Strategy for Reaching Your Mission Field

Tim AhlenPastor, Forest Meadow Baptist Church, Dallas

ContextCleveland CountyOklahoma

Cleveland Cnty. Realities

• 2010 Population: 255,755

• 29.7% speak a language other than English at home

• At least 45 total languages

• Total # evangelical religious adherents increased by 2,078 while population increased by 47,739 in the past decade.

1990 2000 2010

Population 174,253 208,016 255,755

Adherents All Religions 69,666 (40.0%) 92,122 (44.3%) 110,195 (43.1%)

Unclaimed byAny Religion 104,587 115,894 145,560

EVANGELICAL 46,060 (26.4%) 57,299 (27.5%) 59,377 (23.2%)

Unclaimed byEvangelical 128,193 (73.6%) 150717 (72.5%) 196,378 (76.8%)

# of Churches Needed

(membership of 100)1,281 1,507 1,964

TOTAL COST ($2 million per

church)

$2,562,000,000

$3,014,000,000

$3,928,000,000

Years to Reach 400 (3.2/yr) 457 (3.2/yr) 595 (3.3/yr)

Cleveland County OK

Conventional

thinking patterns

dominate

our thinking making

it difficult for us to

think outside the

box.

London January 2003

Great Commission Initiative (GCI)

•Purpose - igniting CPMs in North America

•Principles- Penetrating lostness (people groups, people group

segments)

- Work within their worldview

- Rapidly multiplying, healthy churches (easily reproduced)

- Retreat in order to return (Celtic monasticism)

- New Wineskins for New Wine (Leave the old wineskins alone!)

Great Commission Initiatives (GCI)

•Purpose - igniting CPMs in North America•Principles•Particularities- Missiology- Great Commission, panta ta ethne

- Ecclesiology- Simpler, easily reproducible, NT churches

- Discipleship- Obedience based, 2 Tim. 2:2

- Communication- Oral and literate forms

Luke 15:1-10

It is all about penetrating lostness.Even if 99% are saved, the 1 gets priority.

Always.

The Great Commission

•As you are going, as you are sent,

•Live in Immediate, Radical, Sacrificial Obedience to Jesus Christ

•Make Christ followers•Baptize them•Teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded

•In the context of their culture and heart language

•Make Christ followers of panta ta ethne

•All ethne- ethnolinguistic people groups•All ethne- 11,500 of them- ½ have never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

•All ethne- wherever you find them

Biblical Terms for People Groups

Hebrew (OT)

Am– the People of God

Goyim– Everyone Else― The nations― The heathen― The ethnic peoples

Am– the People of God

Goyim– Everyone Else― The nations― The heathen― The ethnic peoples

Greek (LXX and NT)

Laos– the People of God

Ethnos– Everyone Else

The nationsThe heathenThe ethnic peoples

Laos– the People of God

Ethnos– Everyone Else

The nationsThe heathenThe ethnic peoples

The Bible uniformly tells us that we are to make disciples of the ethne– those people who do not

belong to God.

The Bible uniformly tells us that we are to make disciples of the ethne– those people who do not

belong to God.

History of American Immigration and Evangelicalism

From the 1500’s to 1775

•Immigrants (ethne) from all over Europe moved into colonies and established their faiths

•Usually as a State Church.•Highly ethnic in their orientation

By 1775

•Congregational (745 churches)

•Anglican/Episcopal (405 churches)

•Presbyterian (490 churches)

•Lutheran (235 churches)•Methodist (Less than 200 churches)

•Baptist (About 200 churches)

History of American Immigration and Evangelicalism

From 1775-1850

MethodistBaptistPresbyterianLutheranCongregationalEpiscopal

From 1850-1950

BaptistMethodistLutheranPresbyterianEpiscopalCongregational

History of American Immigration and Evangelicalism

How did this happen?•Methodists relied on circuit riding lay preachers who served God at great sacrifice (Endless Line of Splendor, by Luccock)

•Baptists relied on lay led congregations, taught their frontier members to start a church wherever they moved. (Sandy Creek Assoc.)

•Presbyterians required trained and ordained clergy, ruled by presbyterial polity.

Lutherans prospered on the frontier because they never developed a strong colonial base and thus were persecuted.Congregationalists had polity fitted to the frontier, but fractured with theological controversy, died out after 1900.Episcopals were wealthiest, most traditional, episcopal polity required highly trained clergy, tied to cultural centers

US Religious Scene from 1775-1950

•By 1910 church members had grown to 43%•By 1960 church members had grown to 60% (pp.33ff, Herberg)

•Beyond the category of “church members” at least 75-80% of all Americans said they were adherents of Christianity

•In 1775 church members were from 10 to 12% of the US population

•By the 1950s denominationalism was clearly established, active and very strong in term of loyalties and influence in America

•Denominational solidarity split along Protestant/Catholic/Jewish lines.

Immigration from 1820-2003

•From 1820 through 1924 = 35,999,402•From 1925 through 1960 = 5,841,559 •From 1961 through 2000 = 24,248,470•From 1820 through 2003 = 69,869,450•In 2000 A.D. the projection prior to the Census was 26,800,000 foreign-born persons in the US in July of 2000

•Actual foreign-born enumerated in 2000 Census was 31,100,000 persons

What’s Happened Since 1950

•A New Wave of Immigration (1965)•Africa•Asia•Middle East•Latin America•Eastern Europe

•These immigrants aren’t assimilating like the Western Europeans did

Projections of Legal Annual Immigration into USA

• 2000 = 964,000 (Medium Assumption)• 2005 = 872,000 (Medium Assumption)• 2010 = 713,000 (Medium Assumption)• 2030 = 1,100,000 (Medium Assumption)

• Notes:

a. There are legal quotas by country that set restrictions on immigration into the USA

b. There are no limits upon family members petitioning for others in their family to immigrate into the USA

c. There are no limits upon the number of persons who can come into the USA through their seeking and being granted political asylum

TA ETHNE(Scripture) SEGMENTATION

S.C. Selection& Mentoring RESEARCH

ENDVISIONMASTER PLAN

Often known as Jim's Tube.

Church Planting Process

IMPLEMENTATION

The Priority of Scripture

•Scripture forms the strategic foundation•Great Commission

•Penetrating Lostness

•Scriptural mandates, patterns and principles determine our praxis.•Making disciples, teaching them to obey Jesus

•Training trainers

•Heart language

•Scriptural outcomes comprise endvision.•Revelation 7:9

The Task of Segmentation

•Who Are the Lost?•Ethnolinguistic People Group Segmentation

•Distinct ethnic groups= first line of demarcation•Sociological Segments identified under EPG’s.

•Where Are the Lost?•Mapping physical location•Mapping spiritual location

The Task of Strategy Coordination•WIGTAKE?

•What’s it going to take to ignite a CPM in this people group?

•What is our current reality?•What needs to be done to get us to our destination?

•What resources are needed to get there?•Who is responsible?

The Task of Research

•Harvest Force•Mission Team•Other Resources

•Harvest Facilitators•Persons of Peace•Gatekeepers

•Harvest Field•Ethnolinguistic People Group

The Task of Research

•Characteristics of the People Group•History

•Culture

•Language

•Religion(s)

•Access

•Communication Preferences- Literacy

•Worldview Analysis•Bridges to the Gospel

•Barriers to the Gospel

The Task of Endvisioning

•Begin with the end in mind!•A detailed narrative description of what the CPM will look like in that people group when it occurs.

•Based on compilation of SC’s research•Becomes the “north star” for all subsequent planning.

The Task of Master Planning

•A detailed, stepwise strategic plan•Starts with the endvision•Works its way back to your current realities

•Includes several components•Endvision

•Objectives (or, Pillars) •Goals

•Action Plans

The Task of Implementation

•Starts With Current Realities•Develops and Deploys Resources•Carries Out the Master Plan•Evaluates Progress•Makes Needed Adjustments•“Sets the Sails” for the CPM•“Passes the Baton” as soon as possible

Phase 2 Objectives- Strategy Coordination

•Identify the Dynamics of EPG Strategy as It Applies in Your Ministry Field.•Your Ministry Field- Segmentation•Your Ministry Field- Research•Your Ministry Field- Master Plan•Your Ministry Field-Implementation

•Begin to Do Worldview Analysis•Understand Discipleship that Multiplies

Oral Strategies

•Learn to Communicate the Gospel by Telling Bible Stories

•Use Your Previously Done Research to Identify Bridges and Barriers to Communicating the Gospel

•Learn to Select and Craft Bible Stories and Bible Studies for Effective Evangelization and Discipleship.

Church in Antioch

•The Antioch Church was Multiethnic - Greeks (Lucius)- Hebrews (Paul, Barnabas)- Africans (Simeon)

•The Antioch Church was Multiethnic - Greeks (Lucius)- Hebrews (Paul, Barnabas)- Africans (Simeon)

Acts 11:19-30 (NIV)  Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.  News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Church in Antioch

•The Antioch Church was Missional - They took up a famine

offering- They sent Paul and

Barnabas on a church planting mission trip.

•The Antioch Church was Missional - They took up a famine

offering- They sent Paul and

Barnabas on a church planting mission trip.

Acts 11:19-30 (NIV)  Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.  News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Church in Antioch

•The Antioch Church was Multiplying - Internally by multiplying

groups within the church- Externally by multiplying

churches in Asia

•The Antioch Church was Multiplying - Internally by multiplying

groups within the church- Externally by multiplying

churches in Asia

Acts 11:19-30 (NIV)  Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.  News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Church in Antioch

•The Antioch Church was Mature• It was at Antioch that Christ

followers were first called Christians

•After one year, they were SOARing Christ followers

•The Antioch Church was Mature• It was at Antioch that Christ

followers were first called Christians

•After one year, they were SOARing Christ followers

Acts 11:19-30 (NIV)  Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.  News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

• Practically continuously fertile.

• Average of seven babies per pregnancy.

• 1 month gestation period.

• Sexual maturity: 4 months.

• 3 years: 2 -> 476 million (ideal potential)

•Only fertile four times per year.

•Only one baby per pregnancy.

•22 month gestation period.

•Sexual maturity: 18 years.

•3 years: 2 -> 3

Incremental Growth v. Rapid Multiplication

Elephants Wabbits

60 36 24 18 12 9 6 4

1 1 1 1 1 2 2 4 8

3 1 2 2 4 8 16 64 512

5 2 2 4 8 32 64 1,024 32,768

10 4 8 32 64 1,024 8,192 1 million 1 billion

15 8 32 128 1,024 32,768 1 million 1 billion ---

20 16 64 1,024 8,192 1 million 67 million --- ---

30 64 1,024 32,768 1 million 1 billion --- --- ---

Reproduction rate matters!

Reproduction rate in months

Years

60 36 24 18 12 9 6 4

1 1 1 1 1 2 2 4 8

3 1 2 2 4 8 16 64 512

5 2 2 4 8 32 64 1,024 32,768

10 4 8 32 64 1,024 8,192 1 million 1 billion

15 8 32 128 1,024 32,768 1 million 1 billion ---

20 16 64 1,024 8,192 1 million 67 million --- ---

30 64 1,024 32,768 1 million 1 billion --- --- ---

Reproduction rate matters!

Reproduction rate in months

Years

60 36 24 18 12 9 6 4

1 1 1 1 1 2 2 4 8

3 1 2 2 4 8 16 64 512

5 2 2 4 8 32 64 1,024 32,768

10 4 8 32 64 1,024 8,192 1 million 1 billion

15 8 32 128 1,024 32,768 1 million 1 billion ---

20 16 64 1,024 8,192 1 million 67 million --- ---

30 64 1,024 32,768 1 million 1 billion --- --- ---

Reproduction rate matters!

Reproduction rate in months

Years

In 2003, FMBC was one congregation. . .

. . .averaging less than 30 in attendance

In the last eight years, we’ve planted 17 congregations

I.B. Forest Meadow

Sudanese Community

Church

The Well

TEAM ChurchZambian

Light

Rockwall House Church

7 Nepalese House

Churches1 Ethiopian

Mesquite House Church

Pleasant Woods Apts.

Oromo Baptist

Fellowship

I.B. Ivy

Dinka Anglican

Hurst Sud.

Bedford Sud.

Arlington Sud.

Uduk Sud.

Me’en Sud.

FBC Sud.

Stone bridge

Journey

CrossingKey stone

Life Pointe

Life House

Break through

Gate way

Stone water

Rock bridge

East Meadows

Guatemalan

House Church

2 Nepalese House Church

Indian House Church

I.B. Luzy

Verdad

I.B. Indigo

I.B. Hebron

29 H.C. Verde Valley

AZ

TEAM Church Plant

That have planted 62 congregations. . .

I.B. Forest Meadow

Sudanese Community

Church

The Well

TEAM Church

Zambian Light

Rockwall House Church

7 Nepalese House

Churches1 Ethiopian

Mesquite House Church

Pleasant Woods Apts.

Oromo Baptist

Fellowship

6 Flint MI

I.B. Ivy

Dinka Anglican

Hurst Sud.

Bedford Sud.

Arlington Sud.

Uduk Sud.

Me’en Sud.

FBC Sud.

Stone bridge

Journey

CrossingKey stone

Life Pointe

Life House

Break through

Gate way

Stone water

Rock bridge

TEAM Church Chicago

Guatemalan

House Church

2 Nepalese House Church

Indian House Church

I.B. Luzy

Verdad

I.B. Indigo

I.B. Hebron

19 H.C. Verde Valley

AZ

Woodland Trails

The Spring

High land

Malek Sud.

Aliet Sud.

Amookm Sud.

4 Nepalese

House Church

Park land

House Church

GuatemalanHou

se Church . . . That Planted 32

congregations

I.B. Forest Meadow

Sudanese Community

Church

The Well

TEAM ChurchZambian

Light

Rockwall House Church

6 Nepalese House

Churches

Mesquite House Church

Pleasant Woods Apts.

Oromo Baptiist

Bulgarian Chicago

Hisp anic Plant

Chicago

Bayview

Nepalese

Iraqi

StonewaterChurch Plant Summit

Hurst

7 H.C. Verde Valley

Flint, MI

I.B. Ivy

Dinka Anglican

Hurst Sud.

Bedford Sud.

Arlington Sud.

Uduk Sud.

Me’en Sud.

FBC Sud.

Stone bridge

Journey

CrossingKey stone

Life Pointe

Life House

Break through

Gate way

Stone water

Rock bridge

TEAM Church Chicago

Guatemalan

House Church

2 Nepalese House Church

IndianHouse

Church

I.B. Luzy

Verdad

I.B. Indigo

I.B. Hebron

29 H.C. Verde Valley

AZ

Woodland Trails

The Spring

High land

Malek Sud.

Aliet Sud.

Amookm Sud.

4 Nepalese

House Church

Park land

House Church

GuatemalanHou

se Church

A Total of 113 Congregations Averaging more than 9000 in

attendance!!

That planted 2 Congregations

I.B. Forest Meadow

Sudanese Community

Church

The Well

TEAM ChurchZambian

Light

Rockwall House Church

7 Nepalese House

Churches1 Ethiopian

Mesquite House Church

Pleasant Woods Apts.

Oromo Baptiist

Bulgarian Chicago

Hisp anic Plant

ChicagoHispanic

Fla.

Bulgarian

Bayview

Nepalese

Iraqi

StonewaterChurch Plant Summit

Hurst

6 Flint, MI

Lausanne

CSI

Soma

FMBC

ION

Neil ColeAssociations Conventions

Real Life

GCI

Challenges

•Lack of awareness

•Mental models

•Social complexity

•Baptist systems

•Lack of urgency

•Resistance to change

Cost

•Spiritual warfare

•To the church

•To the association

•To individuals

Benefits to Existing Churches

•Disciples who SOAR

•Units that multiply like rabbits

•A church that transforms

•A Kingdom that grows

Benefits to New Churches

•A tailored approach for evangelism/ discipleship/gospel communication

•Disciples who SOAR

•Units that multiply like rabbits

•A church that transforms

•A Kingdom that grows

Learning more

• GCI

- www.mygci.org

- training offered around the country

• imb.org (Global Research)

• usapeoplegroups.com

• peoplegroups.org

• peoplegroups.info

• namb.net

• ubahouston.org