West Hills Community | Morgan Hill, CA

• Michael Burchfield
• Feb 25, 2011
• Series: Church Profiles
• Categories: Church Planting Articles, Latest News

Briefly describe your story of your call to plant a church

My call to plant churches came as a slow growing conviction while serving as a missionary in Asia from 1983 to 1987.

While still in language school, I came across a copy of Roland Allen's little classic titles Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours, where he builds a case from the New Testament that the apostolic method in spreading the gospel in the first century was by planting churches and turning them over to local elders as soon as possible. This caused me to read Acts more closely, as well as Allen's sequel, The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church.

Upon completing this study, I was convinced of the validity of church planting and wanted to either plant churches or support others in doing so. And so, as I moved in to take the gospel to an unreached tribe in Asia, my plan was to plant the church in their midst. This goal was never realized however, because I returned home before the vision could be realized.

Upon returning to the US to take an associate pastors position, I continued to desire to either plant a church or support others who were doing so, and after a long ministry in one place, was able to restart the church I originally served as associate, launch a plant in 2001, and again in 2009 and 2010, with plans for another in early 2012.

How did you build up your core? What advice would you give to guys in the core-stage?

Because I was serving an already established church that had gone through hard times, my core for the restart consisted of those who were left in the church (about 170 people) after a major transition took place in 1989.

My advise for men in situations similar to mine is, be content to work with the people you have, be patient, and pray a LOT! It is so easy to mistakenly think the work is really ours, when in reality it is Jesus' work, and he works through prayer; and after 23 years in the same church, I can honestly say I am still seeing God answer prayer that was prayed at the start of the restart.

In addition, be faithful to preach the Word in season and out, and train others for works of service, for this is the core of gospel ministry in the church.

As for starting a church from scratch, start with a small core of people who understand the vision, know they're called to be a part of the vision to plant a new church, and who have the same gospel values as you have and build from there.

I presently have a missional community that was started with three other couples. One couple didn't continue, leaving us with a core of four plus my wife and me. The community now numbers 17, four of them are not following Jesus yet, and we are working through The Story of God produced by Soma Communities. Those who follow Jesus are being trained to understand that this group is the church and can become a gathering; and if the Lord so moves it will become a church.

Start your core the same way, work with the people God gives you, be patient and pray a LOT, as you each the Word, train those who follow Jesus and seek the salvation of those who don't as you trust in our faithful God.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in planting your church (and/or currently facing)?

My biggest challenges were first, discouragement over my own inadequacies; second, balance between church and family; third, fear of failure; and fourth, knowing how or having the courage to manage people who had a different vision than ours, or people who were out right wolves.

The solution to each of these challenges is found in the gospel, applied to respective areas of our lives.

How did you become involved with Acts 29? What have been the biggest benefits of being in the network?

I became involved with Acts 29 after reading Mark Driscoll's books Modern Reformission and Confessions of a Reformission Rev learning more about the network; and because the vision of our church is to plant churches.

The benefits for my involvement in this network are several fold. First, I find being networked with like minded men from across the country, behind a common vision very needful and refreshing. I desire the camaraderie and support and desire to give the same.

Secondly, the Acts 29 assessment process for potential planters is, IMHO, the best tool on the market, and involvement to be involved with the network allows us to utilize Acts 29's assessment process for potential church planters we would send out from West Hills.

I think in addition to these reasons, participation in the network increases the potential to saturate areas with gospel centered, Christ exalting, Spirit filled churches both in our own local area and beyond.

What advice do you have for men who are wrestling with the decision to plant? 

My advise to a man wrestling with the decision to church plant would be, don't over think it, or allow fear to take control of your process. Rather, pray a lot. We can never seek God in prayer too much; and He promises to give us wisdom if we ask, as long as we're not double minded. So, ask for His guidance and affirmation.

In addition, get informed about what a call to plant consists of. This will help you with your self evaluation; get assessed, in order to learn from objective, experienced men as to whether they see you as qualified; and as you do this, get started forming/leading a missional community.

The calling on all Jesus followers is to make disciples; and it is as we are going and doing this that our vision clears to what God has for us. If this venture is blessed under your leadership this in itself says a lot about what you should be doing.

And so, pray, get informed, get assessed and get started. The Lord will lead through these things.

What's the most important thing you'd want to share with a new church planter?

"Be patient, be in prayer often, and don't sacrifice your family on the altar of the church" would be the first thing I would share with a new planter.

I would also encourage him to find a mentor and a few other men who will surround him with support, will pray for him, and will gently correct him as he moves along the path to plant a church. We learn more from a good mentor in a year than we can learn from seminary and from books we read and conferences we attend.

How do you pastor your family?

I pastor my family with great care, and also as a focus of my life because they're really my first calling; and they will be the primary legacy I leave behind. With this in mind:

I've pastored my family by walking with Jesus myself, as His grace empowers, by repenting before them when I sin against them or before them, being in His Word with them regularly, praying with them regularly, and talking to them about their and my own relationship with Jesus, and His Word, and by serving them.

Ashamedly, early in my ministry I didn't pastor my family very well. The church took too much of my focus. Fortunately, I'm married to a patient and supportive wife who bore with me and prayed for me until the Lord got hold of my heart on the matter and I was able to see how leading God's church starts with leading and shepherding the family God has given you, according to 1 Tim 3: 4 and Titus 1: 6.

This led to repentance over my neglect, and a focused effort on my part to disciple my wife and raise my sons in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, which continues today.

Outside of the Bible, what is the most helpful book you have read for church planting?

Missional Church by Darrell Gruder; Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer; and Roland Allens two books mentioned above

Church Profile: West Hills Community Church
Launch Date: December 1991
Location: Morgan Hill, CA

Mission, Vision, Values of Church 

The mission of the West Hills Community of churches is to see the transformation of the San Francisco Bay area by Jesus Christ through the gospel.

What are some examples of God's grace that you have seen in your life and/or the life of your church?

I could list some specific things, but at 57 years, and after 23 years as a pastor and five years as a missionary before that, I can only say that my whole life is an example of HIs grace~for apart from that, I would surely have failed and died long, long ago; and the same is true of the church.

West Hills should have failed and died in 1989 in the midst of a terrible transition but instead has enjoyed the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace and has grown to to be a gospel centered family with three campuses simply by the grace of God and His good hand of blessing. There is no other explanation for my life and for the life of this church~and He ALONE gets ALL the glory!!!

How can we pray for you?

Pray I finish well; pray for fresh vision and the courage to keep believing God; pray for the four unbelievers who are attending my missional community; pray for my wife and I as we transition to being empty nesters, as this is harder than expected.