The number one reason to plant a church is to ‘seek and save the lost.’
That was Ferrell Haile’s message during the one of the many sessions on church planting at Lipscomb’s annual Summer Celebration.
Speaking to an audience of 20-plus people, Haile took time to elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of church planting.
“When planting a church we don’t have to conform to traditional ways,” Haile said. “It’s something that is attractive and exciting to be a part of something new.”
Haile also talked about his own experience in church planting.
It all started in the year of 2000 when Haile was considering planting a church in the area between Gallatin and Hendersonville, Tenn.. The thought became a reality soon thereafter, though. Without anyone knowing about his plans, Haile received a call from someone interested in the preaching position at the church, which had not even been established at the time.
Haile stressed the point that one should not start a church based on a church-split. He believes that God does not bless church splits, and starting a church coming out of a bad experience is the incorrect way to go about things.
Haile’s plan was to get one couple from each church to commitment to the new Antioch Church of Christ for at least two years. In order to attract people to the church, Haile stressed that guidelines would have to be made in order to answer the question, “What kind of church are you?”
“Our church is probably the most conservative to scripture that you’ll find,” Haile said. “However, we are the most liberal to traditions.”
Haile also thinks that churches need to focus on loving people before they try ‘converting’ them. He believes that churches need to go out and find people, invite them in and love them unconditionally no matter the baggage that they bring into the church.
“It’s paramount to a church’s that people have a sense of community,” Haile said. “We try very hard to make people feel like they are a part of a group, if they are willing.”
Haile says that it can be as easy as asking people to help set up for a dinner, asking people to pray with one another or asking people to help organize a charitable drive.
It’s a gigantic process that takes time to develop – three years in Antioch CoC’s case – but it is still worth doing, if it is done right.