Helensvale Baptist Church

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Let's get to the end ... together

Filed Under:  Matt's Blog   —   14th Apr, 2011

This is the seventh in a series of blogs on our thoughts for the new multi-site church HBC and Southport Baptist Church are going to form on the northern Gold Coast later in 2011, including a new church plant at Highland Reserve. You might note my more certain language about this – that’s because last Sunday both churches affirmed this as God’s direction for us at our respective Church Meetings. Southport affirmed it with a 75% majority. At HBC it was affirmed with one “no” vote from 98 members and 18 non-members (including postal votes): 99.14% support. You can get more information about this on our webpage.

My last blog talked about how the multi-site church might provide a greater diversity of vocational ministry opportunities, and so a greater spread gift mix in vocational pastors in their right place of serving. Although important, there is perhaps an even deeper need in the Australian church, that the multi-site structure could meet, if followed in a humble, Lord Jesus honouring above all, way.

Unfortunately the list of burnout, run down, isolated “ex-pastors” in Australia continues. A decade or more ago I heard stats like “there are 10,000 ex-pastors across Australia”. Recently I heard someone suggest it was now more like 20,000. I don’t know the truth of the figures, nor how one would find it out, however the comments reflect a reality: pastors struggle to see vocational ministry through well – not to mention the many church volunteers that have broken down or walked away. In his article “In search of the city-wide church” Toowoomba pastor Lyle Shelton wrote,

“While the attractional mega-church model has resourced the church in Australia with contemporary worship music and helpful programs, the downside is competition and isolation as pastors strive to grow their works. The burn-out rate of pastors and the continued decline in our culture by every measure is clear evidence that whatever the church in Australia is doing – it is not working.”

http://au.christiantoday.com/article/in-search-of-the-city-wide-church/3873.htm

Lyle is right. Church in Australia is not working (that’s another story, and a long one!). Part of the evidence is pastors not finishing well.

The multi-site church may be one way God is leading us to respond to this need. In an earlier blog I wrote of the multi-site church has to be centred upon the Lord Jesus and Him above all, and how that has to be reflected in humility, gentleness, peace and patience in its leaders. Indeed such relationships will help any church structure be effective. Yet the multi-site structure pushes this all the more in two ways,

First, the multi-site structure is founded on the truth that we can’t do this alone. Teams and leadership development are its basic building blocks, and I cannot ignore one of the main reasons I am to work hard in ministry under Jesus is to uphold and see the ministry effectiveness of another pastor/leader/campus increase, above my own!! By broadening this supportive team structure across a number of campuses, more vocational pastors can receive the benefit of the encouragement, support and challenge of working together at an ever-growing deeper relational level. Indeed, perhaps the multi-site church provides more opportunity to develop new teams and new leaders as there is more than one campus. One of the greatest challenges we will have at HBC/SBC will be the development of Campus Pastors at our campus’s, including me finding someone to join the Highland Reserve Planting team I am leading to take the work into the future in a few years: I have to hand it over – both in action and in my heart – for the multi-site structure to continue to be effective.

Second, the multi-site structure provides a greater opportunity for financial and relational sustainability. The shared resources mean more is available to more people: or should be made available. Yes, some might suggest there is also more demands, but the greater base of people, giftedness, and contribution can be harnessed, if led humbly, to see God’s kingdom grow through supported and strongly connected teams of ministers – both vocational and other.

These two points mean, I hope, pastoral staff in a multi-site church structure might “get to the end … together”. To follow up Lyle Shelton’s comment, whereas the single campus mega-church might provide more funds, it may not provide a structure that calls pastors to act with humility and a heart for each other under the Lord Jesus (the competition and isolation her refers to). Embracing a multi-site structure, on the other hand, is an admission that I can’t do this alone, that one church can’t do this alone, and we need to work together to serve the Lord Jesus and the world around us to His glory: competition and isolation cannot, or should not, operate in that environment, and hopefully that means we can support one another, build each other up, and see ministry through to the end … together. The challenges of serving Jesus and proclaiming Him in 21^st century Australia wont’ let up, and to meet those challenges well I need others around me, as does HBC. And if we do, who knows, those looking in at the Lord Jesus life in His people might just take notice. But that’s the next blog …