Comments on: First steps to a church planting consciousness http://boyinthebands.com/archives/first-steps-to-a-church-planting-consciousness/ Scott Wells on the practice of Christian faith Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:05:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Ron Robinson http://boyinthebands.com/archives/first-steps-to-a-church-planting-consciousness/comment-page-1/#comment-25242 Ron Robinson Mon, 17 Jul 2006 18:10:18 +0000 http://boyinthebands.com/archives/first-steps-to-a-church-planting-consciousness/#comment-25242 Of course you'd expect me to have one. At the risk of it going the way of all the other major initiatives of the UUA that have been the focus of GAs, I still imagine a GA whose theme and plenaries and workshops are highlighted around "Multiplying Your Church" or some other sexier name--also at the risk of the fact that unhealthy churches trying to multiply themselves isn't healthy but then who knows what might come out of it anyway; for so long we have been trying to grow by addition within churches when we should be looking at ways the church can turn itself inside out and upside down in its community. Every church can find a way to multiple itself in some way in its community. But a GA focused on getting churches to imagine and begin in motion the hundreds of different experimental ways of reproducing themselves would be in itself a major shift. It is something so few if any ever discuss. By the way Clyde do you know if setting GA themes is a BOT thing or Planning Commission thing? Of course having said that about GA, that's about all I would look for top-down now. On the other hand, getting the conversation going at conferences like the large church conference and mid-size church conference would help. I would rather the initiative come from the churches taking a lead. One of the problems I think we have had is making more of it than it needs to be (10 point plans and all that), which gets anxiety setting into the system. Why don't a few churches around the country hold church planting conferences and invite church planters and those interested in it to come and pray, share visions, resources, networks, and build the momentum. Of course you’d expect me to have one.
At the risk of it going the way of all the other major initiatives of the UUA that have been the focus of GAs, I still imagine a GA whose theme and plenaries and workshops are highlighted around “Multiplying Your Church” or some other sexier name–also at the risk of the fact that unhealthy churches trying to multiply themselves isn’t healthy but then who knows what might come out of it anyway; for so long we have been trying to grow by addition within churches when we should be looking at ways the church can turn itself inside out and upside down in its community. Every church can find a way to multiple itself in some way in its community.
But a GA focused on getting churches to imagine and begin in motion the hundreds of different experimental ways of reproducing themselves would be in itself a major shift. It is something so few if any ever discuss. By the way Clyde do you know if setting GA themes is a BOT thing or Planning Commission thing?

Of course having said that about GA, that’s about all I would look for top-down now. On the other hand, getting the conversation going at conferences like the large church conference and mid-size church conference would help. I would rather the initiative come from the churches taking a lead. One of the problems I think we have had is making more of it than it needs to be (10 point plans and all that), which gets anxiety setting into the system. Why don’t a few churches around the country hold church planting conferences and invite church planters and those interested in it to come and pray, share visions, resources, networks, and build the momentum.

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