Florida Congregation Launches Online Church Planting Effort

Longwood, FL (PRWEB) November 16, 2009

This week, a Florida church launched a new online tool called DoingChurchSimply.com that will connect believers globally and help spread the message of Christ throughout the world in remote places like ... Allen, Texas.

It was back in the late 90s when Dan and Sabrina Reidland traveled from Allen to Orlando for vacation. They had heard about Northland, A Church Distributed, from some friends and decided to check it out for themselves. Northland was still meeting in a converted skating rink at the time, but the church made a lasting impression upon the couple.

Years later, having never set foot inside the church’s new $42 million facilities, the Reidland family took a step of faith, joining the 12,000 who call Northland their church home, including 2,000 people from 30 countries who regularly worship via the Web.

“We just plug our laptop into our TV and have church together. It’s amazing. We've had visiting friends who have also worshiped with us,” Reidland explains.

Now, the Reidlands are now preparing to take another step of faith—starting a “simple church” in their home.

“I really appreciate the way DoingChurchSimply.com addresses the practical considerations of the simple church model,” Reidland says. “It’s giving us a real shot in the arm for investigating what a simple church arrangement might look like here.”

Keep It Simple
When you log on to the new site, you are presented with 11 short videos, which cover everything from “setting up your home as a ministry outpost” to “sacraments and the church.” There are also links to blogs and other resources that provide both the “why?” and the “how?” behind setting up a “simple church.”

Nathan Clark is Northland's director of digital innovations and one of the church’s online ministers. He explains, “We designed the new site simply, on purpose, to reinforce the philosophy that anyone can do this.”

According to Dr. Lacich, the simple church model is very much along the lines of what most first-century Christians experienced: “They didn’t have a sanctuary or temple, but homes or similar locations. They couldn't go down the street to First Baptist or First Presbyterian, they had to figure out how to be the church where they were.”

The site equips people to be the church, turning their homes and other locations into “mission outposts” to reach people for Christ.

Dr. Lacich explains, “We use the term ‘simple church’ instead of ‘house church’ because some people are gathering in places other than homes. It could be a local community room, a restaurant or office, even under a tree in the park. The point is you don't need a conventional church building in order to be and do the things that defined the church.”

Global Outreach
An unintended side benefit to this model of church planting—it’s a lot cheaper than traditional methods.

Before coming to Northland, Dr. Lacich planted churches using “western models” of traditional church planting. “It's an expensive, time-consuming, and more often than not, unsuccessful venture,” he says. “This is putting church planting in the hands of believers who sense a call from God to minister to the people around them. It’s something most believers can do that if they just have the tools and the permission to do so.”

It’s also a very effective way to plant churches, Dr. Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, notes: “Church that starts out simply has the greatest amount of fellowship and the greatest amount of encouragement in going toward what is the mutual mission cited by Christ—not only to be serving one another, but to spread the Gospel.”

According to the Barna Group, people attending a simple church were significantly more likely to be “completely satisfied” with their experience. Three out of five simple church adults (61 percent) were “completely satisfied” with the level of community and personal connectedness they experience, compared to only two out of five adults who are involved in a conventional church (46 percent).

More than 4,000 miles away, in Malaga, Spain, Tibor and Daniella Tatrai will use the new site to help them reach their friends and neighbors for Christ. Having relocated from Orlando to Spain in 2008, they now worship online with Northland.

“We are six hours ahead, so when we watch the 9 a.m. morning Service, it’s 3 p.m. here,” Tibor says. “We are still able to connect to Northland, watch the service online. Even though we’re 4,000 miles apart, it feels like just a small step away.”

Thankful for the resources DoingChurchSimply.com provides, the Tatrais are hoping to bring others into God’s family.

“Unfortunately people are very closed minded here in Europe, so it is hard to break the ice,” Tibor explains. “However, we are sure God has placed us here to spread His word, and so He will help us.”

Planted for a Purpose
As believers begin to explore DoingChurchSimply.com, Dr. Lacich hopes they will begin to realize that God has put them where they are for a purpose: to be the salt and light so that others can come to know and love Jesus Christ:

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talk to Christians who moved into a new home and were depressed because none of their new neighbors follow Jesus. Or they start a new job and they’re surrounded by unbelievers. They're stunned when I tell them how wonderful I think that is!”

He concludes, “If you live in an environment where the opportunities to show people the love of Jesus are endless, that’s a great place to be.”

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