Third Church Planting Congress considers culture, urges creativity

“Be a generation of astonishing creativity.”

This advice was offered by a member of the panel discussion at the Third Canadian National Church Planting Congress, held in Vancouver Nov. 19–21. It also sums up one of the key themes the Congress participants – nearly 650 of them – heard in their days together.

Under the title “Next?” the Congress, through speakers like Leonard Sweet, author of Post-Modern Pilgrims, and Eddie Gibbs, author of Good News is for Sharing, considered what the church needs to know and do in response to today’s culture. The church needs to understand particular communities and respond appropriately and creatively; one size or model doesn’t fit all.

This approach to culture at the Congress was “refreshing,” said one of the 45 Mennonite Brethren who attended, because it was not fearful or angry, but focussed on understanding. Another, Mary Reimer of Winnipeg, said she found the Congress “very affirming” about some of the things she and co-pastor Cal Bergen have been doing intuitively in the new church plant, FaithWorks.

The Congress opened with 5 “prayer tour” options to consider the spiritual needs of Vancouver: a temple tour (ethnic communities), a post-modern/university tour, a First Nations tour, the Eastside, and corporate Vancouver. Plenary sessions included messages by Sweet and Gibbs, as well as experienced church planters Connie denBok and Claude Payne.

Workshops took on the specifics such as regional or ethnic challenges, prayer strategies, and church models. The house church movement emerged as an answer to the needs of large cities. This movement is driven by two factors: the lack of land for large facilities and the preferences of the new generation. Wolfgang Simpson, a leader in this movement, spoke of the need people today have for community. “We need to eat more,” he said. “You tell me who you eat with and I’ll tell you who your family is.”

The Mennonite Brethren representatives met twice, at a supper sponsored by the Board of Evangelism and during a “denominational breakout” session. Two years ago at the Church Planting Congress in Montreal, Mennonite Brethren set a goal to plant 28 churches. In reviewing what had happened since then, they discovered they had exceeded the goal by one, having planted 29 churches. The goal for the next two years is 33 churches. The group discussed action plans to achieve these goals, such as broadening the prayer base and establishing parent church networks.

The Third Canadian National Church Planting Congress was sponsored by Church Planting Canada, part of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

—Dora Dueck, from reports