Archive - LifePoint Church RSS Feed

An Interaction with Steve Timmis

January 18, 2012 in church planting, LifePoint Church, missional, Sending Church with 0 Comments

Well, sort of…

Steve Timmis is the director of Acts29 Western Europe. This particular church planting organization was started by Mars Hills Church in Seattle, WA, a church founded and pastored by Mark Driscoll. Timmis is the co-author of Total Church along with Tim Chester. He recently had an article posted on the Resurgence website that I found interesting and caused me to think about what we having been doing in our adopted city here in Western Europe. I thought is would be good to interact with Timmis’ ideas on How to Plant a Church.

Timmis list 5 principles for planting a church; 1) Preach the Gospel, 2) Understand the Context, 3) Connect with People, 4) Connect with the Right People and 5) Train and Appoint Leaders.

1) Preach the Gospel – I wish starting a church was as simple as moving into a city and beginning a worship service and preaching strong Gospel-centered messages. Timmis isn’t saying this is the first thing you do, but is saying it must be done. I would propose it be done throughout each of the principles. The Gospel must be central to everything we do and say. In other words it must be woven so deeply into our message that it can’t help but seep forth from our topics of conversation. So, even in our connecting upon first arrival into a city, region or country we must be able to express why and how the Gospel has brought us to town. Definitely at the point at which people begin to meet in homes, public spots or in a corporate gatherings the Gospel must be clearly spoken.

2) Understand the Context – This is a process that has no ending point. In a new culture you must “ramp up” quickly to learn the cultural cues in which you live. Whether it’s in the city of your birth or in another state, region or country. Everywhere is different that where you are today in someway. Everyone thinks different, dresses a little different and not everyone has the same practices. What are the things that make where you live unique and how does the Gospel speak to the people who live there. The only way in which learn these things is to go to number 3.

3) Connect with People – This seems like the easy thing to do. Go find people and get involved in their lives. But depending on the context you live in and the context you came from this could be difficult. If the place you are coming from is vastly different from you present surroundings you may draw a crowd quickly, but will you communicate clearly and effectively in a way that people will understand and not be offended. For the one who is “planting”  or “starting” a new work the connecting can seem to take too long. Taking time and learning to connect with the people and culture you now live in is vitally important to starting a new work. We presently are involved in various social groups, we are involved in our kid’s school and we meet with people individually weekly to listen and ask questions.

4) Connect with the Right People – I agree with Timmis on this point. We must be willing to let people know who we are and why we are in the city. For our team we have chosen to meet with local religious leaders from various Christian backgrounds to introduce ourselves. We want the local leadership to know we mean them “no harm” and we are not interested in “their people” being in the new work. We are here to bless the city by serving, growing the Kingdom of God by living, speaking and teaching the Gospel in both word and deed. We also want to be a blessing to their churches. How can we serve your local body through partnering together? We must work with people who have tenure in the city we have been sent to work and live in. We must learn from their history and wisdom. We also continually ask the Holy Spirit to guide us toward “persons of peace” who will lend their wisdom and influence to us for the sake of the Gospel in the city. We also continue to look for people who are influential in the local communities we live to develop relationships with people who influence the city.

5) Train and Appoint Leaders – As part of a city with existing churches we are seeking to bless the existing churches and para-ministries through partnerships and training. As we work together for kingdom purposes we model and train as we are allowed influence. Only through relationship will partnership with existing churches happen effectively. By allowing others to speak into our vision for a new church in the city with sending and multiplication in the DNA we are then given opportunity to train others. We seek to model missional living, effective evangelism, relational outreach and biblical models of community for those we walk among. Even as we are developing relationships with those who will one day cross the line of saving faith in Christ we seek to give them opportunity to serve and lead in ways that are appropriate.

These five principles for planting a church are solid, proven and effective. Thanks Steve for the opportunity to dialogue with your ideas.

 

 

Sending The Church…

September 12, 2011 in church planting, LifePoint Church, missional, Sending Church with 0 Comments

to be the church where there is no church.

I believe in it.

But, this tag-line carries a lot of meaning. Obviously, one of the first questions must be what do we mean when we say church. The church as we mean it is about people not buildings, though buildings are necessary for the church (people) to meet together in many parts of the world. Whether it is a home, a café, or an auditorium buildings are useful, but not the church.

 

 

The tag-line can mean sending the church (people) literally to where there are no believers in a region of the world. It can mean sending the church (people) to an area of the city where a church is not existing presently. It can also mean sending the church (people) into the world to be a visible expression of Christ to a community of friends and associates.

In the country I reside there are many churches that exist already so why have we been sent to be the church where there is no church?

As I have thought about this over the last several months I have come to realize we are sent here to be a church that lives out the message of Christ incarnationally among of a people where churches are already found. We have been sent to reproduce disciples by the power of the Spirit. To reproduce leaders can live incarnationally among their sphere of influences in a way that will lead to new churches being birthed. We have been sent with intentionality at the heart of who we are. The DNA is sending, reproducing, incarnational living, multiplication, leaders, disciples and new generations. We have been sent to plant, partner and reproduce.

Being the church where there is no church in my context is more than a church building in a community with no physical gathering place. It’s more than groups of people who are meeting each week doing the same things time and again.

It is about sending healthy leaders to plant a healthy, reproducing body of believers who are reproducing and sending a new generation of disciples and leaders.

Sounds good in a blogpost and makes a great tag-line…but it is difficult, risky and dependent on the Spirit. Where else would we want to be?

How Did You Get There?

August 29, 2011 in Belgium, church planting, Family, LifePoint Church, missional, Sending Church with 0 Comments

Some of you have asked, “How did you end up in Belgium?” Here are a few posts that will give you a small glimpse into the who, what, where, when and how of the process.

How Did This Happen?

How Did This Happen? pt.2

The Whole Story (video)

From Here To There

I hope this helps you process what He is saying to you.

Zwemer, Chambers and LifePoint

August 26, 2011 in church planting, LifePoint Church, missional, Sending Church with 4 Comments

The Lord is doing much in these days here in Brussels. LifePoint Brussels is beginning to get traction in many areas around our community. I wish I could report to you we were in public services and many were surrendering to Christ today. I believe this will happen in due time, but we are not there yet.

I need to ask you to consider joining us for what I believe will be some of the most important work that will happen in Brussels. It will not be the only work, but certainly some of the most crucial and important to happen.

  • Samuel Zwemer, a missionary of old, is quoted as saying, “the history of missions, is the history of answered prayer.”
  • Oswald Chambers has written, “Prayer is not preparation for the work. Prayer is the work.”
  • In the 1700′s the Moravian communities committed themselves to an hour of intercessory prayer for the work of world evangelism.
  • The Haystack Prayer movement is said by some to be the beginning of the modern mission movement in the United States.

But these are not the only examples of how prayer has moved people into a season of great mission and evangelistic movement. In Acts 13 the Antioch church was praying and the Holy Spirit commanded them to set aside Paul and Barnabas by laying on of hands and they were sent to the Gentiles. From this time of prayer we see the movement of the Gospel through out the book of Acts.

Even in our own church, LifePoint Church, we have seen God move  when we commit to praying and seeking after Him and His plans. In 2004 and 2008 after times of prayer and fasting during our Sacred Gathering times God sent many of our people to the “ends of the Earth” and at the same time brought the “ends of the Earth” to Smyrna.

With this background I am asking you to join us in prayer for what God is doing today and will do in the future through LifePoint Brussels.

I am asking you to commit to praying with us on the First Thursday of each month for 30 minutes between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm.

We will send you a prayer guide with Scripture passages each month before the day we all pray together so we can pray in a directed way toward the same goals. There will be Scripture passages we ask you to remember as you pray and also specific request. We are asking you to pick a 30 minute time section during the 12 hours and let us know what time you are choosing so we can know you are praying also.

Please leave a comment stating which 30 minute time slot in which you will be praying.

Thanks to Steve Hawthorne for the article concerning prayer movements and the importance of prayer in our work.

Seven Months of Thankfulness

July 14, 2011 in church planting, LifePoint Church, missional, Sending Church with 5 Comments

It is hard to believe our family has been in Belgium for 7 months (July 5). It seems like only yesterday we were standing in the airport in Nashville with lots of friends saying good-bye. Many incredible experiences have happened in the last 7 months, but we wanted to highlight a few for you to show how God has been faithful to us and answered your prayers on our behalf.

Dec. 2010
Our family moved into a furnished apartment after only 2 weeks in the city

Jan. 2011
We connected with a French-speaking Belgian national, a relationship that is still growing strong today. This person has opened many doors for our family in this new country.
Our kids started in a French speaking Belgian school.
Kyle and Amy begin language school in hopes of communicating one day in French.

Feb.
Kyle and Amy celebrate 20 years of marriage.
Invited our first Belgian couple to share a meal in our home and they accepted.

March
The Christensens arrive from Nashville to plant and partner.
We were invited into a Belgian couple’s home to share a meal and experience their life.

April
Our first LifePoint Brussels gathering – 7 people (Apr. 3).
We began the process for LifePoint Brussels to receive non-profit standing in Belgium.

May
The Kids participated in the end of the year program at their new school and had major roles in the school play.
Our 1st. outreach coffee with 8 people gathering on a Sunday morning at 10:30 am.

June
Everyone in our family completes their first 6 months of language school successfully!
We are now preparing to receive and work with our first mission team in July, 2011.
Our team is preparing for 3 English discussion (college students) groups we hope to begin in September.

So much has happened in the last 7 months, and it is because God answered the prayers of His people. Thank you for partnering with us to pray for our family as we serve Him in Brussels. We are also thankful for your interceding on behalf of the people in this city. Your prayers are important.

I really looking forward to the next 7 months.

Pictures, Models and Vision

April 29, 2011 in church planting, LifePoint Church, missional, Sending Church with 0 Comments

Thank you God for giving me tangible pictures, real people, and real churches who are modeling what Biblical community looks like lived out in community.

I want you to take time to view these short videos. You may not have time to watch all of them at one time, but I believe it is important to get a good picture of what can be in the church. So watch one or two of the videos and come back for the other ones if you need more time.

Renovation Church – Atlanta, GA from Verge Network on Vimeo.

Not long ago I wrote about leading change in the church with vision and pictures of a desired change. Well, I want to say thank you to Renovation Church in Atlanta, GA., The Austin Stone in Austin, TX. and Soma Communities in Tacoma, WA. and Verge Network for giving us what missional living and church planting looks like in the US context.

The Austin Stone Community Church – Austin, TX from Verge Network on Vimeo.

There are some incredible short films on the Verge website of missional churches and what life-together looks like in the context of being a follower of Christ. This is the type of community we seek to model at LifePoint Church. I am thankful to be a part of a body of believers who are living “Sent” lives for the gospel each day, not just for the church organization.

Soma Communities – Tacoma, WA from Verge Network on Vimeo.

These types of pictures are exactly what we desire to see happen and take place in Brussels. We will join me in praying to that end.

LifePoint Brussels Begins

April 3, 2011 in Belgium, church planting, LifePoint Church, missional, Sending Church with 2 Comments

Here is a short video of LifePoint Brussels first worship together. This is the beginning of many great things the Lord has in store. Tonight was also the answer to many prayers that have been offered to see a work planted in Brussels. There is so much work to be done but tonight we experienced prayers being answered.

I Haven’t

February 18, 2011 in church planting, Family, LifePoint Church, missional, Sending Church with 5 Comments

I want to and need to answer a few questions that I have been asked by people about our move to another country.

First question, “Why did you leaving your position at LifePoint?”

The easy answer is I haven’t left LifePoint I changed positions and roles at LifePoint. I am still on the bus at LifePoint, just in a new seat. Since there is not an established work of LifePoint in Brussels our role here is church planter. When there is a body of believers/followers living and working in Brussels I will be the campus pastor. We represent the work and the body of Christ and LifePoint Church in Belgium. I have written about our call as a family a several occasions. Please read about how God moved our family to put us where we are today. It still amazes me when I think about it.

We didn’t wake up one day and just think “Hey, why don’t we sell everything and leave a great church and what we have always wanted and go to another place.”  That would be irresponsible and poor stewardship of the leadership role entrusted to me as the leader of our family and a leader in the church. A decision to move to another country and the ramifications of that decision must be made in the context of trusted relationships and a loving faith community. I am thankful for Pat as a friend and as a pastor. He walked through this process with our family as we (Goens and LifePoint) determined how God was leading us (Goens and LifePoint). We worked together to determine what God was saying and leading us to do within the context of a community of faith. We, as followers, are given the body of believers to help guide, support, pray with each other and many more aspects of doing life together in community. All of us miss out greatly in our faith walk when we don’t lean into and engage the local body more in situations we are walking through. We must take into account all of the “one another” passages in the Bible as we truly live our faith in practical expressions.

So, one more time, I am still a part of LifePoint Church and on staff. I am in a new role of influence and work. It just happens to be in another country.

Second question, “Why did you go to another country at this time in the lives of your children?”

next time….

Sending Day

September 20, 2010 in Belgium, church planting, LifePoint Church, missional, Sending Church with 1 Comment

Yesterday was an incredible day for my family. We had the privilege of being commissioned by our church to go to Belgium and begin the process of planting our lives for the Gospel.

Another family, the Christensen’s, were also commissioned to go and live in Belgium for the Glory of God. We are glad to have others going with us as we live life in community.

We are so thankful for our church and our family who helped to make yesterday a day we will never forget.

To become one of our prayer partners please register here.

To be a part of our sending team please look here and here.

“I See The Poor”

August 31, 2010 in Influence, LifePoint Church, Sending Church with 0 Comments

LifePoint Church recently released a music project called “Illuminate, Children of Light“. I encourage you to purchase the CD for yourself and then get another on for a friend.

Micah Huebner, one of the worship leaders at LifePoint Church, explains the backstory for the song “I See The Poor” in the following video. Thanks to all the folks who made the project a reality and to those who are purchasing the CD. Half of all the proceeds from the sell of the Illuminate CD are going to send mission teams around the world. Purchase more CDs right now…all of you.

‘I See the Poor’ Song Story from LifePoint Church on Vimeo.
Page 1 of912345»...Last »