The Seven Stages of Church Planting

This is a process that has been developed from Fellowship Associates. It's simply one way to look at the season and life of a church plant. My hope is to share this with others to encourage and educate and inform our ministry partners. Here are the Seven stages!

1.Preparing, 2.Gathering, 3.Evaluating, 4.Launching, 5.Developing,
6.Influencing and 7.Reproducing.

Right now Imago Dei is in the preparing stage. I (Ryan) am working hard to do four things in the preparing stage. 1) Communicate Clear Vision, Find Competent Leaders, Gather Committed People, Raise the Financial Support needed for the first year. We have already identified a worship team, and youth and children coordinator. We are currently looking for Communities Pastor, and Operational Pastor, along with many other families that would move into the city to take up jobs and serve in the church.

Please connect with our social media to help spread the word about our church plant coming to Phoenix.

Starfish and the Spider Church

The whole discussion of our church being a Hybrid between the two Missional and Attractional Church models came about over time. But it was a recent book that really fueled my thinking and helped me establish a language. The title is called the "StarFish and the Spider" The premise is that, "If you cut off a spider's head, it dies; if you cut off a starfish's leg it grows a new one, and that leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. Traditional top-down organizations are like spiders, but now starfish organizations are changing the face of business and the world."

This book coupled with a few other great reads like Organic Church by Neil Cole and Clusters by Missiologist Mike Breen really shaped my passion to see the church function in a whole new way. At least a new way that I have never been a part of.

Anyways, the video series you are going to see will have like 8 videos or so that will unpack how we will follow a similar pattern and philosophy in ministry to maximize creativity and gospel contextualization in as many culture as possible! Seeking to take the best of both worlds and be a Hybrid.

Coexist in Culture?

Jesus teaches us a powerful truth about how Christians are to co-exist in their culture with non-Christians when he teaches the Parable, "The Wheat and the Weeds

"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared."- Mt 13:24-25

What's interesting is that Jesus asserts that the weeds shouldn't be pulled out, rather he urges that both the good seed (wheat) and the bad seed (weeds) be left to grow together. Why?
Well because they would both die if they were pulled to early. The roots are still tender, so He urges the farmer to leave them till harvest. Jesus further explains the parable:

"The one who sowed the seed is the son of Man (Jesus) The field is the world (culture) and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom(Christians). The weeds are the sons of the evil one, (UnChristians) and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels." - Mt 13:37-39, (Parenthesis mine).

The main point Jesus is making, is that we are in world but not of the world. (Jn 17: 15-17). We are to learn how to Coexist in our culture, yet remain strong and pure until he returns! We are Wheat in the weeds and our job is not to pull out the weeds but to live among them!

3 Points should be considered here for the believer

Pilgrim Principle: This idea is that we have are to confront cultures evils and speak out against worldly wrongs, based upon our Biblical convictions. This principle is supported in Rom 12:2, "Do not conform to the patterns of the world" and is right, one should not conform to the world, yet we remain in the world at Jesus requests (John 17:15-16).

Ingeniousness Principle: The idea here is that the gospel message comes through the listeners own cultural lens of understanding, therefore the task of the Christian is to adapt, the message to fit culture, using language, symbols, sign and customs of the culture, so that the Gospel is clearly understood. Jesus did this continually in his teachings and Paul said, "Be all things, to all people"

In but Not of Principle: Jesus said it best, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:15-16). We are in the world—that’s the indigenous principle, yet, we are not of the world—that’s the pilgrim principle. For a more exhaustive look at this look at John Piper's Article

Again we must learn how to Coexist in our culture, yet remain strong and pure in our convictions, not compromising the gospel, but living in and around those that most need it!
We are Wheat in the weeds and our job is not to pull out the weeds but to live among them!