We get a lot of questions surrounding the idea of church planting, but especially around the idea of starting a new church in Roanoke, VA. We hear questions like:
- “There are already a lot of churches in Roanoke, why plant one there?”
- “Why plant a church in the ‘Bible Belt?’”
- Or, “Why not revitalize an old church instead of starting a new one?”
These aren’t bad questions, but I do think they miss the point of the Great Commission in the New Testament (That’s meant to peak your interest so you’ll keep reading!).
Here are three answers to the questions: Why plant churches? and Why Roanoke?
1. The Mission
The simple answer is… that’s the mission. People are the mission, and church planting is God’s “Plan A” for reaching them. The local church is not just part of the plan, it is God’s plan for reaching those who are far from him.
Just think about the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. We’re to make disciples of all nations and baptize them, teaching them to follow all that Jesus commanded. Basically that means we’re to make disciples who make more disciples! Where does that happen? In a community of believers… the local church.
The cool thing is, new churches reach new people. Statistically speaking, new churches under 3 years old reach about 10 non-Christians for every 100 Christians (10:100) per year. That ratio shrinks to 5:100 for churches 3 to 15 years old. And it drops even further to 3:100 for churches older than 15 years.1Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers, Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird, Jossey-Bass Publishing, 2010, page 26.
So as the population grows and as mainstream churches continue to decline, we need new churches if we’re actually going to reach new people.
A lot of American Christians seem to have forgotten; when you become a Jesus-follower, you automatically get thrust into his mission with him. Followers of Jesus become leaders for Jesus. It’s just part of who we are now. It’s natural to invite and lead people into God’s family of faith with us. That’s the mission.
2. The Culture
Okay, but why Roanoke? Well, Roanoke’s culture—like the broader American culture—is restless, and always searching for satisfaction in everything except God. So it needs transformation from the inside-out.
But Roanoke also has its own unique culture. Just practically speaking, my wife Tamara and I aren’t L.A. people. We’re not Boston or New York or Chicago people either. I don’t think we’d be nearly as effective in big cities like those. But we are Roanoke people (we’re both from Roanoke!). So we feel uniquely able to contextualize the gospel for the culture there.
We’ve also been asking God to bring together the best team to reach the culture. Essentially, we’ve been asking God to send us laborers who are uniquely able to effect change in Roanoke, and who are prepared to reap the harvest God has cultivated there.
That’s a reference to Luke 10:2—for God to send out more laborers into the fields of harvest because the laborers are few, but the harvest of souls God is willing to reap is plentiful.
Well if we’re going to pray it, then we have to be willing to be part of the answer! We hope he’ll use Redemption Church in reaching and transforming the culture of Roanoke.
3. The Spiritual Need
Across the United States, most churches are in decline. Churches in Roanoke are no exception. There has been a 37% drop in Evangelical Christians over 10 years (2000-2010). 61% of Roanoke claims no religious affiliation (some people call this group the “nones”).2Gallup Poll, “Church Membership Down Sharply in the Past Two Decades,” https://news.gallup.com/poll/248837/church-membership-down-sharply-past-two-decades.aspx; City Data: Roanoke, VA, http://www.city-data.com/city/Roanoke-Virginia.html; Roanoke Times article: “Religion: A New Era for Roanoke’s Old Churches,” https://www.roanoke.com/news/religion-a-new-era-for-roanoke-s-old-churches/article_968d8a74-d228-56d8-8078-843e408da79b.html
And according to one source, 71% of the population is unreached with the gospel!3SBCV website: Roanoke, VA, https://www.sbcv.org/mission-site-digests-2/ That means, while these 71% have access to learn about the gospel… I mean we’re in the age of the internet, so of course there’s access… no one is actually sharing the gospel with them! That’s unthinkable!
Sorry to throw all the stats at you, but basically, there’s an ever increasing spiritual need! People don’t even realize what they’re looking for; they’re just searching without finding an answer. Yet, we have the answer to their longings.
Of course, we have the answer, but not because we’re awesome. It’s simply because we were like them until Jesus found us. Why wouldn’t we share what we’ve experienced with someone whose struggle we know all too well ourselves?
That’s what church planting is all about. New churches reach those restless people in the culture. Once we launch Redemption Church, we will be involved in planting churches, even from the very beginning!
If you’re interested in joining our mission, connect with me via email (click here). I’d love to talk to you about our strategy for reaching Roanoke with the gospel, and multiplying all over the world.
If you’re a Jesus-follower, whether you come to Redemption Church or not, you’re a culture leader. As you remember what Jesus has done for you, go out and share it with others today.
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Carter Mundy is the Lead Planter for Redemption Church launching in Roanoke, VA, this fall.