A church has to have tentpoles

The core group of the new church has been meeting for just about a month now, and we're at 8! Of course, three of the "members" are three years old or under, but that just means that we value children's ministry.

Anyway, we have come to the point in the young church's life when it's important to clarify WHAT kind of church God is calling us to be a part of. Initially, we planned on simply studying the Scriptures, the life of Christ and of the early church, and THEN putting together some ideas about how the church would look, act, function, etc.

However, I've come to the realization that it's important to clarify some things early on in the process. This accomplishes a few things...

-It confirms the vision that God has given us for starting the new church.
-It keeps our priorities in focus.
-It creates unity of purpose in members of the core group.
-It allows us to say "no" to anything that may compromise the values and mission of the church.
-For people who are thinking of being part of the new church, it lays out our mission and values so that they can make a well-informed decision beforehand. This *hopefully* eliminates confusion, awkwardness, and tension for people who are deciding to jump on board.
-For churches who are considering partnering with us in this mission, it will allow them to make a well-informed decision as well.

There are probably more reasons than those listed, but that is enough for now.

I have come up with four "tentpoles", those pillars on which the church will be set. These are four distinctives that God has placed on my heart ever since my calling to church planting began 18 months ago. Not only are these four things important NOW, but they're long-term principles, which stay intact regardless of the context.

Here they are...

1. DOCTRINAL INTEGRITY

A church has to know what it believes. There can be some variation of opinion on "non-essentials", but when it comes to the essentials of the faith, a church must be unified in its beliefs. We will always try to adhere to God's Word as our source of authority, wisdom, and direction, seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance and following the example set by Christ.

There isn't enough room(or interest) to write a detailed outline of theology, but I do find myself most comfortable with Southern Baptist doctrine, as outlined in the "Baptist Faith and Message". In a future post, I'll talk about the SBC in more detail.

Though our methodology will(and should) change in order to reach a changing world, our reliance on God's Word and on His leading never will.

2. RELATIONSHIPS

It is my belief that ministry is most effective in the context of relationships. This new church will place a high value and priority on relationships. From our "invest and invite" outreach strategy, to our foundation of small group ministry, to relationship-based events such as retreats, the church will always emphasize the importance of us building relationships with others and with each other, always with the goal of growing in Christ.

3. CONNECTIVE WORSHIP GATHERINGS

Worship gatherings were never meant to be boring. They were never meant to involve "spectators" and "performers". And they were never meant to be so deep as to isolate seekers, or so watered-down that believers aren't challenged.

Worship should be interactive, creative, and must be led by the Spirit, not by structure. It should be challenging to the believer, yet completely accessible to the seeker. Preaching should be practical, yet grounded in God's Word. And each worship gathering should bring about a sense of expectancy and anticipation that God is about to do something great.

4. MISSIONAL FOCUS

Everything we do is to be done with our mission in mind...to draw people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. So everything the church does must be viewed through that "lens"...and if it does not flow with that mission, it won't be done.

Going hand-in-hand with that value is the belief that Christians are always "on mission", regardless of where they are or who they're with. It's one thing for a church to "support missions". It's completely different for a church to be "on mission". We always want to be on mission, both as a church and as the individuals who comprise the church.

These are the four tentpoles upon which the church is being built. When these were shared Sunday night, there was a great feeling of unity, excitement, and anticipation. It was as if the foundation for the church was being laid right in front of our eyes! Few things in my life have been more thrilling than to see what God is already doing.

Welcome...

God is starting a church. In Versailles, Kentucky of all places.

The reason that's a bit strange is that of all places, Versailles, KY would probably not seem very likely to NEED a new church. After all, we are in the Bible Belt. And Versailles is a smallish town with a lot of churches....GOOD churches, ESTABLISHED churches. So one might think that Versailles needs a new church the way Gatlinburg needs a new outlet mall.

But look beneath the surface, and it's apparent that God is wanting to do something in this community. Despite its abundance of churches, Woodford County is one of the most unchurched counties in the state. Research has shown that the most effective way to reach the unchurched is to plant new churches. So the statistics prove that our community needs a new church.

However, Versailles doesn't just need a NEW church. Versailles needs a DIFFERENT church. It takes all types of churches to reach all types of people. It would make no sense to start a new church that would be just like Church A or Church B or Church C. In order to reach all of Woodford County for Christ, a new approach to church will be needed.

But there is something else going on as well. Across America and around the world, there is a movement among Christians to do church in a new way. In fact, it's more about BEING the church than DOING church. It's a desire among Christians to see the church return to its roots, followers of Christ sharing their lives with one another. It's a desire to see the church be more about people and less about programs, more about being the body of Christ and less about holding "power", more about impacting the world rather than complaining about it.

In short, it's a return to Acts 2. It's a "holy dissatisfaction" among the churched AND the de-churched, who love "the church" but don't love "church".

There's a lot more to it, of course. But for now, THAT is why God is starting a new church in Versailles, Kentucky. This blog is designed to journal the history of the new church, from the ground up, so that friends(and strangers) can stay updated on its progress and know how to pray for us as we follow God's leading in this way.

In coming days, I'll talk more about the new church. Feel free to leave any message that does not contain profanity.

P.S....My wife Kelly will also be posting on here once she learns how and gets signed up.