Today I had a great lunch with a young pastor who wants to plant a church in the city of Pittsburgh. He has a lot of challenges in front of him. The neighborhood where he feels like God is calling him is a tough community with complex dynamics. There are many challenges in that community, but, as in all urban neighborhoods, there are also many assets. It was fun to encourage him, to share some of my adventures of launching a new church in the city, and to dream together about the plans that God has for our city.
There should not be competition between Christians when it comes to advancing the kingdom of God. In America, we are rapidly becoming a post-Christian nation in which thousands of churches close their doors each year. Christians should be actively supporting and cheering for those who God calls to plant new churches, especially in complicated urban environments. There is no competition because we are on the same team working toward fulfilling God's mission to redeem the world during this present evil age. Our modern society needs more passionate followers of Jesus to build up existing churches and launch new churches. I am excited to see that God is raising up new churches in the city of Pittsburgh, and I value the churches that have been here for a long time.
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