Planting a Movement--Not Just a Church

 

Jun Sabate received the Urban/Ethnic Church Planter of the Year award during the Start Churches lunch at the 2010 EFCA Leadership Conference. 

Church planter Celestino (Jun) Sabate started Word Harvest Fellowship in Tracy, CA, in late 1998, and since then his church has planted eight others with six more "in the pipeline" to start in the next year and a half.

"We have a big dream of church multiplication," says Sabate. "We start small and we’re very focused on discipleship and multiplying."

Sabate believes church planting is the most effective method of evangelism.  "Planting churches is the best way to preach the gospel and disciple people. It’s the best context wherein people grow and become passionate for Jesus Christ," he explains.

Five of the church plants, including the original that Sabate pastors, are in northern California, two are in Japan, and two in the Philippines. Four of the new plants underway are in the Philippines, one in Phoenix, and one in San Francisco. Each church is started from scratch with no prior connections in the city. Each church has its own pastor, yet they are all connected in a network–a movement–of churches.

"We start from zero. We ‘parachute’ into the city, figuratively speaking. We don’t know anybody there. We establish contact with the people. We have Bible studies, and meet other people. When we have a critical mass, we start the worship service," Sabate describes.

When one congregation reaches 30-50 people, they plant another church, though Sabate says it is not based on the size of the congregation, but availability of resources. "If I have a lot of workers and a lot of money I can [plant a lot of churches]," he says.

The churches reach out specifically to Filipinos, and most of the pastors for the churches come from the Philippines, but attenders also include Mexicans, Americans, and sometimes Chinese, he reports.

Their outreach takes the form of social events–barbecues in the park or renting a hotel venue and hosting karaoke.

"Karaoke is one of our most effective ways to gather people," he reports. "We rent a hotel and we invite people and say that we have food and…music and we have karaoke."

"Birthday parties are another draw. "They will not come to our church, but if we have birthday parties, they will come!" Sabate says. The friends and relatives of those being celebrated come, and, at the party, the pastor shares a 15-minute message and everyone hears the gospel.

While the very social nature of the church draws in the community, Bible studies are their most effective evangelism tool.

"When they come to our Bible study, they become believers," Sabate says simply. Filipinos are predominantly Roman Catholic, he explains–they believe in the Bible and in Jesus, but they don’t believe that faith alone will save them. "It takes time for them to understand what grace is about. That’s why Bible study is very important because it’s there, in…two or three or even six months…that their eyes are opened to the grace of God."

Discipleship takes place in community, too. Every Sunday a meal follows the worship service–an hour and a half for worship and three hours for fellowship, Sabate says.

"That’s where true discipleship happens….I pour out my life into their lives," he describes. "It’s not formal. It’s living it out, inspiring people. That’s what discipleship is about in our context."

Sabate’s sense of community also extends back to those who gave him the vision and opportunity for church planting. "All of our pastors are very grateful for the help and the training and the encouragement. I have a coach who believes in me more than I believe in myself!" he expresses.

Sabate and the other church planters in the movement have shown special appreciation to the EFCA district.  "We pray for them," he says. They have even given the district a plaque, a communion plate, and other gifts to show their gratitude. "We are very grateful that they are there for us," he affirms.

Story by Susan Brill