Phillip Jensen came on Friday afternoon to give some thoughts on church planting. Below are my notes that I took from the session. They are unedited and as is. There may have been some miscommunication in some bits of my notes, so it may not accurately say what Phillip said on Friday afternoon.
1. What are your questions?
How is church planting going to happen in the future of Sydney Anglicans and for the parish system?
If you are a candidate, and you want to plant churches, then contact Rob Smith.
Will future church plants be based on networks?
Yes, especially urban mission churches. Eg. Planting along ethnic lines.
Are we church planting because parishes aren’t doing their job?
A succeeding parish should be planting churches.
Role of single entrepreneurial women?
She is really needed in church planting teams.
How innovative should we be in regards to church?
What sort of support systems are there within the diocese for church plants?
Basic support is the parishes, as they are planting the churches. You plant and start growing it, then Anglicans will come in and help out in the process.
What is Sydney Anglican’s role in church planting in other regions?
The keys are those outside of the diocese. The diocese as a diocese will not do it, but will accept those outside of the diocese.
How is the culture of the people change the way you do a church plant?
Enormously. You need the same theology of church and gospel is same, but application different.
Does a church plant force other churches to shut down or replant?
Of course we need to keep rethinking it. The key to change is good and sufficient theology. We don’t want to change through pragmatism.
Can divisions within a church be a motivation for a church plant?
How much resource and organizational stuff do you need for a church plant?
None, other than yourself and family.
2. What is church?
The diocese of Sydney has just produced a report on the nature of Christian assembly and what we should be doing within it. Think through what the Bible is saying. God’s word gathers church, and need to hear the word of God. The church is the result of evangelism. Church is a gathering to hear the word of God.
3. Why church planting?
When there are more churches and new churches, we reach a greater percentage of the population. Tim Keller did some work in the 90s – church planting preceded the growth of Christianity. New first generational churches are the enthusiastic ones and grow quicker. Old churches are not so much. When you are locked into a building, you are locked in. The percentage of the population has declined as the nominals have gone and they did not allow for church to be Christian, but rather it expressed something else. The problem is that now we have lost connection with the community since the nominals have gone. We have now 2 kinds of church planting taking place – (1) repotting, a church plant that leads to evangelism and (2) when you evangelise people and they become Christians, you then form a church (this is missional).
4. What is an entrepreneur?
It is someone who operates a business, who takes more risks. It means to be resourceful, initiative, etc. We need ministers of God’s word who are entrepreneurial.
5. How can I know if I am one of them?
If you have to ask the question, then you probably aren’t. The easiest way is to see what is happening at the present, so that it can indicate what will happen in the future. Are you one now? Have you started anything yet? Have you organised anything? They are initiators and will take risks etc. Do you see the need and creates something? That’s the sign of being an entrepreneur. If you haven’t brought anyone to Christ, then it may be unlikely to happen. 1 in 7 churches succeed in church planting. If you screen that before that, then you can get a higher success rate. You screen both husband and wife. Are you asking permission? If so, then you are not one. Nor anybody who complains about restrictions and inhibitions, all restrictions are opportunities for them and they will not complain about the resources. The entrepreneur is a scavenger and will get resources from anything. Driscoll gives the church planter no financial experience, especially of the missional church. Sacrificial, financial, missional and take risks. What kind of mindset? A young risk-taking mind, without strings.
6. What is a church planting entrepreneur?
Heighten evangelistic tent maker. Heightened in the sense of more committed. We need a lot now if we are going to reach Sydney. We need a lot people out there failing so we can get some successes as well.
7. What is the future?
a. Do I do it part of a system or independently?
Independents. Gives maximum freedom to do what is needed. But illusionary as a structure (constitution) needs to be set up anyway. And you need to figure out who you work with, in regards to theology, etc. What system are you going on? What do you about discipline? What do you about a church elder who falls into sin? Etc. Most people who are independents usually fall into a system. You need a system in the end. You need someone who can help you in these systems. Why not use the system already available? Because it is restrictive.
b. You need to ask the question are you a tent making church planter or a pastor?
A tent making church planter is like the Apostle Paul, who planted churches. You need enthusiasm.
And evangelistic pastor is someone like Driscoll, who plants a church and then pastors it. You will need training in knowledge to pastor people.
8. What training is needed?
None for starting a church planting. It is quite complicated, especially with no training. The average Joe will know enough to evangelise. Then we need to help him theologically. Either you get trained before church planting (but you may be too old and have too many strings). What about part-time? Part time is not good, as they have a high drop out rate.
1. What are your questions?
How is church planting going to happen in the future of Sydney Anglicans and for the parish system?
If you are a candidate, and you want to plant churches, then contact Rob Smith.
Will future church plants be based on networks?
Yes, especially urban mission churches. Eg. Planting along ethnic lines.
Are we church planting because parishes aren’t doing their job?
A succeeding parish should be planting churches.
Role of single entrepreneurial women?
She is really needed in church planting teams.
How innovative should we be in regards to church?
What sort of support systems are there within the diocese for church plants?
Basic support is the parishes, as they are planting the churches. You plant and start growing it, then Anglicans will come in and help out in the process.
What is Sydney Anglican’s role in church planting in other regions?
The keys are those outside of the diocese. The diocese as a diocese will not do it, but will accept those outside of the diocese.
How is the culture of the people change the way you do a church plant?
Enormously. You need the same theology of church and gospel is same, but application different.
Does a church plant force other churches to shut down or replant?
Of course we need to keep rethinking it. The key to change is good and sufficient theology. We don’t want to change through pragmatism.
Can divisions within a church be a motivation for a church plant?
How much resource and organizational stuff do you need for a church plant?
None, other than yourself and family.
2. What is church?
The diocese of Sydney has just produced a report on the nature of Christian assembly and what we should be doing within it. Think through what the Bible is saying. God’s word gathers church, and need to hear the word of God. The church is the result of evangelism. Church is a gathering to hear the word of God.
3. Why church planting?
When there are more churches and new churches, we reach a greater percentage of the population. Tim Keller did some work in the 90s – church planting preceded the growth of Christianity. New first generational churches are the enthusiastic ones and grow quicker. Old churches are not so much. When you are locked into a building, you are locked in. The percentage of the population has declined as the nominals have gone and they did not allow for church to be Christian, but rather it expressed something else. The problem is that now we have lost connection with the community since the nominals have gone. We have now 2 kinds of church planting taking place – (1) repotting, a church plant that leads to evangelism and (2) when you evangelise people and they become Christians, you then form a church (this is missional).
4. What is an entrepreneur?
It is someone who operates a business, who takes more risks. It means to be resourceful, initiative, etc. We need ministers of God’s word who are entrepreneurial.
5. How can I know if I am one of them?
If you have to ask the question, then you probably aren’t. The easiest way is to see what is happening at the present, so that it can indicate what will happen in the future. Are you one now? Have you started anything yet? Have you organised anything? They are initiators and will take risks etc. Do you see the need and creates something? That’s the sign of being an entrepreneur. If you haven’t brought anyone to Christ, then it may be unlikely to happen. 1 in 7 churches succeed in church planting. If you screen that before that, then you can get a higher success rate. You screen both husband and wife. Are you asking permission? If so, then you are not one. Nor anybody who complains about restrictions and inhibitions, all restrictions are opportunities for them and they will not complain about the resources. The entrepreneur is a scavenger and will get resources from anything. Driscoll gives the church planter no financial experience, especially of the missional church. Sacrificial, financial, missional and take risks. What kind of mindset? A young risk-taking mind, without strings.
6. What is a church planting entrepreneur?
Heighten evangelistic tent maker. Heightened in the sense of more committed. We need a lot now if we are going to reach Sydney. We need a lot people out there failing so we can get some successes as well.
7. What is the future?
a. Do I do it part of a system or independently?
Independents. Gives maximum freedom to do what is needed. But illusionary as a structure (constitution) needs to be set up anyway. And you need to figure out who you work with, in regards to theology, etc. What system are you going on? What do you about discipline? What do you about a church elder who falls into sin? Etc. Most people who are independents usually fall into a system. You need a system in the end. You need someone who can help you in these systems. Why not use the system already available? Because it is restrictive.
b. You need to ask the question are you a tent making church planter or a pastor?
A tent making church planter is like the Apostle Paul, who planted churches. You need enthusiasm.
And evangelistic pastor is someone like Driscoll, who plants a church and then pastors it. You will need training in knowledge to pastor people.
8. What training is needed?
None for starting a church planting. It is quite complicated, especially with no training. The average Joe will know enough to evangelise. Then we need to help him theologically. Either you get trained before church planting (but you may be too old and have too many strings). What about part-time? Part time is not good, as they have a high drop out rate.
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