AEC2001
Plenary Session 3:
The Ten Most Important Things
I’ve Learned
about Church Planting
Part 5
Stuart Murray
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5. Research the target community
It is remarkable how limited is the research that precedes
many church planting initiatives. New churches are planted with little or no
investigation into the area in which it is to operate or the community it is
intended to reach with the gospel. It seems that often the assumption is that
the planting team either knows all it needs to about this or is not really
interested in finding out. Of course, if you already know what your new church
is going to look like, why bother exploring the area or the community?
But the result of this lack of research is often that new
churches fail to thrive or to make any significant impact on the community.
Their programs are not tailored to the interests, needs or aspirations of those
they claim to be trying to reach. They do not realise the cultural gap between
church and community. They have not taken time to interpret the community, to
listen to it, to love it, to understand it. They have not heard the questions to
which the gospel is the answer.
Research takes time, but it is time well spent. Planting a
church without engaging in a process of research is likely to lead either to
failure and eventual closure or to another church being planted which is
physically located in a community but culturally and spiritually distant from
it.
