What Christmas Teaches Us About Church Planting

Christmas is a wonderful time of joy and celebration. It is one of the most important seasons in the Christian calendar. The celebration of the holiday has tremendous impact on many of our social and financial institutions. It is a time of year when families gather, a time when cheer and goodwill are sought. Did you ever consider that Christmas could have an impact on how we do church planting? Christmas is the holiday, but Jesus Christ is the message of the holiday. His life and how He lived it is the ultimate instruction for how we, too, should live.

We certainly should strive to keep Christ in Christmas, but we can also strive to keep Christmas in Church Planting.

Go To Where The People Are

For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, ….     Isaiah 9:6 (HCSB)

See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated "God is with us."    Matthew 1:23 (HCSB)

The first principle Christ and Christmas teach us about church planting is the necessity to go to where the people are. Jesus left the glory and comforts of heaven to be “with us”. Since Jesus gave us the example of incarnational living, it is necessary for us to go to the people who so desperately need Him. Past are the days when we can hang out a sign and say, “ya’ll come”. His last instruction to those He entrusted with the job was, “Go into all the world…” It may be difficult and uncomfortable to cross streets or cross cultures, but reaching people with the good news of salvation and seeing new churches begun requires that we leave our homes and church buildings and go to where the people are.

Heal Broken Lives

The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed,…  Luke 4:18 (HCSB)

The second remarkable lesson from the life of Christ and Christmas for Church Planting is having the compassion to heal broken lives. Jesus was propelled into his daily ministry by a heart of caring and compassion. It is what He was about. It not only defined His calling, it attracted people to Him and ultimately to His Father and His Father’s kingdom. To be like Jesus, we have to offer people hope as we make genuine attempts at healing their hurts. Churches may be able to gather around a dynamic leader or a superior structure, but for a community of believers to be maintained, broken lives need to constantly find a place of healing.

Speak The Truth Of the Kingdom

 “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Matthew 4:17 (HCSB)

Another example that we should follow while attempting to transfer the practices of Christ into Church Planting is the continual act of making a verbal declaration of God’s truth. Jesus never stopped being among people. He never stopped reaching out to them with care and concern. But while doing these intentional activities, He was constantly taking the opportunity to convey the realities of His Father’s kingdom. “How will they know if no one tells them?” Be Christ-like this Christmas by pointing people to God’s Kingdom. Express to them how gloriously you have been saved and forgiven. Be sure that they hear from your life the future hope you possess in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

We certainly wish for you and your family the most blessed Christmas! We also hope and pray that your life, in Church Planting, will mirror the powerful life of our Savior who went to where the people were, cared for them with compassion and spoke to them the good news of the kingdom.

On behalf of the Church Planting Group, North American Mission Board, have a Merry Christmas and a blessed 2010!

Ken Weathersby, Vice President