Who and What Does It Take to Start a New Church?

1. Who and What Does It Take to Start a New Church? Hungary October 2011

2. Let’s Think Through This What do you think it takes to start a new church? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

3. What does it take to plant a church? A double dimension. • There is a supernatural dimension. • There is a strategic dimension. See study on the Supernatural and Strategic Dimensions to Church Planting and Growth

4. The Supernatural in Church Planting:First and Foremost To Plant a Church You Need:

5. What We Call the “Supernatural” in Church Planting God!

6. The Supernatural “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither is he who plants nor he who waters anything, but onlyGod, who makes things grow.” 1 Cor 3:5-7 NIV

7. The Supernatural in Church Planting:Secondly, you need to learn to pray. Here we can learn so much from our Chinese brothers and sisters. They are amazing church planters. Listen to one of the leaders of the house church movement. His name is Wang Mindao: “We have nothing—no pastors, no churches, no Bibles . . . nothing! We only have God. Therefore we go to him in desperation.” Tony Lambert, The Resurrection of the Chinese Church, p. 158.

8. This also means getting others to pray. Our experience in St. Quentin:

9. This also means getting others to pray. Our experience in St. Quentin: CONCENTRATED PRAYER

10. The Supernatural in Church Planting:Thirdly, you need church planting faith. What is “Church Planting Faith”? It is trusting God to plant a church against all odds and by His grace and having a vision of what He can do. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” Heb 11:1 ESV

11. The Supernatural in Church Planting:Fourth, you need the Holy Spirit’s direction. Let’s learn about this together: Acts 16:7 to 10 What do we learn about the Spirit’s direction here?

12. Let’s Review: What does it take to plant a church? The Supernatural Dimension: • God alone. • Prayer • Faith • The Spirit’s direction

13. What Does It Take to Plant a Church? The Strategic Dimension. In his penetrating study of Paul, Dean Gilliland states: “This sensitive combination of the human and the divine could be described as the miracle of mission.” Pauline Theology and Mission Practice, p. 284.

14. The Strategic in Church Planting:First, you need people. “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither is he who plants nor he who waters anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Cor 3:5-7 NIV

15. What kind of people? • A leader with a vision. • Those who work in a team with a leader

16. REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF NEW CHURCH PLANTS

17. AN EMBRYO CHURCH. Ch 1 (Acts 11, 14) • A DEVELOPING CHURCH Ch. 2 (Acts 11, & 14) • A MORE MATURE CHURCH. Ch. 3 (Acts 13)

18. Who could start a new church? Different possibilities because there are different types of church plants: BIBLICAL EXAMPLES • An embryo church: (Ch 1) a. A group of people (dispersed –Acts 11:19) b. An individual (Philip – Acts 8) c. A couple (Aquila and Priscilla) d. A church-planting team (Acts 13: Paul & Barnabas)

19. Who could start a new church? • Different possibilities because there are different types of church plants: • MODERN-DAY EXAMPLES • An embryo church: (Ch 1) • a. A group of people or family (France – Savigny; Ellettsville “Place”) • b. An individual (Orly -Art Johnston, C. Siounath) • c. A couple (J. & L. Lang; Petersons,) • d. A church-planting team (SQ team) • e. Other possibilities - students

20. Who could start a new church? A DEVELOPING CHURCH Ch. 2 (Acts 11, & 14) BIBLICAL EXAMPLES • Antioch – Paul and Barnabas • Ephesus – Apollos • Crete – Titus • Other areas – Aquila and Priscilla

21. Who could start a new church? A DEVELOPING CHURCH Ch. 2 MODERN-DAY EXAMPLES • Orly, France – Art Johnson • Longjumeau France – Jacques Lang • Val-d’Yerres– Follow-up team • Creteil – African pastor • China - Phanu

22. What kind of people are needed? • People with varied spiritual gifts. • People who will work together. • People who will follow the person who has the vision.

23. Where do you get people to plant a church?The best principle:Get your workers from the harvest

24. Another Principle: Get Your Workers in the Local Church.

25. The Strategic in Church Planting:Second, you need a flexible strategy. • You need a strategy to plant a biblical church. • You need a strategy to plant a healthy church. • You need a strategy to plant a reproducing church. • You need a strategy to develop leaders.

26. A Living Church Plant

27. A Healthy Church with 8 Essential Qualities – Christian Schwarz’s Natural Church Development • 1. Empowering Leadership • 2. Gift-Oriented Ministry • 3. Passionate Spirituality • 4. Functional Structures • 5. Inspiring Worship • 6. Holistic Small Groups • 7. Need-Oriented Evangelism • 8. Loving Relationships

28. The Strategic in Church Planting:Third, you need a MAWL plan. • What is a MAWL plan?

29. The Strategic in Church Planting:Third, you need a MAWL plan. • What is a MAWL plan? WATCH MODEL ASSIST WATCH

30. The MAWL Plan Model -- Show how to do it Assist -- Help them to do it Watch -- See how they do it. Leave – Leave them do it.

31. The Strategic in Church Planting:Fourth, you need to plant a horse church and not a mule church. Mule Horse

32. Let’s Review the 4 Strategic Aspects of Church Planting • You Need People (a core group) • You need a Flexible Strategy • You Need a MAWL Plan. • You Need to Plant a Reproducing Church and not a sterile one. AND YOU NEED TO DO ALL THIS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD ALONE