Two of my favorite images of church planting are found in Psalm 107:35-38.

35 He turns a desert into a pool of water,
dry land into springs of water.
36 He causes the hungry to settle there,
and they establish a city where they can live.

37 They sow fields and plant vineyards
that yield a fruitful harvest.
38 He blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
He does not let their livestock decrease.

In every city & community there are a dry desert places that need the living water of God’s presence. In every city & community God wants to gather the hungry people for the sake of establishing a fruitful multiplying community. This gives great purpose to the work of the church planter & church planting team: FINDING DRY, DESERT, PARCHED PLACES IN THE COMMUNITY. Settle there & establish a place for hungry people to gather, grow, & multiply.

Questions for planters:

• Are we planting for the purpose of seeing God water the dry places? or are we planting in places that are well watered?
• Are we establishing a place for the hungry or the already full?
• Are we ready to sweat & experience the difficulty of desert life as we plant in dry places?
• Are we ready to lay brick #1 in a million as we build a city for the hungry?