Mapping the Gospel Gaps: Church Planting in Ireland

What does church planting look like in one of the least-reached English-speaking countries in the world? In this episode of The Mission Matters Podcast, Ted Esler talks with Irish church planter, researcher, and writer Jonny Pollock about the changing spiritual landscape of Ireland, rapid secularization, immigration and the growth of diaspora churches, and the challenges of cross-cultural missions in a post-Catholic context. Jonny also shares the story behind Glúnta, a mapping project identifying evangelical churches and communities with little or no local church presence, and explains how better research can encourage strategic church planting, collaboration, prayer, and sustainable ministry for generations to come.The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.Links:https://map.glunta.comChapters:00:00 Introduction00:49 Meet Jonny Pollock02:25 Jonny’s Journey to Church Planting in Ireland05:07 Ireland’s Rapid Shift to a Post-Catholic Culture06:43 Immigration and the Growth of Diaspora Churches08:15 Irish Language, Culture and Christian Faith09:35 The Story Behind the Gluinta Church Mapping Project11:39 Where Ireland’s Churches Are—and Aren’t14:42 Why Mapping Matters for Church Planting16:40 Planting Churches with Limited People and Resources19:02 Foreign Missionaries and the Challenge of Irish Culture21:24 How Outsiders Can Best Support Mission in Ireland24:01 Collaboration and Unity Among Irish Churches26:22 Prayer for Ireland, Pastors and the Next Generation29:27 Closing