A Manifesto for Church Planting in a Secular Age

Western Seminary is uniquely positioned in the post-Christian (or, some might argue, the preChristian) Pacific Northwest. We are prayerfully shaping men and women to join God on mission in this secular context. However, secularity isn’t owned by Portland. The secularization we see in this region seems to be intensifying throughout the country.

That is not surprising, since Charles Taylor noted over a decade ago that we are now living in a secular age. For Christians, this can be alarming. We look around at the shifting sands of culture, and we feel that a rapidly secularizing society might not find room for the Church. And yet, I believe that followers of Jesus need not fear this “brave new world.” Believe it or not, we were made for this cultural moment. The Spirit has propelled us into our secular age to live on mission.

One of the ways this mission unfolds is through church planting. In a secular age, church planting occurs on the frontier of unbelief, at the intersection of gospel, church, and culture. I’d like to propose a five-point manifesto for church planting in a secular age. Each of these points could be expanded into an article, or even a book. For now, think of this as a manifesto designed to help us imagine the missional possibilities.

1. Church plants ought to be communities of faith that re-enchant the world for our neighbors.

Previously, the world was haunted. Or at least, that’s what people thought. Angels and demons. Saints and wizards. Spells and omens. These phenomena once dominated the world because the universe seemed to sparkle with the supernatural. Not everyone was Christian, of course, but most people saw the world as something remarkable and charged with grandeur. The cosmos was enchanted.

In a secular age, church plants ought to follow the lead of C. S. Lewis, who argued that we needed “stronger spells” to break the “evil enchantment” that grips our world. Church plants have an opportunity to re-awaken wonder, to help our secular neighbors catch a whiff of transcendence.

2. Church plants ought to be contrast societies that are echoes of another world.

Our secular neighbors will not be interested in our church services. We can build a bigger, better worship experience, but that will not draw the skeptic. Instead, church planters must cultivate contrast societies that present a plausible communal witness. This means that church planters must foster communities that live by the Sermon on the Mount, that exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit, and are shaped more by the Book of Acts than by anything produced in the modern era. When we live this way, our secular neighbors will hear echoes of another world, the one that we say is coming.

The church is like a restaurant that offers up the dishes of Heaven. Our life together provides our secular neighbors with the “flavor” of the Kingdom of God.

3. Church plants ought to be faithful heralds of the gospel.

“In the world to come, church plants will be judged by how faithfully they heralded the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The gospel is the good news that God, through Christ, has acted decisively to save us from ourselves. Jesus was our substitute on the cross, paying for our sins and defeating evil in the process. This is the old, old story that we tell. It hasn’t changed because you can’t improve on the Good News.

This good news will sometimes bring offense in a secular age. So be it. There is much freedom and flexibility that church plants can enjoy as they experiment with how to reach secular people. But we don’t have any flexibility on the gospel. In the world to come, church plants will be judged by how faithfully they heralded the gospel of Jesus Christ.

4. Church plants ought to be places where evangelism and justice go together.

As heralds of the gospel, we can be good news people through our words and through our witness. Our secular neighbors are skeptical of the Bible, and of Jesus, but they are especially skeptical of the Church. They don’t plan to come to our grand opening, or to Easter, or to our annual Christmas Eve service.

In a secular age, it is vital that we build credibility by coupling evangelism with justice. Evangelism is the verbal proclamation of the gospel. Justice is publicly living out the implications of the gospel. Some Christians, perhaps nervous to share their faith, will lean towards doing justice (Micah 6:8). Other Christians will prefer proclaiming the name that is above every other name (Acts 4:12). In a secular age, we should not choose between the two. Our mission demands both.

When church plants do justice in their communities, they will build credibility with their secular neighbors. This will provide the soil in which gospel conversations can flourish.

5. Church plants ought to embrace their identity as a prophetic minority.

“Believe it or not, we were made for this cultural moment. The Spirit has propelled us into our secular age to live on mission.”

Nostalgia is a poison pill that the Church must spit out. We should not pine for the “good old days” when Christianity enjoyed greater cultural clout. The secular age is upon us, and we should embrace our status as a prophetic minority. We should learn from our brothers and sisters in the global Church. Some of them know what it is like to operate on the margins of society.

Many would tell us that this position has been a surprising blessing, one that forces the Church to reconsider what is truly important. For church planters (and for those in established churches who wish to partner to see new churches birthed), this is an exciting moment. We don’t fear the future because we’ve been there and back through the eyes of faith. The secular age has come, and it will probably go. Through it all, we have a chance to bear witness to the Risen Lord, and church planting is central to that mission.