From the Ground Up

Why get involved in a new church plant? Being involved in a brand new church may bring lots of images to mind, some positive and some negative. One person may envision an exciting scenario of all hands on deck with everyone pulling together to create something fresh and new, while another imagines a chaotic and worn out crew of people barely keeping the new venture afloat. But regardless of which category you fall into, one thing is certain. Church planting is in the heart of a missionary God who sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem the world, and to keep reproducing more of Himself throughout the earth. Jesus said that He would build His church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Mt. 16:18).

Part of building His One Church throughout the world is through church planting. Not everyone is called to help start a church from scratch, but if you are, there are lots of reasons to get excited about what it means to help from the ground up. One of the most exciting things about belonging to a church plant is all of the opportunity that it presents. Your gifting and abilities will be needed to help round out a core team of people who are giving their time to see the church get off the ground. Sometimes in an established church it can feel like all of the spots are "filled up" for lack of a better term. Not all established churches will feel like this, in fact, successful churches that have been around for decades will always have a place for new volunteers because they are keeping the Great Commission front and center. But in many cases, a church plant provides more openings and opportunity to get involved because of the newness of everything!

The biblical character that comes to mind is Bezalel from the book of Exodus. As God is laying out the very detailed and important instructions to Moses for the construction of the Tabernacle, He calls out Bezalel among other skilled craftsmen to come build the sanctuary: '“The Lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded.” So Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and all the others who were specially gifted by the Lord and were eager to get to work' (Exodus 36:1-2). God is assembling a team of people who are specifically gifted in diverse areas to pull together to accomplish the goal of building the sanctuary. Similarly, the Lord sends people to start new works and people to come alongside those starting the new work in order to build His Church.

If you have a gifting or ability that the Lord has put in you, and you are not using it or have not had the opportunity to use it, joining a new church plant may be the place where you have the chance to utilize it! Bezalel was given a whole set of skills and anointed by the Holy Spirit to be instrumental in the historic construction going on with the Tabernacle: "The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft" (Exodus 35:31-33). Bezalel was placed at the right time in history for God to use his life in a powerful way! Did you know that thorough God's sovereignty and mighty plan, that you can be placed at just the right place for what He has in store for you? Ephesians 2:10 declares that "we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Another aspect of getting to use our abilities involves pouring our lives into others and equipping them in their worship of the Lord. We see in this same Exodus passage how God uses both Bezalel and Oholiab to do just that: "And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers." Not only is it rewarding to serve God with the gifts He has put in you by doing it yourself, but even more so, the reward comes when you see that ability made stronger in someone you have discipled or mentored in the faith!

In Exodus 36, we see a host of craftsmen working together to create the beautiful Sanctuary of God which brings us to another exciting thing about being at ground zero of a church plant: community! The potential for forming a tight knit community and church family is especially strong when you are starting a new work together. As everyone is working together, not only does something new have a chance to get started, but someone new, a new group of friends and people learning to love each other like a family. There's nothing more bonding than going on an adventure or experiencing something unique together. Think of the last time you were on a mission trip or you helped put on a production or event. Most likely you made some good friends out of that endeavor, and belonging to a new church plant can give those community building, friendship opportunities in a environment that is naturally conducive to bringing new people together.

Finally, an exciting feature of starting a church from the ground up is that new churches are by default and necessity outreach-oriented! If you have a heart for evangelism, apologetics, or doing hands on outreach in the community, then a church plant could be a perfect fit for you. We are called to be fishers of men, and a new church wants to primarily build through new believers in Jesus, not simply transfer growth from other churches. But every new church needs that core group of ready to work and ready to love disciples that can make new disciples! If any of this is resonating in you, consider praying about becoming a part of a new church plant. The Holy Spirit will guide and direct your steps to the exact place if that is what He is calling you to do. And if you are in the Tallahassee area or want to look at relocating to the Tallahassee area, give Evergreen Church a consideration in prayer. We would love to meet you, and remember, a budding church plant somewhere may be fervently praying for a teammate exactly like you!