-Blog Posts-

  It's a helpful metaphor to think of a church plant like a teenager.  In a healthy family a teenager is being prepared to be sent out into the world as a fully-functioning independent adult.  Over time the teenager moves from totally dependent on the parents to independent and self-sufficient. It's a process.  When the time comes, the young adult carries the family DNA and the familial relationship out into the world but creates a new household.  That's the goal. Raising and launching a young adult is a sacrificial act on the part of the parents. The same is true with a church plant.  The church plant moves from dependence on the sending church (parent church) to independence.  And just like adolescence, both parties have to navigate the tensions of an ever-changing balance of dependence and independence, of control and freedom. And, yes, also money. But in healthy loving relationship the church plant (like the teenager) can develop and be launch...

So far we've mostly been talking about the general things of church planting. Note: If you haven't yet, check out the podcast for an in-depth conversation on that. But today I want to focus on a specific aspect of our church planting process: my role as a Resident Church Planter. Specifically, what does "Resident" mean in that job title? What Is a Resident Church Planter A church planter is someone who is sent out from the sending church (a.k.a. the "mother church") to lead and pastor the new church plant.  Being sent out is the whole point.  That's why the "Resident" designation is helpful for clarification.  The Resident Church Planter is one who hasn't been sent yet .  But he's in the preparation stage to be sent.  During the preparation stage he's ministering and serving at the sending church, as a resident of the sending church.  Once the new church plant is launched, the Church Planter moves to serving the new church. In my...

 "So how do you actually plant a church?" This question has come up often in my conversations lately, and it's a great question. Every unique church plant involves a lot of details and specifics, but let me lay out the big picture plan of how we are planting a church. Our plan involves three stages: 1) Cohesion & Confirming, 2) Vision & Structuring, 3) Launch & Partnering. 1. The Cohesion & Confirming Stage For any project a well-laid foundation is key. The Cohesion & Confirming stage is the relational foundation between the sending church and the church plant. The purpose of this stage is to build cohesion between the sending church and the church planter, and for the sending church congregation and leadership to confirm the relationship fit and the church planter's calling. This stage is where we are right now. In this stage my primary focus is on serving Fellowship Church and building relationships. 2. The Vision & Structuring Stage Th...

Six months ago I began considering the idea of planting a church, but this church planting story goes back decades before that. It actually began in the mid 1960s, two decades before I was born, when several couples got together in Ames, Iowa and began meeting for a weekly Bible study. That Bible study grew and soon began meeting for Sunday services. Christ Community Church was born. My part of the story starts some twenty years later when my parents decided it was time to leave their church and take me and my three older siblings to a church where we would hear the Gospel. We came to Christ Community Church when I was one year old, and it was my church home for the next twenty-three years. It was the church where I heard the Gospel in Sunday school as a kid and believed in Jesus as my Savior at six years old. It was this local body where I was discipled in the Word of God, where I grew in my faith and calling, where I was baptized, where I had my first experience of ministry an...

I'm excited to publicly announce that the Elders of Fellowship Church have decided after much discussion, prayer, and consideration to being me on staff as a Resident Church Planter.  This means that for the next 18-24 months I will be working on staff at Fellowship as we prepare and launch a new church plant. You probably have lots of questions.  That's great!  This is a new and unanticipated step for all of us.  You'll be hearing a lot more from us in the coming days.  Please reach out to me if you have any questions. Also, if you want to stay up to date, you can follow and support our church plant by subscribing to my email updates here . I'll also be sharing things on the website so check that out as well: www.seedjournal.org Your prayers are much appreciated! I can't wait to see what God will do in all this. For His Kingdom and glory, -Stephen Anderson