Church Planter Collective

Wesleyans and Methodists were some of the very early successful church planters in America centuries ago. In this video interview, Ed Stetzer shares why the heritage of church planting is essential to reclaim, and why Wesleyans are specially positioned to do so in America.

The scriptures mark out a path that guides and leads us to God’s future. In our day, as we sense acutely the new challenges presented to the work of the gospel, followers of Jesus must hold to the practice of faithfulness to God’s word as a key habit to cultivate and embody that life. Such a way of life will serve as the fuel for revitalizing existing communities of faith and for the launching of new ones.

70 percent of historic church plants in the United Methodist tradition in his region have either failed or never reached membership of over 125 people. They were not accomplishing what they set out to do. Among those characteristics of these church plants is one unifying theme — the attempt by the planter and expectation of others that he or she could do it alone.

Ekkesia determined after its first year that it could pay the local matching portion to bring AmeriCorps tutors to Hawkins Elementary. Neighbors at Hawkins' longstanding work bringing daily activity into the school from local volunteers combined with the work of AmeriCorps members has shown great and quantifiable results.

Jesus is not the Christ of Black Friday. He is the Christ of Good Friday. His truth cannot be purchased, only received, and received only on its own terms. It comes not to those who have enough to pay for it, but to those who know they cannot afford it, that there is nothing of equal value to it. It comes to those who are simply willing to bow to receive.