Thoughts from MMBA pastor Dan Hyun on supporting church planters in the city:
“Real thoughts on urban church planting as I remember when our church was broken into a few years ago:
Having stuff stolen stinks but in the big picture, it’s only stuff. However, it raises thoughts on the nature of support raising for church planters, particularly in urban contexts.
When financially supporting church plants in the city, there has to be the recognition of expenses that aren’t going to be reflected in normal budgets. Many church plants minister in contexts with rampant substance abuse. Things will get stolen – often by those whom you are reaching – and need to be replaced at rates that would seem higher than normal.
Those are expenses planters don’t consider when they are planning their budgets.
It”s not just at the church level. Some of my heroes are church planters in Baltimore who have purposely chosen to plant roots in some of the most challenging areas of the city. The reality is they & their families often pay a cost for this choice. My heart breaks when I read stories of planters kids’ bikes stolen over & over again from their homes. Those are expenses you don’t normally consider but it’s the reality for many pastors in addition to the already high cost of living in the city.
Every person who chooses to minister in the city counts the costs. But you can walk with them by keeping these things in mind when financially supporting all church planters & particularly those in the city. And if you are moved to support some of these folks, message me and I can recommend some really good church planters in Baltimore who could benefit from your generosity.”