As you may already be aware of, during the 53rd General Council in August, a resolution was passed that encourages a new church planting methodology. An increasing number of churches depend on their parent church as opposed to their district. In response to that, the Assemblies of God (AG) made a provision for Parent Affiliated Churches, where these church plants will be supervised by their parent church.
Parent Affiliated Churches are basically multi-site churches. As defined by the Assemblies of God, they are outreaches of an existing church that result in a worshipping community. To date, AG churches have formed over 200 multi-site venues.
Recently Westminster Community Church - Bitterlake became the first Parent Affiliated Church to be chartered by the General Council of the Assemblies of God. Pastor Verlon Fosner of Seattle, Washington, uses a multi-site approach that focuses on redemptive dinners. Living in a walking village, the residents become like a large extended family. In order to impact that area, Verlon and his team host dinner services each week where residents gather together to share life over a meal, followed by a gospel message. You can read more about these redemptive dinners here.
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This is awesome!
What Pastor Verlon Fosner is doing is a very creative approach to church planting.
What happens next, however, would be a very challenging ministry. If you start a ministry like that, it’s possible that people would be expecting that there will always be a dinner when they gather together.
I am starting another approach to church planting. Me and my wife and another couple, with our children, moved to an apartment complex of 510 units in May ‘09. We started meeting in our apartment. Last summer, since there is a nice swimming pool, we hosted a barbecue party by the poolside. We invited our friends and made new friends. Our immediate goal is that our presence as a group would be felt here. Then we can make an impact on the residents’ lives later. We are connecting and building relationships, praying for the people and find ways we can do ministry incarnationally. By January ‘10, two other families will be moving in this complex and join the team. This complex will be our immediate ministry area and also our base of operation as we expand. We are hoping to make this approach as a prototype model for our expansion. By the way, having dinner together was a very natural part of our gathering. I don’t have a parent church, I wish I have one. There are so many apartment complexes in this area. I am bi-vocational. I wish I could spend most of my time initiating, discipling and developing leaders who can start and lead their own groups. I am not sure if there is a church who would support this kind of “out of the box” approach to church planting. We envision an expanding network of fellowship groups that mostly meet in homes, do discipleship and develop leaders where they are most at home: in their homes. Sometimes our men’s and women’s discipleship groups meet in other places such as starbucks, etc., intentionally, to make new contacts. Then as the Lord grows us, we can meet as a large group, may be, once a month for celebration. We want to use our financial resources more for ministry and mission rather than paying a mortgage on a building and maintaining it. I believe the church should put its money where its mouth is. Right now, we have 10 adults and 10 children. By God’s grace, we are ready for expansion next year.
Wilfred,
Just wanted to encourage you. I think the ministry God has called you to is phenomenal. I love the ease with which you can multiply without having to worry about facilities and your desire to see the majority of the money coming in, as you teach your church to tithe and give big to the Lord, going out to bless those in your church who have need, as well as the community. I pray that as God has filled your heart with that vision of multiplication that you would not despise small beginnings. I pray for the grace and wisdom for you to know where to go each step of the way as this unfolds. Talk about having a community all around you to pray for and love and serve and share with, you are right in the middle of it. I really do think that is awesome. I am not a pastor, but I have read a lot about the house church movement and love its potential. So be blessed and use this time that you are bivocational to approach your work as one more mission field to bless and touch people, while learning how the lost think and what their needs are. Anyway, just felt it on my heart to respond to your post. Be encouraged and be blessed.
Wilber
With all due respect what happens next for your ministry? When some one wants a funeral or a wedding where do they go? They go to the Church buildings. I work within a Church “building” and I also minister in my neighborhood and work place. Ministry happens in very many ways. We minister to many people out of jail and on drugs. We consider our Church building to be “out of the box” but that is not what makes it great. It is the working of His spirit through His people and their humility to serve in what ever way He calls us to. Just like in the home school movement, it does not mean that every other school is not doing a good job if some one chooses to home school. Not all churches are ineffective in sharing the Gospel. I think it would be amazing if you went “out of the box ” and worked with a church!!! You both catch them, you both clean them!!! Just a thought!
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