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Church Planting From LW, 2004 Video of Takagoulo people: Things that characterize a healthy church
A tip: try not to give answers but rather Bible verses in response to their questions.
From AB, 2004: o Rotate fields o Plant here- don’t worry about the harvest- let them take care of it. Plant elsewhere. o Missionaries need to step out of the way in this area, too. § Saw a need in the village- let the national pastor do the task § Healthy group learns how to reach out to other people groups. o Philippines: § Muslim tribe with the same dialect
· Paul M described planting churches in Liberia, West Africa (3-29-04) o Started with nothing § Learned the language intensively § Took risks and jumped in o After 7 months started making efforts on the connections that had been made § Relationships as we think of them were impossible · We share noting in common · It is about getting permission · They decide not as individuals but as a group of people o Got permission from the chief of each people group § Picked a day and time and invited others to check it out · Taught classes on 13 different topics- one per week o God o Satan o Trinity o 10 commandments § they wanted to know what rules were required for them to be a part of this religion (some Baptist influence present in the country) · At the end of the 13 weeks, he asked who wanted to be baptized and then had baptisms § He would then train leaders within the congregations · Classes for 2 hours every Sunday afternoon o When they left for their first furlough, he was involved with planting the 4th church § When they returned home from furlough, there were 5 churches going · At this point, he only did leadership training and attended church o Only preached on certain occasions o When they returned home after 7 years, their were 17 churches planted that had started with none….and it continues……cool interview with PG -- April 24th, 2004
In the Philippines, their work was initially to work with established, but neglected congregations and as their years progressed, they planted new churches. This was done through having ten to twelve week bible studies and raising up national leaders to do teaching in their own villages. In Peru Paul’s emphasis was reaching men. His goal was to reach the natural leaders in the community, not only those who are dependant on the church. The Gossmans’ work in church planting caused them to create goals to reach and strategies with which to reach them. In the Philippines, they had three levels of leadership training including home bible study, congregational leaders, and evangelists. Paul stressed very heavily that when you are doing mission work: “Don’t do anything that they cannot replicate = EVER!” Because of this reasoning for reaching and training leaders, Paul put away all of his seminary books and used only the resource of the Bible in the nationals’ language for the whole time that he was in the Philippines. He did not use any resource that the nationals did not have access to. The goal of planting churches is to train the nationals to do missions and then get out and let them do it. Paul feels that this is part of keeping on task as well as realizing what you cannot do and make no apologies for this fact. Satan loves to attack individuals in this area of their ministry. Viewing time spent in a realistic way is also very important in evaluating effectiveness. In many cultures, spending time with people is a far more effective use of time than our American task orientated minds want us to think.
interview with MP and SP - March 15, 2004 Mark and Sharon’s approach to church planting ministry has been altered since working with the people of Cass Lake. When they arrived, a small congregation was formed and this body of believers continued to meet together up until two years ago when Mark did an evaluation of the ministry. It was when he took a step back that he realized that the church was not reaching the community. The individuals whom they were helping were benefiting greatly, but they were much to dependant on the missionaries and the church was not attracting any strong and healthy independent leaders. Mark’s main focus for raising up a body of believers is to start with relationships. He walks, talks with, and counsels men on an individual basis in order that they might know more about Jesus. At first the goals and strategies of the Peskes’ work was surrounded around getting individuals to come to church. Mark was quick to point out that this is not the first step, but the ending step. The first goal is to get the Gospel deeply seeded into their hearts and talk about Jesus in an honest relationship. It is important to set goals, but it is more important to stay flexible.
Rural Models of Nurturing 1. Initial Church Stage In this stage, the first converts are hardly a group, rather, they are like newborn children. In this stage the objective is to gain enough converts to form a vibrant group of Christians. The role of the church planter is evangelist—proclaiming the foundational message of the Gospel. It is important to begin the second stage as soon as possible… 2. Developing Church Stage In this stage new Christians are mentored both through cognitive and experiential teaching. The role of the church planter is church maturer. In this stage the missionary spends much time in homes as well as holding evangelistic and nurturing meetings. The model of ministry in this stage follows 1 Thess. 2:7-8: “We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” The missionary must make ask onself, “Do Christians understand the central truths of the Christian faith? and secondly, “Is the Christian worldview, defined by biblical truths being practically lived out? During this stage leaders begin to emerge. This stage can take anywhere from 6-15 months usually. 3. Independent Church Stage In this stage the church planter begins leadership training and is able to allow local leadership in the church. It is important that leadership training does not precede the Developing Church Stage because otherwise a sharp distinction between clergy and laity forms! Leaders must be selected from within the church that is growing, not from outsiders. 4. Mature Church Stage Following intense leadership training, ordained church leaders are selected: Elders to pastor, deacons to serve in various ministries, evangelists, teachers, etc… The founding church planter now serves as an occasional guest! As a guest the church planter may come periodically to exhort and strengthen, but otherwise his or her presence is not needed for the ongoing life of the body.
From J. H., 2003 The idea of Church planting showed up often when looking at Paul’s travels talked about in Acts. Everywhere Paul went he left behind an established group that provides an example of church planting. I think the most crucial part of church planting is leadership. Without leadership any church will lack direction and die. I think if you enable leaders to take charge with in a church you can work your way out of a job, which I think is the goal of church planting. My questions for this area are: Tetsunao Yamamori - Development needs to be a part of planting – -Relief
helping needs get met -Restoring
them to previous levels -Sustaining
them and effectively sharing the gospel – This is a twelve year process
or as circumstance arise Physical progress – Setting up medical assistance Mental progress – experimenting and trying new ideas – also a certain trade or skill can be transferred Social progress – Helping family and neighbors get along harmoniously Spiritual progress – The goal is to sustain and replicate this system. Building Strategic relationships – Good Partnership – Three Keys - First, the partnering organization most be autonomous - Second, there must be compatibility in doctrinal beliefs and ministry values - Third, each partner must know and be willing to exchange complementary strengths and resources. Development Partnerships – Three Keys - Results - The partnership develops as it learns, changes, and grows - Relationships - The partnership develops trust, communication, and collaboration - Vision - The partnership learns what it can achieve and how to get there Unhealthy Dependency – Five Sure Ways to Create! - Make an alliance with a lone ranger - Send money directly to individuals - Finance pastors and local churches - Give resources based only on need - Under write 100% of a ministries needs Managing Dependency – Some Don’ts - Don’t define goals and methods unilaterally - Don’t base the relationship on a one-way flow of resources - Don’t allow money to become the most highly valued resource - Don’t fund the full cost of a project without clear justification - Don’t interfere in the administration of the partners organization - Don’t do for others what they can better do for themselves - Don’t rely on “one-size-fits-all” policies
7-Point approach to communication - 1. Use guidelines - 2. Have regular discussions - 3. Inform your partner quickly - 4. Ask for your partner’s opinion - 5. Send short notes - 6. Invite bad news as well as good - 7. Relax together Avoiding Pitfalls Pitfall – Assuming you think alike. Remedy – Be explicit about your expectations and capabilities Pitfall – Promising more than you can deliver – Remedy – Make sure to under promise and over deliver Pitfall – Taking to the road without a map – Remedy – Establish goals that make a difference Pitfall – Understanding Cultural differences – Remedy – Build intercultural understandings Pitfall – Taking shortcuts – Remedy – Develop evaluation procedures and use them Pitfall – Forgetting to develop self-reliance – Remedy – Include self-reliance in your goals for the partnership Pitfall – Running a race with no end – Remedy – Have an exit plan before you start Accountability – It is the foundation for sustaining credibility and building trust. - To use it effectively, partners must have a common commitment to it, a clear understanding of what they are accountable for, and a shared set of ground rules. Identifying Confidence Factors – Faith that accountability will be successful
Concerns over Finances tend to be the weak link in trust + accountability Establishing Ground Rules
Twelve ways to be Accountable – Ask these Questions
Excepts from interview with Jack C: How was Church planting done? – Every
once in a while a church work would tell Jack he should go into a village
and Evangelize so he would do that. The Grabo people were the main people
Jack worked with in which they always needed to be welcomed through a
ritual of eating a nut that tasted awful.
After the ritual Jack would be asked why he was there in which he
would inform them that he was there to preach the message of Jesus.
The chiefs would decide if he could stay and would pick a person to
learn who in turn would eventually become the pastor. Jack said he never
was denied entrance to a village and did it many times.
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