How we “recruit” people

The idea of our brand new church was pretty cool…until I attended it.

Over the past year, after going through church planting assessment, developing our mission and philosophy and dreaming big dreams, I had the perfect type of church in mind as we prepared to plant hopecity.  Then we actually had a service.  It was on January 16th, 2011 that our first preview service was held, and after it was over I got in the car and all I wanted to do was go to church somewhere – anywhere – because THAT certainly wasn’t church!

It occurred to me in that moment there is a huge difference between envisioning a church and building a church.  One is dreamy, the other is hard work.

I couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to be a part of this new church called hopecity.  But then something strange happened.  I started getting emails, text messages and the like from people who had been to that same service and were absolutely thrilled to have been there and were even more thrilled to be a part of it.

Not everyone mind you…but some.

And I began to realize that God was sending us a specific type of person.  A person who wasn’t looking for a great church, but a person who wanted to help build a great church.  A person who wasn’t hoping to experience great community, but a person who wanted to help create great community.

These are the pioneers.  These are the courageous ones.  These are the ones who are paving the way, cutting down trees, so that others travel the same path behind them more easily.

Churchplants don’t need people – they need pioneers.  They need multi-ethnic pioneers to be the first Asian, Latino, African American, Romanian…so that other multi-ethnic people feel included when they walk in.   Churchplanters need affluent pioneers to be the first upper-class family in the midst of lower and middle class because they know that Christ cares about hearts rather than status.  The list could go on and on.

And one by one the pioneers have come.  And one by one they continue to come.

I read this today:  A quote from Sir Ernest Shackelton, from the advertisement he used when recruiting men for his expedition to Antarctica in 1914:

“Men wanted for hazardous journey.  Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful.  Honour and recognition in case of success.”

Thank you God for pioneers.  Thank God for the courageous.

And that is how we recruit people:  PIONEERS WANTED.