EP 239 - Hitting the Healthy Church Target with Brandon Moore
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In this episode of the Replant Bootcamp, we reconnect with Brandon, a former guest and a recent addition to the Replant team, who shares his journey from working with the Missouri Baptist Convention to joining the Replant team and moving towards replanting a church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Brandon discusses his experience and insights on church revitalization and replanting in Missouri, emphasizing the strategic role of associational leaders and state convention leaders in catalyzing church movement within their states.
He highlights the critical need for strong leadership and healthy church structures, focusing on the three identities of the church (worshipers of God, family in Christ, and missionaries to the world), foundational elements (Gospel, Scripture, and Prayer), and structural aspects (leadership, membership, and discipleship) essential for church health.
00:00 Welcome Back to the Bootcamp!
00:54 Introducing Brandon: A Journey from Missouri to Replant Team
01:11 Brandon’s Personal and Professional Shifts
02:10 The Mission in Knoxville: Replanting with a Vision
05:25 The Importance of Church Health and Identity
11:28 Defining Church Health: Identities, Foundations, and Structures
23:53 Practical Steps for Church Revitalization and Replanting
27:35 Closing Prayer for Healthy, God-Glorifying Churches
In this thread, JimBo and Bob discuss the necessary ingredients for personal development and growth in any area of life. These include humility, teachability, self-awareness, integrity, and initiative. They emphasize the importance of being honest and owning up to mistakes, taking responsibility, and taking action to make things happen. They also recommend resources such as books on developing habits and perseverance. Overall, these qualities can help individuals become better leaders and achieve their goals in both personal and professional settings.
The necessary ingredients for personal development in any area of life are:
Humility means acknowledging that you have room to grow and that others have something to offer. We can see the importance of humility in biblical passages such as Ephesians 4:2, James 4:10, and 1 Peter 5:5, which all emphasize the importance of humility. Bob notes that humility is the first touchstone for personal development and that being humble doesn’t mean thinking less of oneself, but rather thinking of oneself less. He warns against assuming that one’s presence alone will fix everything and emphasizes the importance of recognizing one’s weaknesses and inexperience.
Teachability involves being open to learning from others, even those who may not have as much experience as you. The second ingredient for personal growth in replanting and revitalizing a church is teachability, which is built upon humility. Teachability involves being willing to receive feedback, instruction, and correction, even if it is painful. Proverbs 13:18 and Proverbs 9 emphasize the importance of heeding reproof and instruction in order to become wiser and more skilled. Without teachability, growth is impossible.
Self-awareness requires honest assessment (Romans 12) of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your goals and motivations. Having a realistic assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as an understanding of how others perceive you, can help you make more informed decisions and pursue growth opportunities that align with your abilities and interests.
Integrity is about being honest with yourself and others, avoiding excuses, and owning up to mistakes. It’s important to be honest with ourselves and others about our progress and performance, and not make excuses for our shortcomings. When we take ownership of our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions, we demonstrate integrity and earn the trust and respect of others. This is especially important for leaders, who are expected to set an example and inspire others to grow and improve. By being honest and owning our mistakes, we can become better versions of ourselves and gain the support and trust of those around us.
Finally, initiative is the willingness to put in the work required to grow, taking action rather than waiting for others to prod you into it. If you want to grow, these ingredients are essential, and there are many resources available to help you develop them.
Personal development and growth require a combination of these five ingredients: humility, teachability, self-awareness, integrity, and initiative. It’s important to be honest with yourself and others about your progress and to take responsibility for your actions. And ultimately, growth requires initiative and hard work, putting in the necessary effort to achieve your goals. There are many resources available to help with personal development and developing good habits, but ultimately, it’s up to you to take the first step and put in the work.
Min is a Korean-American Pastor, replanting a predominately Hispanic Church in Boyle Heights. He learned about the church from his Director of Missions // Associational Missional Strategist who asked him to join him in visiting the church.
On his very first visit to the church he was asked to lead a song in Spanish, he also prayed in Spanish and taught them a Bible study in English. They kept inviting him back and eventually called Min to be their Pastor.
What did you do first?
I asked for help from other churches and pastors in the area.
I prayed, we prayed for God to work.
I got out and began to meet people in the neighborhood, introducing myself and the church.
What are some of the challenges you faced?
Everything is so new! There is a big learning curve.
There is a cross cultural challenge-there are not many instances of a Korean Pastor leading a Hispanic church.
What have been some of the most helpful things for you?
I’ve learned to ask for help-and God has provided!
Churches have partnered with us to do events like VBS.
We’ve had help remodeling our facilities.
What resources have been helpful to you?
The Replanter Assessment provided by NAMB and the Replant Team.
The training materials and coaching that are available for me as a Replanter.
What advice would you offer Replanters?
Go slower and go with God-bring the congregation along with you. Get counsel as you lead the body toward the vision of a renewed and Replanted Church.
We can look back into Christian history and see God using people cross culturally to present the Gospel-so be bold and be courageous, see each person and people group through the eyes of Christ.
Need a website? Checkout the great resources from our great sponsor, oneeighty.church
Ask the community: “If our church was to be an asset to this community what could we do?”
Consider your church’s history: repent and make reconciliation where possible.
Own and repent of past sins.
Process with your people the findings of your community assessments about your church’s reputation.
A name change is not a strategy to jettison your church’s bad reputation.
Keeping the name is at times, a more powerful picture of the Gospel and the power of forgiveness and redemption Jesus brings to us and the church.
Salvation doesn’t erase our past, it changes it.
Changing a church’s reputation involves changing the church’s culture.
The Pastor’s leadership is key in helping to change the church’s reputation.
Pastoral involvement in the community along with some church members is key. As your people engage in the community people get a new image and experience with your church.
Utilize your church’s facilities to bless the community.
Changing the image or reputation of your church takes a long time.
At times, you may need to help correct mis-information about your church in the community proactively.
Let God be your defender, it’s His church.
You will rarely win over the critics who will not engage with you. You can win over the folks who will interact with you as you patiently help them see what God is doing in your church.
