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Dr. Kevin Ezell shares stories from the beginnings of the multi-site and replanting movement. Thom and Kevin discuss the strengths of these two movements coming together for Kingdom expansion.
Highlights:
- A church stays alive through the principle of multiplication.
- Proven leadership is provided to more than one site.
- Kingdom facilities remain kingdom facilities.
- Communities and neighborhoods regain a gospel presence.
- A formerly dying church can soon become a replanting church itself.
- More ministry and leadership opportunities emerge for staff and laity.
Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:
Our local jail has been the site of a growing ministry, coming from within the ranks of the inmates. Through one mom, who is a member of our church, the pastor’s print sermons were reaching the men. One day the light came on for a couple of them and they began a Bible study that grew exponentially. It has even crossed over into the women’s jail, through hearsay. Now it has an “outside” meeting place for those whose sentences were short and want to keep up relationships.
Soon, we hope, one of the originators will begin preaching a second service within our church building, at night. (Our church is located in an old downtown, currently a drug dealing area.) The “inside” ministry continues, also. We consider that dear little jail our second campus. 🙂 And other churches are hearing of it. 🙂
I am totally opposed to the “multi-site” model of church planting in most of its forms. A prison ministry or a residential care center is certainly an exception, but the new trend of big churches taking over smaller struggling ones and making them permanent “satellites campuses” is not good. It creates a “bishop” type system. The way Southern Baptists grew great was by establishing missions which were intentionally planned to become self-supporting, self-standing autonomous churches. Today’s model of establishing separate campuses that are intended to be permanently part of the “mother” church is not a good model, and will ultimately lead to power being consolidated in a few mega-churches. Church “replants” are good if the supporting church intends at some point to hand back autonomy to the church they are “replanting.”
Jeff, I respectfully disagree. You said that “The way Southern Baptists grew great was by establishing missions which were intentionally planned to become self-supporting, self-standing autonomous churches.” That is true. But, it’s not the only way. God never spells out exactly how to organize the Church. He gave roles to be filled but the structure can change over time. We can’t look at the “way” we’ve always done things to expect the same results. Moses was spoken to through a burning bush but I’ve never been spoken to that way. Just as God doesn’t speak to us the same way every time, God leads men to create structures that work for their season in the history of the church. If we won’t change as God leads, we will die by our methods.