It is the “other fields, namely ecclestical and STARTING International Churches (IC) that we will consider. Could I submit that STARTING in the IC context has an “ex nihilo” factor? A kind of “God you have to START this thing kind of dependence!” There is no “cookie cutter” methodology that works across the borders.
Each continent, region, country and city has contextual issues ranging as far as the north is from the south or east is from the west. God reveals unique keys to committed, long term IC leadership providing a different “something out of nothing” for health and effectiveness in specific geographical locations. Observation leads me to believe that the healthiest International Churches are those that have heard God’s direction for specific International people in kairos time in a designated place.
Why? Ponder the alluring and intricate dynamics of the International Church in the brief statements below.
A multitude of LANGUAGES.
A kaleidoscope of COLOUR complexion.
Unique CULTURES gathered from power/fear, innocence/guilt and honour/shame world views.
People come from CHURCH backgrounds where they lift, fold or hide their hands in worship services.
People from all CLASSES: poor/rich, street smart/formally educated, lucratively employed/day to day remuneration.
Andrew Lupton describes the IC composition with “traditional expats”, “young & the restless”, “hidden & national immigrants.
Seems to me that when God provides “something out of nothing”, each IC Starter is way ahead of a prescribed or controlled strategy.
Full disclosure: My wife Debbie and I are in our third decade of International Church ministry. Our present calling is to START an English-speaking International Church alongside the already existing French-speaking International Martin Luther King church here in Paris.
We started in the IC in the late 90’s in Asia, moved to the Middle East in the late 00’s and now are in Europe for the 21’s. Daily I am asking God to show us the way forward towards a January 2022 English speaking START up. Experience has taught us how much we don’t know! We depend more on God for his provision of “something out of nothing” than when we began all those years ago.
At some level, each of the MICN IC STARTERS placed around the globe are in “similar soul spaces.” Do you know that MICN is the largest multi-denominational IC network? This is a great context for our MICN Church Starters to seek God for “something out of nothing.”
MICN is not a denomination, we are a network. We are figuring out how to START and STRENGTHEN the International Church. We encourage, pray, write, call, zoom one another, praying that God will create “something out of nothing” in our IC START ups. ” I read a very helpful quote from Church Planter Dionne Carpenter,
“Don’t let your fixation on the solution you’ve imagined spoil the pleasure of watching God’s chosen solution unfold. This is dependence on God.
Would you join the MICN Prayer Ambassadors and pray with the IC Planters working in cities, countries, continents, and with various people groups? Wagner Constancio (London), Christian Zebley (Tokyo), Andrew Lupton (Bogota), Warren Reeve (Paris), Chris Hiebert (Mexico City) John Clark (Mali), Werner Swart (Argentina), Steve Mills (Africa), Jay Devers (Limited access Nations)
We need “something out of nothing” – from God to START.
MICN Starter
