Matt Bradley, Pastor of All Saints Presbyterian Church, and Ben Kappers, Pastor of All Saints Reformed Church, share their insights on the challenges and joys of mission churches. They discuss the delicate balance of welcoming new leaders while ensuring the church's health. Personal journeys highlight the importance of community engagement and leadership development. With anecdotes from church planting, they emphasize the significance of building strong foundations and collaborative leadership in establishing a thriving church community.
Both pastors emphasize the necessity for mission churches to secure essential members and financial stability for successful particularization.
The guests highlight the importance of intentional growth and community support while navigating the unique challenges of mission churches.
Deep dives
Introduction of Guests and Their Backgrounds
The podcast features two guests with experience in mission churches, Ben Coppers and Matt Bradley, who share their personal journeys into ministry. Ben, pastor of All Saints Reformed Church in St. George, Utah, recounts his journey from growing up in a Dutch Reformed church to attending Reformed Theological Seminary, illustrating the importance of foundational faith experiences. Matt, pastor of All Saints Presbyterian Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, shares a more varied background, growing up in a family that initially did not attend church but eventually finding faith in his teenage years and leading to his calling in the PCA. Both guests highlight their experiences and how their diverse paths have enriched their current roles in church planting.
Understanding the Goals of Mission Churches
The discussion emphasizes the goal of mission churches to mature and eventually organize into particular churches, as specified in the BCO. Both guests stress the importance of securing essential elements such as church members, officers, and financial stability to fulfill this mission. Matt mentions the need for a regular corporate worship service, illustrating the focus on intentional growth and leadership development within the congregation. Ben highlights the challenge of defining identity and unity among a rapidly growing, young congregation with diverse backgrounds, indicating that purpose and vision are critical to progress toward particularization.
The Role and Structure of Temporary Governance
The podcast explores the temporary systems of government available for mission churches, which include an evangelist, a mother-daughter church relationship, or a borrowed session. Matt explains their experience in establishing their church, where they moved with a core group of families and sought approval from the presbytery to start a mission church. Ben discusses his role as an evangelist in a less populated area, highlighting the benefits of working closely with other local pastors to foster community and collaboration. Both guests agree that the temporary governance model provided a supportive structure, allowing for progress while navigating the challenges typical of mission churches.
The Journey Towards Particularization
As the conversation shifts to the journey of particularization, both guests share their insights and experiences regarding the numerical requirements and expectations set by the presbytery. Matt clarifies that the Nashville Presbytery allows for variance in standards, depending on the unique circumstances of each church plant, focusing more on sustainability and leadership development than strict numerical quotas. Ben shares the context of Utah's mission field, where traditional metrics may not apply, underscoring the importance of focusing on growth and stability rather than arbitrary targets. Ultimately, the guests emphasize the need for mission churches to be proactive in receiving members and preparing for particularization while continuing to foster community and support among congregants.