Jesus teaches in Matthew 9:35-38…”Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 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.”  Could this not be said today? There are hundreds and thousands of people as sheep without a shepherd in our district and conference. Is this not our challenge as churches to reach out to those who are lost?   Some of the best ways to reach new people for Christ is through new congregations, campuses, ministries, and worship services. In looking at the harvest of thousands of people lost without a shepherd…”Why not new churches, campuses, ministries, and worship services.  

 

Our district has gone over three decades without sustaining a new church start! A handful of churches have initiated new worship services. One church in our district is developing a second campus. As I think about our mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” and remember new churches, worship services, and campuses are three fruitful methods of reaching new people for Christ there is an obvious conclusion…we must change the outcome and start new churches, ministries, and campuses more urgently and in greater number. If the lack of financial resources has prevented us, we must become more creative and identify ways to make disciples without financial resources. 

 

Our conference and district have some areas of population growth, shift and transition that are crying out for new communities of faith in hopes of making new disciples. In these areas there are people “as sheep without a shepherd.” The absence of new churches, worship services, and campuses makes as much sense as a hospital without a maternity wing. The nature of the Kingdom of God is generative. Jesus teaches about being “born again”, “bearing fruit”, and “sending into a plentiful harvest field where people are helpless and in need of a shepherd.” As much as we have a responsibility to be faithful stewards of the present church, we have a “great commission” challenging us to a more fruitful season of making disciples tomorrow. Perhaps we even need to plan to leverage resources towards a more fruitful future. 

 

Our conference board of congregation development has moved forward with a new church plant in Crestview.   All signs seem positive that this church will grow and become fruitful. In the coming years, hopefully more new churches will be formed in our Annual Conference. There is a new enthusiasm from our Bishop and cabinet in appointing leaders who truly have the gifts to begin new churches in the future.   We are beginning to see a new passion In our conference for new churches. 

There are some hopeful signs in our district in this challenge of birthing new churches for the future.   Dexter Avenue United Methodist is closing to place all resources toward a restart of a new church in downtown Montgomery.   Dexter, under the leadership of Rev. Tony McCullough, has formed an incubator team planning a new future.   I trust God is at work with this team and restart. The hope is out of the legacy of Dexter a new dynamic congregation will be birthed or restarted. Why not a new church in a downtown area that is also undergoing transformation?  

 

Our first incubator team is at work proactively seeking new methods of starting new churches, campuses and communities of faith which will require less financial resources, move more swiftly, and in greater number.   We are beginning to see some positive signs like Robinson Springs UMC.  Dr. Chris Perry has participated in our district incubator team and has launched a new team at his church.   They are actively planning a new season at Robinson Springs to keep the church growing.  Why not expand our growing churches to continue growing in future? 

Last week our district launched a second incubator team of twelve pastors in our district who will seek to grow their congregations. I trust God will stir in our new team to launch new ways to reach people we are not currently reaching for Christ.  Perhaps new congregations, campuses, worship services, and ministries will be birthed. Why not the birth of new things? 

 

I would like to invite everyone to keep this mission of new churches, campuses, and ministries in your prayers. Obviously, God is still seeking to birth new things and make new disciples. How can we be faithful in extending this mission? Prayer could very well be the most important dimension for a new season of fruitfulness. Will you join in prayer and action to begin to change this outcome? The harvest is plentiful in reaching our world populated with people as “sheep without a shepherd.”  Why not?

 

Shalom,

Philip