Why I'm Starting A Dead Church

Why I’m Planting a Dead Church

This might sound crazy, but I’m starting a dead church. I recently wrote a blog post titled ‘why the church must die’. In that post I reasoned that too many churches spend most of their resources (time, energy and money) on themselves, often with the goal of surviving. Meetings are called, strategies are set, they pray and fast with the agenda, ‘how are we going to survive another year?’

Jesus said “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it” – Luke 9:24.

The common theme of ‘dying to self’ is what I’m talking about here. I hear lots about it in churches and small groups and conferences and blogs and podcasts ……… you get the point. What I don’t hear a lot about, is churches dying to themselves. Actually, I don’t recall ever hearing about it. There’s lots about us, as individuals, dying to self but not much about us, the organisation, dying to self.

The church needs to live in resurrection power!

The church needs to start living in resurrection power! But as Bill Johnson says ‘you can’t have a resurrection without a death’.

 The Church will experience massive growth and will live naturally supernatural when it dies to itself. When the church stops worrying about surviving, is when it will thrive.

I am convinced that this is the way forward for the church and so this is why I’m starting a dead church. Why start a church with our focus being, how can we make this work? Then realise in 10 years or so, we need to die to self. We may as well start dead and begin the journey living in resurrection power.

As I pray, plan and gather a team to church plant, I am keeping at the forefront of all my thinking that we must be a church that lives to bring glory to God and reap a mighty harvest. A church that is dead to self.

This is why I’m starting a dead church!

It’s not just talk either. It can’t be. Our budgets must reflect this. How much of our budgets do we allocate to resource the kingdom, in such a way that we may never receive a direct benefit? Do we fund an evangelist with the instructions ‘get people saved and send them to the church that fits them best’ or do we fund evangelists with the hope they will grow our little patch of the kingdom?

The things that change with this sort of paradigm shift is endless. Our prayer life, sermons, team meetings and basic structure of the church will look very different with this kind of framework.

As I start a new church, my thinking is this, survival is not our goal. Turning the world upside down, like 12 men did 2000 years ago is.

My advice to church planters – start a dead church!

God bless,
Glenn.