Superheroes??

So not sure which of you that went to Baltimore had signed up for the newsletters from Embrace Baltimore. I did, and I occasionally take the time to read a few of the articles. This one struck me because it started out similar in theme to our Momentum Weekend.

"Gotham City had Batman. Metropolis had Superman. New York had Spiderman. But who will save Baltimore? The citizens of the third most violent large city in the country are looking for a hero."

The story continues and talks about church planting and new churches. About the differences between new churches and established ones. And the advantages that beginning churches have. I just want to share some quotes from the article that made me think...

“New churches are very people-driven,” said Jackson. “The bottom line is that relationships are the integral things that draw people into new and smaller churches. A new church plant has the ability to reach people not reached by other churches. That’s why it has such a great advantage.”

“We often tend to view church planting as a ‘job’ or a ‘task’,” Jackson said. “We have to remember that the job is people. The task is people.”

“Many churches are dead and either don’t know it or don’t want to admit it,” said Fred Dyer, senior pastor at White Marsh Baptist Church and moderator of the Baltimore Baptist Association. “That’s why church plants are needed. New plants seem to reach people more effectively. I think that’s because they’re more intentional and more targeted.”

Dyer said new churches that target specific groups of people are more effective than churches that use what he calls the “shotgun approach.”

“We can’t plant churches just to plant churches,” Dyer said. “We need to be very intentional in strengthening existing churches and planting new ones in order to reach people and meet the needs in our area.”

“It is not sufficient to start churches in Baltimore,” Bush explained. “Our commission from Jesus is to make disciples. Church starters must passionately, intentionally and consistently make new disciples.”

They may not have a flashy cape or superpowers, but church starters are stepping up to the plate to save a struggling city. It is difficult to argue with Mackey’s statement that “church planters are some of our heroes.”


Are we acting like superheroes? Are we here to bring rescue to people? Or are we here to serve ourselves?

Oxford has a much lower crime rate than Baltimore...but just as much desperation and confusion.