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re:vive
will be a community that values the edge over the center, the adventure over the static, and the lost more than the found. We will continually be looking for God to raise up men to plant churches out of our community of faith and will endeavor to help all like-minded churches reach their culture for Christ. We desire to be a ‘church-planting church’.And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8
WHY PLANT NEW CHURCHES?
§ Since 1980, the population of the United States has grown by 48 million people (from 237 to 285 million – 20% increase).
§ 65% of Americans are currently “unchurched” (185 million unchurched people in America), having no formal church connection.
§ We are confronted with the largest generation, in the history of the world, to grow up outside of the church.
§ 3700 churches close their doors every year.
§ Predictions are that in just the next few years, 100,000 of the 350,000 churches in America will close their doors.
§ 80 to 85% of all churches in America are plateaued or declining.
§ Of the 15% that are growing, 14% are growing as the result of transfer rather than conversion growth.
§ No County in the U.S. has seen even 1% increase in church attendance in the last 10 years.
§ North America is now the only continent in which Christianity is not growing.
§ The United States is third in the World in need of missionaries.
§ Today only 25% of the worldwide church is in our Western world, while an amazing 75% of the worldwide church is in the distant Eastern world!
(Malphurs, Planting Growing Churches, 2000).
Church planting will be the future of the American church because it is far easier to plant a new church than to renew a dying one. It is easier to raise a child than to raise the dead! And besides that, planting new churches is the most effective way to bring people to Christ. Nationally, a church older than 10 years takes an average of 89 attendees to reach one person for Christ a year, while a church under 3 years takes 3 attendees to reach one person for Christ.
If you believe that God may be calling you to plant a church with re:vive, contact us, then plan on getting involved with our community of faith as we seek the Lord’s will together for His Kingdom. The standards are high for an Elder-qualified man who is able to teach, (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) but the rewards of using your passion for the pleasure and glory of God is eternal and worth giving your life to.
If you are in another part of the country or the world and cannot be a part of our community, here are a couple of good networks/sending ministries.
Acts 29 network Church Planting Village
