I am writing from Nashville, TN as I offer this thought. Bob Logan, a seminal thinker in church planting, is in front of me speaking. He has just finished making the case about what to focus on in our church planting networks. I was pleasantly surprised that he said our number one focus ought to be FARM SYSTEMS. The lack we have for the Harvest is not a money shortage, it's a leadership shortage. We can recruit leaders from all over at high cost and high risk. On the other hand, we can develop leaders from within our missional contests at low risk, low cost, and high reward because we have seen these leaders in action and in context. Are we working hard in our Clusters and Churches to develop leadership in a magnetic farm system that produces major league professionals beginning with conversion or a vocational "aha!" moment into local involvement, further ministry preparation or credentialing toward being a missional point leader? If we are indeed serious about a Reformed Multiplication Movement being ignited by the Spirit within the CRCNA, we would be well served to consider starting solid farm teams for local leadership development to go along with out historically strong systems of seminary graduates from afar as the only source of leadership.
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