FAQ and Stuff

WHY A CHURCH PLANT?

Churches are dying in North America at a rapid pace. Statistics say that 3,500 to 4,000 churches close their doors every year. With only 1,100 to 1,500 starting each year, we're losing 72.11 churches per week or 10.27 per day while gaining only 24.03 per week or 3.42 per day (American Society for Church Growth).

Take a look around Regina, and you will see that churches are for sale and being purchased by businesses or other interest groups. We believe that the hope for our city and for our world is the local church.

Check out this article on the state of the Canadian Church: Click here.

"The national Association of Evangelicals have predicted that in our generation we're witnessing the closing of 100,000 churches." - Michael Noel (Church Planting Voices, p 16)

"North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing! Out of the 350,000 churches in America:

80% have reached a plateau or are declining;
15% are growing because of transfer growth;
5% are growing because of conversion growth." - The Barna Group

The Church is the only institution in the world both designed and equipped by God for the spiritual, cultural and social renewal of all nations. Jesus said, "I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18b).

Listen to Tim Keller (American author, speaker, and the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church [PCA] in New York City, New York) answer the question "Why plant churches?" (Click on the video to the right.)

WHY DOES REGINA NEED ANOTHER CHURCH?

As Regina grows at a rapid rate, business, housing, roads and communities are growing, too. But you can't say that there has been a boom in churches within Regina.

As we take a look at society as a whole we see a time of crisis - morally, financially, physically, etc. Like any other city in Canada, Regina is desperately needy. Ask yourself: Can we ever have too much good? Do we have more than enough bad?

WHAT DOES A MISSIONAL CHURCH LOOK LIKE?

A missional church is a church that lives and breathes the mission of God. Over the last 30 years, there has been a growing tension between "seeker target or seeker sensitive" and "believer focused churches." This has often birthed an "us versus them" mentality. The former stresses that the church is a light house, the latter that it is a filling station. Both extremes are focused on man as the final aim (anthropocentric) - man centred in the sense that the church exists for people.

The concept of missional is a theocentric term. A missional church realizes that it exists for God, for His glory and for achieving His redemptive purposes in the world.

Listen to Tim Keller as he discusses the characteristics of a missional church. (Click on the video above.)

WHAT DENOMINATION IS THE CHURCH UNDER?

The Compass is a non-denominational church but is a part if the ACTS 29 network. ACTS 29 is a network of churches that are passionate about the Gospel (good news) of Jesus and missional - meaning that our mission field is not only the other side of the world, but across the street to our friends, family and neighbors.

We would encourage you to check out the Acts 29 network website. (Click on their logo above.)

WHY DO I NEED THE COMPASS?

The vision of the Compass is seeing a church express the Gospel to the city of Regina for the good of the city and for the glory of God.

If you are seeking out purpose and meaning for your life...
If you have questions from the most basic to the most intricate...
If you are a skeptic of Christ...
If you feel guilty...
If you feel unworthy...
If you feel unloved...
etc.

... then the Compass is for you!

HOW IS THIS CHURCH DIFFERENT?

The Compass desires to be a church that spreads the Good News of Jesus Christ - doing so in a culturally relevant way. As we look at the life of Jesus, we see that he went right into culture. He didn't stay in the temples and places of worship hiding, but went out instead and was light to the earth.

We hold Scripture tightly, knowing it's the inspired Word of God. At the Compass, you will hear Truth like never before.

ARE YOU PART OF THE "EMERGENT" CHURCH?

The Compass is not part of the "Emergent" church.

Listen to the video below from Mark Driscoll (founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle) discuss the Emergent church.