Being a Church Planter I have lots of coversations about reaching people. There are books on the subject, classes on it and methods you can use to reach the most people possible. But, the more I think about it I’m not sure I want to just reach people, I want to connect with them.

I think connecting with people is going beyond merely reaching them, it is stepping into relationship with them. I think the term “reaching people” gives the idea that people are coming to us and that its a one sided relationship where they are something of a commodity. But, connecting with people is a two way street, where we are both making effort and coming to the table.

I know this is just a change in terminology, but I think it illustrates a subtle but important difference in thinking. One of the key roles we play as followers of Jesus is a responsibility to genuinely connect with people for their own benefit rather than ours.

So, it’s 2008, and we are planting a church THIS YEAR! This thought is somewhat terrifying and yet very exciting. When I think about the adventure that awaits us in this new year I feel pumped. I also feel like I need to stay up all night planning, writing, reading and preparing. This ministry we affectionately call church planting is daunting, and yet I am not shrinking back in fear, but stepping forward with more boldness (and possibly a degree of stupidity).

I’m excited about what God is doing. I’m excited that our church is forming in it’s own unique way. I’m excited that even though the climb ahead often looks insurmountable, God will be there to do the impossible and will show Himself to be great.

2008 is going to be a great year, I hope you will stay tuned to see the crazy things that God is doing in our midst.

See Part 2 (the church should be about one another)

In the church we are planting, we want people to:

Walk into the marketplace to share.
What good is it to have the greatest gift in the history of the world but no one to give it to?

Walking implies going somewhere with intention. We must live intentionally for Jesus.

We want to cultivate a people that will live as messenger/missionaries within their spheres of influence. We want people to connect with others at the grocery store, the park, the mall, the museum, etc. and build real relationships. We want to love others for the sheer joy of showing Jesus’ love without any agenda. After all, His love is life changing on its own merit.

We want people to move out of the comfort of the Christian subculture and share our lives with regular people that haven’t experienced the irregular love of Christ.

We want people to be like Paul in Acts 17:22-34, where Paul goes into one of the most unbelieving areas of one of the most unbelieving cities in one of the most unbelieving countries in the world and shares the good news of Jesus using their own cultural imagery.

We must go outside of the church so that we can live as the church.

See Part 1 (the church should be… about Jesus)

we want people to:

stand with one another to do life. I am convinced that there is power in standing together as we live, work and play.

Spiritual life should be so much more than an individual endeavor, it is a journey to be shared so that the growth of one person impacts the growth of the group. And, the growth of the group enables the growth of individuals.

Daily life is also best lived with one another, sharing our struggles and our victories. This makes me think of Acts 2:42-47. The early church shared the burden of every day life as a group and made great sacrifices for the benefit of one another. This early community amazes me and convicts my heart of my own selfishness.

This is the community that I long to build. A community that loves one another, helps one another, and even sacrifices for the benefit of one another.

There is power in doing life together…

we want people to:

sit with Jesus to learn. Our church is about Jesus. He is our savior and focus. Everything we do must be done for His glory and to advance His Kingdom.

Sitting implies submission. We want people to submit their lives to Jesus and be passionate about their relationship with Him.

This makes me think of Mary in Luke 10:38-42. She is so enamored with Jesus that all she does is sit at His feet. Martha is so busy serving Jesus that she is missing Him entirely, but Mary chooses “the good portion” and sits at his feet to learn.

We want to build a church that chooses “the good portion” as well.

Here is a video about West Ridge’s Church planting network, Net 35, and their vision to reach metro Atlanta. Check it out…

I’m in the midst of planting a church in Decatur, GA. If you want to here the vision for the church, here is an audio post:

[audio:http://www.churchplant.askingy.com/audio/Vision.mp3]

CLICK HERE to download the mp3.

And, if you are so busy that you can’t be bothered with a 25 minute audio message, here are the highlights. We want people to:

1. Sit with Jesus to learn.
   Luke 10:38-42
2. Stand with one another to do life.
   Acts 2:42-47
3. Walk into the marketplace to share.
   Acts 17:22-31