tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092233049004863717.post8827855269303745380..comments2013-03-24T21:57:34.421-07:00Comments on Missional Meditations: THE NEW BREED OF CHURCH PLANTERS GOD IS RAISING UP: Part OneMissional Meditationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08858715481279526639noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092233049004863717.post-44402708702767466082010-12-07T17:59:24.321-08:002010-12-07T17:59:24.321-08:00I am a Lay bi-vocatinal church planter with the SB...I am a Lay bi-vocatinal church planter with the SBC in Canada that is the Canadian National Baptist Convention. I support myself with a Lay job while starting a new church. I have an engineering degree and never went to seminary. My difficulty is really finding an SBC church to partner and support my ministry. I find that the ordained Pastors are supported more and are paid by the convention and also supported by a network of churches. I was initially supported for a year with $ 250.00 a month allowance and thats it. I am still looking for other churches to support my ministry. So far the only support I had was from a church in New Jersey who supplied us with discipleship material only because I know the Pastor. It is also hard to get church partnership for missionaries to help out with outreach that I have to start a network with non-SBC Christians who have a heart for the lost. I baptized at an average of one person per year since I started in 2008 and I do not really have a core group since I started alone and came from a BGC church. I am building my core group from the harvest one relationship at a time. It is really a challenge especially balancing a Lay job, outreaches, family life and preaching/teaching.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Rudy Geronimo<br />Scarborough, CanadaRudy Geronimohttp://sites.advancedministry.com/kingdomharvestmissionalchurchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092233049004863717.post-7794426811218597772010-11-23T11:53:28.487-08:002010-11-23T11:53:28.487-08:00Look not on his countenance, or on the height of h...Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.<br /><br />Contrary to the title of your blog these are not a new breed to God, only to organized religion (ie. Mainline denominations). It is organized religion that sees these persons as unlearned, and unworthy. The world could care less. By worldly standards Christians are caricatured as crooks, buffoons and dolts.<br />Although John and Peter did not speak in religious jargon or technical expertise of the learned of the organized religion of the day, they were discounted because they did not fit into its construct. Rome could care less. The reality though was that John and Peter sat at the feet of Jesus’ teaching for three years and though they had a background as fishermen, they were far more qualified in spiritual matters.<br /><br />Likewise there was a spontaneous spiritual movement of God in American Christianity that took place from the late 60’s to the early 80’s. It was rejected, ignored or marginalized by the organized religion of the day, for many of the same reasons organized religion rejected John and Peter. It was called the Jesus people / Jesus movement. It mainly reached the hippies, druggies, drop outs, bikers, cholo’s but reached all strata of society. God used these a-religious people to start new churches and to reach a generation for Christ. Those who were obedient got to partake in the largest revival in modern American history. In fact the S.O.B.E.R. project is fruit of that movement. Larry got saved at promise keepers, promise keepers were spawned from the vineyard, vineyard was spawned from calvary chapel and calvary chapel was spawned from the Jesus movement. The main point here is that this Jesus movement was spontaneous.<br /><br />I liken organized religious organizations to King Saul and humble servants of the Lord “whether substance abusers to theological students and everyone in between” to David. As the Jesus movement fizzled out in the 80’s its influence did not go unnoticed by the mainline denominations, many which were Icabod.<br />These churches tried to manufacture those effects. Mainline churches started to add contemporary worship at one of their services or tried to get people to dress casual, it was not spontaneous but just a method to try to save their dwindling congregations. Like Saul visiting the witch of Endor the seminaries and a few enterprising pragmatist pastors sought out successful worldly marketing gurus to manufacture and franchise the church (such as purpose driven / seeker sensitive). These are the planters you reference to the 90’s and this decade. While some with talent or a little charisma built mega-churches, these were manmade movements not Spirit led revival and will ultimately fail. One of the main problems I see with this purpose driven / seeker sensitive paradigm is that it artificially stratifies congregations into marketing demographics. God’s target group is whosoever! We should be all of one accord and knit together in Christ’s love.<br />Although I do not envision the future of American Christendom as substance abuse recovery ministries, there is a place for them. I agree with you that God uses those who humbly make themselves available to him and that many times that person is someone outside the preconceived prejudice of organized religion.<br /><br />I guess that the point of this overly simplistic opinion is that I/we would humbly submit to God’s word and will. Then as our dollar collapses and the materialism we trusted in fails us. We could see that we are just sojourners in this world, and that a move of God would spontaneously arise from that obedience.<br /><br />Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;<br />Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05142449322250740597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092233049004863717.post-58484450845939109352010-11-20T22:38:50.017-08:002010-11-20T22:38:50.017-08:00this is awesome. I totally agree!!! don't go...this is awesome. I totally agree!!! don't go looking for great men because all the glory goes to them...in looking for ordinary men and women who GOD will raise up and use is so beautiful. it shows not only God at work but how much He values us. this is an exciting movement. i pray it will spark in people a realization that they too can be church planters :)teresa baldwinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092233049004863717.post-73091631820382267962010-11-17T10:23:10.956-08:002010-11-17T10:23:10.956-08:00Thanks Terry for the book recommendation. I will ...Thanks Terry for the book recommendation. I will certainly get it. I am saying all that you have suggested but I am also suggesting far more! I am suggesting that the time has come back for denominations and church leaders to making the raising up, training up and unleashing ordinary believers as our primary church planters ... if we truly want to see a CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENT in North America.Missional Meditationshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08858715481279526639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092233049004863717.post-52117418955695873032010-11-16T19:40:10.989-08:002010-11-16T19:40:10.989-08:00great stuff!great stuff!joelcomiskeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10936200056326852936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092233049004863717.post-37098002789036162982010-11-16T17:28:21.422-08:002010-11-16T17:28:21.422-08:00So, you might be saying that while formal educatio...So, you might be saying that while formal education might be helpful, it is not necessary? and you might be saying that the LOCAL church is the primary training place for ministry instead of a distant seminary? and you might be saying that people who "work" for a living will also start churches for people just like them? HMmmmm..... If you are saying that, then you REALLY need to read the book, "Developing Leadership Teams in the Bivocational Church," available at CrossBooks.com or Amazon.com. It will be right up your alley!Dr. Terry Dorsetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05964444127928103488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092233049004863717.post-84386721060970535762010-11-15T23:56:18.927-08:002010-11-15T23:56:18.927-08:00Pastor Jay this is so encouraging and inspirationa...Pastor Jay this is so encouraging and inspirational! I'm anxious for more!deb harveyhttp://yahoo.comnoreply@blogger.com