Church Planting Discussion

‘I fear there are some who preach with the view of amusing men, and as long as people can be gathered in crowds, and their ears can be tickled, and they can retire pleased with what they have heard, the orator is content, and folds his hands, and goes back self-satisfied. But Paul did not lay himself out to please the public and collect the crowd. If he did not save them he felt that it was of no avail to interest them. Unless the truth had pierced their hearts, affected their lives, and made new men of them, Paul would have gone home crying, “Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”… Now observe, brethren, if I, or you, or any of us, or all of us, shall have spent our lives merely in amusing men, or educating men, or moralizing men, when we shall come to give our account at the last great day we shall be in a very sorry condition, and we shall have but a very sorry record to render; for of what avail will it be to a man to be educated when he comes to be damned? Of what service will it be to him to have been amused when the trumpet sounds, and heaven and earth are shaking, and the pit opens wide her jaws of fire and swallows up the soul unsaved? Of what avail even to have moralized a man if still he is on the left hand of the judge, and if still, “Depart, ye cursed,” shall be his portion?’” ["Soul Saving Our One Business," The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 25 (London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1879), 674-76.]  Charles Spurgeon

Brother Tony and I have put a lot of work into a book for missionaries as has our whole team. Mark Coffey, Travis Snode, Morris Hunsucker, Kelli Canfield and I don’t know who else has worked so hard to get this book together.We are really praying that God will use it to help missionaries raise their support. There is a lot that scares people about being a missionary but one of the scariest things of all is how they are going to raise their support. This book is going to help them in every area of their deputation.For those from our church that may not understand the term–deputation is the process we use in our independent Baptist Churches and faith mission agencies. Our men and women make phone call after phone call and then visit churches. After a couple of years they should be able to raise all of their support.This book and material has already been used by many people now for many years but we just haven’t had it in a published book. I am so proud of our team and I pray that God will greatly use the book to help get men and women to the mission field.If you are interested in purchasing the book click here and you can buy it right now with your pay pal account or your credit card.The book is not at its regular price of $16.95. Get it for a missionary you love!

Well not really but we did already get orders for about 30 books and they aren’t even here yet.  If you want to order some you can go to the following link and order right now.  The book should be to you within the next two weeks.  

Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.  Peter Drucker You could apply that to a blessed church I think!  Go plant one! 

I know that several pastors and missionaries read this blog. So here is a special offer to all of you. The Deputation Manual is on its way from the printer. I want to give you a pre release offer. If you will order the book before it gets here you can have a copy for $10 plus postage. If you want to order 10 or more copies we will get them to you for $8.50 plus shipping. The book will be selling for $16.95 when it arrives. You have about one week from today to place your order. Just send us an email to gardner at bcwe.org or call the church at 770-456-5881 and we will let you know how to make your payment.

I believe the book will be a blessing to any missionary you have and is good information for you as a pastor to have also.

Before you arrive!

Contact different missionaries in the country–especially other independent Baptist missionaries long before you arrive.  Learn all that you can from everyone of them.

Have a planned place to say good bye.  The airport is not the best place any more.  In the old days you could take a group back to the gate and nearly have a service. That isn’t possible today. Why not have people give you your send off at the house or church before you leave. Try not to get your family all torn up any worse than they have to be before you get on the plane. 

That first week! 

Contact the missionaries when you have arrived on the field. See if you can get together with them for a meal and fellowship.  Make a friend after all you are on the same team.  See what you can learn from your fellow workers.

 Do not start relationships with people you will not want to continue. Negativity spreads.  If you meet a very negative missionary–fearful, bad attitude towards the people, etc then you will want to be friendly and kind but do not pursue this relationship.  

Remember to not believe everything you hear from the missionaries.  That is even about what you can get and can not get on the field. After Betty and I had been living on the field for many years we were in a routine. Often the new missionaries would tell us that they had visited a new store or gone to a new place and found things that we did not know you could get.  Listen, be respectful and get out and explore.  

Remember that who ever is helping you get moved over will want to influence the way you think.  It is not always a good idea to get help from just everyone.  Especially if you live in a closed country where they might try to stir up your fear. Even in other countries they might tell you what you can and can’t do. 

Comments and questions are welcomed 

We are constantly concerned about getting information and help into the hands of our missionaries. So right now we are going to start trying to break down into little sessions things that might be of practical help.  In this post I would like to start on the idea of what should be accomplished in the first week.  I would like to ask all of you that are already on the field to read these posts and to make comments.  Ask questions but help me to get into the hands of our people good information about what should be accomplished during that first week.

 They have just landed at the airport.  They are on their way through immigration and then customs.  When they walk out of the airport I would like to give them an idea of what to expect and what to try and accomplish.  We will assume for this discussion that they are arriving for language school or if they speak the language to the first week of their ministry.  Here are some ideas for your consideration.

The following are things that should have already been taken care of long before the first week.  

 When you start deputation you should start on your visa for the country.  Go here to read an earlier post on this subject.  Get a mentor!      Visa Problems    Be sure and read the comments under each post as well.  There should be no reason to delay your departure because of your visa.

 You should set up a fund for your housing, travel, set up long before you leave.  You should already know what it is going to cost you to ship your belongings, set up etc. Get the fund set up, don’t touch your escrow, raise the funds to get everything done on the field.  Remember churches get tired of emergency requests that are emergencies due to your lack of discipline and preparation.

Find out if you should take a container to your country.  What can you buy there?  Is it better to buy there or ship?   

I strongly suggest that you make a survey trip and take your wife before you go to the field.  In another post we will deal with what you should do on the trip. The trip is not about whether or not you should go but how to get ready to go. 

Be careful to never base what you think about the field on one missionary family’s opinion.  Do some research yourself.  Maintain the right attitude but keep learning. 

 Things for the first week! 

 You may have some in the country paper work to do with your visa when you arrive so that will be one of the first things that you work on.

If you are starting your ministry it is a good idea to check out lots of churches in the area and learn all that you can.  Talking to national pastors with the right attitude could help you learn about how to work and minister in the country.

 You can visit churches that you do not agree with as a learning experience.  It might be better to take a few days or weeks to get acclimated to the country and the culture.  So visit others to see what you can learn. 

More tomorrow so please give your comments and questions by posting a comment here.