Transcript of Podcast by Multiply Network
Created to champion church multiplication, provide learning and inspire new disciple-
making communities across Canada
2019 – Andy Moore
Paul Fraser: Hi there. Welcome to Take 5. I’m here with Andy Moore from Victoria, Glad Tidings’ lead pastor. Welcome to Take 5.
Andy Moore:
A. Thank you. It’s great to be here.
Q. It’s so good to have you and so good to do this in person. So why don’t you tell us a little bit about GT’s church multiplication story and how you are leading them into the future.
A. Yes. Right. Well, it’s long actually. The church is ninety-five years old and in the pioneering years ---
For us kind of in the twenties and so on we were just in obscurity. In the thirties we started to grow. The forties there was a real sense of unity and purpose. And that’s when we started a Bible College, which is now Summit Pacific College and we started planting churches out of GT.
So our DNA was a key when it came to rediscovering a passion for church planting. Because God has put that in there. In fact, I would say a lot of churches that are established in Canada through the PAOC would have church planting DNA.
Q. Yes. Every church was a church plant at some point. Totally.
A. That’s a very good point. Totally.
So as a result of that church planting DNA we began to call that out and say this is who we have always been. Let’s plant again. Let’s pioneer again.
Q. Yes.
But it was a while. Like there was a long stretch of time.
A. Yes.
Q. How long was it between your last plant to this one, recent one? We’ll talk about that in a second.
A. It was almost forty years to the day from the last time we planted a church.
Q. Really!
A. I think what happened to us as a Movement is it was during that season when we started saying let’s just get everybody here. Let’s bring everybody into this house. So where there once was sort of little outposts and Sunday Schools and things like that, bedroom communities, we just consolidated all that and bought buses and brought people in. So that has been the paradigm we have lived under for quite some time.
Q. And lots of churches do that. Centralize. Let’s gather. It is good at the time but there’s also a send part. There is also a go part. So for so many years, forty years, it was all come and see, come and see.
A. Right.
Q. But now you are trying to send them out. How did you transition the church to your recent campus?
A. Yes. I remember specifically the time I really felt like we caught the momentum. It was when I began to talk about the Lord’s prayer. When we consider the privilege that we have of knowing God and making God known ---
I did this series where we ended up talking about how, you know, God puts a table in front of us and even as Psalm 23 says, that table is there in the presence of our enemies. How do we set the table for more? Because this place is getting full and this is a specific location. How do we take the table that is present here and multiply that table so other people can have a seat at it? That was very significant.
Q. Yes.
A. We really felt like boy, we really caught something there.
Q. And now the vision is growing in your heart, in your leadership team, you are strategizing. How important is the spirit’s leading in all that?
A. Wow. Well, it all started with the Holy Spirit speaking to me very clearly about a call to more. I’m saying what’s GT all about? And really what he said to me is GT is supposed to be a conduit for church planting. It has always been that and it has always been part of its history, part of its DNA. But it is also what God is calling us to right now.
So as I began to speak about that it’s like the Holy Spirit began to affirm that in people’s hearts. I saw the lights come on. I saw enthusiasm. We’ve seen so much excitement in our church and so much celebration. Every time a holiday comes around or we have a baptism or whatever, we tell what is going on at that second location, the whole church celebrates. There is so much life in it.
Q. Yes. It’s so great. So you are going to keep doing that obviously.
A. Yes.
Q. So for the senior pastor out there that’s thinking oh, that’s a lot of extra work and the risk and how will we ensure this will last, do we have the right leaders ---
Speak to that senior pastor out there that’s maybe got some apprehension.
A. Yes. I would certainly say start with prayer. Just say, God, if you’ve got something for us, would you just speak to me. I really think this is what God is doing right now. It is something he is stirring up in his church. You may be surprised at the people who will rise to the surface and will come and be a part of that with you.
But I really think it is about searching your heart and saying why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t I? What is the barrier inside of me that would keep me from actually doing that? Is it a fear? Because if it’s a fear it is probably not faith.
Q. Yes.
A. I think a lot of times we get wrapped up in concerns about what that is going to mean for our church. But what we have seen is God backfills everything we have given away. Everything we have given away God backfills it.
And what happens when you plant is that little church thrives and it lives on reaching new people. Those new people have children. They have youth. They need programming. They need help with their marriage, stuff that the church plant can’t do. So what we’ve seen is people who even get saved at our other location, sometimes they end up coming here to find what they need for their family life.
Q. Yes.
A. So it is a win-win. Really, I don’t see a loss in it. I really see it as a win. So pastor, take a risk, live big and follow the leading of the Spirit.
--- End of Recording
