Francis Chan, Church Planting, and the Tenderloin

What's Francis Chan been up to these days?  He's church planting in a very tough part of San Fransico called the Tenderloin.

As we look at poor and struggling neighborhoods, the best thing that can happen for the people in need is Jesus.  We can feed the poor, build schools, and drill wells, but if it's not done in conjunction with the gospel, it won't likely have the long term and powerful change like the real life transformation that Jesus does to the heart.  We have the power, resources, and ability to feed and provide for people, but we can not turn hearts made of stone into living, beating, life.  But Jesus can, and he does. 

When it comes to planting churches, this is a great idea to reach communities like the Tenderloin.  Only a couple blocks from the Tenderloin is a building with 400 apartments.  I'm familiar with this building.  In the basement is a Starbucks and a building guard.  The people living in this building are much more affluent than those in the Tenderloin.  This model could be the same there.  There easily could be a church in the building where the pastors live there too.  Where community groups don't require any driving.  Can you imagine it?  Will you pray for it?  

It is not the same in much of Salt Lake City because most of the city does not live in multi-dwelling apartment buildings, but creative thinking and willing, faithful people of God can and will be a part of the Church building and planting of Jesus.  As Jesus builds his church all over the world, please pray for more workers.  

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."  -- Jesus (Luke 10:2)