That's not terrible counsel. After all, what is a church? It is a community of gospel-affected people who do life together on mission. You can't plant that. A church is the result of planting the seed of the gospel—the message of the cross—that takes root in the hearts of those who receive the gift through faith. So, church planters, let's become gospel planters. Let's stop planting churches and start planting the seed of radical grace through things like weakness evangelism. Then, as others are affected, we'll see churches begin to sprout and flourish in the power of the Spirit. 

Of course, for those of us in the church planting world, we are talking semantics. No church planter in the network with which I am associated is neglecting the gospel in an effort to establish an organization. After all, a cotton farmer is known for what results from his planting. He is not a cotton seed farmer; he is a cotton farmer. The plant assumes the seed. The same is true in church planting. We are sent out to establish churches. The seed of the gospel is assumed. So what we call church planting and gospel planting are not mutually exclusive.

The point is priority. As we focus on sowing the seed, we will have opportunity to tend the plant. For naturally, as the seed grows into a sapling, there will be an organism whose growth we are called to steward. That is where we begin dealing with organizational issues such as budgets, services, facilities, staffing, programs, etc.  But let's not overlook the organic roots of the organism—the seed. In this sense, it seems as if we should first and foremost be planters/sowers of the gospel and then cultivators of the new communities of gospel-affected people who begin to gather as a church.  

If we make it all about the gospel—all about Jesus—all about grace—then we are contributing to the healthiest possible plant. One that prayerfully will reproduce as seed is scattered all over the community, region and, ultimately, the world. 

SDG