Soul Shocked
April 26, 2009You’ve heard the phrase “shell-shocked?” It’s a combat term used to describe the delirium that sometimes plagues soldiers in the battlefield when they have been hit hard by tough or challenging circumstances—normally after an enemy attack.
I’m not shell-shocked, but I am “soul-shocked.” I’m using this term to describe the spiritual delirium that I’ve been facing since returning from the Exponential Conference (www.exponentialconference.org) in Orlando, Florida on Friday. I think it was the best Christian conference I’ve ever experienced—much better than last year (and last year was decent). But since my return I’ve been hit hard by a haunting spiritual reality.
You see, up until now I’ve been pretty content with planting and leading Crossroads Christian Church (www.crossroadsofjoliet.org) to viability—and I’ve hoped that Crossroads would become healthy enough to mother more new churches. And so I’ve had this dream of planting more than one new church in our town for the past couple of years.
This week I was at the Conference asking myself: “What if we planted two more new churches in our town by 2015 and reached 1000+ people for Christ?” And I sensed a voice saying: “If you reach 1000+ people for Christ by 2015 there will still be 119,000 people in your town who don’t know Jesus Christ.” And that’s when I realized that 1000 new Christians worshipping at churches we have started would only be a drop in the bucket—and really wouldn’t change the spirit and culture of our town at all. That vision is simply too small.
You see, if we’re going to turn the tide of the fading church in the US then we’re going to have to do more than plant churches. We’re going to have to plant whole movements of churches that grow exponentially. So I’m no longer thinking “two more churches by 2015;” I’m now thinking something more like 30 new churches in and around Joliet by 2025 with 500+ new Christians at each new church. That would be 15,000 new believers in Christ in our community (which by the way would be only 10% of our community).
That might sound like a lot, but frankly, it’s just the beginning. And for now that vision has me a bit delirious. No way I can do that. But maybe “we” can. In Ephesians 3:20 we learn that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us.” Anybody can plant 3 churches and reach 1000+ people for Christ in the span of 8 years. But only God can reach 15,000+ in just a few decades. Just the prospect of this has me “soul-shocked.”
I look forward to seeing what the Lord brings about.
Matt,
I love the vision!! I think that kind of vision displays the apostolic leadership necessary for a movement. Love it! Count us in! Our Shorewood Campus Pastor told me he is ready to reproduce a new campus in Joliet and has a potential new Campus Pastor. Only 29 to go!
Dave
God is able! We plant the seeds and he brings the increase! Let’s get it done!!! I too am looking forward to see what God will do in and among us to broaden his kingdom!
Math Figures:
Joliet has a population of about 150,000 people. About 80% of Joliet is NOT in church on a given Sunday. That means that 120,000 people in our town have no active connection to Christ and His Church. If we do something seemingly amazing in the next 5 years and reach 1000 people for Christ, then there will still be 119,000 people without an active relationship with Christ. If we can start 30 new churches that average 500 people then that will be 15,000 people which would account for about 10% of our community. Smarter men than I say that one must reach at least 10% of a community to really start making a significant difference. No way we can be content reaching 400 people (or 4000 people) when so many will still be lost. We must open our minds to God’s bigger vision!
Matt,
What if……….
We could do this in 10 different regions of Chicagoland?
We could find churches who would buy into the same kind of dream?
We could get each of our new churches pumped up to have this kind of syngeristic passsionate capacity for reaching?
1000 churches are possible in my lifetime for Chicagoland?
I want to hear the Master say “Well done”. I know you want the same.
Love it Matt! That’s what we are praying for over here in Indiana as well!! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome…I am definitely “soul shocked” from attending the conference. Excited to see what God has in store for Joliet (and our world) as a result of so many “soul shocked” from God’s moving presence in Orlando this year. Back to what you know I am doing for now…just had to stop and read this today. Jim D
We’re praying for Urban/Suburban America — and prayerfully “doing” in our part of the world… God-sized visions are the only ones worth pursuing!