Recently I have been asked, “What type of people are you looking for to join the core group of the church?” Below are a list of qualities/characteristics that I believe are important. If you know anyone who meets these qualifications and you believe that I should meet, please put us in touch (www.c3magnolia.org).
- Christian – It is important at this stage of planting the church that we have people who are followers of Jesus Christ.
- Biblical – In order for all of us to be moving the same direction, we must all be submitted to the authority of the Lord and His Word.
- Missional – Our community exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ. This occurs through all people of the core group understanding that all believers are called to live on mission in their immediate context.
- Flexible – Church planting has a lot of twists, turns, and bumps along the way. We need people who are flexible and willing to ‘go with the flow’ as we move forward through the beginning phases of planting.
- Generous – We are in need of families who are willing to be generous with their time, their gifts, and their financial resources. During the core phase, we are not in a position to minister to the need of those who are not willing to contribute to the mission. Furthermore, it is our desire to do our very best to avoid a consumer type church that allows people to attend and take, without participating in the life of the church. This is important to begin cultivating now as we are gathering a core.
- Committed – Lastly, we need individuals and family who are willing to commit for a set period of time. We understand that there are times where the Lord will call someone away, but it is important to have some consistency in the early stages.
What am I missing?
2 comments:
This is a great list Casey!! We're praying that God leads the right people to you.
Casey I pray that God will send you the people who you need for this work. Don't be afraid to go to the unchurched from the start. I am convinced that there are people in every community who know God Loves them and desire a meaningful walk with Him but feel that the church has forgotten them. My dad called these people "Church Residue" They are what is left on the side of the road after the church machine rolls by.
I know of several men and women who are in the beginning stages of there walk with Christ who are now fully committed to the work of the church. You may have to reach out to these people first, but in many ways they are more teachable and require less motivation, to do the ministry, once God is working in their lives, than does a person who has been discouraged by a life spent sitting idle in a pew. These people may not be fully equipped for every ministry but God has gifted them none the less and they can be nurtured through a life spent in missionary service.
This is not easy to do and The Holy Spirit to give you discernment. Allow God to use you as he did Ananias to reach out to those who feel like "church residue."
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