Who plants and who builds? Jesus is recorded as speaking of the church only twice in the New Testament (both in Matthew, 16:18 and 18:17). In the first instance, he says to his disciples, “I will build my church.” He was speaking of church discipline in the other instance. On the other hand, Jesus tells the disciples to “go and make disciples” in the Great Commission.
I suppose it is up to the interpreter as to whether building and planting are the same, but the manner of discipleship is not. Discipleship is the lifeline or engine of the church. I love the way Mike Breen puts it, “Discipleship is the operating system and the church is the cool app.” Out of discipleship flows the church. Discipleship is the vehicle that transports people into the Kingdom.
My observation is that too many church plants are seeking to entertain people into Kingdom people. They put way too much stock into the Sunday show. They spend large amounts of resources on marketing, bands, sound equipment, media, sermons and programs. The problem this creates is that all the time and energy of the pastor and the people is spent “doing” the church service, rather than learning to “be” the church.
People rely on post cards to get people into the church. The band, media and sound equipment, which has to be set up early on a Sunday morning, are relied upon to bring the people back next week. The pastor spends 20 plus hours a week on a sermon that people forget by Wednesday. And, often times, their most relational people are too busy putting on programs to get to know people.
I am not suggesting these things are bad. Rather, I am saying that church planters may be overloading the cart and inadvertently taking the feet of discipleship out from underneath it. When all these other things must be done, there is not time left for discipleship.
I constantly hear church planters tell me they’re tired, stressed and frustrated. This is a discipleship issue. A church planter who has not been discipled cannot make disciples. Apple trees do not produce oranges. A pastor who cannot produce disciples cannot plant a church capable of producing Kingdom people. Though these churches may be entertaining, they will not be sustainable in the Kingdom.
As a “church planter,” I began asking myself: Is there another way? I believe I have found an answer.
