These words also apply to the church in 2003. Not only are views of the church changing, but also how the church views itself and operates. One of the areas in which there is beginning to be a significant change is how we start new communities of faith.

The old model had districts being responsible for discerning the need for a new congregation and then preparing to give birth to a new congregation. Today, “times—they are a changin’.” We are moving from districts starting churches to churches starting churches. All we are really doing is moving to claim the New Testament model demonstrated by the Apostle Paul. His missionary journeys were examples of a new community of faith growing in commitment to Jesus and then moving out to start another church. Reclaiming our roots is a healthy goal for today’s church.

It has now been proven through surveys and statistical analysis that giving birth to a new church is a transformational event in the life of an existing congregation. Many existing churches see a new community of faith as a threat; whereas, in reality, it becomes a strengthening event in the forward movement and growth of the existing church. One key learning we have made is that healthy churches start new churches and that such healthy churches become healthier. It, thus, becomes a defining moment for both the mother and the daughter churches.

We are hearing and sensing that God is moving across many of the healthy congregations in our conference and encouraging them to start daughter congregations. Many of our congregations have been started by another congregation. Some of our churches would not be in existence today if it had not been for a vision in another church to start a new community of faith.