Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Feb/94

Contributor - Heino Blaauw

Title - Church Planting In The Reformed Tradition

Topic - Church Growth

Four years ago Forestview Community Church was begun in Grimsby, Ontario as a ministry of the Reformed Church. Since that time we have had people with a variety of religious histories join our church, some with minimal or no church background at all. For the purpose of this article, I asked 5 of our members who had no association with the Reformed tradition prior to joining Forestview to explain what drew them to the ministry of the Reformed Church as it has found expression in Grimsby. Here are highlights from their responses:

"We decided to join because we felt Forestview was the kind of caring church our family needed We also saw the deep spiritual nature of many of the members in the congregation, a quality evidenced in community service programs. " (Gord R.)

"What drew me was the Reformed Church's stress on the importance of a relationship with God We don't go to church and do certain things to earn our salvation; we must accept Christ and follow Him. I also like the fact that we are taught to accept all people whatever their background and wherever they are in their Christian walk. (Karen T.)

"It was the lack of stained glass, the lack of pomp and ceremony, and the lack of a holier-than-thou attitude of past churches and ministers that I had known that made me feel comfortable and wanted" (Frank R.)

"What really drew us was the fact that it was a local church in our own community, helping our family to cultivate Christian friendships. Within the doors of Forestview we found people who earnestly sought out God in their lives and who wanted the most of what God intends for us. (Jane D.)

What I appreciate is that Forestview is a church that is not legalistic about moral matters,- it allows and encourages hurting people to be involved, it's a church you can wear your blue jeans to - informal yet recognizes and respects traditional values; a church thatputs emphasis on worship and God's Word. " (Jack R.)

An overview of these responses shows that what essentially drew these members to our Reformed tradition was its manifestation in a local church body. Those readers familiar with Reformed distinctives can see elements of our tradition throughout those statements: Our emphasis on grace; the power of justification; the simplicity and priority of worship; the centrality of the Word; the focus on proclaiming Jesus' Lordship through service in this world. All of these are Reformed distinctives that have undergirded the formation of our ministry. Indeed, I think John Calvin would be proud of those answers!

Further to this, when I instruct our new members on the nature of the Church of Christ in this world, I contrast our Reformed understanding of the Church with an Anabaptist one. The Anabaptist model basically views the church as separate from the world, with the goal of ministry being to draw people out of the world into the church. In contrast Reformed ecclesiology states that the Church of Christ is at the center of this world; that Christ is the Center of all Truth. Our Reformed theology is therefore very world affirming. (This is different than worldliness, which is world-worshipping.) To be the church of Jesus therefore is to enter into our world, seeking to witness to, uphold and develop the beauty and truth of God present in all the spheres of life education, family, arts, science, politics, worship, economics, etcetera. It is with this vision that the Church of Christ is called not to be religious, but to be truthful - people growing in integrity and understanding of all life though the power of God's Word and Spirit. It is with this commitment to truthfulness of being that Jesus is proclaimed as our world's King and Saviour. And it is with this commitment that churches in the Reformed tradition are planted and built.

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