WHY CHURCH PLANTING?
Shofar’s vision is to reach nations and generations through disciple-making, leadership development, and church planting. God has given us a vision and a mandate to plant churches. Our goal is to establish communities where Jesus is worshipped, where people are set free by the Gospel and equipped to spread the Good News of Jesus to the ends of the earth. But what exactly is God’s heart for church planting? For that, we must look at God’s glorious plan for Creation.
Since the beginning, God’s plan for Creation was for His glory and presence to fill all the earth. God chose to partner with humanity to carry out this project. God said to the first human couple, the first human community He created: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28, ESV). This was God’s vision: As humanity multiplied and spread throughout the earth, they would carry His reign and presence to the ends of the earth. Everywhere you go, you would find communities of God’s image-bearers dwelling together in the light of God’s love and life. Even after the Fall, God did not abandon this vision. He still desired to fill the earth with His glory through the agency of human communities. This is where we get to the story of Jesus and His church. Jesus came to redeem and restore humanity. He came to draw humanity back into the life-giving presence of God. He established a renewed community that would carry His presence to the ends of the earth. This renewed community is the Church. In the beginning, Adam and Eve received the command to multiply and fill the earth. Now, once again, the Church, as God’s renewed community, receives a similar command: “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, ESV). “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, ESV). As the Church, we are called to make disciples of Jesus through the proclamation of the Gospel. This is why church planting is such a crucial part of our mandate. As we spread out into the world, we draw people into the life-giving presence of God. And as people come into the light of God’s love and life, they become part of His renewed community. Everywhere we go, we are called to establish pockets of this renewed community. Evangelism is, therefore, more than just the saving of souls. Evangelism also means that we bring these souls together to become a local renewed community of Jesus followers. This is what church planting is all about. As Shofar, we believe that we are called to partner with God in His grand vision. We believe our mission is to establish communities of God’s renewed people everywhere we go. God has given us His Holy Spirit, His very presence. Our mandate is to go out into all the earth and draw people into the life-giving presence of God through the power of the Gospel. We, therefore, want to see all the earth filled with the knowledge of the glory of God just like the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). And the way we do this is through disciple-making, leadership development, and church planting.
THE SHOFAR STORY
ROADMAP TO CHURCH PLANTING
Feel drawn to plant a church?
1 – PARTICIPATION
Season of formation through participation in ministry and mission, with a local church.
2 – DISCERNMENT
Season of prayer and reflection: ‘In which way am I called to participate in church planting?’
3 – TRAINING
Season of preparation through participation, mentorship and training courses.
4 – ASSESSMENT
A series of formal assessments to help discover which role in church planting suits you best.
5 – RESIDENCY
A season of residency in an established church that serves as a pastoral apprenticeship.
6 – SENDING
Formal commissioning and partnership in church planting pursuit.
7 – SUPPORT
Ongoing support and care for the church planter family and the new church.