Why start a new church?

A few weeks ago, I responded to a question that people often ask when they find out that I was a part of the New Church Leadership Institute. There are any number of people who may be asking the question for today - pastors considering starting a new church, people who may be a part of a new congregation, congregations close to a proposed site for a new church, people requested to give to a capital campaign with new church starts as a key component...

Here are some of my responses:

I believe that new congregations should be started to reach new people for Jesus Christ. There are people who may be reached by a new congregation who may not be reached by an existing congregation. Some people are drawn to start up ventures, some people may respond to a new style or way of presenting the good news of Jesus Christ, there may be an area into which people are moving in which there are not any existing faith communities. In all of these and other situations, new congregations have the potential to reach new people for Jesus Christ.

I  believe that starting new churches are a sign of renewal and revitalization within an annual conference. A successful new church start is something for which all congregations in the annual conference should rejoice. In my context, it is a sign that God is active and alive among the people of the United Methodist Church in Kansas. I believe that there is a great thirst in both the Kansas East and Kansas West conferences for renewal and for the fresh water of God's Spirit on parched lips. I believe that new congregations can be a refreshing drink for all who are a part of the connection.

As a pastor at Resurrection, I believe that starting new churches can be a part of our vision to renew the mainline church. I think that new congregations have the potential to be a sign of life not just to the annual conference of which they are a part, but to the entire denomination and to other denominations as well.

What do you think about new churches? What has been your experience with new congregations?