Comments on vinceantonucci.com: The Multiplying Church 7: Start with Society

Hey Vince (and everyone else who seems to be regul...

2008-04-20T09:43:00.000-04:00

Hey Vince (and everyone else who seems to be regulars on this blog) it is Chris Garrett. For those who don't know me, which I couldn’t imagine you would, I was baptized at Forefront back in Nov of 1999. Yep I was one of those lost, broken, unchurched (and dare I say church haters) that met Jesus for the first time when I walked into a Forefront service at the age of 29. I will lay off the testimony but let me just fast forward and say I ended up going to college to become a counselor so that I could help others find healing like I did and through some crazy twist I am now a Minister at a church in Indianapolis. It is a large established church so please don't think I sold out. I support church planting and always will. You guys are Rock Stars to me. It is just God gives each of a different gift and mine is working with families and hurting people and that is not on the must hire list of most church planters. Oh to clarify I do Family Life Ministry. Meaning I work in a pastoral care ministry that targets the family.

Now let me tie this into the current conversation. My mission is to turn the family upside down one at a time. Simply put I want to make PARENTS church planters in their homes. I am truly convinced that we are going to get nowhere if we keep seeing parents who are ill equipped to share their faith with their children, who pass on their brokenness to their kids, who simply can't for whatever reason live their faith out in their own homes. For every adult convert we see we are seeing three kids raised in a Christian home turn from the faith. Simply put we are losing more than we gain and the ones we keep more than often don’t know how to impact their community. So I think we are in trouble and that is largely due to the sad state of the family.

So, to answer the question, I think we need to start with the family if we want to change the society.

I think Mr. Colon nailed it. Talk with as many lo...

2008-04-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

I think Mr. Colon nailed it. Talk with as many local gov't officals as possible. In our last "community survey", I asked all the city council members, mayor, vice mayor, anyone I could just one question, "What do you see as the biggest need of the city." Everyone (except the mayor) got back within 12 hours, and I got a personal meeting with the vice mayor.

Chambers of commerce are also great resources for non-profits that you can hook up and serve with.

Our newest micro-church started with something so simple for the people coming--smoke breaks. About half of those in the new church smoke (as do many of the type of folks we reach), so they've put in one in the beginning and one near the end. It's become a great conversation opportunity as well--for smokers and non-smokers (well, I guess as long as you don't have an aversion to cig smoke!).

Vince,As you well know, I am about 11 mos out unti...

2008-04-18T07:58:00.000-04:00

Vince,

As you well know, I am about 11 mos out until feet on the ground and 17 mos. until launch.

A little over a month ago, I wrote the Mayor of Allentown (who happens to be a former pastor and graduate of Moody) and asked him to hook me up with the points of contact in the city that would help me, #1 - Assess the needs of the city; #2 - Help get invested in the community from day one because the groundwork is already laid; and #3 - I meet new friends and co-workers in the Story!

Kevin has some great groups too! I also looked up several groups on www.meetup.com and joined a few just to get to know the lay of the land and to inter-mingle with some "outsiders" as Lyons and Kinneman call them.

I am just starting, but in intend to approach this aspect of the plant with real "intentionality"!

I love that title vs. Planter! That is good stuff. Thanks!

I like it a lot...but you already knew that....Eng...

2008-04-17T23:56:00.000-04:00

I like it a lot...but you already knew that....

Engagement Possibilities:
~town/city government--get to know the mayor and ask him....encourage him and the board--all they get is complaints...you could be different

~Homeowners association--go to the meetings and get involved

~chamber of commerce--do pastors care for the economic vitality of the city?

~kiwanis club (or other service groups)--how can you partner with them?

~schools--principal, vice principal, counselors, and most definitely the custodian---get to know them, ask them what they need, deliver!

~town events--what's already going on that you can jump in on

~adopt a road (clean up)--get your
name on one of those signs and clean baby clean

~what's happening to kids after school---is there anything for them---any place for them to go?

~stay at home moms--what's going on with them, how are they being supported

~home-based businesses--what do these guys need? how can you connect them and help them build their businesses