21st century America is a giant mission field. If fact, it’s the third largest mission field in the world (third out of 195 countries.) No urban/suburban community in America has more than 25% of its population engaged with the Savior Jesus or a church home. A sobering statistic indeed. Think about it, 75% of the people in urban/suburban communities of our nation are unchurched or dechurched, and that percentage is getting worse by the day.
For a decade now, studies have shown that new church plants are ideally effective at connecting unchurched-dechurched people to the Savior Jesus and a church home. Here are a few reasons why:
* New church plants launch with a very focused mission agenda. From the very beginning, the culture of a new church plant is unashamedly outreach-driven. Those involved in the launch of a church plant are there because they boldly embrace the truth that, “nothing is more important than striving to get sinners like me connected to their needed Savior.” Existing congregations can move toward that Great Commission culture (and wonderfully, many are doing so), but new church plants are blessed with that mission posture from the start. It’s the only thing they’ve ever known, and it’s powerful.
* New church plants don’t have anyone saying, “We’ve never done it that way before.” One of the supreme hindrances to reaching lost souls is the unwillingness to put creative and culturally relevant ministry paradigms into play (without changing God’s pure Word of course!) When an existing congregation yearns to try something new, it can often be like trying to turn a giant cruise liner on a new course – it takes time, and a lot of people just don’t like the change of direction. However, when a new church plant seeks to put creative, outreach-effective ministries into play, it’s like a speedboat turning on a dime, and those involved gladly embrace the thrill of the ride.
* New church plants create a lot excitement and momentum, as does any new adventure. That momentum easily translates into God’s people being more active witnesses in their neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. They are so excited about the new church launch, they naturally talk about it frequently and in genuinely passionate ways, and that energy turns into constant worship invitations and new soul growth.
* New church plants make immediate use of modern technology, and that technology goes a long way to reach out to the unchurched people of 21st century America. As a congregation utilizes a modern website, audio podcasts, streaming video messages, blogs, twitter, facebook, and so on…the Gospel communication of the new church plant reaches hundreds (even thousands) of people instantly. The church plant’s use of technology also gets the unchurched person thinking, “maybe this church is something up to date, relevant, and maybe just maybe, it understands who I really am and what I’m really going through.”
As a church plant ourselves – Water’s Edge Church in Frisco, Tx - we have seen these strengths played out firsthand. God has grown our church plant from 30 to 800 engaged disciples in five short years, with more than 50% of the new souls connecting from a previously unchurched-dechurched background. Few congregations have experienced 400+ truly unchurched souls connecting to Christ and their congregation in sixty short months. We only make that point to stress how wonderfully effective new church plants can be at reaching the wandering of America.
Because we’ve experienced the outreach effectiveness of a new church plant firsthand, we want to do everything we can t0 see more such plants launched. That’s why in January of 2010 we founded SoulThirst Ministries.
SoulThirst Ministries exists to ignite and empower a church planting movement across the American LCMS.
We passionately believe that church plants like Water’s Edge aren’t meant to be an anomaly, so we have a strong desire to do whatever we can to help tons more outreach-focused LCMS church plants get launched throughout the nation.
The truth is, while new church plants have proven to be one of the most effective ways to reach the lost of America, we LCMS Christians are extremely slow in getting a church planting movement rolling. Certainly there are Districts that understand the dire need for outreach-focused church plants (like the Texas District for sure), but no real movement is in place.
That’s why Water’s Edge has empowered one of their own Pastors (Pastor Patrick Miller) to devote a signficant majority of his time to the church plant igniting endeavors of SoulThirst. Pastor Patrick is the church planter who launched Water’s Edge in May of 2004, and we firmly believe that God has prepared him to be a key player in a zealous, LCMS church planting movement.
As SoulThirst Ministries seeks to ignite and empower a church planting movement across the American LCMS, Pastor Patrick will be orchestrating the following endeavors for SoulThirst:
1. Hosting a church planter ”bootcamp” numerous times each year.
The bootcamp is being designed by a group of succesful church planters who have an intimate understanding of what it takes to be the effective leader of a church plant. The SoulThirst bootcamp is the perfect place for someone considering church planting to investigate what that calling looks like, and more fully discern what spiritual gifts are essential for it.
2. Hosting “ReFueling” retreats for existing church planters, so that they get their own spiritual tanks refilled.
We know how important it is for them to be renewed and rejuvenated as they head back into battle with the evil one who constantly attacks them and their ministries because they are effectively connecting lost souls to the Savior. SoulThirst Ministries is in the initial stages of acquiring a “hosting house” in North Texas (near DFW airport), a place where these ReFueling retreats – and many other church plant igniting gatherings - can take place on a frequent basis. For the time being, the ReFueling retreats are hosted at other ideal venues.
3. Recording church planting lessons (in video format), and posting them on a website.
As Vicar Travis is in the very beginning stages of launching a new church plant (Water’s Edge Allen), we are video recording key lessons that strike him each week. Pastor Patrick sits down and interviews Travis, asking him about one key lesson he has learned recently, and that interview gets edited and posted online. You can imagine how valuable this tangible glimpse into church planting will be for other planters as they prepare for the planting process.
4. Training “church planting vicars” on-site at Water’s Edge Frisco.
Currently, there are only a handful of existing church plants that are poised to train church planting vicars, but as this movement of planting continues, that reality will get better. Water’s Edge is an ideal place for training to take place, and currently two men are training on site – Travis Hartjen and Anthony Celia.
5. Hosting members from inquiring LCMS congregations for “Church Plant Experience” weekends.
Groups of LCMS Christians who are considering church planting are invited to come spend a weekend at Water’s Edge, talking to its church planters and leaders, and experiencing its weekend worship environment. This weekend experience is an ideal way to put tangible “skin” on the idea of church planting. When folks visit Water’s Edge, they not only get to experience a church plant that is five years down the road, but also one that is in the very initial stages (Water’s Edge Allen…just a few miles from Water’s Edge Frisco.)
6. Passing along the names of men with ideal church planting gifts.
We pass along the names of men with church planting gifts to congregations, districts, and groups of LCMS Christians who are eager to launch outreach-focused church plants. In other words, we help pair men poised for church planting with God’s mission zealous people hungry to launch a new plant.
These are the church plant igniting endeavors of SoulThirst Ministries. Please consider partnering with us to keep them rolling full steam ahead!
God’s people are often eager to support missionaries in foreign mission settings. We’re asking you to be just as zealous about supporting a church planting movement right here in America! Your support is imperative to getting a church planting movement rolling full steam ahead, so please be in fervent prayer about such support. You can sign-up to be a SoulThirst partner via an online, secure donation site. Just visit the donation link on the sidebar of this homepage.
Thanks for taking time to read about SoulThirst Ministries. Join us as we strive to ignite a church planting culture throughout the American LCMS. The eternity of millions of souls is at stake.
All glory to Jesus, as His Great Commission most certainly continues.
“Show mercy to those who doubt, and snatch others from the fire and save them!” Jude 22-23
