I was in a meeting the other day with a group of leaders wrestling with the question of how we can help our existing churches live up to the “prevailing” destiny to which the Church that Jesus is building is called. One segment of the discussion included a brainstorming process about the characteristics of “prevailing” churches…what are they and how do we know. The input from this group of practitioners and experienced consultants confirmed a common thread that I have observed in churches that are truly “prevailing” over the long hall. They all develop leaders. Developed leaders provide healthy leadership which produces vigorous ministry. And vigorous ministry produces more authentic disciples that become developed leaders. And the cycle continues.

But then there are the “next level “churches that add a “sending” component. Not only do they develop leaders who produce ministries that serve effectively in the local context, but also send leaders out as pastors, missionaries and church planters to extend the influence of the church far beyond its geographic capability. Most “next level” churches are smaller fellowships in communities few people know about. They faithfully develop leaders and send them out to quietly and effectively change the world. And when they “send” they never have enough to spare, but they seem to always end up with more than what they started with. Maybe Matthew 6:33 isn’t just a philosophical theory after all.

So when you connect the dots it all adds up to this: Health is not a number…it’s a lifestyle. The healthiest churches are not defined by numbers or income but by developing what they have and giving themselves away to the Mission of Jesus. These are the churches that are truly transformational.

The recent Creative Funding Forum in Dallas, Texas was an outstanding success for many reasons…not the least of which was that all of the presenters paid their own way to be there! You read that right…take a minute to look at the list of presenters and then pause to consider the fact that they did not receive an honorarium or have their traveling expenses covered...they came to share simply because they love Jesus and are passionate about His Church. Strangely, this sort of selfless sharing is almost unheard of. But when it happens, it is powerful. These presenters acted like they actually believe Luke 6:38...”give and it shall be give unto you…”

So, to all of our presenters at the Creative Funding Forum… THANK YOU! Your sacrificial sharing has enriched our lives and your strong example of selfless sharing has challenged us all to go to another level of “paying it forward” to see God’s Church vigorously established.

Mark Batterson has a great blog called “Evotional.” In a post last year, he challenged other churches to add a “church planter in residence” to their staff. I hope you will seriously consider this approach.

Mark has identified a significant “supply and demand” issue in the church planting world. There is no shortage of places and people who need a “gospel bridge” built to them. The supply of resources and systems to support church planters is growing daily (although we still have a long way to go, the support systems are better than ever before).  So we’ve got plenty of places and a decent supply of resources. The real shortage is “called” and “equipped” planters. Churches that are willing to bring on a “church planter in residence” will do a great service by providing a place for called planters to be prepared and equipped. This is something we must do if we hope to reach the millions of currently unreached Americans with a vigorous local church.