Less talk, more action.

9:11 am Jan. 26, 2010 | Posted by Doug Balzer; filed under Ecclesiology

(originally published in WCD June 09 Newsletter…posted here for broader feedback)

If you are reading this article it is likely because you serve in a place of leadership: in a local church, in a town, in a city, in a neighbourhood, amidst a people, as part of an identifiable church within an identifiable community. Some years ago a certain group of people sat up and decided to plant; to establish the church where you now serve. They were busy people, with jobs, families and mortgages. They inconvenienced themselves, they sacrificed, they gave significantly and at a cost so that yet another gathering of people redeemed by Jesus Christ could shine his light and make disciples in yet another neighbourhood. They planted your church. This work of reproducing the church has never been easy or convenient but has always been at the forefront of the Kingdom of God advancing against the gates of Hell.

At the last Assembly of the CMA our national family of churches established a goal: every church would participate in a church multiplication venture every five years, locally, nationally and globally. Our dream is that 76 new churches would be established in Canada in the next 5 years with special focus towards unreached peoples within our shores.

For the past number of years we have become familiar with the “Four S” regions of our global focus: Silk Road, Caribbean Sun, Asian Spice and Desert Sand. The establishing of a 5^th global region of mission focus (the “5^th S – Sea to Sea”) recognizes that our nation is largely unreached with many segments of our society devoid of any viable gospel presence. The province of Quebec represents the most unreached region in any of the America’s (Central, South and North). Many of our First Nations communities lack any real opportunity for the gospel to be expressed locally and meaningfully. Numerous societal ‘tribes’ in our urban centres are largely unreached. New Canadians are landing on our shores daily. Many of these are from backgrounds where the gospel is not yet prevailing; Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh. Literally the nations are coming to us! Clearly Canada is in dire need of the gospel to be creatively expressed through many yet-to-be-established, vibrant churches. We recognize than many of the skills and approaches that our missionary work has fruitfully employed overseas (i.e., cultural exegesis, contextualization of the gospel, incarnational ministry, etc.) need to be raised to a higher level in our own nation.

This is not about choosing between investments in missionary work overseas or here at home. There is much to be learned from our international workers on how we can better reach our Canadian neighbours. As our Canadian churches are strengthened we will gain even greater ability to reach least reached peoples internationally.

Let’s bring this down to the ground level. How can this be done? For some the opportunities are obvious and others the choices more remote. Some churches find themselves in neighbourhoods where the need for multiplication is great where others are in communities where church planting would not even be wise or appropriate.

Let us be clear, the call is for each local church to participate in multiplication projects for the sake of the gospel! We are in this together. No church needs to act alone when we can do more together than we can apart.

Some churches may reproduce themselves by establishing new churches or congregations. Other churches may reproduce themselves by assisting other churches to do the same, locally, nationally or globally. How might we pursue these tangible extensions of Christ’s Kingdom? What sorts of things might the Lord do in and through us? Through you?

Some Multiplication Ideas

Traditional church plant
Cross-cultural church plant in Canada (ethnic, psychographic, etc.)
Multi-site of existing church
Assist in funding multiplication project in another region, through another church
Adopt a Global Ministries multiplication project
Raising up and release church planting team members and leaders
Business-as-mission that results in church gathering
Establishing a missional “third-space” that eventually births a local church

Next Steps: Some suggestions for further action

As a leadership team of your church, decide to be a multiplying church in Canada and beyond.
Pray and ask the Lord how he might have you and your church participate in multiplying Christ’s church in our world.
Conduct a demographic study of your region. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-597/index.cfm?Lang=E
Discuss with your SPN how your group of churches might band together to take on a multiplication project together.
Call a meeting with regional pastors to form an action focused group with apostolic intentions and outcomes.
Convene a meeting between your leadership team and that of a church who has greater expertise and experience in this area to learn best practises, etc..
Hire a church planter to join your staff team to be later sent out to plant.
Begin putting money aside in your church budget for multiplication as some churches have already done.
Establish multiplication goals with real action steps with real dates and deadlines.
Participate in our quarterly Gospel Planter Forums beginning this fall..
Talk to any of the District Coaches for further ideas, opportunities and tools.