If You Build It, They Will Come

There are several different kinds of strategies that people use to plant churches. There is the Seed model in which a solo church planter lands in his “field” and gets to work. This parachute drop-style of planting can be fruitful, but it often takes longer and has a lower rate of success. Then there is the Shoot model, which in some way, shape, or form is a type of multi-site. Although gathering in a different place and at a different time, this church shares the same root system with another (larger) church. This type of church expansion can leverage the strengths of a healthy church, but it usually takes a fairly large church to pull this off well, and even then, they can struggle to exegete their community effectively given that their root system is set elsewhere.

The third type of strategy is a Sapling. In this scenario a core group is gathered, trained, and then sent out to launch as a team. This model has an analogy in the greenhouse process of growing and then transplanting trees and flowers. Consequently, we use this language of Greenhouse and Greenhouse Environments to talk about the process and place for developing church plants.

A question I’ve been asking myself is, “What would it look like if we had a dozen Greenhouse Environments in the RMD?” I understand that it takes the right kind of person to plant a church. Yet, it strikes me that God may not be interested in sending church planters to churches who are not positioning themselves to steward one well. If this sounds like an “if you build it, they will come” scenario, I think you might be on to something. 

Scripture is bursting with examples and reminders to us that when God’s people step out in obedience, He is more than capable and more than willing to meet us there. It’s true that He may not. He is God, after all, and He can do as He pleases. However, I find nothing in Scripture that would indicate that God does not want more churches filled with more worshippers who were redeemed from the kingdom of darkness. Therefore, it seems almost certain to me that if we beg God to send us leaders, and then prepare to steward and develop these leaders to release them to this work, that He will move to that end. We are at least more apt to see Him extend His hand as we work to build in obedience, than if we simply wait for Him to drop a planter in our lap.

If we build it, they will come. If we build Greenhouse Environments to form and send leaders, God will send church planters. I am nearly certain of this, and I am entirely convinced of its reverse. 

If you’re ready to explore this further in your church, give me a call or shoot me an email. I’m eager to have a conversation with you about what God is stirring in your heart and how He might lead us to work together to see it realized.

Together with you,

Chris
ctweedy@rmdcma.com or (406) 647-2764