What 4 Rappers Taught Me About Church Planting

“Define who you are and what you are, and be clear on that. Meditate on that and then, live and die by that… You can't break the rules, the fundamental rules. Be a man of your word, do what you say you're gonna do, respect people the way you would like to be respected.” - Nipsey Hussle 

The deep, pounding bass, the clever wordplay, the way it captures the pulse of the culture—that's what I love about rap music. From the OGs to the modern-day 'Lil’ rappers, every track resonates with a part of my soul. 

But who would've thought that my love for hip-hop would school me on church planting?

Let me break it down.

Carbon Copies in The Church Game

Riding to the sound of a Nas track one day, something hit me. 

I paused to consider the church planting scene. So much uniformity. It's almost surreal. Now, I ain't hatin' on anyone, but take a minute to visualize with me:

Pastor with skinny jeans, check. Trendy graphics with minimalistic designs, check. The names... don't get me started.

 'City Church,' 'New City Church,' 'City Gospel Church,' 'New City Gospel Church', Gospel City Church’…you get it!

It's like everyone's flipping through the same church starter playbook, hoping to score a touchdown with the same strategies.

But here's the twist. In the rap world, authenticity is everything (well kinda).

Nas is the embodiment of Queensbridge.

Black Thought? Pure Philly vibes. 

T.I. is ATL all day. 

And Nipsey? Every beat, every line, every line screams LA. 

These artists are deeply connected to their roots and their communities. They bring them alive in their music.

Location, Culture, Vibes

Now, slide that lens to church planting. 

How deeply rooted are we in our communities? Do we echo its culture, its vibe, its stories?

Or do we layer our strategies, hoping one-size-fits-all, obliterating the unique essence of our locale?

Experienced church planters and missiologists have often emphasized contextualizing the gospel. And that's precisely what's missing. Our churches need to resonate with the rhythms of their surroundings. 

When we planted Epiphany in Baltimore, we were not satisfied with bringing our experiences from New Jersey and Florida to Bmore and expect to connect with real Baltimoreans.

We had to switch it up until the residents claimed us as their own. 

The highest compliment as an early church planter was for a born and raised Baltimorean to tell me, “This is MY church.” 

The Church's Remix

So, here's what hop-hop taught me about rooting churches in their communities:

1. Embrace the Narrative: Every community has its stories, struggles, and victories. Connect with them and make them a part of the church's narrative.

2. Original Beats: Don’t cut and paste a model; tailor-make one. Your community isn’t the same as the one two states over, so why should your church model be?

3. Collab with the Locals: Engage with the community. Don't just be in it; be part of it. Involve them, collaborate, and co-create.

Now, I'm not saying throw the playbook out. Nah, some of those strategies are gold. But sprinkle those playbooks and strategies with some seasoning. 

Here in Baltimore, we had to hit Epiphany with a lor, Old Bay. For my folks in the DMV, your church better have a lil Go-Go flavor. If your church is down south, it should have a lil bounce. Wherever you are, your church plant should reflect that community. 

As church planters, we get to mirror our locales, taking a leaf from these rappers.

As Stetzer puts it, “Plant the church that fits in the culture of its community and then continually contextualize it to reach and disciple more people.”

That’s why the triple OG Paul says, “Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law — though I myself am not under the law  — to win those under the law. To those who are without the law, like one without the law — though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ — to win those without the law. To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 CSB

Throw Yo Hood Up

So next time you hear a track, think about what it’s telling you about its roots, its origin. 

And then consider, has your church made that same type of connection with the community? If not, it's time for a remix. If rappers can teach us to represent their hood, maybe our churches can learn a lesson or two. 

Stay real, stay local, and keep planting those gospel seeds.