What makes your heart pound a little faster? What do you get fired up about? For me it is seeing new churches get launched. While I love pastors, I am committed to do everything I can to help church planters succeed. To that end I serve as a TEAMerica Assessment Center Assessor, a coach for a few planters, I am the Multiplication Specialist for a group of (MBC LEAD TEAM) pastors who get together quarterly to pray, store money and look for the next church planter, and as a moderator on Saddleback’s Pastors Forum.
The percentage of the population attending a Christian church on any given weekend, in every single county, of all 50 states is in decline. Minnesota has an attendance percentage (23.2%) that is higher than the average for the nation (18.7%). But — oh man, there is a HUGE opportunity for the church if we can just answer a few questions.
As a young man in my 20’s I was taken under the wing of Dave Reno (church planting guru) who spent five years mentoring me before I planted The Journey North Community Church. I still remember the first time I heard Dave say, “Everything that’s healthy reproduces.” It is so basic and I have now heard many people say it, but it rocked my world. When Christ followers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live fruitful lives it is always evidenced by the investment they are making in others lives. The same can be said about healthy churches.
I have learned and believe that the great obstacle for church planting in Central and Northern Minnesota really isn’t a lack of lost people in need of churches. It isn’t that the area is too churched and that there is an over abundance of healthy reproducing churches. It isn’t that there isn’t enough money. God has plenty of opportunity, the fields are white for harvest. God has plenty of money, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. It always comes down to identifying, equipping, calling and sending the right church planters. This is the single greatest challenge.
If you have a heart to learn more about church planting opportunities in Northern and/or Central Minnesota feel free email me at mbjorlo@thejourneynorth.com
See some of our movement’s church plants…
If you are a potential church planter and have an interest in Northern or Central Minnesota, check out PlantingPartners.org.
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