Two blog entries in three days isn't too bad. So the journey begins. Many people would probably label me as baptist, more specifically Southern Baptist. In fact, some people would probably assign that label to me before the Christian label. This does not mean that my life doesn't reflect Christ. Rather, my denominational involvement and doctrinal stances sometimes have precedence with some people over the real issue of Christ residing within me. Yes, I attend an SBC seminary. Yes, I lead a ministry for an SBC state convention. And yes, I agree with the doctrines and beliefs of the SBC(though I sometimes disagree with the method that these beliefs are used and abused). However, I do diagree with some of the ministry approaches that some of our SBC entities utilize to spread the Gospel to the lost both nationally and internationally.

Church planting is a definite must when attempting to accomplish the Great Commission. Church planting is also very effective! This was the model that the early church used to spread. The churches that we are a part of today were likely birthed out of church plants. The problem I have seems to be a relatively new shift and is most definitely not exclusive to the SBC.  People and organizations seem to give up more easily now on existing, struggling churches than they did merely a decade ago. Disgruntled church members often say they don't like what's going on so they either move to another church or take a group of people and start a new one. In regards to the SBC(since this the denomination I am most knowledgable of), they examine the effectiveness of the existing churches reaching the lost. After seeing how ineffective our churches often are, they fund and create new church plants that will hopefully be effective. With many church planting strategies in the U.S.(urban and western) and in some foreign lands this works. The abyss, however, seems to increasing.

What abyss am I writing of? The black hole that continues to suck in ineffective churches. I'm the first one to agree that it is likely more difficult to change an established church into being more evangelistic or to take up this ministry strategy than it would be to start a new church with that ministry strategy. The reason for this--the church is not a building, rather it's people!  Our denominational organizations also exude the same steadfastness(or lack therof) that some of our church members do--when the going gets tough, we move on and create something new.  In North America this doesn't seem to be as much of an issue due to the NAMB, State Conventions, and local associations. Such entities continue to fund ministries focused on helping exisiting churches reach children, youth, adults, etc. "The Ezekiel Project" is a new ministry of our state convention that is focused on strengthening the 90% of our churches that are in decline or are ineffective. The international arm of our denomination, however, seems to be focused mostly on planting churches so much that often recent church plants are neglected. Foreign mission trips through the IMB are more often focused on doing the leg work of eventual church plants or recent church plants. Now I am not saying that we should decrease our church planting efforts. I just think we need to re-evaluate.

This whole through process began over a year ago when I began prep-work for starting a youth worker training conference in South Africa. The goal of the conference was to train existing church leaders and even church plant leaders how to better understand and minister to teenagers--an ever-increasing unreached people group. This was NOT going to be a conference to teach an American style of student ministry. I met with quite a few non-SBC church leaders about this and they were very excited. When I contacted the local SBC missionaries, they would only support the conference if it planted new churches. When I mentioned that it would also strengthen existing churches, they backed away. Similar issues have risen with leaders in other countries as well. In understand that this be a personal issue with those individuals as much as it is an organizational one. However, money often reveals where your real passions are. I think this is the case with the IMB.

I do want to make sure taht I'm clear, even to myself. I am not bashing the IMB. Their ministry success has been tremendous! Hundreds of thousands if not millions have been added to God's family through these church planting efforts. My question is how many more hundreds of thousands might be added if we didn't give up so quickly on so-called "ineffective" churches? Could we not also encourage, fund, and provide resources(conferences, materials, etc.) to existing churches that may be seen as ineffective so that they can once again be effective? The IMB may in fact offer this, but from my contact with some of their personnel, they are not very supportive of such ministries.

So here is the idea...the vision that God gave me and a friend awhile back....
Create a youth worker training conference that teaches (1) existing church leaders, (2) existing church members, and (3) church planting leaders in foreign countries to better understand teenagers and how to minister to them. Teaching topics will focus on developmental issues and biblical models as opposed to teaching an American style of student ministry. Indigenous church leaders will then bridge how to apply this adolescent information to their particular cultures and churches. American youth groups will then come into the host country/region and help the churches that attended the conference begin the new ministry to teenagers--teens reaching teens for Jesus Christ. This conference would then expand throughout the country, region, and continent and will eventually be lead solely by indigneous church leaders.

That's the brief version of the vision. We have created a file that provides more details to some of the plans including goals, etc. You may be wondering, "but what about children, adults, etc.?" Well, that's a vision for God to give to someone else or maybe even me in the future..maybe it's you?  Only God knows!

I would love to hear feedback from you guys on this thought process whether you agree or disagree.  Maybe some of you have experienced circumstances that with the IMB that differ from mine. I'd love to hear your side. I really do love what the IMB's doing, I just would like to see a few changes, but who wouldn't. Any thoughts on the whole vision thing, send them on!  If you want, I can send you the more detailed MS Word document.  Peace out!