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| My son Ryder putting the signs out |
I didn’t know anything about trailblazing except this: a trailblazer has to go first.
When we first moved to Virginia, my kids and I were
constantly overwhelmed by the amount of trees and the denseness of the endless
forests. We’d often comment, "How did the
settlers ever get anywhere?!" It was
apparent a good portion of their time was spent clearing the land and blazing
trails.
What is a trailblazer?
trailblazers plural of trail·blaz·er (Noun)
1. A person who makes a new
track through wild country.
2. A pioneer; an innovator.
3. One that blazes a trail to
guide others1
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When I looked up the word and read the definition, I was motivated to keep going!
Giving up was NOT an option. God’s
assignment for me was to plant this new church in “wild country” and He
considered me innovative – wow! Let’s do
this!
The apostle Paul was a trailblazer extraordinaire. He knew he was called to go first. He preached in heathen cities to hostile
crowds, endured incredible hardship, and said bold things like “Follow me as I
follow Christ.” (I Cor. 11:1) We know Paul started 14 churches in different
cities, and it’s very likely he started more.
Why we need trailblazers
Many of us love to walk on well-worn nature trails, enjoying
the beauty and fresh air that surrounds us.
But have you ever taken the time to consider the hard work that went
into building that trail? Someone had to
do the dirty, sweaty, backbreaking work to make something wonderful for future nature lovers to enjoy.
Church planters are pioneers. Led by the Holy Spirit, they go to a
particular area and do the hard work necessary to make sure that for
generations to come, people will have a place to find Jesus, worship
corporately and enjoy the presence of God.
What does a
trailblazer do?2
1) Surveys the area
for the potential trails; walks the area and takes note of potential hazards. It’s no different for church
planters. At Three in One, we are
currently “surveying” the area near our theatre for the best place to
build our church. We go in with eyes
wide open to risks and problems that may arise. Lots of prayer walks to come!
2) Draws a rough map
of the trail, realizing adjustments may be necessary. With any new life venture, writing down
the mission and vision is key to success.
3) Clears the area,
beginning with the largest things
first (trees, rocks), then the brush, then the weeds.
To future church planters, the first obstacles are obvious: gathering
a core team, raising the finances, etc. It’s
when you get to the removing-the-weeds stage where things get really
difficult. Weeds in a church can be
negativity, gossip, someone who stirs up division, etc. The best way to weed the wrong people out is
to do more outreach—the people who are in your church for the wrong reasons want
nothing to do with loving and serving people outside of the church.
4) Builds
bridges across the wet, low-lying areas (use what's already there to make your bridge--logs, stepping stones, etc.)
Be a church who
“builds bridges” in your community. Find
ways to come alongside others in the area who are in line with why Jesus
came—to set captives free (ex. help in drug rehab program) and to heal the
brokenhearted (ex. Minister in nursing homes).
James 1:27 is
another standard of where to be in your community. “Pure and genuine
religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in
their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” This can look like serving
in local feeding programs, school tutoring/mentoring programs, homeless
shelters, etc.
5) Marks the trail with signs
Every
Sunday morning at 7:30 am, my son and I drive around the community near our
church and put our church sandwich board signs in strategic spots. After all, what’s the point of having a church
if no one knows you’re there? I can’t tell you how many people have come to our
church saying, “I saw the signs!”
The
best “signs” your church has are your people.
It’s important to create a culture where people learn the power and
payoff of inviting people to church and sharing their salvation stories with
friends, family, and even strangers.
Are you ready to
be the person who goes first? Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." If God has called
you to plant a church OR start a new business OR be the first one in your
family to serve Christ, OR ,fill-in-the-blank, He
thinks you are a trailblazer! That’s
pretty cool! Now, go blaze that trail!
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