Question of the Week #3: Doesn't Red Deer have enough churches?
This one came up a few times while we were getting ready for our launch as Centre Church. A few comments on social media, I saw it and in some ways I get it. There are a TON of churches in Red Deer. Like, an unusually high number. But it’s a little bit of a strange question actually, as if we’re only supposed to have one church in each city or something.
Here’s the thing: rather than complaining about the number of churches in the city, what we’re doing is choosing to PRAISE GOD for that!! There are something like 115,000 people in Red Deer, and the VAST MAJORITY of them don’t know Jesus. So more churches are a blessing, not a problem!! I’ve lived in Red Deer for 5 and a half years now, and I’m fortunate to have met a lot of the pastors in town, and they are GREAT. We’re not in competition with them, we’re cheering them on! Friends, we’re all on a mission together, and I’m not interested in any kind of competitive, judgmental, or critical spirit here. Lord willing, we can protect our hearts from attitudes like that.
Whether we’re talking about the biggest churches in the city or the smallest house churches around, we want to do is BLESS them and serve WITH them and CELEBRATE them. Do we think there’s room for Centre Church in the mix? Yes, without a doubt. Until the Great Commission is complete, we’ve all got work to do. And i hope rather than criticize, we’ll join in on that mission together.
So the quick answer is this: No, as long as there are people who don’t know Jesus, there are not enough churches yet.
That’s the question of the week!
See you for next week’s question of the week! If you have any questions you’d love for us to cover, contact us as info@wearecentrechurch.ca
