Leadership Connexion FALL 2023

RECALIBRATING
CHURCH PLANTING
I often hear leaders state we are putting too much attention into church planting and we need to invest
in church recalibration. I do not believe that this is an either/or approach but rather a both/and. Church
recalibration is vital and so is church planting. Without planting, there would be no churches to revitalize.
Let me go one step further. I believe that, as a Network, we need to recalibrate church planting. Troy Jones
says that all organizations need to have a cultural, holistic recalibration every three to five years. That includes
our church planting movement! Here are four critical questions for this next season:
WHY DO WE PLANT CHURCHES?
We plant churches because… we want to be true to the
Biblical mandate to reach the lost.
We plant churches because… effective new churches are
great at reaching new generations, new residents and new
people groups.
We plant churches because… effective new churches are
great at reaching the dechurched and the unchurched.
HOW ARE WE DOING AT PLANTING?
Although we say we believe in church planting, the reality has
been looking different. In the Northeast Region, we can see
the decline due to Covid and prior to that the closure of a
large parent church network. Here is the current trend of the
combined geographical districts:
OPENED CLOSED NET
2022 17 32 -15
2021 19 31 -12
2020 14 36 -22
2019 27 28 -1
2018 31 43 -12
2017 30 41 -11
TOTAL 138 211 -73
WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF CHURCH PLANTING?
The number that is the most startling to me is this one:
56,317,844. This is the population of the Northeast Region of
the United States. My heart is broken when I think of the millions
of people who are lost in the Northeast mission field.
Our efforts have not risen to the need. We have tried, but we
are being called to pray so that God can do what we are not
capable of in our own efforts. We are dependent on the Lord for
this. Please join me in praying that the Lord of the Harvest will
call and raise up Church Planters.
Jesus said, “When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion on them, because they were harassed
and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Then
he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but
the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 9:36-38
WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP?
Many times, we want to give out of our abundance. Since we
may not be at our pre-pandemic numbers, we respond that
this is not the right timing. Jesus said in John 4:35, “Do you
not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes
the harvest?’ Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes
and look at the fields, for they are already white for
harvest!”
CHURCH PLANTING | TOM REES | 717.795.5921 | tom@penndel.org
Is there a community you know of that needs a healthy,
spirit-filled church? If so, I invite you to come to Launch as
our guest, with your staff, and begin praying and planning
about planting a church in that community.
Register at:
churchmultiplication.net/launch
11