THE. S.O.S. FIELDWORK ACTION STEPS
 CONGREGATE: Activities & Roles

The activities in the `congregate step’ are designed to provide smooth transition of responsibility from the SOS team to the Pioneer Worker.

TIME FRAME: Congregate activities are interwoven with conversion activities. A lot of efforts related to congregate step are also accomplished as volunteers do `convert step’ activities.

ROLES OF TEAM MEMBERS: The FD with his LEAD GROUP should be thorough, careful as well as creative in planning and mobilizing the team for the congregate activities.  The PW must take up prominent role and always be prepared to minister in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. ALL Team Members work to congregate the people they’ve processed through the conversion experience.

MAJOR CONGREGATE ACTIVITIES

  1. LINKING the converts and good contacts with the PW and with one another. They must know the Pioneer Worker and recognize his leadership and pastoral role.
  2. GATHERING them in a Grand Opening Service of the newly planted church.
  3. ORGANIZING them into a committed CORE GROUP that will take up responsibility under the leadership of the Pioneer Worker to continue the work started by SOS.

LINKING ACTIVITIES

  1. LINKING BELIEVERS WITH THE PW
    What the SOS volunteers can do:
    1. Schedule PW to make goodwill visits to converts/contacts.
    2. Lifers invite PW in Bible Studies.
    3. Introduce contacts/converts to PW during large meetings.
    4. Invite converts to attend Discipleship class, Prayer Meetings scheduled by PW.
    5. Inform them of the pastoral ministry of the PW.
    6. FD plans with PW how to give the later prominent roles in large group meetings.
    What the Pioneer Worker can do:
    1. Daily visitation program
    2. Visit the sick, be available for counseling
    3. Schedule Discipleship Classes for converts.
    4. Schedule regular prayer meeting open for converts and contacts.
    5. Seek to introduce self to attendees in seminars and other large meetings.
    6. As much as possible, officiate water baptisms of converts.
    7. Always be a major speaker in seminars & other large meetings
    8. Attract converts and contacts to his spiritual leadership through his spirit-filled ministry.

  2. LINKING BELIEVERS WITH ONE ANOTHER.

    New believers can easily feel alienated from their former circle of friends or relatives. They should find a new security and support in fellowship with other believers in the town.

    1. Let them realize the need for fellowship with other believers..
    2. Testify to them about the conversion of others in the town.
    3. Use group dynamics in meetings or Bible Studies.
    4. Use the first two Sundays for larger group meetings.
    5. Arrange for neighboring contacts and converts to meet.
    6. Plan some community-based or neighborhood gatherings of believers.
    7. Involve converts in your visitation of other converts or contacts.

GATHERING THEM IN A GRAND OPENING SERVICE (GOS)

The GOS is the highlight of the 3-week effort of the SOS team. The SOS team should concentrate in bringing in the people that they have been processing through the conversion experience for the past 3 weeks. Any new contacts brought to the GOS will likely be visitors invited by the original converts/good contacts themselves.

  1. PREPARE THEIR MINDS TO CONGREGATE.
    1. Orient them on Church Concept and Church Life (see manual for lesson).
    2. Orient new believers about corporate prayer, indoctrination, praise and worship.
    3. Introduce praise and worship songs in Bible Studies.
    4. Attendance in previous large group meetings would help condition their minds to congregational gathering.
  2. WORK FOR MAXIMUM ATTENDANCE.
    1. Set the service on the day and time when most will be available.
    2. Promote and advertise the meeting. Be sure you let them know the WHEN and WHERE details. Announce that there will be prayer for needs, the sick and for baptism in the Holy Spirit.
    3. Let them know that it will be a big day. Do extra effort: prepare streamers, posters, promote over the radio.
    4. Invite them individually, making each feel that their presence will make a difference.
    5. Prepare invitation cards or little reminder/souvenir items.
    6. Give extra effort to bring in the potential leaders, the BS Facilitators and hosts.
    7. Involve them to invite converts and good contacts. Let them invite relatives.
    8. Make constant, personal reminders as the day of gathering nears.
    9. Make a reminder visit the day before the meeting.
    10. If needed, fetch the contacts and converts from their homes to the place of meeting. Save some money to assist in their fares.
    11. Offer a solution to what they consider as hindrances:
      Example: Children - can join them. Tell them there will be classes for children.
    12. Give them reasons to come – Bibles for distribution to core group, water baptism certificates to be given, child dedication, etc.

  3. PROVIDE MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE.
    The first service of the newly planted church must be as meaningful as possible. This will excite the new congregated believers to attend the regular Sunday Services from then on.
    1. Organize committees to handle all necessary preparations. Involve the new believers. They can even take up most of the work under the leadership of the Pioneer Worker so the service will really be `theirs’. The SOS volunteers can then be their `guests’.
    2. Carefully plan the details of the service. Make it joyful and charismatic. Incorporate a variety of elements in the service: prayer, praise, worship, testimonies, instruction, preaching, evangelism, healing, stewardship, fellowship, Lord’s Supper.
    3. Prepare the spiritual atmosphere through prayer and intercession.
    4. Worship Team should really prepare. Involve converts with potential in the ministry. If possible, assemble a set of musicians and have sound equipment. (A suggested line up of songs is included in this manual)
    5. Free PW from other responsibilities to give him time to pray and prepare his sermon and presentation in the First Church Meeting.
    6. Prepare the venue: clean, comfortable, decorated.
    7. If possible, prepare a simple snack or a special meal for an extended time for fellowship and to have more time to conduct the first church business meeting.

  4. ORGANIZING THE CORE GROUP
    C - ommitted to be a supportive member of the newly planted church and to the leadership of the PW.
    O - rganized to perform ministries related to the life and growth of the newly planted church.
    R - elated to each other for fellowship and mutual edification
    E - ntrusted with the task of conserving the results of the effort of the SOS team and reaching more people in the town/city.

    COMPOSITION: The Core group must be primarily composed of the people that has been processed through the conversion experience throughout the 3-week period. These may have varying degrees of experience:

    1. Some have completed the four doorways of conversion. Includes unchurched Christians.
    2. Some are still in the process: candidates for water baptism or needed to be prayed to be baptized in Holy Spirit.
    3. Some have already been enlisted as provisional leaders, Bible Study Facilitators or Bible study hosts.
    4. Some are good contacts, probably contacted in the later part of the `Contact Step Period,’ but are committed to Bible Study.

    ACTIVTIIES THAT FACILIATE CORE GROUP FORMATION
    The formation of the core group does not only happen during the day of the GOS. Several previous effort contribute to it:

    1. Discipleship sessions by LIFERS.
    2. Enlisting provisional leaders, Bible Study facilitators & hosts.
    3. Involving converts in previous congregate activities and in the GOS responsibilities
    4. PW ’s effort to gain the trust of converts through his anointed ministry
    5. PW ‘s preliminary meetings with the prospect core group members especially with the prospect leaders for organization & giving of assignments.

THE FORMAL ORGANIZATION DURING THE FIRST CHURCH MEETING This is better done right after the fellowship meal. The FD will chair the meeting at the start. PW will take over after the FD’s last acts. Team Scribe temporarily serve as secretary.

  1. LAST ACTS OF THE FD
    1. Summary Report of results of SOS work (will probably be partial, cannot include Congregate Data).
    2. Ceremonial turning over of all Records and Reports to the PW.
    3. FD’s appeal to congregated group to support and assist the PW in propagating the work.
  2. PIONEER WORKER’S RESPONSE
    1. Expression of gratitude in behalf of the members of his new church. Awarding of certificates to volunteers, provisional leaders assisting.
    2. Testimony to the congregated believers about his call to the ministry, communicating his vision for the church and his immediate action steps for conservation.
    3. Representative response from a convert expressing support for PW's leadership (arranged ahead of time).
    4. Distribution of baptismal certificates and Bibles (if available)
    5. Identifying provisional leaders and other helpers. (Or introducing them if assignments have been done by PW earlier).
    6. Announcing the Bible Study centers, schedules and assignments (Post copy for quick reference of people)
    7. Setting place and time for the regular Sunday Service.
    8. Signing of members of the CHURCH BIRTH CERTIFICATE.
  3. CLOSING AND BLESSING – by FD
    1. Charge to service for Pastor & his leaders
    2. Dedicating and blessing the new church. Thanksgiving to God, giving Him all the glory for everything done.