As we begin our Mid City Church
launch season, there is one question I get asked over and over again. Where is your building? After smiling through that question, I explain to people that the way we used to launch churches no longer works.
You see, we used to find a building, pick a date, send out a bunch of invitations, posters and advertisements and wait for people to show up. And on that launch date, we would open our doors and tons of people would show up.
But the sad reality is that people no longer show up for church like they used to. Society no longer shows up at church because it is what you do on Sunday morning. This means that we have to do things differently if the Church is going to remain relevant in this century.
So instead of finding a building and choosing a date, we are working to build a launch team. We are growing our circle of friends so that when it is time to launch, we are not just inviting strangers, but actually inviting people we know. And by doing so, the probability of people showing up and sticking around increases drastically.
As I was sharing this with a friend last week, she looked at me and told me “That is an interesting idea you have there, I hope it works for you.” I simply smiled, and said thank you.
That conversation really stayed with me though. I could not understand why it is so difficult for people to understand that the church needs to make itself relevant in society again. The idea of growing the launch team, growing our group of friends, seems like such a foreign concept to us as Christians. Yet it is so central to the Gospel.
When Jesus began his ministry, he didn’t begin by picking a building for them to meet in. He began by making friends. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus first invites Peter and Andrew to join them in his mission of fishing for people. Then they go out and meet James and his brother John. They are invited to be a part of his launch team. Later in the gospel, he meets a tax collector named Matthew. Jesus goes to Matthew’s house and eventually calls him to be a part of this launch team as well. Jesus also meets another tax collector named Levi and he invites Levi to join his launch team. And then the really cool part is that they start inviting others
to be a part of this! In the Gospel of John, Jesus invites Philip to be a part
of the launch team and Philip invites Nathanael. This begins to spread!
You see, Jesus’ ministry does not begin with him healing people. It does not begin with him having a building and a date. It begins with him going out and growing his launch team (his group of friends). So I want to invite you to be a part of our launch team!
Never underestimate the power of making new friends for the mission. We are here today, calling ourselves Christians, because Jesus began his ministry by gathering with a group of friends. They were so wrapped up by the mission that this small group of 12 changed the world. Those twelve, went out and brought people into a relationship with God. And you get to be a part of that same mission!
So here is how you can help:
First of all, be in prayer for what God is doing in Mid City and how we will get to be a part of it! Second, next week, we will send out a full schedule for the rest of the year. We want to invite you not only to attend those events, but to also bring a friend. That is the most important part, BRING A FRIEND! And third, keep telling people about Mid City Church and help them get connected to our launch team!
Together on the journey,
Pastor Fernie
P.S. If you want to invite someone to get these emails, they can text the word “LOOP” to 225-307-0662. They will be invited to give us their information and will be automatically added to these weekly emails.
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