According to missiologist Ed Stetzer, church planting is the “hot new thing.” Southern Baptists are focused on church planting as a critical strategy in reaching more people for Christ. There is more emphasis than ever on church planting — more meetings, more conferences, more training sessions and more events. This comes at a time when we are losing in excess of 900 churches each year. Added to this is the fact that 20 to 30 percent of church plants will not make it.

It is imperative that we plant new churches and improve the health of existing churches. As the population continues to increase, our work of reaching the lost and discipling them in the truths of God’s Word, in contrast, is decreasing. In a typical existing church, it takes 52 Southern Baptists to see one person come to Christ and follow the Lord in believer’s baptism. That ratio drops to 14 to one for new church plants.

Baptism, however, is not the measurement of true conversion — a changed life that seeks to obey God is. This requires that we be committed to discipling new believers. Making disciples as we grow churches is not easy work, but it is the work we are called to do, and it is the way to ensure a biblical worldview for those who believe. Any church that does not teach the Bible to its members (and, by doing so, equip the members for service) has failed in its calling.

Stetzer points out that we have more church plants — but slightly less evangelistic impact. Some churches, whether they are new or existing, are driven by a consumer attitude. This is a model that can never build kingdom disciples. Pleasing people is not the same thing as loving them.

We are living in times of great opportunity and challenge. We desperately need God’s wisdom and spiritual discernment as we live the truth of Scripture and share the gospel with people in our culture. We need to be strong and loving … innovative and yet uncompromising … listening without judging — while sharing the gospel clearly, passionately and genuinely.

The days of church competition are gone (or should be). The task before us is too great for carnal methodologies or ecclesiastical rivalries. We need born-again people committed to applying solid biblical truth to the challenges and opportunities of our time. We will not see everyone converted; neither did Jesus while He was on earth. But we can see many more people converted. John 3 is still relevant. The new birth is still essential. The Bible is still truth without any mixture of error, and God is still the same God — yesterday, today, and forever.

Why should we want to reach people and teach them God’s truth? Because God commissioned us to do it, and, at the end of the day, it’s all about loving Him and glorifying His name. We cannot love Him without obeying His Word, but we can be religious without obeying His truth.

Our focus will determine our effectiveness. Whether it is in a church plant or an existing church, whom we are commanded to focus on is crystal clear: Jesus the Christ, the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2).