David Jackson

By David Jackson, BCM/D Missionary for Church Multiplication

The last five years have seen the emergence of a new phenomenon in church methodology, known commonly as the “multisite church.” Defined simply as “one church in more than one location,” the multisite church is really a variation on a methodology begun almost 40 or so years ago under the name “satellite church.” While that emphasis never really “caught on,” the modern movement has quickly gained steam and has ardent supporters throughout North America, including here in Maryland/Delaware. Last year alone, the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware saw more multisite congregations start than in the rest of the decade combined.

The goal of the multisite strategy is to reach unreached people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. This, of course, is also the objective of all outreach/evangelism efforts and the goal of church planting, too. So is multisite an evangelism strategy? Almost all would agree it can be (and probably should be), since the multisite—a congregation of the church now meeting elsewhere—is (hopefully) seeking to reach those apart from Christ with the Gospel message. Is multisite a church planting strategy? Some of its advocates suggest this, and eventually over the life of the multisite congregation, I suspect that it will be in many instances. Most, though, see it as a church growth strategy “by extension;” that is, it grows the church not in the same place, but by moving to new locations in order to do so (i.e., thus it “extends” out into the world to share the Good News).

Regardless, many churches should consider this option, especially those who:
•    Have a desire to reach lost people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
•    Are seeking to grow in order to maximize their impact on a lost and dying world
•    Have many members who commute from great distances to their facilities
•    Are landlocked and can’t build where they are OR can’t afford to go into a building project…yet
•    Are considering closing the doors because they are unsure they can continue in the future

If any (or all) of these characteristics describe your church and you are mulling the multisite option, then ask yourself the following:

1.    Is our church willing to meet in separate locations in order to reach more people for Jesus? This may mean locating your multisite in a more distant community where a number of your members currently live. By doing so they will have the ability to reach their friends and neighbors more effectively, since the new location will be in their own community (a place where unchurched people are more likely to attend and get involved).

2.    Is our church willing to consider a merger with a struggling church, through which the struggling church becomes a multisite congregation of our stronger, healthier church? Such a decision could keep the more feeble church from dying, but only you and the church will be able to determine “at what cost” this merger could potentially take place.

3.    Is our church considering a future relocation for ministry to another town or community? If so, starting a multisite congregation in that community may serve as a bridge to the future, a future in which you are able ultimately down the road to make the multisite become the beachhead to a new permanent location, while the former site you leave behind remains as a multisite congregation.

4.    Is our church willing to share its resources (people and funds), in order to make a greater impact for the Kingdom? While multisite options usually don’t cost as much as church planting in terms of money, it may require a larger investment of people resources…at least at first. Churches that go this route have many options on the “preaching strategies” employed, but all require adequate volunteers to assist in the other areas of ministry for the congregation, as well.

The multisite option for churches offers greater flexibility at lower costs for those who are willing to go this route. Moreover, it affords any church a quicker return on their investment and more control over the congregation than church planting. If these things are important to your outreach and extension strategies, perhaps multisite is for you.

We on the BCM/D Church Multiplication Team stand ready to assist you in seeing God’s dream become reality.

For more information about multisite churches, contact David Jackson, missionary for church multiplication, at (410) 977-9867 or by email at djackson@bcmd.org.

By Shannon Baker, BCM/D National Correspondent

COLUMBIA, Md.—The North American Mission Board recently recognized the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware with an award at the 2009 Summer State Leadership Meeting.

In this meeting, NAMB’s church planting group recognized several state conventions for outstanding church planting in 2008: Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (first in enlistment); Illinois Baptist State Association (first in readiness/awareness); Georgia Baptist Convention (first in equipping); and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (first in multiplication).

Presented on July 29, 2009, the award recognizes “excellence in enlisting planters and churches for a commitment to church planting among every people group in North America.”

“I am proud to be part of a team so committed to church planters and church planting churches. I’ve never known an organization so passionate, so dedicated to the church planting enterprise as the BCM/D,” shared David Jackson, BCM/D missionary for church multiplication. “Thanks, everyone, for letting me be a part of this journey.”

The North American Mission Board’s Church Planting Process’s four key components, readiness, enlistment, equipping and multiplication, are guided by both theological and missiological truths, and each has unique functions.

Defining the stages and components helps association directors of missions, state conventions, missionary staff, national missionaries, church planter missionaries, church planters, pastors, and laypeople understand their roles in each stage of development.

According to the North American Mission Board, the Readiness component builds awareness of lostness and the need to plant churches contextualized for each specific people group with our partners. Readiness includes items such as spiritual preparation, understanding the place or context of the plant, a discovery of people groups, climate building, and measuring and developing receptivity among the identified audience for the gospel.

The Enlistment component of the Church Planting Process engages individuals and churches through church planting activity. The enlistment focus is around discovering individuals, developing church planting teams, sponsoring churches who plant churches, and other partners such as associations and conventions.

The Equipping component of the Church Planting Process provides training, skill development, and nurture needed by churches, planters, planting teams, and other partners who work with them. Equipping includes items such as development of personal character, expansion of church planting knowledge, new skill development, and evaluation of missionary giftedness.

The final component of the Church Planting Process, Multiplication, is designed to foster church health, life, and growth in the newly planted churches. Multiplication includes items such as gospel saturation in new areas in order to plant churches, development of new disciples, creation of small groups with the emphasis towards them becoming a new church, leadership identification and discovery, and the birthing of healthy, New Testament churches.

Jackson explained that the Enlistment Award was given to the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware for 2008 because of multiple factors, including the strength of its indigenous recruitment, the use of BaptistLIFE, the Strategic Focus Cities efforts of EMBRACE Baltimore, church multiplication’s social media presence and its video recruitment tools on e-quip.net.

“We are convinced that it is important to communicate with potential church planters in the most up to date, innovative ways possible—in ways which are natural for them and their world,” says Jackson. “We attempt to help potential planters learn about what God is doing here in Maryland and Delaware through ‘24/7’ methods whenever possible, so that it is always accessible to them as they may need it. As a result, we have three blogs, two podcasts and two websites, along with multiple other online venues for potential planters to explore God’s calling to church planting.”

He adds, “Who knows when the Holy Spirit may prompt someone to consider partnering with us in the ministry of church planting? BCM/D can’t call them; we can only inform them. Being good stewards of this ministry requires we do what we can to allow the Spirit of God to do what only He can do.”

Under the leadership of Jackson, BCM/D’s Mid-Atlantic Church Multiplication specifically follows a seven-step process to help potential church planters:

First, there is preparation. This includes prayer efforts and site location, which is usually determined by Associational Directors of Missions or Parent Churches.

The second step is partnership, where a parent church, along with the association and even potentially other congregations or organizations, joins the new church planting efforts.

Third, there is recruitment of potential church planters, through the use of e-quip.net, Discovery Days and more of the above. Assessments help evaluate potential planters.

Fourth, the BCM/D provides comprehensive training, beginning with Focused Living and a basic training experiences for planters and their spouses.

The fifth step is nurture and support for the planter and his family.  This includes a coach and mentor, peer learning clusters known as “New Church Incubators,” one-on-one and group interactions for spouses along with joint fellowship opportunities.

Sixth, the BCM/D focuses on evaluation through “pediatric check ups” over the course of the foundational development of the new church.

Finally, there is reproduction, in which church plants are prepared to become “parent churches” themselves.

For more information, contact Jackson at (800) 466-5290, ext. 225, djackson@bcmd.org, or visit online at  www.bcmddavid.wordpress.com; www.plantchurches.com; or www.bcmd.org/churchmultiplication.

By Jose R. Nater

Luis and Marta are a very nice couple. They are both Mexican immigrants who met in Los Angeles a few years ago. Eventually, the pressure and lifestyle of the big city made them look for a safer and more peaceful place to live. That’s why they moved to the Maryland Eastern Shore.

The first time I met Luis and Marta was at a special outreach event of our church called “Couples Night.”

They had received an invitation from a church member. Both of them have children in Mexico from previous relationships that didn’t work out. Luis hasn’t seen his seven-year old daughter for five years. Marta, on the other hand, left her 12-year old son and five-year old daughter with her mother when she came to America. They both speak with the children by telephone every week.

So, the Couples Night gave me the perfect setting to engage in a meaningful conversation with them, which led me to understand some important principles about the practice of evangelism and church growth.

As a Hispanic/Latino church planter for a little over two years, I realize that the case of Luis and Marta is not the exception, but the norm in my “playing field.”

Family segregation, sex outside of marriage, relationships for convenience instead of love, guilt for leaving behind what you value so much, a chain of lies just to keep pace among a society that perceives you as an intruder, the quest for survival, the language barrier, the constant fear that at any time you can be removed from this land of opportunities and be deported: these are just some of the everyday pressures and lifestyle issues threatening immigrants who arrive in America. (And I haven’t even mentioned the typical hard-core, twisted religious backgrounds they bring with them!)

There are many strategies of evangelism and church growth that tell you how to “create the need” for Jesus Christ in a person, in order for them to find salvation and enter into a relationship with God. These strategies have their merits; but when it comes to applying the right approach to the life of a specific person you need what I like to call the “special ingredient.”

This special ingredient is something that you are not going to find in any evangelism program “pill” or a ready-to-use church growth system. We have all been there; “swallow this, it worked for me, and if it doesn’t work for you, it might be that you’re not using your faith.” Really?

I’ve learned that if you want to reach people like Luis and Marta, you need to get involved in their lives. This is where cultural relevancy comes into the picture.

Hispanics are warm people and family-oriented; we value the sense of caring and support. We love it when someone else stands side by side with us in the midst of uncertainty. Some other cultures might say “mind your own business,” but not ours.

Do you remember the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)?

Nobody was required to help the man in need. Nobody had to do anything for him. In the eyes of his society, even to the religious people, his experience was just an example of misfortune. But someone made a difference in the life of that man. In fact, it was the most unexpected of results; it was truly a divine plan in action. That’s exactly the “special ingredient” that we need to find, too, in the lives of those we are seeking to reach.

There is no greater satisfaction for me as a church planter and as a pastor than to see how God shows Himself in all sorts of circumstances, crises and dilemmas. The human side of me rationalizes the events involved, saying Luis and Marta are beaten by fear, shame, guilt, depression, disruption and uncertainty.

At the same time, though, the Holy Spirit becomes the special ingredient that creates the need for spiritual strength and closeness to the Giver of hope, peace and forgiveness.

The words of Jesus at the end of the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:37 are “Go, and you do the same.” Help other people. Get involved in their lives. Be a reflection of the love of Jesus Christ.

That’s exactly what a church planter should do, and for me personally, it has been the most amazing ride I’ve ever experienced in life.

Jose Nater is the church planter and founding pastor of both Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Cambridge and Camino de Esperanza in Hurlock, Md. He can be reached by phone at (410) 463-5509 or by email at pibhcambridge@gmail.com.

David Jackson, BCM/D Missionary for Church Multiplication
There are many scholars that believe the seeds for all of our foundational Christian theology can be found in the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis. Within these chapters, you find creation, sin, redemption, the person and work of God, the Trinity, the nature and purpose of man and on and on you could go. If you subscribe to this theory—and I do—then what do you do about the church? After all, the ekklesia is not found here in its most obvious form—it’s a Greek word and a New Testament teaching, right?

To be sure, there is truth in that statement. Yet, one of the basic theological tenets we as Southern Baptists firmly believe is that the church is a living organism; God, who alone is the Creator (Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16) has brought it into being. This is not a human invention; it is a divine creation! Jesus tells us He will build His church (Matt. 16:18); the Spirit’s presence on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) “brought it to life!” Its “life” is solely due to God!

Inanimate objects are rarely (if ever) used to refer to the church in the Scripture. True, it is called a “building” by Paul in 1 Cor. 3:9, almost in passing; but Peter later on explains this as organic, too, since we are like “living stones” and make up the material of this building (1 Peter 2:5). Jesus’ primary image was to call the church “a flock” (as with sheep). This image is thought-provoking in many ways; yet, all would agree that one essential characteristic of a “flock” is that it’s alive. Paul’s primary image in referring to the church is “the body” (of Christ). In all of these instances in Scripture and in many more, the church is seen as far more than a man-made organization or a business-run institution. It is alive with Christ as the Head!

The reality of this affects everything we do. We shouldn’t be talking about “what’s our vision for the coming years?” Rather, we should be asking “what’s His vision for the coming years” and then “what’s our part in that vision?” Our vision should only be His vision; our thoughts, His thoughts; our feelings, His feelings, and so on. We talk about being “His hands and feet,” and rightly so. I’m wondering then why our view of being His living Body is not more comprehensive than what we typically suggest.

All living organisms, created by their Lord, have been brought into being to fulfill His mission and to glorify Him. We know this to be true from the teachings of Scripture. We have been given the Great Commission and Great Commandment, and most churches do their best to live out these realities in their own world. But how do we do this? Is there something in our “living” systems that we might be missing?

Back in Genesis, chapter one, we find that God’s fundamental command to man and woman in the Garden of Eden was to “be fruitful and multiply…” (Gen. 1:28). We rightly understand this to mean they are to reproduce offspring. As a living entity, this chapter also teaches that one living organism after another was created by God to reproduce “after their own kind” (Gen. 1:11, 12, 21 twice, 24 twice, 25 three times). The principle seems obvious to me: every living organism created by God is intended to reproduce after its own kind.

By now most of you have discovered the logical outcome of this progression in thought. What this means in the living church, as I understand it, is that disciples are to reproduce disciples, leaders are to reproduce leaders, cell groups are to reproduce cell groups…and churches are to reproduce churches. This is God’s plan and intent for His regenerate flock.

A corollary truth to this is that people of character do not live their lives merely for their own survival and comfort. Rather, these people have an innate desire to provide for those who will come after them. The cost is real, but the reward is great. It enables their life to be larger and more meaningful than their own personal capacity or longevity. After all, Christ sacrificed on our behalf; His commission shouts we ought to do the same.

A couple of years ago I served as the interim pastor at one of our churches, which also operates a Christian school. At graduation in the year I arrived, the commencement speaker got up and made a statement to the graduates and their families that I have never forgotten. He reminded everyone, “You teach what you know, but you reproduce who you are.” I think he’s right! And if he is, what does that say about our reticence to reproduce after our own kind? If we are unwilling to model reproduction at the macro level (churches), how can we truly expect disciples to reproduce at the micro level?

God says, “Be fruitful and multiply…” What’s keeping His congregation where you attend from doing what He asks?

David Jackson can be reached at (800) 466-5290, ext. 225 or by email at djackson@bcmd.org.

By Sharon Mager, BCM/D Correspondent

Planting Churches in the Real World by Joel Rainey

COLUMBIA, Md.—“Church planting is not for the easily discouraged,” writes Ed Stetzer, LifeWay missiologist and author of Planting Missional Churches. “I’ve known Joel for years, and he tells the stories from his own journey—telling lessons he learned the hard way. It’s real world church planting and it is worth your time,” he continues as he writes about Joel Rainey’s book, Planting Churches in the Real World.

Rainey’s book is an easy read and touchingly real. The author is transparent, open and honest, revealing how church planting affected him, his churches and even his marriage. Joel Rainey has been personally involved in planting over 25 churches in various types of leadership approaches.

He shared the rejection he felt from others when his idea for a new church was different from theirs. He candidly relates how he responded when asked how people in this new church he proposed would dress for worship.

“I will tell them that they should not come to church naked.”

Rainey goes on to say it was a juvenile answer, but at the same time it was a juvenile question. He is candid throughout the book about how he became frustrated with people, and with himself. He lets you inside his head as he grapples with the ups and downs and how God answers his prayers and directs his steps.

The book covers building a team, leadership styles, systems and structures, financial struggles, disappointments, time management and handling opposition. Rainey gives clear advise backed up by his own experiences.

Planting Churches in the Real World is informative and entertaining. It holds your interest. Three seminaries have now placed the book on their required reading lists.

PlantLIFE by David Jackson

COLUMBIA, Md.—This book is a wealth of information about church planting from the ground troops, compiled by David Jackson, BCM/D church multiplication missionary. Maryland/Delaware folks will recognize a lot of names, from the church planters who write the stories, to the mentors and pastors who helped along the way.

It’s an inspiring book allowing planters to share from their hearts some of their stories in an attempt to encourage others. The book is also hands-on helpful to planters with ideas and suggestions even seasoned established pastors can use.

Topics include: reasons why church planting is needed; mistakes church plants make; different approaches to church; ethnic church planting; partnering; appreciating parent churches; measuring success and much, much more. There are also articles by church planters’ spouses, including Joye Jackson, David Jackson’s wife.

PlantLIFE is designed for those contemplating starting churches, or those who want to understand the church planting culture. It’s an uplifting, energizing book and gives a personal glimpse into the soul of these men and women. It also moves one to prayer for these bold adventurers.

On the cover of PlantLIFE, Joel Rainey, Mid-Maryland director of missions and author of Planting Churches in the Real World, endorses the book writing, “Rare are those books that combine the conceptual with the practical—the universal with the contextual…”

Both books are available from Missional Press, www.missional-press.com or from Amazon at www.amazon.com.