An introduction to Fringe Church

Well, it's happening. Amy and I, by God's will, are planting a church. Of all the things I never thought I'd say or do, this has to be very close to the top of the list. Of course, if I look back over the past few years, there are lots of things I have said or done that would be on that list. During that time, God has shown up in our lives in unexpected and unpredictable ways and opened doors for us to do many things WE never imagined, but that were clearly in HIS plans all along.

I'll get into the details of how this all came to be in a subsequent post, but for now, let me tell you some of the why's and what's of what we're planning to do in a church plant. The "why" is generally one of the first questions people ask about a church plant. "Why? Why do we need another church? There are lots of churches in this area!" And it's a fact. There are more than a dozen churches in a 10 mile radius of where I live. So, why in the world do we need another one?

It's a fair question. One that I have asked too over the years, and particularly over the last 12 months: "Why plant another church?"

Reason 1: Because that is what we feel led to do. We moved from Frisco, TX to Highlands Ranch, CO because God made it very clear that that's what we were supposed to do. God then opened a number of very specific doors in order for me to get a job at a small church that was hiring a temporary associate pastor/church planter. I continued a training/mentoring process with my current pastor that had begun several years prior at our church in Texas that is preparing me to go out and plant a church.

Reason 2: Because there is a need. Though it is true that there may be more than a few churches in a 10 mile radius of where I live (that ratio changes considerably depending on what part of the city you live in), only about 20% of population in the Denver metro area attend church on any kind of regular basis. While there are a handful of "mega-churches" around Denver, the average church in the Denver metro has a membership of few than 300 people. This means that there is a huge percentage of people who can be reached for the Kingdom of God who have no involvement whatsoever with any church anywhere. Those are the lost that God calls us to go and seek out. 

Further, based on both local and national statistics, we know that only a small percentage of people who say that they are regular church attenders are actually practicing, growing, and maturing in their Christian faith. And even among those who would fit into this last group, there are many who express a desire to be more closely connected to other Christians in the kind of community demonstrated in Scripture when the church came into existence. They want to see the power and passion of God flow through the people of God to a world who either don't believe in God, or who could care less about whether he's real or not. And if we look around at the world around us, to our places of work, to the places where we play, to our neighborhoods and schools, or maybe even to our families, we see a need for the transformative power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our aim is to create a church, a locally connected group of people, where these things happen by and through the power of God's Holy Spirit at work. And not just once in a while or just for the "super-Christian", but for an ever-expanding circle of people who are connected to the work that we will do. 

Reason 3: Because our plan and vision differ somewhat from what church, for many people, has always been about. If you asked a sampling of people what churches or Christians should be, you'd get a lot of different answers. But if you ask Jesus what he wants Christians and his church to be about, the answers are really pretty simple.

1. Jesus commanded his disciples, and by extension us, to go throughout the world making other disciples (Matthew 28) who share the amazing news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The big idea here is that Christians and churches should be making disciples who then, in turn, make other disciples. This is the beginning of biblical Christian community.
2. First, Jesus commanded his disciples to love God first and foremost. Secondly, and out of that love of God, to love our neighbors, not just in word but also in action (James 2), not with our leftovers or scraps but out of loving sacrifice. (Matthew 22, ends of both Acts 2 & 4) This is a necessary next step to create this biblical community. 
3. Jesus commanded his disciples and us to not only love our neighbors, but go further, and make serious and consistent efforts to love the down and out, the widow and orphan (James 1), the homeless and the stranger, the rejected and displaced (Luke 10, Luke 19). In other words, Jesus commanded us to love the people on the fringes....hence, our name.

Fringe Church, from the very beginning, will organize itself, its people, its time and resources, its programs and activities around these three things.  Fringe Church will create connection and community as it revolves around working through these principles. The church, as it is laid out in scripture, was then and is now to be much more than something that people do for an hour or two on Sunday mornings. The message of the Gospel, demonstrated in the lives of those who chase after God, has the power to transform lives, families, and communities. As such, we are with purpose and dedication, praying that God would point us to the specific location and specific people.

At this point, Amy and I have a strong sense of the area that God is sending us towards. But I'm not going to tell you just yet. Here's why: I want to ask you to commit to pray on our behalf as we continue to seek God, to spend time looking, praying, and listening. Over the coming months, we are going to be consistently looking for opportunities to meet new people, make connections with those people in the hope of building relationships, and to have opportunities to share the vision of Fringe Church with lots of people. Because of the specific vision God has given us, we are asking him to be very specific with us about the neighborhood and location of this church plant. And in not telling you, my hope is that God will use you and your prayer to confirm to us that exact place, neighborhood, and people that he is calling us to reach.

If you have thoughts, questions, or if God speaks to you about this work, please don't hesitate to email me at pstrjw@gmail.com . In the months ahead, I will be posting here about the things that are happening, what God has done in this process, more specific vision for Fringe Church, and about the doors that God will open for Fringe Church to get moving for the Kingdom. Thanks in advance for your faithful prayer and loving support!

-James and Amy Wiebe