Church Planting the Kingdom

Do you know what the first commandment in the Bible is? The very first command in the Bible is “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:22). God from the beginning intended all living things to reproduce, that is, “according to its kind.” For lions that meant “reproduce lions.” For plants that meant “reproduce plants.” For Adam and Eve that meant “have lots of children.”

Throughout the New Testament, we see the church described as a living body. Just as everything that is alive will grow, mature, and reproduce, the same is true for the church. A church does so by starting another church.

This is all a part of God’s Kingdom work. God is passionate that His kingdom will encompass every community, every tribe, and will reach every person.

Fred Herron adds to this thought in his book Expanding God’s Kingdom through Church Planting (pg. 19):

“God intends the church to proclaim and demonstrate the kingdom so that his kingdom will spread to every people group on the earth. The passion in God’s heart for the expansion of his kingdom is a desire for all nations to glorify God the eternal King. He has given the church a kingly commission to go into the entire world and make disciples who are loyal worshippers of the King. The heart of God for kingdom expansion is the foundation for planting new churches.”

With this in mind, church planting becomes more than a novel idea. It is through the planting of new churches that God’s kingdom and God’s reign are extended into communities around the world that are under the reign of darkness.

We fulfill both the first command of Scripture and the Great Commission by multiplying churches. By planting churches we take Jesus into the lives of needy people, we become partners with God’s mission, and we actively expand God’s kingdom. God’s heart beats for church planting and so should ours!

Maximizing your Digital Presence

Connecting with people is important for any business, let alone the church. The challenge is connecting in a personal manner that is also non-obtrusive. For years, most churches have used paper connection cards to gather guest information and to track church attendance. In many contexts it still works and is the most efficient and cost effective way to connect with people. But the game is starting to change.

Mobile devices are changing the way people think and connect. Here are some ways to leverage our digital world in the church today.

Ask people to check-in on social media during the service

The key to this is having someone manage the social media outlets for the church and then send a thank you note to those who “check-in."

Create a digital program versus a paper program

We made this move and it saved our church money.

Not only did it save us money we found it was easier for people to stay connected because paper programs get thrown away and digital programs could be located all week.

Utilize online giving avenues

Make it as easy as possible for people to give to the church. People are regularly doing online mobile banking. Encourage them to do the same when it comes to regularly giving to the church.

Create a church app

There are many great app developers out there that can create a solid, workable and useful app for the church. This serves as one more extension for the church and its people to stay connected.

Consider taking the paper connection card and making it available online

When I was pastoring at Harvest we moved everyone to filling out a digital connection card. It took hours of planning and work to figure it out but it became a huge success. Instantly, our connections went up and it saved us time and money. Furthermore, it added a wow experience for our guests. You can take a look at our creation.

Encourage people to interact with the service via social media

A great way to maximize this avenue is by using hashtags that are specific to a series or sermon. Be creative and come up with a hashtag that people will want to use and that makes sense in how it connects to the church.

About Lee

I am passionate about starting new churches, but also helping established churches thrive and prepare to reach the next generation. I thrive on assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership challenges and strategically plan for the future.

Besides being the son of a pastor, I have been in pastoral ministry for more than 16 years.  I have a bachelor's degree in Christian ministry and a Master's degree in ministry.  Currently, I have the privilege of serving the Kingdom as the Executive Director of Church Planting with Converge Worldwide.

The greatest times in my life are spent with my wife of 12 years, Melissa.  Together we have two kids...Aaron and Noel.

My Clifton Strengths profile is:

• Competition
• Futuristic
• Strategic
• Relator
• Activator

For fun I enjoy camping, mountain biking, golfing, hanging with my family, watching movies with my wife, and reading a good book.  And yes, I am obsessed with Notre Dame football.

Contact:

If you would like to connect with me or engage in a coaching experience please contact me. You can do so on Twitter or Facebook.