Thursday, October 24, 2013

Risky Church

There are many churches in St. Augustine and thousands of churches in cities all over our nation. If there are already so many churches, then why plant a new church? Why leave the comforts of an established, healthy church? Justin Buzzard wrote a top ten list of reasons to join a church plant. In the message Sunday, Greg made a distinction between people who are involved in the early days of a church verses those involved in an established church - pioneers and settlers. Both types of people are needed at different stages in the life of a church. Who's a pioneer? Who's a settler?

There are plenty of opportunities to be involved in healthy churches and to serve in God glorifying ways. When your church plants a new location/church in your city or nearby community, should you pack your church bags and get involved?

Reason number one to get involved:
1. If you want to see Jesus do something new and are sick of the status quo.

The goal of church planting is not to create a place for church hoppers or people looking for the next best Sunday morning entertainment. The goal of planting a new church is to see people experience Christ for the the first time and live in light of God's transforming grace. When someone feels the futility of life without God, knows his guilt before God, and believes that God's promises of joy are true, worship happens.

I don't want expected "church stuff" to happen. God created the universe by the power of His Word. I believe Him to do amazing things through His people. I'm excited to see God display His grace and power through the work at Parkview St. Augustine. If you're tired of the status quo and desire to see Jesus do something new, get involved at Parkview.