Hello planters,<\/p>\n
God may be opening new doors. It seems the stage is being set for opportunities \u2013<\/p>\n
Millions of people are moving across the globe \u2013 and \u2018scattered people\u2019 are in God’s heart (check out the book of Acts, where they are both receptive \u2013 and ready to share the gospel).<\/p>\n
With the information deluge no one knows what to trust \u2013 except for those they are in relationship with (and this is the New Testament model for sharing faith \u2013 not packaged faith or programs).<\/p>\n
Few trust manipulative, controlling hierarchies and institutions for truth \u2013 but rather their conversational networks (and this more closely represents Jesus\u2019 status-reversal and the New Testament way of sharing \u2018truth\u2019).<\/p>\n
Financial pressure and recession is challenging believers to take faith closer home (rather than driving great distances to performance\/spectator \u2018church buildings\u2019) \u2013 and \u2018household faith\u2019 on the pathways of life is very New Testament.<\/p>\n
Many believers are gaining the courage (and the compassion and mercy) to stand against injustice in society \u2013 and in the church (where it distorts the \u2018body\u2019\/\u2019image\u2019 of our holy righteous God).<\/p>\n
Fundamentalism (an extreme ego-centric \u2018I am right & everyone else is wrong, in everything!\u2019 attitude) is gaining ground as a reaction\/force in society and the church \u2013 providing a milieu for the heart and grace of God, from whom true mission is birthed, to be seen in its beauty and contrast!<\/p>\n
Our postmodern, post-Christendom world presents the greatest opportunities ever, for sharing the gospel \u2013 and for church plants to be \u2018keys\u2019 to open the kingdom of God to our communities (Matt 16:17-19).<\/p>\n
Be courageous and daring for God\u2019s kingdom.<\/p>\n
Peter Roennfeldt<\/p>\n
CHURCH PLANTING NEWS \u2013 4 May 09 (check out www.newchurchlife.com)
\nNews stories<\/p>\n
A number of these news items (not all) come from recently visiting church plants in Western Australia \u2013<\/p>\n
ACTS Church @ Curtin University: Each Wed members of the ACTS Club meet to pray and encourage each other. As well as being a regular \u2018student club\u2019 \u2013 they are planting a church on the campus of Curtin Uni (Perth, Western Australia). Relationships are built through small groups, offers of free Christian DVD\u2019s, bread distribution for \u2018economically strapped\u2019 students, invites to nearby homes for meals and participation in student life. A monthly ACTS afternoon worship attracts about 40. A weekly Sat morning worship is also inviting students into a relationship with Jesus.<\/p>\n
An Example of Conversational Prayer: Sven Ostring \u2013 leader of the ACTS Church plant on Curtin Uni campus \u2013 identifies the story of Matthew 11:25-30 (also Luke 10:21-24) as an example of \u2018conversational prayer.\u2019 Jesus naturally shifted from speaking to the crowds, to \u2018praying\u2019 to his Father, back to speaking to the people and with his disciples.<\/p>\n
Book-clubs: Opportunities for Witness: When Phil Brown (church planting coordinator in Western Australia) and I visited the ACTS Club at Curtin University, one student told us how she has become a member of a \u2018reading club\u2019 on campus and this has opened the opportunity for her to suggest a book on spirituality that the group has decided to read. We also agreed that \u2018The Shack\u2019 \u2013 an allegorical story of Mac spending a weekend with God \u2013 could be another \u2018good read\u2019 that would engender significant spiritual dialogue with friends!<\/p>\n
Munchy Morish Monday: Each Monday The XChange planting team in Kariong (NSW) provides morning tea for teachers and staff of the Kariong Public School. \u2018They love the goodies we provide,\u2019 says planter Laurel Ansell \u2013 and have labelled it \u2018munchy morish Mondays\u2019.<\/p>\n
SRE Opportunities: Laurel Ansell (The XChange planting team coordinator) now teaches SRE (Special Religious Education) at the Kariong Public School. In the first week of school she asked her 20 kindergarten children how many of them knew who God was. Only two! Now, at the end of term all 20 children eagerly listen and participate in the Bible stories \u2013 and sing the songs.<\/p>\n
The Watering Hole \u2013 Baptism! The Watering Hole plant is very active – Creative Arts for Everyone (C.A.F.E), involvement with Street Pastors, Life Groups, Easter Egg Hunts, puppet workshops, etc. But a highpoint over Easter was \u2018the first baptism that we have celebrated since we became a church plant two years ago,\u2019 reports planter Rosemary Lethbridge. \u2018Every person in our church plant team contributed in some way or another to ensuring that this event was a memorable one for Stormee.\u2019<\/p>\n
Simple Church Praise Report: On Saturday I received a brief newsletter from Milton Adams \u2013 who is cultivating a growing Adventist network of simple church. Among other items he mentions \u2013
\nTeenager baptized last Sabbath – this is why simple church exists, to reach unchurch people.
\nFourteen new people have started the simple church training, phase 1.
\nThree Adventist church pastors have asked simple church to train some of their members to become simple church planters.
\nLast week a new simple church was started up north in the cold country. (I live in Florida.)
\nSEEDS 09 @ Andrews University will host a house church summit. Simple Church will be shared. I hope you can be part of this. Take a look at: http:\/\/www.nadei.org\/article.php?id=165 .
\nAre you ready to become a frontier missionary in your neighborhood? Simple Church can train and mentor you no matter where you live in the world. Check out www.SimpleChurchInfo.com .<\/p>\n
Two plants in Landsdale: Some get concerned over the proximity of churches. In New Testament letters we read of multiple church plants within walking distance \u2013 and that was in an environment of very small household church. (See Col 4:13-15 as an example). In Landsdale \u2013 a suburb of Perth \u2013 there are two new plants. Caf\u00e9 7 is a business started by Sharyn & Lou. It is a great place to eat \u2013 postmodern d\u00e9cor, outstanding cuisine (I enjoyed a salmon & avocado pasta with semi-dried tomatoes, pine-nuts etc in a mild garlic sauce!), and \u2018value added\u2019 interest from staff to management. Sharyn and Lou seek every opportunity to share faith \u2013 and provide regular gatherings for dialogue and worship. Within a short distance is the meeting place of Linc \u2013 a church plant that started at the same time, in homes. They now meet (with gatherings of about 40 people) at the local Adventist school. Brad (a chaplain at the school) says there is a great relationship \u2013 between school, community and church.<\/p>\n
XChange \u2013 Worship & Small Groups: For XChange at Kariong (NSW) weekly worship takes place in homes \u2013 called Barneys House Church. \u2018Our homes are getting very full with an average of 18 people attending Barney\u2019s weekly,\u2019 says coordinator Laurel Ansell. Small groups provide opportunities for discipleship, leadership and multiplication.<\/p>\n
KidzXChange: \u2018We now serve the children breakfast for the first 20 mins of KidzXChange, which they love,\u2019 says Laurel Ansell. \u2018Our average attendance is 20 children a week \u2013 the majority being unchurched.\u2019<\/p>\n
Love Links Jamboree: Love Links is a plant by \u2018aboriginal people for aboriginal people\u2019. Last year when I visited gatherings were in homes and parks. Now they regularly meet in a multipurpose child-care facility for worship times (a gathering of 40+ people) \u2013 and regular interaction with their people happens through a \u2013
\n\u00b7 Monthly Jamboree \u2013 with plenty of music, including from Rodney Rivers.
\n\u00b7 Social events and days \u2013 BBQs, boating etc
\n\u00b7 Yearly Jamboree Camp at Busselton \u2013 on the beach!
\nIn May, they will conduct an evangelistic outreach program in their Midland community. They are also finding that migrant families \u2013 especially from Africa \u2013 enjoy their fellowship.<\/p>\n
Church Planting Summit \u2013 Western Australia: I first met Glenn Townend \u2013 now leader of the Adventist church in Western Australia \u2013 when he was a high-school student in Lae, Papua New Guinea (the son of missionaries). I was conducting gospel outreach meetings being attended by hundreds of student on the university campus \u2013 resulting in a church plant that became the parent of multiple plants throughout the city and across the country. Glenn has planted three churches in his ministry \u2013 and cultivates an environment of planting. In 2006 I had the privilege of being involved in the first annual \u2018church planting summit\u2019 in Western Australia \u2013 and have been to each since (including this last). Glenn knows the value of church planting \u2013 cultivating an environment for it, equipping and releasing pastors and members, ensuring support systems (with Phil Brown as the WA church planting coordinator) \u2013 and always attending and teaching at the state \u2018church planting summit\u2019 himself.<\/p>\n
Resources, websites & equipping<\/p>\n
www.FireYourPastor.org: Check out this website for a free download of Lonnie Wibberding\u2019s new book, Fire Your Pastor. Lonnie and his wife Melanie are planting churches in Huntingdon, and the surrounding counties in Pennsylvania. Lonnie\u2019s book is easy to read, dynamic and passionate \u2013 with good illustrations and research \u2013 and makes an excellent contribution to the growing practice of every believer a minister and what is now called simple church.<\/p>\n
Call to Intentional Mission in Melbourne on U-Tube! Rob Isaachsen is passionate about mission to the millions of Melbourne. This is worth listening to \u2013 wherever you live: www.youtube.com\/watch?v=elIN-oACWEk . What he shares in backed up by massive research \u2013 brought tother under Rob\u2019s coordination. This research exposes serious issues \u2013 and reveals great opportunities for the church in Melbourne \u2013
\n# About 300,000 out of a population that will pass 2 million this year attend church weekly
\n# Under 34 year olds make up 48% of the city\u2019s population (1.2million) \u2013 but only 4% (48,000) ever relate to church
\n# Those over 75 years old make up 6% of the city\u2019s population (221,000) \u2013 but 22% of all attendees in church each week (65,000) come from this age group
\n# About 5000 people come to faith each year \u2013 but about 9000 people leave the church each year (giving a net loss of 4,800 people per year, while city population continues to increase by 90,000 new people each year!)
\n# The 5,000 (maybe) people converted per year \u2013 means less than 3 people per church come to faith each year!
\n# More than 2.9 million people in Melbourne have little or no contact with a church!<\/p>\n
A Discipleship Guide for New Generations: In the fertile soil of your church plant, GODencounters may serve as a relevant disicipleship resource, especially with young adults. Check out GODencounters: Pursuing a 24\/7 Experience of Jesus. Chris Bullock, FUSIONchurch [a young adult church plant in Atlanta, Georgia, USA] planter says, \u201cIt opens up divine possibilities where religion and institution fall short, by getting real and becoming vulnerable to holy influence. As a result, young adults are being transformed by GODencounters, experiencing and pursuing GOD’s presence in their daily lives.\u201d Contact http:\/\/www.adventistbookcenter.com\/GODencounters to order.<\/p>\n
CHURCH PLANTING NEWS
\nPeter Roennfeldt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hello planters, God may be opening new doors. It seems the stage is being set for opportunities \u2013 Millions of people are moving across the globe \u2013 and \u2018scattered people\u2019 are in God’s heart (check out the book of Acts, where they are both receptive \u2013 and ready to share the gospel). With the information… Continue reading