Mega Church v Community Church
Colin Baron
"I believe that we should have a church planting strategy that encompasses both the mega church and the community church"
Should we build a large resource church; or do we plant a number of community churches in different parts of the city?
In every community there are people whose lives revolve around their immediate locality. They are very linked into the community where they live. It would be very strange and difficult for them to feel part of something that gathered miles away. For others they are used to commuting and getting in a car to travel. This is part of every day life for them and therefore a large resource church a few miles away can be a very attractive option. With this in mind I believe that for most cities we should have a church planting strategy that encompasses both the mega church and the community church.
Years ago as a teenager, I worked for a major super market chain. They decided to close the local small branch, as it did not fit their current strategy of concentrating resources on larger premises. It fascinates me to see that recently they, along with the other major supermarkets chains, are actively developing local smaller outlets. They are doing this to generate extra revenue from those who want to shop local or in a more convenient way.
I am sure that if we are to bring the good news of the Kingdom of God with all the personal and subsequent society change that this initiates. We should be planting hyperlocal community churches and citywide mega churches in every town and city.
Church plants should plant churches
Colin Baron
"You get what you plan for"
Should the local church be involved in planting churches? How quickly should a church planter think about planting out again? I want to argue that we need to plan and develop strategises for further plants in the early days of the initial church plant! Church planting must be in our DNA.
To those who are just starting out in pioneering a brand new church, it may feel irresponsible or even arrogant to plan for another church plant before you have achieved the goal of growing the first one. The reason this intentionality is so important is that you tend to get what you plan for. Those leaders who have a desire to send people and plant new churches but do not have a plan find that they don’t achieve their stated intention. This is because without a game plan other seemingly important things crowd their diaries and dominate the churches agenda.
At Christ Church Manchester Tim Simmonds and I regularly find ourselves deep in conversation, often looking and conceptually planning the next CCM site or church plant. People who have recently joined the church spark our imagination and subsequent discussion can stimulate this. Or sometimes our dreams, more often daydreams, catalyses a conversation that gets the adrenalin pumping with an audacious and often unrealistic plan.
In this environment church planting can take on momentum that comes somewhere near the prophesy of planting 1000 churches John Kpikpi mentioned at the Stoneleigh bible week 1999.
Every life stage is an opportunity
Colin Baron
"Every age group and circumstance of life can offer reasons why people can’t be involved in this great work of planting churches"
When we look at men like Gideon and Moses we see that they were full of reasons why God could not use them in their current situation. “I am in the weakest clan and I am the least in my family” was Gideon’s excuse. Moses gave a number of excuses why God could not use him including “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” They were both filled with fear and discounted themselves from God being able to use them.
During my years of planting churches in Manchester I have been provoked to see that God is able to use people of every age and situation to start new Churches.
In recent times at Christ Church Manchester we have been using the catch phrase - “Be a student and plant a church”. However we are aware that this could be fraught with problems. Excuses like time constraints, no money, not old enough, or only being in the city a number of months can easily put people off. Every age group and circumstance of life can offer its reasons why people can’t be involved in this great work of planting churches.
Alternatively we could see the different stages of life as a potential opportunity to get caught up in the great commission of making disciples of all nations.
Colin's Profile
Colin leads Christ Church Manchester (CCM), a new church on the east side of the city birthed out of a passion to see significant churches planted in each of the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester.
Colin also travels internationally for the Newfrontiers team, encouraging and equipping church planters as well as coaching leaders and developing teams in established churches.