One evening this week almost 40 people gathered in a Melbourne suburban home for coffee – and a chat with Sally and Floyd McClung. One participant said, “It was a powerful gathering!” – and I think I understood what was meant! It wasn’t primarily a reference to Sally or Floyd’s teaching – although their story was inspiring and they encouraged and blessed all gathered. But in that room were people who are planting house churches, factory churches, and skate-park churches. Some are planting a church among Afghans in Melbourne, others working in the growth corridors of the city, some working in country towns. There were youth there who are reaching children – and others building faith communities among young adults. Some came from planting churches in Buddhist and Muslim cultures. It was an unbelievable mix of people on fire for God and his kingdom.
After years of ministering in the States, Afghanistan and the Netherlands, Sally and Floyd have moved to South Africa. Floyd told us, “We wanted to be where God is active – among the poor and dispossessed. We are planting churches and planters come in to see what we are doing – to be equipped. We are working with planters in over 20 countries.”
We have a lot to learn from the majority Christian world, where the Christian faith is experiencing explosive growth. In Church Next Eddie Gibbs and Ian Coffey identified lessons from this majority Christian world. These are some they noted – factors that could revolutionize a church in the western world –
(1) Most pastors are first generation Christians
(2) Education and training is through apprenticeships – rather than residential seminaries
(3) Churches are missional (sometimes used as a synonym for the essence of emerging church in a western context!)
(4) Apostolic leaders are emerging from within the harvest or breaking from bureaucratic systems
(5) Leaders mentor new leaders – who go out to plant new churches
(6) New missionary movements are being mobilized, and
(7) Organisational structures are of a networking nature based upon mutual recognition and strong relationships.
How would your church plant be impacted by cultivating these principles? Maybe it would become a movement – not just a local plant!
PS: For those in Melbourne and able to be there, Floyd will be speaking on skills and resources for church planting at Crossways tomorrow – Saturday, May 31 @ 10.00 am. Also check out http://www.floydandsally.org
Peter Roennfeldt
Ahhh - I would have loved to come along to this! I guess it was in the last newsletter or for members only but sounds great! Unfortuantely I missed this and seeing Lyod this weekend, but I look forward to reading his new book.
Left by Neal Taylor on May 31st, 2008