The planters menace

What would you consider to be the biggest menace to church planting? Many planters deal with difficult people, limited finances, and un-satisfactory meeting places just to name a few. But have you considered that the biggest menace to church planting may be what we call -- religion. Most church planters think that there are a bunch of elements that are limiting to the success and growth of a church plant. Usually our biggest menace becomes our unwillingness to depart from living and acting out of our own religion. In reality many church plants are masking themselves behind a fresher and livelier religion. Good performances, excellent ministries, phenomenal story-telling, and Cadillac technology are some of the masks that many church plants hide behind these days. When you begin to unveil the "stuff" what you begin to see is another form of "good old religion." How do we know this? Check out who is really attending the church plant! Most church plants in our land are not connecting and reaching people who are outside of church life. Most of the people that are baptized ususally come from somewhat of a churched background. We've also grown accustom to making fun of the "old time" churches, saying that they are irrelevant and inadequate in reaching people. What we really mean to say is that they aren't reaching out anymore to the "church hoppers" that we're accustomed to reeling in. So, what is the solution? Quit repackaging grandma's church and start acting like the church in Acts. Start behaving like the Christian character Paul describes in Romans 12, and stop mimicking the character of the Corinthian and Revelation churches. The character of the Christians that Paul described in Romans 12 revealed the significance of living and functioning in relationships that we encounter in the world. He (Paul) spoke on how to rightly relate to God, the world, ourselves, other believers, and un-believers in the world. It makes sense to me that if we mimicked Romans 12 rather than the church that we've known in the western world for hundreds of years, we might find ourselves reaching and relating to people who live in our neighborhoods and communities. Let's face reality; religion will not reach people. Relationships on the other hand is the true essence of how we can and should reach out to people who need Christ. So, as we begin 2009 I would challenge you to do everything you can as a church planter to bury the habits of practicing religion. Try commiting to living like a Romans 12 follower of Christ (this is what I've committed to do myself). I would further challenge you to do everything you can to reach out and build relationships with lost people. If you haven't figured this out yet, let me remind you that "they (un-churched people) are not going to show up to your church plant." What reaches people are people; not religion, things, gimmicks, and shows. People building and living out of genuine relationships reach people. My prayer is you'll earnestly try this approach this year. What do you have to lose if you do? Oh yeah, that old menace called RELIGION!