God’s victories in Austin

Last Thursday morning I got up early to pack and prepare for my trip down to Austin, Texas. I went down with the MRNA crew for an “urban immersion”. The first day didn’t really seem like much, we spent most of it climbing all over the rocks of Reimer’s Ranch, and diving into Lake Travis (at least the crazy ones who were interested in hypothermia got wet!). Friday evening we met up with Bob Carolton and John Berryhill, church planters who are part of the Emerging Church Network for some grub at Chuy’s (make sure to try their creamy jalepeno!) Throughout our conversations with them, we learned that they canvas an entire city, surveying hundreds of people and strategically determine where the unreached people groups are.
Friday evening, was spent out on the streets of Austin. It being St. Patrick’s Day and South by Southwest Music Festival, there were plenty of people out “having a good time”. It was the first time I’ve ever been to a party that MTV showed up at.
Saturday was awesome. We enjoyed meeting with Justin Christopher, who with a team of students and other campus ministers is strategically working to see the entire University of Texas campus brought to Christ. It was amazing – they had broken the whole campus down into 460 “pockets of people” and were specifically praying for different groups each day. So far, they have 80 authentic faith communities meeting throughout the campus, I guess they have 379 to go.

I came home from the weekend totally in awe of the intentionality of these missionaries. They take prayer to a new level when they apply the tools of culture mapping, and strategic surveys of an area.

As I reflected further, I felt God cautioning me in how I weild these tools. How often do we as Americans find a new technique for something, and immediately import it into our own setting, figuring that this will be the “quick-fix”. It is no different with American evangelistic efforts.

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” – Proverbs 21:31

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21

Paul himself understands this when he says, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”

My enthusiasm for saturation church planting has been slightly tempered with a reminder that it is truly God who brings the transformation in lives, not the techniques and strategies for church planting that I bring to the table. I am blessed to be used as God’s tool, and he wants me to plant the seed, till the soil, keep it watered and so on – but I cannot break open the seed and call out a healthy plant. That is God’s victory.

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