Words of Encouragement

The Joys and Sorrows of Church Planting

Church planters are a rare breed! Having planted two churches, my advice to the potential church planter would be similar to the advice that Spurgeon gave to his Bible sturdents who were contemplating entering the ministry. If you can avoid doing it, do so! Yet if you cannot avoid it, because you know without a doubt that you are in God’s will, do it with all your heart, soul and might!

There are many pitfalls in church planting. Many newly established fellowships are paid a visit by spiritual “gypsies” who are looking for either influence of leadership. It is tempting for the leader of a small work to accept such people gladly – after all they “help” the numbers! Experience proves, however, that the eventual spiritual cost of endeavouring to discipline such people is not worth accepting them in the first place.

Then, there is the discouragement of having small numbers. There are holidays in the summer and every form of sickness in the winter. Everyone not present is greatly missed! Some become unhappy at being in a small congregation and so decide to leave and join some larger group elsewhere. Often, this is simply because of the commitment required in a church plant situation. Added to this is the lack of workers. The only mature Christians that the small congregation sees are the church planters themselves.

The logical conclusion to this is that no church planter should work alone in their quest for God. They need to be linked to a larger congregation who can help with manpower, music and money. The leadership of the bigger group may also assist should discipline be required in the church plant. Even then, it is helpful if the church that the planter is connected with has been a church plant itself. Its leadership will know and understand the problems experienced in beginning a new work first hand.

Is your chuch a ‘planting’ church? In the two years that Paul was in Ephesus, it was said of him “that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 1:8. This would have been impossible in both instances without a chuch planting programme.

New chuches are the most effective means of winning people for the Lord. They have no formality or ritual to uphold. This makes it much easier for the Holy Spirit to move so that Jesus can effectively build His church in and through them.

The Cutting Edge

stephen Words of Encouragement

To be on the cutting edge of what God is doing we have to know God’s will, or mind, in all things. The only way we are going to fulfil anything that God is calling us to is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and with His power. (Acts 17:28)

This means commitment, which is a word what is not liked very much these days. It is a commitment to the will and purpose of God in all things. God is sovereign. He is the creator of all things. God is never wrong. He is perfect in all His ways. Can you trust Him to lead you and show you His will? God is always right.

To pioneer new works for God we have to get His blueprint before we begin. We have to know God’s mind, otherwise we will not know where we are going. We will only end up chasing our tails and going round in circles. I want to encourage you to get to the place where God can speak to you, and then work in and through you to fulfil His plan for you.

I find these days that many of God’s people are not sure where they are going. There is an unwillingness generally to be fully committed to the will of God and pay the price. If the Church is going to come to maturity, and fulfil its God-given destiny, then there has to be commitment. We cannot establish God’s kingdom by operating in the flesh, and leaving the minority to somehow pull us all through.

If our desire is to see more Church’s planted and more lives changed, then we need to know God’s leading. The only way we will know God’s plans and leading is by commitment. This will include total abandonment of our own ambitions and being willing to follow Christ whatever the cost. It may include giving up a comfortable lifestyle with a guaranteed income each month, and stepping out and trusting God to meet your needs. There is no other way to build for God than to have faith in His ability to look after you and meet your needs. Someone once said, “God will always pay for what He orders”. The only way you are going to know what He is ‘ordering’ is by knowing His will.

I can quite honestly say that all God has done through the ministry in Meriden has been by His grace and mercy. We have found God to be totally faithful, He does meet our needs. I believe the key to this is to stay close to Him, stop in His will and He will bring it to pass. There are times when things seem to be going haywire, and it becomes intolerable to bear, it’s times like that when you feel you want to give up. However, it is in those times that God tests us, we do come through because God is faithful. I want to encourage you to rise up and get on the cutting edge of what God is doing and believe Him for the impossible.

John Yates

Climbing the Mountain

stephen Words of Encouragement

For those who are following the plan and purpose of God there will be mountains to climb. The first thing we have to know is what is the Lord calling me to do? For the person who is committed to the call. of God on their lives, God has a plan for you. God wants you to fulfil that plan and to get on with the job of climbing in faith. Even to climb the whole mountain or to fulfil the big picture there are smaller ledges, banks and troughs to deal with on the way.

Are you still climbing or have you come to the place where you are just not able to continue? It might be that you are in a place where you can neither go up or down – you are just stuck?

In God’s plan for your life and mine there is provision to climb the mountain – to accomplish the climb. After all it’s God’s plan not ours and whatever He is calling us to do we will be able to do it. Often God will use what we are called to do to change our character and bring healing from the past, then develop us into the person He wants us to become.

In Genesis 22 we have an illustration of this in the life of Abraham. He was tested to the limit, even to the sacrifice of His own son Isaac. It’s only through our faith and obedience to the challenge that God puts before us that we find His provision. There is provision to fulfil the task set before you, but there are conditions. Abraham had no idea that there would be a ram in the thicket, His provision, see verse 13.

I want to encourage you to start to move forward, believing that God is with you. First believe that what you are being asked to do is from God and start to move. It’s in our willingness to move first that sets God’s plan of provision in motion. There is always a price to pay that brings the blessing and provision of God.

John Yates