“Do You Think You Might Be A Church Planter?”
A couple of years back, I had the opportunity to visit with CLB President Paul Larson when he and his wife Bee came to visit us at Pilgrim LB Church, Mentor, Ohio. As we discussed God’s calling on my life, I remember him asking me, “Do you think you might be a church planter?” I had never planted a church, so I didn’t know how to answer him. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought, “Maybe I am.” I started to think about what that might look like. My spiritual gifts cause me to be what many would refer to as a “dreamer.” My poor wife Amy regularly hears, “Hear me out…” as I lay out sometimes outlandish possibilities of how God might lead us to potentially plant a church (or churches―don’t tell Amy).
In Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria…
Coming out of the COVID-19 shutdown, I had the privilege of leading the “restart” of our Missions Team. We found ourselves guided by three scriptures. The first being Acts 1:8 (ESV), “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We took this to be God’s call on us to minister both financially and physically to the people in our community in the suburb of Mentor, in our county, in the greater Cleveland area, nationally, and internationally. I believe it is through this work that God grew my heart for “not-yet-believers” outside of our congregation.
Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you…
The second scripture God used to lead us was Jeremiah 29:7, “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” It’s no secret that the city of Cleveland doesn’t have the best reputation. Once the home of millionaire industrialists like John D. Rockefeller, Cleveland is part of the “rust belt,” sometimes referred to as “the Mistake by the Lake,” and is infamously known for its Cuyahoga River catching fire in 1969 due to industrial pollution.
But that was then, and this is now. We are making a comeback. Today, Cleveland is thriving because of a reasonable cost of living, world-class hospitals, and a thriving cultural scene that includes museums, orchestra, chefs, and Metro Parks. Add to all this a surging economy, and there is no question that the prosperity of the City of Cleveland has a direct effect on the suburb in which our church, Pilgrim LBC, is found.
As you are going…
The third scripture God used to guide the Missions Team was The Great Commission. Matthew 28:19 is translated in almost all our English Bibles as “Go therefore and make disciples…” But the original Greek construction of the sentence is: “As you go, make disciples…”
From its earliest incarnation, the Church of the Lutheran Brethren has been a “sending” Church. It was one of the things that drew me to become a member of Pilgrim LB Church. Growing up, I thought of “missions” as work done somewhere else by someone else. However, God used now retired LBS Missiology professor Dr. Gaylan Mathiesen to open my eyes to the fact that the United States is now considered the third largest mission field, behind China and India, based on the size of our non-Christian population. Through his teaching and example, I got to experience how we can minister to lost people in our own cities here in the United States, even in Cleveland. I began to realize that Jesus was talking to me when he said, “you.” But then the question is, “Wherefore is the ‘therefore’ he wants me to go?” Amy and I agreed that we were being called, but we didn’t sense God calling us away.
Go your way; behold, I am sending you…
Through Brandon Pangman, our Lutheran Brethren North American Mission Director, I have begun an intensive nine-month church planter training with an organization called Passion for Planting. This training includes not only knowledge but also tools and resources necessary to successfully plant a church. This includes guidance on where to plant. In Luke 10:1-12, Jesus gives his disciples instructions on what to do and what to look for as he sends them out into the harvest field. He tells them to look for “someone who promotes peace,” and if they find such a person, they should stay in that place. This week, based on a demographic study, I went looking for these “persons of peace.” I identified four different gathering places in the area. Before entering, I prayed that God would show me a sign if this was where he was calling us to. I am happy to report, I was greeted by “persons of peace” in every case!
The heart of a man plans his way…
For some people, the word “plan” is a four-letter word (technically, it is for everyone, but you know what I mean). Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” The truth is, plans rarely work out, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan. Instead, this is why we make contingency plans. Author and motivational speaker Claire Cook reassures us, “If plan A doesn’t work out, the alphabet has 25 more letters―204 if you’re in Japan.” This probably best explains Solomon’s thoughts in Proverbs 16:9 (ESV), “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” As I begin this journey of becoming a church planter, I will gladly share what plans I have at that given moment, but don’t be surprised when my plans change. I will also tell where God is establishing my steps, what doors he has closed, what doors he has opened, and where I have found “persons of peace.” There I have confidence, because God has promised that he will establish his Church!
David Martin is Associate Pastor at Pilgrim Lutheran Brethren Church in Mentor, OH.