HOW CAN WE PLANT CHURCHES?
Major components of church planting:| Visionary Leadership, who sees what God sees and doing it. | Vigorous Stewardship Program, grace-giving and wise-spending |
| Vitality in the Church, a revived church has life to share. | Venturesome Pioneers/Church Planters, go to the frontline/field. |
| Vigilant Prayer/Intercession, bind the strongman, take the spoil. | Vibrant Partnership of Churches, support force of unity |
| Visible Membership Mobilization, more members become ministers. | Victorious Methods, Biblical, contextual and practical, |
Church planting is a cyclical process, continuing in different stages. We will describe each process and the activities involved therein. Church planting goes through the following stages.
I. COMMISSION: The Sending of Church Planters
A. TRAINING. ACT 15:40 16:2-3 Practical discipleship: disciples became apostles. Potential leaders trained on the job, which later were assigned to other mission fields. Training was not left to chance. It's normal for the local church to train their leaders! Curricullum must be tailored to meet this need.
B. PRAYING. Essential in selecting, sending, and supporting workers for church-planting, MAT 9:38 LUK 10:2 ACT 13:2-3 ROM 15:31 EPH 6:19 COL 4:2-3 2TH 3:1-2. Spiritual WARFARE OPENS DOORS FOR MISSIONS WORK: Jesus holds the key, REV 3:7-8, and He opens the door, 2CO 2:12. We must wrestle in prayer, EPH 6:12 MAT 12:29, the church must pray for it, COL 4:2-4). Results: 1CO 16:9, definition of open door.
C. SUPPORTING. Arrangement for INITIAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT must be considered by the sending church. Options available until the new church becomes self-supporting: Missions Convention, Mother Church Plan, Tent-Making, Partnership (among churches, fellowships, section, districts, etc.)
D. TARGETING. Select target area and people that will become the focus of your immediate attention and labors. Considerations:
1. Receptiveness. Although the field is the whole world, as a strategy, it is better to select an area of ripeness with responsive people, MAT 10:11-15 ACT 28:28.
2. Unreached areas that never had a chance to hear and believe the Gospel, or those without full-gospel witness.
3. Urban, strategic starting place to reach the rural areas. Economic, educational, transportation centers (with a kind of man capable of reaching it for Christ).
E. SURVEYING. Get the following informations about the town: Political and Religious info, economy, trade, transportation, education, activities, etc. Know the population and where they live: get a demographic map showing density of population, roads and baranggays. From preliminary survey information, PLAN a strategy of approach.
F. SENDING. Acts 11:22, 26, 13:2 God sent workers through the churches not by individual initiative alone. Workers are called by the Lord, but set apart and sent by the local church! They went because they were sent. Churches and their leaders worked with God in sending. Churches must recognize, prepare, send, support and cooperate with those whom Christ has specially appointed to work.