STRATEGIC PLANTING OF COMPASS BIBLE CHURCHES
In our 15-year history we have witnessed that the most effective means of reaching more people with the gospel is through the planting of new churches.
Consider the exponential growth of Christ’s kingdom that we have experienced through our investment in planting Compass churches in Huntington Beach, Tustin, San Juan Capistrano, Amman, Guatemala City, and now in Boise, Idaho. Though, in Aliso Viejo each weekend, we may only see and interact with the people in our own auditorium, in our own classrooms and on our own patio, our past work of launching new churches has actually multiplied that experience in a number of other places. The same good things that God is doing on our campus and in our buildings in Aliso Viejo are now also being done in a variety of other places to the glory of God and are resulting in the advancement of the gospel.
We believe that we are just getting started when it comes to church planting. What a huge impact we can have on people we will likely never meet face-to-face on this side of heaven. This is good work. It advances the gospel. It is resulting in the salvation of many people.
Because we cannot know when Christ will return we are resolved to step up our church-planting efforts. Now is the time to strategically plan, fund, and give birth to more Compass Bible churches. It is our hope to see more of them planted all over the country—churches that insistently and faithfully hold to a high view of Scripture and a high view of God, and diligently and consistently engage in life-changing expository preaching.
When you consider that every Compass Bible Church shares our Compass distinctives – including the commitment to be “always working to plant new churches” – we can trust that God will continue to increase this exponential pattern in the years ahead.
Plants like the one we are currently working to underwrite in Idaho are targeting areas of the country with the greatest potential for multiplication. Compass Bible Church of Treasure Valley is located in one of the fastest growing areas in America. Boise and its suburbs are obviously in need of more than one new vital congregation committed to expository preaching and the authority of God’s word. As this fledgling church matures, it won’t be too many years until it is planting new churches throughout the valley. The boundless hope associated with this continuous process of reduplication can have lasting and eternally significant effects which can exceed any of our prayers or imagination.
Hardly a week goes by without someone from across the country calling or writing our church and asking us to plant a Compass in their town. Reminiscent of the “Macedonian call” in Acts 16, there are people pleading: “Come and help us!” “Plant a church here!” “We need a Compass Bible Church in our city!” What an opportunity and open door for fruitful ministry! We pray “Compass 20/20” will provide the ability for us to say “Yes!” to many of those requests.
Stepping up to meet these multiplying needs will necessitate the establishment of a Compass Church Planting Organization, sometime within the next five years. It is our hope to take what we have learned through successful church planting and bring together the most qualified administrative personnel to oversee this important aspect of our Great Commission work in a more focused and efficient way.
