A mistake we might regret

We need to do everything we can to ensure that the church does not lose its buildings.  As I drive round Doncaster I see former churches everywhere, some are glaziers premises, some are carpet show rooms, some are houses, some are derelict.  All of them would be better, as would the area they are in, for a thriving gospel witness in them.  And so that leads me to think that we ought to be looking, and planting, so as to ensure the church does not lose buildings.

This is especially the case as it is predominantly in the less affluent and middle class areas where we are losing them.  I can think of three places off the top of my head in Doncaster, gospel needy places, where churches either have or look like they are in danger of shutting their doors in the next 10 years.  Once that land and those buildings are lost how will we plant into those areas again?  How will we get a permanent foothold and presence in those areas?

As a church we've been looking for premises for a while and it's not easy, there is not much around an the prices, where we are, are astronomical.  We'd love there to be a derelict church building to run things in and use as a base to serve the community.  Yes, there would be draw backs and compromises, but old wooden pews are nothing a quick prayer and a flamethrower couldn't solve.  In too many areas churches are struggling and will close and building and land will be lost, and this seems to disproportionately be the case in the more working class and deprived areas.  And once lost how will we reach those areas and those people.  Location matters more than ever in those sorts of communities because the community and connections are built around neighbourhood not network.

I think all this needs to impact our church planting strategy.  How?  We ought to be asking where are there buildings we could plant into?  Where are the gospel needy areas in our towns and cities where we could run an afternoon service in an existing church building whose congregation meets in a morning?  Where are the areas which we cannot reach from our network churches because they are neighbourhood areas which can only be reached with a neighbourhood church?  Where are the churches that are on their knees, not in prayer, but in despair and in terms of numbers which we can approach about revitalisation or a replant?  What networks can we build so that if the worst happens and a church has to close its doors they approach others who can start a work there so the land and building and gospel witness are not lost?

Reminded of the Gospel need

I've been reminded again of the gospel need of Doncaster.  A family connected with our church, who has shown considerable interest in the gospel at various times and have many questions but who are yet to come to faith are about to move.  Not by choice but because they have to.  Due to the nature of rehousing their home will by some 9 miles away on the other side of Doncaster.   They don't drive so driving half an hour to meet with us isn't an option, there are no direct buses, and a round trip of over an hour to pick someone up for church is impossible when we already transport a number of other people.  So I've been desperately trying to find a Bible teaching church for them where they will hear the gospel and be loved, but so far I've drawn a blank.

It reminds me again of the gospel need of Doncaster.  It drives me to pray that God will raise up people who see the need and come and help us reach Doncaster with the gospel.

Do I believe?

Do you believe in the Word of God? Do you believe it has the power to change lives? Do you believe that it can save anyone, anytime, anyplace?

One of the great encouragements from the Northern Men's Convention was to be reminded in each of the 3 main sessions of the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it is preached in Acts. In Acts 2 as Peter speaks it has the power to convict those listening of their sin and rebellion against God and leads to 3000 being baptised. In Acts 10 it has the power to save Cornelius, a Gentile, to break out of the confines of Jerusalem and Israel. In Acts 15 its power is seen in the reports of Gentile conversions and in the belief that this gospel of Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah is for all.

Then in Acts 16 it is seen as it saves a rich woman, a slave girl and a middle ranking Roman jailer, or put another way a God fearing Gentile, a demon possessed girl and a polytheist. The word of God, the gospel is powerful, it saves. The rest of Acts maps that out as 1:8 is fulfilled and God gets his witnesses with his word from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and then to the ends of the earth.

In Acts we see that within the space of 30 years the gospel - God's word - turned the known world upside down. So why all the doom and gloom following on from the news of Christianities seeming decline in Britain. The word of God has not changed, the Holy Spirit has not lost his ability to work in us to equip us to speak for him or work in those we come in contact with, and people still need to hear the news that Jesus is Lord and Messiah. And the gospel is needed by everyone.

Have I lost my edge? Do I still believe everyone needs the gospel? Do I still believe it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe? Do I still believe the Holy Spirit works in and through us? That belief is not about nodding ascent it is evidenced in action - in asking God's help and cooperating with the Spirit of God living in us to build relationships, show Christianities relevance and proclaim the gospel.

The church on its knees?

The Times today carried the front page headline: "Church going on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour" and an article stating that if current trends continue then within a generation church attendance will have fallen behind that at Mosques, and be battling for second place with the Hinduism.

In the articles Hazel Blears said: "Britain is a secular democracy with a strong Christian tradition but many faiths have a home in Britain.”

How should we react to such news?

Firstly the article goes on to say that some evangelical churches are bucking the trend, where the truth is preached and people live by it the gospel continues to bear fruit.

Secondly it is a great insight into the need for the gospel in Britain. God has not changed, man's need has not changed and neither has the capability of the gospel to save.

Thirdly it should cause us to pray. Why? Because that is Daniel's response when he fears for his nation, because prayer is the place where we can bring our heart felt needs and concerns to God.

Finally it should make us aware of the opportunities. people expect the church to be dead or dying thus when they come across a church that is growing and active as it lives under God's word and models God's love to people it will be all the more startling for them. Indeed we have been involved in seeing people come to faith for whom that was exactly the starting point.

Religion may be on its knees Jesus Christ is not, he reigns at the right hand of his Father on high and he will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. We are privileged to be on the front line of that project in a nation with so many opportunities for those who will live with Jesus as their Saviour and their Lord.

Love in the community

Been re-listening to Tim Keller and Philip Jensen on Church Planting and have been reminded again of the need for us to break the mould.

There are so many stereotyped views of Christians; boring, hypocritical, judgemental, preachy and so on.... The big question is what am I doing to disprove them? How am I disabusing people of those notions?

How do we as churches show people that such views are wrong? In fact they are one of Satan's greatest ploys as they stop people ever considering the lifesaving, eternally significant message that the church has been entrusted with for the world!!!! If the gospel matters I, we must be demolishing such wrongheaded stereotypes both personally and corporately. Are we doing that? How do we go about doing so?