# Are You a Presbyopian?



## N. Eshelman (Feb 13, 2012)

Here is an article that I recently wrote for The RP Witness on church vision. Have a read and tell me what you think! 

Presbyopia and the 20/20 Vision | RP Witness


----------



## Pergamum (Feb 17, 2012)

I loved the article.

Here are a few questions about the numbers section:



> Here are some numbers:
> ◦Of the 33 largest cities in the United States, only 8 of them have a Reformed Presbyterian witness. Seven congregations and one preaching station minister within the bounds of 40 million people. Are those congregations enough to minister to 40 million people?
> ◦Of the 33 largest cities in the United States, there are only 15 Reformed Presbyterian churches within a Lord’s Day driving distance of those cities.
> ◦The Home Mission Board spent $238,623 on new church plants in 2011. In 2012 the Home Mission Board will spend $275,090 on new church plants.
> ...



First, you wrote this:



> Here are some numbers:
> ◦Of the 33 largest cities in the United States, only 8 of them have a Reformed Presbyterian witness. Seven congregations and one preaching station minister within the bounds of 40 million people. Are those congregations enough to minister to 40 million people?



Let us not forget that there are many other churches in those 33 largest US cities. 

Those Reformed Presbyterian congregations, therefore, need not minister to all 40 million people. 

Sometimes it may be a turn off for those of us who are more broadly reformed when we read of the "lack of gospel witness" in areas that are churched-a-plenty by PCA churches, ARBCA churches, etc. 


Also,



> ◦A new RPCNA church plant costs $144,000 on average per year to fund.
> ◦The RPCNA could plant 764 congregations per year with the United States’ pizza delivery money!
> ◦The Home Mission Board will be out of spendable cash by Dec. 2013 unless presbyopians come forward with vision.



It seems that church-planting is being tied very closely with money here. Are there any Reforemd Presbyterians church-planters who are willing to go by-vocational for a time?



Also, the article seems to be focused largely on North America. What of your international outreach?



Finally, this prospect below is VERY exciting:



> Wouldn’t you love to see 10 works blossom in 2012? Wouldn’t you love to see seminary graduates being matched up with seasoned church planters to learn beside them in a Timothy to Paul relationship? Wouldn’t you love to see congregations daughtering congregations without the fear of a budget crisis? Wouldn’t you love to see mobilized church members seeing conversions and adult baptisms (yes, we do believe in adult baptisms) and home studies springing up in neighborhoods all across our denomination’s borders?




---------- Post added at 12:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:54 AM ----------

Praise God for the work being done!


----------



## Kevin (Feb 18, 2012)

Great article brother!

I am very encouraged by your specific challenge to your own tradition to follow Christ's call. What an encouragement to all of us to consider how we might fulfill Jesus Great Commission.


----------



## E Nomine (Feb 18, 2012)

Great article. Very sobering. May the Lord use it to inspire believers to advance his Kingdom!


----------



## J. Dean (Feb 18, 2012)

This is admirable, but be VERY careful that this does not simply turn into a "numbers game." With ideas like this, however well-intentioned they may be, there's always the temptation to "bend the rules" in favor of pragmatism and think that a failure to get what we think to be "enough people in the pews" as a lack of effort on our part. It's easier than you may think to focus on results instead of scriptural faithfulness.

So pray that the Master sends laborers into the harvest, but understand that it's the Master alone who determines how many sheaves you bring into the barn


----------

