Greenville is a church planting magnet. Why? Not sure....other than the fact that we have a TON of churches but less people going than ever before. A problem. BUT....many feel like God has called them to mobilize missional communities in this city.
Don't get me wrong....I love church planting...our staff has joined the Renovation Center, group of the Infinity Alliance, committed to saturation church planting of incarnational, missional communities.
Some of the questions realities that I have been challenged with lately from Dwight Smith (missiologist and founder of Infinity Alliance, Renovation Center, and a ton of other things) are:
1. The priesthood of the believer is a lost concept in the western world. (pastors and teachers have become brokers who go before God on behalf of the people.
2. Many of our worship services have become sacramental and monastic. Our buildings and programs have become means of Grace.
3. Many of our Churches (small C) have become demographically driven and not geographically driven (i.e. Church of Greenville, Church of Corinth, Galatia, etc..). Focused on people like us instead of taking responsibility for those God has placed around us.
The GOOD NEWS is: Our God is raising up missional communities around the globe. Many are now focusing on their cities, joint venturing across denominations, taking responsibility for the geographic circles that God has placed them in, and committing to planting missional churches.
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