Planting

The Lord has an incredible calling upon the Church; we are placed in this world in order to testify to
God's greatness and to boldly proclaim and live out His truth. 1st Timothy 3 states:
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

He lives, and we can know that Christ lives in us - and He expresses Himself through the Church.  The local Church is an extension of the entirety of the body of Christ, and we are strategically placed in order to make a bold and compelling statement of His love to the communities to which we are called.  We are empowered by His might and even though there may be challenges, we can know that He is with us.

+++++

God has His people, strategically placed all around this world, in order that the gospel may be presented and that people may become Christ's disciples, growing in Him.  2nd Corinthians 5
addresses the nature of God's call:
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

There has been unrest in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, and at the heart of it is the practice of religion in that city.  The Russian Orthodox Church had planned to build a church, St. Catherine's Cathedral, there, but the planned construction has been halted.  The BBC reports that action...

...comes after four days of protests by thousands of city residents, during which 96 people were detained.

Protesters say that building St Catherine's Cathedral on a park square will destroy one of Yekaterinburg's few green spaces, which one local activist group says is "a favourite place for residents to relax".

But the Russian Orthodox Church says it needs new churches to replace the many buildings destroyed under Soviet anti-religion laws.

The protest has reached the ears of President Putin.  BBC states:

Addressing a press conference in Sochi, Mr Putin asked if the protesters were "godless", before adding: "People usually ask for a church, and here they are protesting against it."

He said everyone had a right to a view, and if the protesters really were locals - and not "activists from Moscow who came to make a fuss and engage in self-PR" - then their views need to be considered.

His solution: a poll.  He said the Church should "unite people, not divide them."  Already, it seems that the survey is underway; not one, but multiple surveys - you could even see residents divided on the results.  The plans to build a church on the site has been a source of contention since 2010, but you have to wonder if the battle is not as much about green space, but heart space: is there a hostility toward religion that is being lived out here?

Meanwhile, a Southern Baptist church plant in Canada has found smoother sailing, even though the city in which it has been established, Calgary, is "one of the fastest growing cities in North America," according to one of the planters, and "95 percent lost."  That's according to a Baptist Press article, which reports on Chris and Mindy Floras, who moved to Canada in 2017 to launch a work there.  The article states:

After inviting people to Bible studies, hosting block parties and summer camps and carefully cultivating relationships, the Floras launched Multiply Church in February 2018 with a core group of 28 people.

"It's now about 130 people who call us home," Chris said, "and we average between 60 and 70 people every week. We saw 11 accept Christ and seven baptized in our first year."

Southern Baptists planted over 600 churches last year.  The article included other praise reports of churches being started:

In Atlanta, an under-reached area in the South, Mike McKee and his team launched Image Church in January 2018. They average 191 in worship attendance, have baptized 21 people and have built strong relationships within the community, especially a local elementary school they serve.

Grace Church in Boston has a plan to multiply across the city. And in September 2018, they launched a third campus -- Grace Church West Bridgewater, led by pastor Stephen Sargent. The new congregation has baptized 27 since its launch, and on Easter Sunday 2019 they welcomed 667 people.

And the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention would plant more if the planters were available, according to President Kevin Ezell, who said, "We plant churches everywhere for everyone," adding, "We are incredibly grateful for each of these new churches and the missionaries who lead them, but we need so many more. We could plant a hundred more tomorrow if we had the qualified church planting missionaries to do it."

Let's consider together several points. First of all...

What is God calling you to do?  Maybe plant a church or plant yourself in a community & allow God to produce fruit through you - "bloom where you're planted," as it's said.  It may be in North America or halfway around the world; perhaps in difficult circumstances, as the Russians are experiencing.  Because you see...

We are all called into some sort of ministry.  May not be what is termed "full-time ministry," but 2nd Corinthians reminds us that we are ministers of reconciliation.  Christ has come into our lives, and He does not want us to keep it to ourselves.

Also, we recognize that it is not always smooth sailing to do the work of ministry.  Ministry is incredibly rewarding work; hard at times, challenging at times, no doubt.  There can be opposition or outright hostility.  But the presence of Jesus sustains those who are called into church ministry, and it's important that we pray for and affirm our leaders.

Finally, we remember that the local church provides the stability and source of teaching that new believers need and gives mature believers the opportunity to grow and serve.  The work of evangelism and missions is important, but so is making sure new believers grow in the Lord - Jesus calls us to be His disciples.