Our organization’s name is Ignite Church Planting: Chicagoland. Our mission is to accelerate the spread of Jesus’ mission (Luke 19: 10) across the Chicagoland region by starting new churches. I woke up thinking about fire the other morning and wrote down some thoughts regarding things that people bring to fires.
Some people bring water to the fire. While I appreciate those heroic firemen whose water-filled hoses quench destructive fires, I am referring to people who have the knack of pouring water on the fire of exciting things taking place. We have all encountered people who have the ability to “rain on the parade” and we need to recognize this reality when seeking to move Jesus’ mission forward.
Then there are those who bring marshmallows to the fire. These are the people who are content to watch the fire and maybe use it for their own enjoyment. They never really want to get involved in helping the fire, for when it comes time to feeding the fire, they are comfortable sitting on the sidelines watching. This observer status is a reality we have also encountered in trying to move the mission forward.
Starting a new church is kind of like starting a fire that we know will benefit an area as people see Jesus’ love and grace lived out. I also know that I need to be willing to work through obstacles that arise to the fire spreading and growing. What other things do people bring to a fire? Part 2 tomorrow…
Ignite Church Planting 