This blog post will attempt to answer some questions about New City Church, a new church forming in Columbia, Missouri. I like the terminology of “church planting.” This emphasizes that while people may till the soil, put the seed in the ground, water the seed and pull weeds, ultimately, it is God that grows a plant. There is an innate power in the seed itself that is the fundamental dynamic for the growth of the plant. As far as church planting is concerned, this power is what we call the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In modern terminology, the Gospel is the Good News that God came into the world as Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life and died in such a way that he became a sacrifice for the sins for the people who put their hope in him. God raised him from the dead as a statement that our sins are completely paid for and we have the right to a renewed relationship with God, no matter how dreadful our past is. The power of this message is the foundation of the church.
What?
We want to be a church. We want to be a Christian church. We believe in the historic Christian doctrines as they have been outlined by the Gospel Coalition. We are not a part of a denomination. I (Adam) actually don’t have anything against denominations. I think they are all trying to do things well. Many of the things that we call denominations are the remnants of the Gospel movements of prior generations that have lost momentum for one reason or another. It’s easy to throw rocks at the mistakes of others. Some denominations have managed to keep the faith, despite overwhelming odds and we respect them for that. Among my favorite: Presbyterian Church in America, Evangelical Free Church and the Southern Baptist Convention. Each of these groups has theological or practical issues that many people, including myself, have problems with. That being said, they have done a good job contending for the faith in our society. Theologically, I am Reformed, Spirit-Filled, Missional and Complementarian.[1] Those are pretty "churchy" words, but are important shorthand ways of communicating that we believe the teachings of the Bible.
When and Where?
We meet at 1020 E. Walnut in Downtown Columbia, from 10am-11am on Sunday mornings. The club we meet at, The Bridge allows us to rent their facility and take advantage of their atmosphere and sound equipment. We also have smaller group meetings of various kinds throughout the week, which allow us to process the claims of Jesus with other people.
Why?
So this is probably the biggest question in most people’s minds. Why start a new church in Columbia, Missouri? Aren’t there enough already? Why not start a new church in Africa? Why not help the existing churches? The main answer to this question is God. We believe that God has called us to it. That is pretty subjective. No one needs to join us because of that, but that is the real reason. There are lots of other reasons too. Columbia, Missouri is a strategic city for the spread of the gospel in the Midwest. Each year, Missouri sends many of its best and brightest students to Columbia for their college education. In this city, 30,000 students, each year, are shaped intellectually. The gospel needs to be a part of that process. Additionally, many young singles and families get their start in Columbia. After graduation, people often stay in Columbia for a few years before moving to other areas in the Midwest. We would love to serve those other cities by helping their future leaders be changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Additionally, and most importantly, Columbia is home to 108,500 people (US Census, 2010). Even by conservative estimates, fewer than 15,000 of those people go to a church regularly that preaches Jesus as Savior and King. Including the surrounding areas, there are over 100,000 people that are unchurched. Most of them have no eternal hope in Jesus Christ. How will they be reached?
"Most experts recognize church planting as the single most effective strategy for reaching people that do not know Jesus.[2]"Essentially, more people preaching the same message in different ways is going to reach more people. We want to plant a church to reach people that need Jesus. Church planting is not a critique of existing churches. Church planting is not “doing church right.” Church planting is not for correcting doctrinal error. God wants people that have no hope to see Jesus as their eternal hope. Church planting is the best way for that to happen.
Who?
Adam Wheeler, Joel Eisleben, their families and a few others began having conversations about starting a new church in Columbia, Missouri several years ago. During coursework at the Resurgence Training Center in Seattle, Adam became convinced that now (Spring 2011) was as good of time as any for initiating this process. We started Sunday morning meetings in August of 2011.
We are looking to partner with people that have a similar vision for reaching our city. Church planting is not for everyone. There is an entrepreneurial spirit that fills the air (i.e. we might have to change a diaper during a Bible study). It’s hard. You have no idea what you are signing up for (and neither do I). Risk is involved. But, being on the mission of Jesus requires risk taking (and really, in the global context, it’s a pretty pathetic risk…). Fortunately and unfortunately, church plants are home people with less experience than older more established churches.[2] That is a great opportunity for new people in the community to use the tools that God has given them in the church. If you are interested, feel free to come on a Sunday evening, or to email Adam.
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