Barnabas, the "Son of Encouragement." Why would a church planter choose to name a church after this man? What does that indicate about the nature of the church? We have spent the last few days trying to cast Kevin's vision for Barnabas into tangible form. Placing a God-given dream into words is no easy task, and it has stretched my and Stacy's creative and administrative skills. However, after a few coffee shop visits and a lot of brainstorming, we have begun to move in a solid direction.
Before I explain BC's identity and mission, I'll lay out the problem. Thousands of non-Southern Baptist churches are in Cleveland, with Catholic, AME, and Pentecostal by my estimation the most common. Regarding SBC presence, the Cleveland Hope Baptist Association has existed in for 58 years and has actively focused on church planting for the last 10 years or so. However, the percentage (the actual percentage, not just the gross population) of lostness continues to increase yearly. Currently, 8% of Clevelanders are actively evangelical, and that figure is estimated to drop to 5% in the coming years. On the West Side of Cleveland, only 1 out of 10 SBC church plants have survived to become self-sustaining churches.
This is a problem, and we want to fix it. Fixing it begins with change.
Barnabas Church is the first step in what we hope will be a new wave of church plants. As I mentioned in Wednesday's post, the church plant is very different. Kevin is the Director of Missions for Cleveland Hope, so he will not need or accept a salary from Barnabas. The church will meet in his house and garage, so almost very little overhead cost will exist. No sound system is being purchased, and no elaborate praise band is being formed. People, the Bible, and sharing the gospel are the focus of all that Barnabas will do. As much as possible, the resources provided will be poured back into gospel-sharing activities.
How do we plan to do this? The premise of Barnabas is that every believer can be encouraged and empowered to share the gospel AND teach others to share the gospel. The mission is this: Encourage one another. Grow in faith. Share the gospel. Currently, our plan for gatherings is to begin Sunday evenings at 5:00 with a grill-out and fellowship. We'll have basketball, snow cones when possible, and however else we decide to simply enjoy one another's company. Then we'll move into a time of simple worship. Sometimes there may be a single guitar or keyboard; sometimes we'll use CDs, sometimes we'll sing acapella. Next will come Kevin's teaching, which will focus on understanding the gospel message. Kevin feels led to teach through the good news as laid out in Charles Brocke's Good News For You, a simple guide to the gospel that is non-denominational and derives all questions and answers directly from scripture. After the teaching time, we'll have a time of testimony, prayer, and discussion, where we'll be encouraged and challenged to think about how we can use our talents, passions, and places in life to reach our circles of influence with the gospels. Good News For You booklets will be available, and all will be encouraged to take a few to pray over and see who the Holy Spirit leads to share with. The hope is that these studies will lead to the members beginning the Good News For You or other gospel-centered bible studies with friends, families, coworkers, etc. From there, churches may be started and more leaders trained and equipped.
We don't know what the results of this endeavor will be; we can only stay obedient and faithful to the call that God has placed on our lives. This model of church planting is a bit "out-there" so to speak, and nothing like it has been tried here in Cleveland. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
That being said, I can only imagine how the vision and direction of this church plant will change and shape over time. Below, however, is the mission and core values that Barnabas will stand by no matter what direction the future takes.
"Here at Barnabas, we are a different kind of church. Our mission statement is simple and straight forward: We exist as a faith-family of believers who gather together to encourage one another, grow in faith and boldness, and actively share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Founded on four core principles, Barnabas seeks to impact lostness in the greater Cleveland area by equipping and empowering followers of Jesus to share the gospel, beginning within each of our unique circles of influence. Ultimately, our desire is that our community of believers will understand the equal ability of all followers of Jesus to share the gospel, becoming a catalyst for evangelistic Bible studies and church plants throughout Cleveland and beyond.
The core values of Barnabas Church include:
1) Encouragement. Whenever Barnabas gathers together as a family, encouragement is key. No matter where believers (or unbelievers seeking the truth) are in their walks of life or walks of faith, they are encouraged to grow in intimacy with Jesus, take the next step of obedience in their Christian lives, become more Christ-like, and use their gifts, passions, talents, and opportunities to share the gospel message.
2) Simplicity. Because we desire for Barnabas to be a paradigm gospel-sharing network of believers, Barnabas Church strives for all of our activities, methods, and services to be reproducible by any Christian regardless of social, economic, or educational factors.
3) Equality. Barnabas Church maintains that any true Christian,any follower of Jesus, is equally empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel and to teach others about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Our value of equality does not detract from the diversity of Spiritual gifts nor does it negate the importance of orthodox gospel contextualization.
4) Authenticity. Every thought, attitude, and action in a believer's life should truly reflect their relationship with Jesus Christ. Likewise, as a corporate body of believers, Barnabas Church focuses on bringing every aspect of our existence in line with orthodox biblical theology. Our practices flow from the true and actual change brought in our lives by a restored relationship with God the Father, a relationship with Jesus Christ, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit."
This is our mission and these are our values. Please be in prayer for us, for the future family members of Barnabas Church, and for those in Cleveland who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus.
Today's Prayer Place: University Circle. Uptown, Cleveland.
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