“Swedish biker gangs in expansion fast lane” was the title of an article which spread throughout the whole Swedish Press these last days describing the phenomenon of the multiplication of new divisions among the different criminal motorcycle gangs in Sweden (and in the rest of Europe). (Here, here, here and here).

Attention was given to the rapid growth of the different criminal motorcycle gangs like the Hells Angels, the Bandidos, Outlaws and other up-and-coming gangs. In the last three years five new divisions of the Hells Angels were started in Eskilstuna, Norrköping, Luleå, Uppsala and a new division in Stockholm. Previously, it took them 10 years to start up so many new divisions, so the curve has risen steeply,” said Lasse Wierup, a journalist, author and expert on motorcycle gangs told the TT news agency. (By the way according to Europol, the European Police Organization, there are now more criminal motorcycle gangs in Europe than in the US and Canada)!

Just think of that for a moment: in Sweden there are over 450,000 registered motorcycles, 270,000 of them are registered and on the road. There are approximately 400 known full members of the earlier mentioned criminal clubs and somehow they seem to be so determined and committed that they start all these new divisions in only a few years. Their expansion builds on the one-percenter culture Wierup says.

The other day some of us on staff at EFK (Evangelical Free church in Sweden) were praying, strategizing and discussing how we could plant another 75 churches by the year 2020… these churches will be started in different ways, with different focus and goal groups and in different forms from cell – and house churches, to ethnic churches, city churches and more traditional and/or geographical churches. We discussed how approximately teams of 8 people average could be the nucleus of a new church plant. This means that we need to find 600 people before 2020 that are willing to plant a church. Of course not every one of those is to be a carrier of the vision to plant a church; the large majority can be part of new church plants as team members.

What is my point? The seemingly immense task of planting 75 churches within our EFK context is really not a big task if we consider the commitment and strategy of the Hells Angles clubs. One percent (1%) of the bikers take care of the expansion of the clubs! For us, to fulfill the vision to plant 75 churches by the year 2020 we need to recruit, train and release 600 people (less than 2%) of our members within the EFK context! That’s not a high percentage, add to that the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ commanded ALL His followers to go out into the world and make disciples and we have an easy task at hand!

I would like to suggest a new slogan: “If the Hells Angels can – we can!” – if they can do the things they do based on a mutilate perspective of life build on threats and intimidation and founded on a false concept of brotherhood and belonging. How much more can the Church of Jesus Christ lift herself from the dust, shake of the dust and (finally) start connecting to the Mission of Jesus, going out to create communities of believers where the Lord of lords is worshipped?!

That’s the Way I see it!

John