Learning about Church Planting Movements Part 2

We continue to sit together with men and women from around the world who are cross-cultural workers with Globe Europe and Globe International listening to Bill Smith teach about Church Planting Movements (CPM).

…As cross-cultural workers, it’s all about about God and Him holding everything in His hand.  Boldness engenders boldness in others.  Bold people generate bold disciples. God is not concerned about longevity in one place as much as the number of people who are touched and reached.

There are principles that apply, but we must apply them so that they work.  Methods are adaptable but principles remain true.

Sometimes missionaries can learn more from those to whom he ministers adding to what he knows already. 

Be willing to use smaller groups to reach more people because you are willing to work with those who are adaptable.  We are all brothers together, but we work with those who desire to change and be culturally adaptability. To do CPM, there will be a loss of friends and those who do not want to make necessary changes.  We must be open to learn from the ones we go to and it takes generations for us to overcome this.

The goal is not anything other than or less than reaching people with the Gospel and having them come into relationship with Jesus Christ.  More important to find the person of peace than to preserve a work permit or country access.

Principle:  when we get people into the the Word, they learn, not what we want to to teach others, but what God wants to teach them.  In studying the Scriptures, we learn what God wants us to learn.  And what God considers important.

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In every Church Planting Movements: (this are descriptive of movements)

1. Extraordinary prayer –
   1. much fervent prayer for lost people, usually by name; not prayer for self, or church, or family, but for salvation for people they know…
   2. new believers now pray for their friends and relatives
2. Abundant Evangelism –
   1. many people hear the Gospel
   2. M2E – mouth to ear
   3. sow abundantly, reap abundantly
      1. the more who hear, the more believe
      2. typically more people will not come to Christ today who do not hear the Gospel today
      3. someone takes personal spiritual responsibility for the people group
   4. Frog Churches v Gecko Churches
      1. Frogs wait for bugs to come to them – I make a lot of noise, have a long tongue and if anyone comes near, I’ll reach out to him… (attractional)
      2. Geckos blend in and go out into the world looking for the bugs… (missional)
   5. Resources are in the harvest
3. Intentional Planting of Reproducing Churches –
   1. “Intentional” – without intentionality ministries (humanitarian, medical, children) will not actually plant churches.
      1. You get what you aim for…
      2. church = group of people committed together to do what God wants us – individually and corporately – to do
      3. multiplying churches
   2. “Reproducing” – intentionally reproducing
      1. “Cuban baseball churches” – devotion before baseball game; when someone shows interest they go home with them and give gospel to whole family
      2. “Horse Church” vs. “Mule Church” – difference is in reproduction; one can reproduce and one cannot
4. The Authority of God’s Word –
   1. The missionaries/church-planters are not to be the authority, but the Word of God… (The Great Omission – Steve Saint)
   2. Where the Word of God is not the authority, there is usually no CPM.
5. Local Leadership
   1. Local people lead…
   2. The resources are in the harvest… next year’s best local evangelist in your area is not even a believer today
   3. They took the opportunities to lead
   4. They learn to depend on each other – finding our own resources locally.  Avoid financial dependency
6. Lay Leadership
   1. God will use ordinary people to do His will.  Key word: ordinary
   2. Keep “church” simple so that “ordinary” people can “do it”
   3. Not extra-biblical requirements for leadership
      1. education
      2. ordination
      3. gender
      4. “not everybody can do this”
         1. baptism
         2. communion
   4. There is a need for critical mass for churches to exist – some cultures is determined by security issues nor necessarily sociological issues
   5. (Personal concern… that gift-driven ministry if recognized, taught and encouraged would simplify the process of leadership)
7. House Churches
   1. Meeting wherever there is a place to meet
   2. Not in a dedicated single-purpose building
   3. Not tied financially to a building
   4. Advantages:
      1. interaction – participation – trust
      2. flexibility
      3. accountability
      4. more secure in persecution
      5. can put expenses toward missions
   5. DNA must be not about “smallness” or getting out of the institution but about moving towards addressing a lost world
8. Churches Planting Churches
   1. Not professional church-planters doing their job
   2. if it requires someone from the outside then it will never become a movement
   3. Congregations take responsibility for churching a region
9. Rapid Reproduction
   1. What is “rapid?” Nothing set in stone.
      1. Some churches go “rapid” – reproducing – in as little as 7 months
   2. Rabbit Churches and Elephant Churches
      1. rabbit can reproduce 4 mo. after birth with 7 offspring – second
      2. elephant can reproduce after 22 years with 2 year gestation
10. Healthy Churches