Rainer about the common traits of churches that are more effective at making disciples

• The church has an entry point class that all new members attend.
• Members are expected to attend an open group Bible study. (like Sunday School)
• Members are expected to be involved in one or more deeper studies throughout the year. (like a small group)
• Members are expected to attend a corporate worship service each week.
• Members are expected to be involved in at least one ministry or mission activity a year.
• Members are expected to read and study the Bible daily.