How to Develop A God-Centered Church When Most Attendees are New Believers
A common question that church planters face is "How can you develop a God-centered church when most of the people attending aren't mature believers?" Assuming that you're not trying to fill your seats only with believers who are already mature, you're going to face this question. How do you create a God-centered culture?
A week back, Mark Dever gave five suggestions to church planters in Baltimore:
1. Prayer
-- Specifically, prayer in the public gatherings.
-- Prayer makes it clear that God stands at the center of everything we do. Prayer acknowledges that God is in control and that all of the fruit we hope to see comes from God (I Corinthians 3).
2. Set an example of God-centeredness.
-- Part of pastoring is modeling. Live a God-centered life and disciple other believers so that they can do the same.
3. Preach the Word of God.
-- Because, after all, the Bible is a pretty God-centered book. People will probably catch onto that if you keep preaching the Bible to them.
4. Patience
-- God's timing tends to be different then ours. But since He's God, let's go with His timing.
5. Confidence
-- We've all read the end of the story. God wins.
-- The Word of God is very powerful and effective. God uses it. You can trust it and trust Him.
-- God loves the church more than you do. He's more jealous for the love and affection of your people than you are.
Just to be clear, the five points are Mark's. Some of the notes below the five points are my thoughts/recollections. Thanks to Philip Van Steenburgh for helps with the notes.
Great thoughts. I have a question though. We've been wrestling with the role of preaching on my blog and I would love to see what you think about some of the issues being raised. I only bring it up because Mark Dever's 3rd point is to "preach the word of God". I'm not sure that some of my readers would agree with that as they believe that preaching is not Biblical. I would love your thoughts on the matter.
Posted by: Nathan Creitz | Oct 15, 2008 8:41:35 AM
This is great, my question is how to develop a God-centered church when most attendees show no fruit of conversion? Thanks.
Posted by: Jimmy Williams | Oct 15, 2008 3:58:50 PM
Thanks for thinking of us young church planters! This is great advice and encouragement.
Nathan (hope this encourages you):
PREACHING IS COMMANDED
See 2 Tim 4:1ff "Preach the word".
This is essential as "It pleased God by the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe" (1 cor 1:21). Because God's Spirit speaks through his word to convict: "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rom 10:17).
PREACHING FOLLOWS THE WAY OF JESUS
Jesus said, "let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why I have come" (Mark 1:38). And preaching is the mission he gave his followers (cf. Mark 3:14).
Any other method will fail to be complete (at best) and completely unbiblical (at worst). Remember Matt 16:18, Christ builds his church, when we serve up what he has to offer, and get ourselves out of the way.
God Bless.
Posted by: Chad Graham | Oct 16, 2008 2:46:57 PM