History of Church History of Church PlantingPlanting

An OverviewAn Overview

CP Workshop – History of Church Planting.ppt

Ancient HistoryAncient History

Local Initiated and Led → Outsider Local Initiated and Led → Outsider Initiated and Local LedInitiated and Local Led

Church was a mixture of Jewish Church was a mixture of Jewish Synagogue Tradition and House Synagogue Tradition and House Church or Family-based Church Church or Family-based Church depending on the ethnic makeup depending on the ethnic makeup of the church and who was of the church and who was involved in starting the Church.involved in starting the Church.

Modern HistoryModern History

Outsider Initiated and Outsider LedOutsider Initiated and Outsider Led Church looked like the Outsiders’ ChurchChurch looked like the Outsiders’ Church MethodologyMethodology

– Outsider won new believersOutsider won new believers– Outsider discipled new believersOutsider discipled new believers– Outsider led worship servicesOutsider led worship services– Local volunteers were equipped to do Local volunteers were equipped to do

Sunday School type of work in the Sunday School type of work in the local church.local church.

Modern HistoryModern History

– Mature locals would be sent to Mature locals would be sent to seminary, and then would be seminary, and then would be qualified to lead a new qualified to lead a new congregation.congregation.

– Focus is on Outsider church styles Focus is on Outsider church styles and programsand programs

Variation – if the Local was enough like Variation – if the Local was enough like the Outsider, then he would be allowed the Outsider, then he would be allowed to do the above.to do the above.

Recent History/Current Recent History/Current SituationSituation Outsider Initiated and Local LedOutsider Initiated and Local Led Local Leaders trained by Local Leaders trained by

Outsiders to be like OutsidersOutsiders to be like Outsiders Church looks like the Outsiders’ Church looks like the Outsiders’

Church (There may be a demand Church (There may be a demand by the mission sending by the mission sending organization or church that this organization or church that this be the case.)be the case.)

Recent History/Current Recent History/Current SituationSituation MethodologyMethodology

– Outsider wins first convertsOutsider wins first converts– Outsider disciples new convertsOutsider disciples new converts– Outsider trains new converts to lead Outsider trains new converts to lead

worship and Bible studiesworship and Bible studies– Outsider functions as a shadow Outsider functions as a shadow

pastor, making most if not all pastor, making most if not all decisions.decisions.

– Locals are expected to do things in Locals are expected to do things in the same manner as the Outsider.the same manner as the Outsider.

Recent History/Current Recent History/Current SituationSituation

– Mature locals are sent to seminary to be Mature locals are sent to seminary to be trained by Outsiders, and then would be trained by Outsiders, and then would be qualified to lead new congregations if they qualified to lead new congregations if they fulfill the expectations of the Outsiders.fulfill the expectations of the Outsiders.

– Focus is on Outsider church styles and Focus is on Outsider church styles and programs.programs.

VariationsVariations– One Outsider may work in multiple locations or One Outsider may work in multiple locations or

with multiple Local Leaders to affect the above.with multiple Local Leaders to affect the above.– Locals who have become adept at looking and Locals who have become adept at looking and

acting like Outsiders lead in the same way as a acting like Outsiders lead in the same way as a Outsider.Outsider.

New ApproachNew Approach

Outsider Initiated and Local Led → Local Outsider Initiated and Local Led → Local Initiated and Local Led Initiated and Local Led – No public project or program is ever led by No public project or program is ever led by

a Outsider.a Outsider.– New work is not started until and unless a New work is not started until and unless a

local leader is ready to lead the new work.local leader is ready to lead the new work.– Locals quickly become the initiators of new Locals quickly become the initiators of new

work.work. Key Local Leaders are equipped to lead Key Local Leaders are equipped to lead

and develop new leaders in multiple and develop new leaders in multiple locations.locations.

New ApproachNew Approach

Outsiders keep to the background and Outsiders keep to the background and minimize cultural transmission.minimize cultural transmission.

Church is encouraged to develop Church is encouraged to develop unique cultural expressions of love for unique cultural expressions of love for and obedience to Christ.and obedience to Christ.

MethodologyMethodology– Outsider chooses key Locals to disciple to Outsider chooses key Locals to disciple to

Christ and train as Leaders who will Christ and train as Leaders who will develop and train other Leaders.develop and train other Leaders.

New ApproachNew Approach

– Each person trained stays in a Each person trained stays in a mentor/mentoree relationship with mentor/mentoree relationship with the one who trained and the ones the one who trained and the ones they will train. (This develops a self-they will train. (This develops a self-correcting system.)correcting system.)

– Leadership is defined by training and Leadership is defined by training and mentoring abilities as well as mentoring abilities as well as evangelism, church planting abilities, evangelism, church planting abilities, and/or other leadership abilities.and/or other leadership abilities.

New ApproachNew Approach

– Every new Christian is expected to be Every new Christian is expected to be mentored and to be a mentor to those mentored and to be a mentor to those who come after them.who come after them.

– Every leader is expected to regularly Every leader is expected to regularly replicate himself or herself.replicate himself or herself.

– Every church is expected to regularly Every church is expected to regularly replicate herself.replicate herself.

– Christian behavior and Church actions Christian behavior and Church actions fall into cultural norms when and where fall into cultural norms when and where these are not explicitly limited by these are not explicitly limited by Scripture. Scripture.

New ApproachNew Approach

– Outsiders are careful not to understate Outsiders are careful not to understate or overstate what the Bible has to say or overstate what the Bible has to say about issues that may be strongly about issues that may be strongly influenced by culture.influenced by culture. Abstinence from alcoholic beveragesAbstinence from alcoholic beverages Marriage, Divorce, Pluralistic Marriage, Divorce, Pluralistic

MarriagesMarriages Polity and governmental stylesPolity and governmental styles

New ApproachNew Approach

– Outsiders are careful to teach Outsiders are careful to teach principles rather than rules.principles rather than rules. Teaching style is based more on Teaching style is based more on

asking questions rather than asking questions rather than giving answersgiving answers– Read the ScriptureRead the Scripture– Ask what the Scripture meansAsk what the Scripture means– Ask how one would illustrate Ask how one would illustrate

the Scripturethe Scripture

New ApproachNew Approach

– Ask how this would require a Ask how this would require a change in personal behavior or change in personal behavior or cultural behavior as result of cultural behavior as result of the Scripturethe Scripture

– Ask for a commitment to make Ask for a commitment to make the discovered change to truth the discovered change to truth as expressed by Scriptureas expressed by Scripture