So you've got a team of like-minded individuals ready to storm the godless Northwest. You've decided to plant a church in Portland, Oregon. You've done the demographic research, and you're looking for apartments in the trendy Nob Hill district. Your team has raised enough support for one year, and you're eyeing the vacant storefront across the street from the New Old Lompoc pub on 23rd Ave. Your plan is to set up shop, start getting to know people in the area, and set the launch date for Easter of next year. In three year's time, you'll be planting your second church, to coincide with your book deal and appearance on the church planting conference circuit.
Not so fast, hotshot. Sure this time-tested church planting model has "worked" elsewhere, but there's a reason that churches don't last long in Portland, and it isn't because nobody's tried it before.
"The toughest thing about planting in Portland is that it's such an open city," says Bob Hyatt, pastor of the Evergreen Community, a muti-site church with a gathering that meets on nearby NW 19th and Quimby. "There's this attitude that 'anything goes,' so don't expect any real opposition to what you're doing."
Good news, right?
Wrong. "You also shouldn't expect anyone to show up just because you light the candles and open the doors. Portlanders aren't interested in church, no matter how you dress it up." Portland doesn’t hate you, Christians. It nothings you. For a city of hyper-moral, post-Christian cultural refugees, it’s going to take more than a rockstar worship leader to start a church. Hyatt hays he's seen countless attempts by zealous church planters to form a Portland-appropriate expression of church. "They don't tend to last long" he says. "Portland needs someone who's in it for the long haul."
Your one year of funding might not be enough, then. As expensive as it is, successful church planters like Micah Wilson in Hawthorne recommend "At least three years' worth, plus a flexible day job." Hello Starbucks. "Portland's a tough city for 'professional pastors'," says Wilson. “Without a trade or a career, you really don't have any credibility."
Save your money on that converted NW warehouse, and forget what you think you know about urban life, because Portland isn't your typical city. "If you want to reach urban professionals," says Kim Runner, director of missions at the Northwest Baptist Convention headquarters in Vancouver, Washington, "you can't assume they all live in the Pearl District. Until you move into those circles, you have no idea where to connect with the people to whom you want to minister."
Amid the obstacles, there are opportunities in a complex city like Portland. There are literally thousands of opportunities to get involved in peoples’ lives in meaningful ways. Social networking sites like meetup.com and online classified listings like craigslist.com are full of possibilities for connection. Many Multnomah County Libraries offer the use of meeting rooms free of charge to community residents. Area schools and after-school programs are always looking for volunteers. Local coffee shops would welcome free curator services to organize the art they display.
By investing in the community and engaging people personally, a would-be church planter can begin to understand the city and its people.
For church planting ideas in Portland:
Your sound system keeps you from being missional
Comments