Before i go into it, i want to be clear about something. I in no way want to leave our ministry here at South Side. Things are going great and people are growing in Christ, so i would have to be a fool to abandon that. But still i think it is okay to share what my dream for my career and calling as a pastor is. I created this blog so that people could get to know the real me a little better, so therefore, this is my dream in life. People often ask me what my long-term goal for ministry is, well, this is it.
Ever since i got into Christianity i have felt this calling to do something big for God. Not just grow a church or baptize alot of people or even to help make disciples out of a bunch of filthy sinners (you know who you are, as am I) but to do something that is so big it outlasts me by a long shot. I have prayed for God to develop this, and well, this is where i am right now.
My dream is to plant a church. I know many of you know this, but it isnt your adverage run of the mill church. I want to start a brand new church in an area that isnt so much unChurched. See in most church plants people will plant one where there arent many churches, but in this one i would like to plant it in a area where there are many. See personally i think the Bible Belt at times gets flooded with religious, disingenuous congregations that really dont help people become disciples as much as the help people love churchyness. So i would like to start a church for (as a million guys before me have put it) people who hate going to church. It mainly would consist of a plan that is in a fantastic book titled "Simple Church". This is that the basics of the church are "Love God, Love People and Serve the World". We wouldnt be a group with lots of programs or campaigns, but moreso a group that meets, worships and during the weeks hangs out and grows closer to eachother. You might ask how this is different from your church, well it is, and here is how.
We wouldnt be a place that worries about wednesday night bible studies or sunday night whatever, it would only be (from the beginning) a worship service and small groups. The only other time we would all meet is for service projects to actually affect our community.
Another important thing I would make sure we did was to NEVER buy a property. I would love to meet in a theatre or mall, and then if we got bigger, meet in a school gym or a audotorium, but that is as far as it goes. I think within the church we get so tied up in our temple (church) that we forget what is important. Such a huge cost for a church is building maintenance, but for us, it would be nothing short of rent. It would be mandatory that if you joined our church you would become a missionary to our city, and two you be plugged into a small group.
And i even know what i would love to call it. See when studying the Gospels i have seen Jesus called many things, but usually those around him called him teacher or Rabbi. Our church would be, of course, all about Jesus (as most are). So we would be called "Rabbi Church" which of course most people would be scared of, as they would call us Jews, which would also be fun. There are about a zillion other details to it, including, who my staff would be (my buddy Paul Potter would share the preaching with me, but after that i tell nothing) what style of music, location, and how to the raise money, but none of that matters (although i have thought of all of it). I am sure i will never do it, but that is my dream.
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