The Multiplying Church.

I wanted to pass along a post I received this morning from Bob Roberts. I'm glad to be able to call Bob a new friend. We have met a time or two and he will be making a visit to Oklahoma City tomorrow to spend some time with a handful of young church leaders. Really looking forward to it.

Bob says:

The Multiplying Church: Why Start Churches?

Why have people started churches throughout history? We don’t have any record of people starting churches in Jerusalem. We do have house churches. The question as to why we are starting churches is crucial to our future. We want to see a movement that will transform societies similar to what has happened in the past and is happening in the East.

If you look at the chart on page 28 of The Multiplying Church, Antioch started churches for transformation of the person and the world, but particularly the city. Acts 17:6 “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here.” I believe that is where we are moving. I believe 2010 it will become an emerging verbalized reason people are starting churches. For now the primary motivation for starting churches is the oft quoted statement about church planting being the best method of evangelism ever invented. This is true. However, it’s critical for us to see the big picture of Christ bringing reconciliation to all things. That reconciliation starts with a person accepting Christ but should never stop there. Most of our evangelism in the West is about very self-centered, personal conversion. Instead, through that personal transformation, the family, the city, the nation, and the world should be in the process of reconciliation - even healing the broken structures and institutions of society for mercy and justice.

Why 2010? Here’s why…