The Thing About Church Plants

In early 2019, when Tap Nights was still a baby church plant, we decided to give every person or family in our congregation a plant. It was part of this teaching in 1 Corinthians 3 where Paul spoke about ministry and church planting, using the metaphor of casting seed, watering, and growth. We even had a dedicated Tap Nights “church plant” plant called “Pauly” (you know, after the Apostle himself). The plant is called a “prayer plant” because in the evening its branches lift up and come together like hands clasping in prayer (not kidding you, Google it). We thought this fitting for Tap Nights, a church that prays and worships together in the evenings. 

Now, here’s the thing about church plants. For the first week or two, I had left Pauly at church. My intention was to water it Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, the days in which I was in the building. But I’m terrible with anything green. And I think I even forgot to water it one of those days in that first week. And well Pauly started to brown within a week! Not good.

The only way that plant was going to survive, and not just survive, but thrive, was if I brought it home.

One other possible solution could’ve been that I would go to the church more to water it. But I didn’t think that was the best option for a number of reasons. First, contrary to some notions about pastors, we don’t live at the church (especially during this time of COVID). Second, Kristi and I actually wanted more greenery, more “life” in our home.

So, it boiled down to three possible options:

1. Water infrequently at church, and risk even forgetting to do this, and watch the plant die.
2. Water somewhat more frequently at the church, by going to the church more, and watch the plant possibly die.
3. Water with frequent and attentive care in our own home, and watch that plant thrive.

Option 3 is what we went with. And it made all the world of difference. Pauly started with about 5-6 leaves, a few of which were browning when we brought him home. And now, you can see how Pauly is doing in the photo above. Much better.

Okay, why am I telling this story?

Well, I think this story speaks to our discipleship to Jesus.

Our vision for giving out these plants was really about discipleship: it was for people to see their life with Jesus grow as that plant grew. Because the truth is we all carry “a plant" around. That plant is our discipleship to Jesus. And he waters it and invites us and others to water it too. He wants to cultivate the soil. To make sure this plant gets the good light of day.

But he doesn’t want that plant to be cared for in a church building primarily. Rather, he wants our discipleship to be attentively, frequently, and lovingly nurtured in our homes. Essentially, our everyday lives. This is how we become flourishing and thriving disciples, especially in a season when we cannot gather in a building or in large gatherings.

Actually, scratch that––this is how we flourish and thrive as disciples, regardless of what season it is. This always has been the way of Jesus. This everyday faithfulness to the way of Jesus, organizing our entire life (not just 1 hour of it) around being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what Jesus did. It’s just our present circumstances reveal to us the necessity, urgency, and possibilities of this. Because, that's the thing about church plants––they actually need to be watered.

Q's: How is the state of your plant, your discipleship right now? In what ways have you or can you start “taking your discipleship home” in this season? And how are you, in partnership with the Spirit and other disciples of Jesus, able to cultivate conditions for growth? What are some spiritual disciplines (Spirit-infused habits that help open you up to the transformative presence of God in your life) that would water your plant of discipleship this season?

Michael Yang is the campus pastor of The Tapestry Nights
Photo Taken by Michael Yang