This week, my wife, Marty, and I had the honor of attending a church planter's retreat sponsored by the Converge Northwest District and held at the beautiful Cannon Beach Christian Conference Center on the rugged Pacific coast in northern Oregon. Read on to discover just a small amount of what was seen and heard at that relaxed gathering. Maybe you and your church can learn from my observations.
I observed from beginning to end that couples who share the same passion for a new ministry of church multiplication connected or reconnected in an atmosphere of sweet fellowship and sharing their journeys with one another.
The food was great, but the table talk was even better. Honesty and truth-talk was the rule – boasting in anyone but the Lord was not. Even on the first day of the retreat, planters and coaches encouraged one another. That's the way it should be when pastors get together.
There was an awareness that the Lord is showing up in new churches in ways that match the words of the Apostle Paul:
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21 ESV)
We were reminded by our speaker, Gary Rohrmayer, that we seem to be on the cusp of a Great Awakening in America, and the church should plan accordingly. Retreat participants agreed based on what they are seeing in their church plants. Rohrmayer said this, "Churches that will experience the coming Great Awakening are those that are preparing for it."
The sweet, humble prayers of church planters and their wives ascended to the Throne of Grace many times during the retreat. Our speaker also commented that "prayer can become the glue that holds the church together." He also encouraged us to pray every day for a spiritual conversation with someone in need of Jesus.
Along with a great hope came a great warning that Satan is constantly trying to distract and destroy church plants and church planters and their families, so be watchful and prayerful. Seek others to pray for you and your ministry. One of the church planters at the retreat told me that he recruited 300 prayer warriors to intercede for him, his family, and the new church.
We heard testimonies from all kinds of new churches – there is no one model to use, and every church is unique. Represented at the retreat were multi-ethnic church plants, Millennial generation-focused plants, church plants that focus on a particular people group, church plants that begin in troubled cities or neighborhoods, bi-vocational church planter starts, etc. I was reminded that God raises up new churches to reach new people and a new generation with the Gospel of Christ.
Couples were able to get away and rest alone or with others on the beach, downtown, worshipping together and alone, and hearing others who are traveling or have traveled down the same road of ministry for Jesus.
Another common theme was heard – leadership development is very important and the church planter needs to devote time, effort, strategic thinking, and lots of prayer to that ministry. Leadership development is one of the main jobs of the pastor of a new church.
I'm biased, but life and ministry coaching for church planting couples was greatly appreciated. Church planters need it, and I'm so glad Marty and I were there and were used by God to encourage others in ministry.
Maybe you won't go on a retreat with them, but how will you encourage pastors, church planters, and missionaries this Christmas season and during 2022?