Theological Confusion in the Twin Cities

A recent Christianity Today article by Collin Hansen called “Fire and Nice,” highlights the “feisty collection of influential churches” in the Twin Cities.

Here in the Twin Cities, we have a hodgepodge of churches from theological extremes.  We have fiery Calvinists (Bethlehem Baptist – John Piper), postmodern emergents (Solomon’s Porch – Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones), philosophical open-theists (Woodland Hills – Greg Boyd), evangelical leaders (Wooddale – Leith Anderson), prosperity preachers (Living Word – Mac Hammond) and baby boomer mega-churches (Eagle Brook – Bob Merritt).  Of course there is even everything in between.

Why plant a church in a city with all these evangelical options?  There are many reasons that I have outlined elsewhere (and will continue to highlight).  However, let me touch on one more point here in light of the article above. 

A picture of a mega church in the Twin Cities

I agree that the Twin Cities do not need more new churches just to have more churches.  If I planted a church that is hip and cool, and preached the good news that God wants you to be rich, then I added to the area a community of greed-centered heretics.  The Twin Cities does not need more churches that add to the confusion, this metro area needs more churches that are centered on the mission to glorify God through the testimony of the biblical gospel of Jesus Christ.  There are certainly churches that are centered on this mission, but there are also many that are not.  My prayer is that this plant will be centered on the gospel of God’s grace in order to be a new church that blesses the Twin Cities rather than confuses it more.

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See also the Star Tribune article “Rock of [younger] ages,” which highlights the church culture among the 20-30 somethings of the Twin Cities.

Why a Bad Economy May be Good for Church Planting

There is no doubt that we are in the midst of bad economic times both locally and globally.  In these times, some may make the case it is not presently wise to try to plant a church because this environment will make it difficult to gather people and raise money.  I disagree with this assessment and would contend that the bad economy is better for church planting.

Pastor John Piper recently wrote a blog post titled Bad Times are Good For Missions.  There is no doubt that his observations apply to national and international church planting.  Pastor John explains that during the worst times for Israel God gave the best promises, such as Lamentations 3:22-23:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (3:22-23)

From this biblical reflection, he makes the following points that can be easily applied to this church plant:

1. During an economic downturn we are more dependent on God. That is the most fertile soil for creating missionaries.
2. During an economic downturn unreached people around the world do not expect you to come, but to look out for yourself. So they may more likely see your risk as love rather than exploitation.
3. During an economic downturn those who need Christ around the world may be less secure in earthly things and more ready to hear about eternal life.
4. During an economic downturn people at home may be wakened to the brevity of life and the fragility of material things, and so may become more generous not less. And when they give under these circumstances, it will make Christ look all the more like the all-satisfying Treasure that he is.

I believe that those most overwhelmed by the gospel of God’s grace will still give and may give more during this economic downturn.  I also believe that more people will see the joy in Jesus Christ through the gospel during this time than times of economic blessing — particularly those who never believed in Jesus before.

May these bad times bring great joy to St. Paul through the church plant!

“The Great Commission in Reverse?”

There are many objections that I receive about church planting, specifically in the Twin Cities.  One objection comes from those who see the tremendous need to plant church overseas (and there is one!), and they feel that resources must be spent on other nations.  The second objection comes from those who believe that John Piper, who pastors the church Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis, has evangelized the entire city.  Perhaps this post will help with both of these objections.

John Piper, in a recent blog post at Desiring God, quotes the August/September Ministry Opportunities booklet from Bethlehem Baptist Church:

In 2002, the Brookings Institute named the Twin Cities one of the top 10 “Gateway Cities” for new immigrants and refugees; in 2004, Minnesota was the #3 state for the same (and #1 per capita).

According to Dr. John Mayer, director of CityVision, Minneapolis/St. Paul is now home to the largest Somali and Hmong populations in the U.S., as well as the largest Chinese student population (University of Minnesota). The Phillips neighborhood, home to Bethlehem’s Downtown Campus, is the most diverse neighborhood in the country, with more than 100 different languages.

Did you know . . .

• the light rail system sells tickets in four different languages?
• Nicollet Avenue’s “Eat Street” has 75 ethnic restaurants in a six-block area?
• Maple Grove is home to the largest Hindu temple in North America?…

“The Great Commission is now in reverse,” says Mayer. “People are coming here from all over the world.”

Globalization has brought the peoples from all over the world into U.S. cities, and the Twin Cities metro area is no exception.  A plant here would reach people all over the world within the limits of one city.  Church planting overseas AND in cities is vital to reaching all peoples with the gospel.  In addition, John Piper has described well the tremendous need for more churches in the Twin Cities.  It is hard to reach even one neighborhood with an English speaking mega-church when that neighborhood has more than 100 different languages.

May God continue to raise up more church plants in the Twin Cities, and church plants that have the ability to reach all these new peoples with the gospel.

More Churches Needed to Make Disciples in the Twin Cities

There is no doubt that the Twin Cities metro area has many good churches.  Many cities in the U.S. are full of good churches, but that does not mean they do not need new churches.  The question to ask when planting in a city is not “are there good churches?”  Rather, the question to ask is “are there enough good churches to reach the whole city AND make disciples?”

D.A.W.N.(disciple a whole nation) is a ministry that seeks to mobilize “the whole Body of Christ in whole countries in a determined effort to complete the Great Commission by working towards the goal of providing an evangelical congregation for every village and neighborhoods of every class, kind and condition of man in the whole country.”  Their aim is simple, and they accomplish this endeavor by making a “ratio that calculates the number of churches needed to reach a specific population.  The ratio is 1 church for every 500-1,000 people” (CityView Report, 2008).

The D.A.W.N. ratio is not only for cities in other countries, but also for cities in our own.  According to D.A.W.N., as reported by the CityView Report, there needs to be about 160 new churches planted in St. Paul.  In light of this stat, I pray that this church plant will be the first of many in the city of St. Paul.  Here are some of the other church planting opportunities both urban St. Paul and Minneapolis (CityView Report, 2008):

Urban St. Paul (All of St. Paul)

• Population: 287,805 (9% of total T.C. pop.)
• Total Number of Churches: 416 (14% of all churches in T.C.)
• Average Age of a Church in Years: 47
• Average Church Size: 208
• D.A.W.N. Ratio 1 (# of churches for pop.): 1 per 662.
• D.A.W.N. Ratio 2 (# of churches still needed for pop.) 160

Urban Minneapolis (All of Minneapolis)

• Population: 387,970 (12% of total T.C. pop.)
• Total Number of Churches: 694 (23% of all churches in T.C.)
• Average Age of a Church in Years: 43
• Average Church Size: 178
• D.A.W.N. Ratio 1 (# of churches for pop.): 1 per 559.
• D.A.W.N. Ratio 2 (# of churches still needed for pop.) 82

There is still even a need for between 695-3,319 new churches in the suburbs, which accounts for 79% of the total metro population.  Ramsey County, where St. Paul is located, has 16% of the total metro population and still needs 429 new churches.  Minneapolis is located in Hennepin County, which has 35% of the total metro population, and this area still needs 917 new churches. 

There is no doubt, in light of these stats, that the Twin Cities do have good churches.  However, there still needs to be a lot more planted in order to effectively reach and disciple this metro area. 

We are excited to be one of the 160 new churches needed to reach St. Paul!

- Posted by Bryan