Who needs another church?

“If we come to plant a church in a particular area, we’re not perceived as doing anyone any favors. But if we’re starting a café, an Internet launderette, or a day-care center, we’re seen as bringing something of intrinsic value to the community. We’re serving those to whom we’re sent.”

That’s from Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, authors of The Shaping of Things to Come.

We may be excited to plant a new church in Helena, but do you think the people of our community will be excited as well? Will we be seen as bringing anything of value to the neighborhood?

As we think missionally and incarnationally, we must consider our community. What it needs, what it’s lacking, how we can contribute to its well-being. We must ask, “How can we bless our community?”

This is a glimpse of what it means to be missional in our church planting efforts. Attractional thinking says, “How can we package the gospel so that people will come to us?” Missional thinking says, “How can we get involved in what is already going on in the community and bring the transforming power of the gospel with us?”

Again, it's about getting in to the community.