Multiplication Tensions in Los Angeles
What can we learn about from this unlikely collaboration between 31 LA churches representing 18 denominations?
Tom Hughes and Kevin Haah
Like most things in life, a successful outcome takes time and comes fraught with tensions. It is rarely as easy as pitching the vision and people buying into what is happening. Below, we flesh out some of the tensions we’ve encountered on this journey so far and some of the principles we’re learning as we navigate these obstacles.
Little k vs. Big K
Many pastors and elder boards make growth their church’s primary mission, a very natural thing to do. Often, we think of investing in the work of the Big K, the Kingdom of God, via church planting, as something we’re willing to do if we have enough resources left after fully investing in our own church. The problem is that no church ever has leftover funds for church planting. The reality is that if you don’t intentionally prioritize church planting and set aside funds for it, you’ll never plant a church. Sacrifices are required.
Here at New City Church where I (Kevin) pastor, we invest approximately 10 percent of our offering into mission, which is mostly for church planting. Last year, this was approximately $50,000. We could have hired additional staff with that money. We could have used those funds to do so many other things. But we made a commitment that we will always invest at least 10 percent of our offering into mission, including church planting. We took this amount off the top of our budget, and we had to make sure other parts of the budget fit in.
Christian Assembly where Tom pastors has an innovative model of raising money for mission. They take a second monthly offering for mission to benefit those outside of their local congregation, including supporting church planting. They do this during their “kingdom” weekend in which they highlight the fact that the Kingdom of God is bigger than any one local congregation alone. This way, those gathered actually determine what’s given away and what’s used for general operating expenses. Because Christian Assembly has two separate budgets, they never struggle with the question: “Are we going to invest this money in mission or into the internal growth needs of the church?” Instead of asking how much they should give to mission, Christian Assembly asks what to do with the money the church has given for mission. Interestingly, Christian Assembly’s mission budget usually is about 10 percent of the general offering.
Doing on Our Own vs. Collaborating With Others
A lot of big churches are thinking about church planting. Some of them have actually planted before. Some are in the process of planting, while some have a planting vision in the future. So the tension is between doing it on their own and collaborating with others. Why should they participate in a city movement to plant churches together?
The answer is always both/and. If you’re church planting now, continue to plant. But, what if you collaborated with others and planted together as well? There is something powerful about coming together cross-denominationally and planting churches together. There is something powerful about working together.
When churches come together centered on one mission, their unity becomes a testimony of God’s power and grace. Jesus prayed that we would be one “so that they be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me” (John 17:23). When we come together, the world will know whom Jesus is and what He’s about. Of course, we do this within a local church; however, the call of Jesus is broader to include relationships with people outside of our own local churches. A great way to gather with other churches is to work together in a network to accomplish a compelling mission like planting churches.
Protecting Members vs. Releasing Members
It’s one thing to provide funding for the church plant and another thing to invite the church planter to your church and give that person a license to recruit people for the new church plant. As church leaders, we always feel a tension about losing people to new planters. I know I feel it. New City is a church of about 350 people in typical attendance, and every person is valuable. When we introduce a planter to the congregation, I openly ask people if they want to go with this planter. I have lost some key leaders in the church through church planting. And it has been painful.
Yet, we have to do this. We have to release our members to extend God’s Kingdom. If we don’t do this, I personally believe they will leave anyway. We’re not called to keep people, but rather to send them. If church leaders had not sent other people to Korea, I (Kevin) may not have become a Christian. If leaders had not sent other people to plant New City, our church would not exist. This is where the rubber meets the road. It’s painful, but we have to bless and send out members.
Church’s Ability vs. City’s Needs
Many churches look to see what they’re good at. Maybe they’re a Korean-American church, so they feel like they’re good at reaching Korean Americans. And if they stretch themselves, they think they might be able to reach Asian Americans. Instead of focusing only on what they’re good at and limiting their vision, what if churches and their leaders saw what God is doing in their city and what the city needs, and then asked themselves what they need to do to meet the needs of the city? The first approach limits the vision to our ability and strength; but the second approach stretches the vision to see God’s power and strength at work.
Often we get stuck in a limited vision because we’re too focused on ourselves. When we see what God’s doing—when we see all of the hearts that need God—we can’t help but to engage and ask the question: What can we do to participate in what God is doing and wants to do to meet the needs of the people in our city?
Article excerpted and adapted with permission from the Exponential eBook Together for the City: What Can Happen When the Mission is Bigger Than 1 Congregation by Tom Hughes and Kevin Haah.
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