Two church plantings. God's work is evident yet very different.

On Thursday we had our first Huddle of church planters. Chris Chappotin and Randy and Judy Dean met at our house for prayer, discussion, and planning in regard to their church plantings.

During our Huddle, we prayerfully and submissively dealt with the nuts and bolts of planting a missional church. We discussed (1) the spiritual formation of seekers and members, (2) summer plans (Kids’ Camp, barbecues, Life Transformation groups, modes of spiritual formation, internships) and (3) a power point of ministry flow charts to help us think through the varying models of church planting and how they reflect the purposes and mission of God.

As we talked, we compared God’s mighty work in two different church plantings.

God is using Chris and Heidi Chappotin to plant Christ Journey in southwest Fort Worth (in the area of the intersection of I-35W and Highway 1187). Christ Journey has only a small core team of four families and three singles. The first initial small group is beginning to grow through developing spiritual relationships with searchers and unbelievers.

Becky and I “joined the journey” for their second small group meeting on Sunday evening. Seventeen adults and 6 children piled into the Chappotins’ living room. Five of these were searchers, including two sisters, their mother, the husband of one of the sisters, and the boy friend of the other. Both sisters were pregnant. It was evident to us that the visitors were impressed with the loving fellowship, awe of God, and authentic Christian expressions that they were experiencing. Our prayer is that this fellowship grows via evangelism rather than inviting Christian leaders from other local churches to join in launching the church. Chris and Heidi are going through a significant time of growth as they learn how to be God’s ministers of reconciliation and guide others in their team to also develop spiritual friendships.

Currently the team of Christ Journey is in the core development stage. They will launch other small groups out of the existing one in the next few months and launch the public worship service on Sept. 25. Their new web site is at www.christjourney.net and Chris’ blog is at www.1moremile.blogspot.com. The journey continues . . . . as God leads.

Randy and Judy Dean are planting the Parker County Church on the western side of Weatherford, about 30 minutes by road from the Chappotins. The Parker County church launched a public service with 60 members and then realized that they need resource people to help them and contacted Mission Alive. They represent a phenomena occurring in many areas. Dedicated Christians felt the strictures of sectarian Christianity, with all of its anger and control, and decided that they could only be faithful to God by planting another church. They rejected the denominational title “Church of Christ” (because of its sectarian heritage in their area) while holding to the fundamental Restoration beliefs of the centrality of scripture, the priesthood of all believers, believers’ baptism for forgiveness of sins, and the centrality of the Lord’s Supper in order to remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Their singing is acappella. They have the strength of mature leadership and adequate finances to support themselves. They, however, have started a new church with the old paradigm of a settled church intact. They also have all the emotions of leaving a larger fellowship who now declares them “liberal.”

One thing I know: God is working in this fellowship to renew His people! Some significant questions are: “Can they come to a unified vision of God’s mission through them and their fellowship? Can they become evangelistic?” The role of Mission Alive is to guide them along the way by providing labs, mentoring, coaching, and spiritual conversations in Huddles.

Neither of these models is ideal. The ideal church planting intentionally comes out of a visionary church who realizes that God is a God who gives of himself as he has done in Jesus Christ. Thus, the church sends a few families called to church planting out of its fellowship to plant another church every few years. This process energizes the mother church and leads to a church planting movement. I am currently witnessing God’s work in a number of churches leading them to intentionally plant another church in 2006. Mission Alive is honored to be part of this movement.

Two church plantings. God’s work is evident yet very different.

“God, give us wisdom.”