PIONEERING!
Over the past 12 months we have been planning and establishing a new Church locally.
One Church has been and is still on an incredible adventure! We love every aspect of what we are doing, the reason we are doing it and the way in which we are doing it however as time has gone on, I have become increasingly frustrated with the word ‘Planting’! It actually annoys me as the word just seems wrong; it really does not describe what we as a team have been doing on this new journey over these last few months.
Now I know that this will probably upset a few people, possibly even anger a few, which if we are honest then angering people isn’t especially difficult in today’s climate! But before all the theologians say anything then I will simply say what I mean!… Of course I know that ‘Planted’ is scriptural and therefore so is ‘Planting’ but I would argue that ‘Planting’ still does not describe our journey so far!
Psalm 92 is one of my favourite scriptures, in fact it’s one of my ‘Life’ scriptures and in it, it says...
“planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green…”
I love this scripture! It personally speaks to me and has been fundamental in my Christian walk over the years. It really has shaped my approach to how I live my life and has helped me to always understand the importance of being a person that is ‘planted in the House of the Lord’. It is where I grow, where I get to serve and more importantly where God receives all glory. I have always felt a personal calling to be ‘planted’ in such a way that I help to build the House of the Lord. For as long as I can remember, it’s always been about what I can give rather than what I can receive which is strange really because the more I have given of myself then the more I seem to have been replenished!
I believe very firmly that we flourish in our walk with Jesus when we live in the House of God.
Yes I did say ‘Live’ in the House of God because just attending or being a consumer isn’t the mission.
Planting is all about putting down roots.
It’s all about being nourished by the soil around you.
It’s about letting every season in the soil do its specific thing.
I also do believe it is important not to move around.
Switching soil should always be God’s direction and decision!
(That will probably generate some differing opinions!)
At this point you may be thinking I’ve just made a good argument for the word ‘Planting’ but that describes an established house; the house that has already been built! What if there is no house and you are in fact building it from scratch?
It’s now been 12 months since God revealed His plan for us, asking us to simply trust Him and step out in faith!
I’ve quickly realised that ‘planting’ just doesn’t describe what we are about or the journey we have been on. In fact the word ‘pioneering' is a far better fit. We really feel like we are ‘PIONEERS’! When I think about those early American settlers who literally left what they knew in the east and headed out west into uncharted territory that really sums up the journey so far.
We are all well aware that ‘Pioneering’ describes the adventure of the uncharted territory as that is the exciting bit that everyone loves but are we aware that it also describes the way you have to leave a lot behind and travel light! An occurring theme for ‘Pioneers’ is that they have to simply use what they have or build it from scratch! It literally is what we have all been doing in this season; leaving people behind and building things from scratch! Yes of course it is God that is leading us and giving us direction but ‘none of us have ever been on a journey like this before’. Whilst it is exciting and there is lots of fun, I still believe that ‘Pioneering’ fits us better at this stage.
Being established takes time and often there is a process of trial and error! ‘Pioneers’ over ‘Planter’s’ does not make us any less committed to the cause in fact it allows us to be authentic and honest and there really is a tangible sense of ‘oneness’ when it comes to support and encouragement as we rely wholeheartedly on God and each other! It’s amazing that the ‘pioneering spirit’ starts to invade all other areas of your life too. It becomes a permission giver to simply ‘have a go at trying something different’. Things don’t have to stay the same all the time. No area of our life should be a ritual, it should be exciting and there should always be a fresh vision that strengthens us!
Maybe today you need to have a bit of that ‘pioneering spirit’ in your life. You can have it! You can step out in faith and try something new in your marriage, your career, your finances or even your hobbies.
If “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1) Can I suggest you probably already are a ‘Pioneer’! You may just need to shift your perspective. Living by faith and walking daily with Jesus is all about the pioneering spirit! Life with Jesus is a real adventure which is full of twists and turns. It’s always unchartered territory if you are stepping out in faith! We just need a willingness to not be comfortable being comfortable.
By Simon Rushton 17th May 2023
