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 JDJ WINTER 2012
ol. 8, No. 1

CONTENTS
4 Engaging the Missional Mandate and Church Planting 30 Book Review: Nuts and Bolts of Church Planting.
...Again, Raymond Culpepper Review by Wayne Flora
6 Planting New Churches: Our Future and Our Hope, 32 Book Review: Planting Missional Churches.
Tim Hill Review by Bill George
10 Creating a Successful Church Planter, Michael Knight 34 Church Growth Readiness Quiz, Floyd D. Carey
12 Engage Interview: Paul Becker 40 Spiritual Leadership—An Imperative for Church Planting,
Michael L. Baker
16 Church Planting Is Not an Option, Ronnie Hepperly
42 The Soul Purpose, Reinhard Bonnke
18 Breaking the Mind-set About Church Planting,
William A. Reid 44 Book Review: The Millennials. Review by B. Randall Parris
20 Planting a Church and Staying With It, 46 Preparing for the Journey of a New Worship Facility,
Antonio Richardson Wes Hardin
22 Reflections on Mother/Daughter Church Planting, 48 The Need for Discipleship and Mentoring,
Keith Ivester Brenda Anderson
24 Engage Interview: George Wood 50 28 Days of Reaching Out in Prayer, Floyd D. Carey

FROM THE EDITOR | Cameron Fisher HQJDJH

฀ ฀฀ ฀ ฀ ฀

Tribute to a Church Planter Engage journal is published in the

interest of providing resources for
This is the second issue of Engage dedicated to a theme of church planting. It may Church of God pastors. It is produced
under the auspices of the Church of
seem like overkill, but the truth is, without new church plants, the Church of God—
God Executive Committee.
or any denomination, for that matter—puts its future in jeopardy. Just like America…
where would the country be if not for the vision of entrepreneurs brave enough to Executive Committee
take the plunge into the relative unknown of starting a new business? Raymond F. Culpepper, general overseer
Timothy M. Hill, first assistant
I am reminded of my own family’s experience with church planting. I spent Mark L. Williams, second assistant
my elementary school years in Hawaii where my father, Dr. Robert E. Fisher, served David M. Griffis, third assistant
Wallace J. Sibley, secretary general
as state overseer of the mission state. In the seven years we lived there, our family
started seven churches together. On many Sundays, Dad preached, Mom played the ENGAGE Journal
piano, my brother and I were ushers, and my sister was the congregation. I have Raymond F. Culpepper, executive editor
Cameron Fisher, editor
fond memories of those years, but I never knew the real burden that I’m sure my
Floyd D. Carey, consulting editor
parents felt venturing into unchartered waters in the cities of Ewa Beach, Hawaii Kai, Bob Fisher, graphic designer
Kaimuki, Maili, Pearl Harbor, Wailua, and Wahiawa. Phyllis Liner, editorial assistant
Shirley Williams, marketing assistant
Only heaven knows the multitude of lives touched by the courage of my dad Nellie Keasling, copy editor
to begin these churches. Of all the leadership posts he held in his ministry, I have
come to realize that pastoring these seven tiny churches in their infancy may be his Engage invites feedback from readers
on the content of the journal and sug-
greatest legacy. gestions for future issues. Please e-mail
God bless all church planters, past, present, and future. This most risky ministry comments to engage@churchofgod.
org or mail to Engage, P.O. Box 2430,
venture may indeed reap the greatest heavenly rewards.
Cleveland, TN 37320-2430. For informa- :,17
tion on purchasing ad space, please HQJDJH
e-mail [email protected] or call
(423) 478-7894. 3
 Engaging the
I
N THE SUMMER OF 1980, Peggy and I felt a definite
call of God to plant a new church on the south side
of Birmingham, Alabama. It is hard to believe, but

MISSIONAL that was almost 32 years ago. Thirty-two years—the

time when the Church Growth Movement was at

MANDATE
its peak, Charismatic revival fires were burning throughout
America, and people like Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker
were television celebrities. It dawns on me that I am living on

and the same planet, but in a different world.

Back then we were dealing with AIDS/HIV, camcord-

CHURCH ers, VCRs, and talk shows. The Unites States Constitution
celebrated its 200th birthday. Iran held our citizens hostage.
Inflation soared to double-digits, along with interest rates. We

PLANTING watched TV via thirteen channels, without the Internet or

cell phones. Ronald Reagan was standing in the wings, and it
was during the 1980s that MTV was born.

. . . AGAIN Someone asked me, “As much as the world has changed
since you and Peggy planted the church in Birmingham,
would you do things differently today?” The answer is an
emphatic “YES!” The coming of Christ, postmodernism, and
■ by RAYMOND F. CULPEPPER post-Christian America all demand doing things differently.
The “sons of Issachar” must constantly adjust their methods
to changing times. What different methods would I use
today?
DNA: I would work hard to teach the initial core-group
concept of reproducing leaders to plant reproducing church-
es. Christian Schwarz makes this observation in his book,
Natural Church Development: “Hardly anything demonstrates
the health of a congregation as much as the willingness—and
ability—to give birth to a new congregation.”1
Core Groups: Instead of locating, training, and resourc-
ing seventy to eighty lay men and women to lead groups
of ministries inside our church, I would work to build these
groups into reproductive teams who would help me cover
the city of Birmingham with new churches. Dr. Tim Keller
calls this goal the

Gospel Tipping Point: A gospel movement tipping

point is an important goal. But there is another. When
a gospel movement tipping point is reached, it may be
that the ecosystem grows the body of Christ to the point
that the whole-city tipping point is reached. That is the
moment when the number of gospel-shaped Christians
in a city becomes so large that Christian influence on
the civic and social life of the city—and on the very
culture—is recognizable and acknowledged. 2

Exponential Thinking: Alan Hirsch writes about this

thinking and says, “The Word itself expresses something
:,17 of the heart, as well as the mathematics, of the Missional
HQJDJH
paradigm. It conveys both a prophetic challenge to the pre-
4 vailing ways of doing church in the Western world, as well
as an apostolic promise of real fruitfulness, should we take it Training: Training is imperative for a new church plant.
seriously.” 3 In a new work, I would plant with the concept If I were to do it again, I would be involved in the BootCamp
of becoming a church-planting movement within our city. program. “In one denominational study, those who did not
Contextualize: As humans, we live in particular con- participate in a BootCamp were leading churches that were
texts: our family, our neighborhood, our town, and our 23 percent larger at year one than those who did participate
country. We seldom give specific thought to them, but in a BootCamp. However, planters who had participated in
these contexts affect what we see, feel, and value, and what BootCamp were leading churches that were 30 percent larger
we believe without question is true, right, and proper. In a by year three and 27 percent larger by year four.” 7
rapidly globalizing world, it is important that all of us give Yes, I would change several things in a new church plant.
thought to human contexts and how these shape others and Why use such precise measurement with an issue that is clearly
ourselves. spiritual in nature? All of these past years have taught me one
Multicultural Sensitivity: I would use globalization thing very clearly: the greatest thing a church can do is not
to my advantage as I fulfilled the Great Commission. By build new buildings or reproduce great leaders. It is the plant-
“2050 almost 50 percent of the American population will ing of a church, which will reproduce disciples and fulfill the
probably be racial or ethnic minorities. . . . Three out of ten mandates of the Great Commission. Satan knows that if he can
people in America are minorities, while 6.8 million people stop a church from planting another church, he can stop expo-
identified themselves as multiracial on the 2000 census nential church growth. It is time for the Church of God to pray
form.” 4 Today, Birmingham has seen the Hispanic popula- exponential growth through reproductive church planting. It
tion double in the last ten years, while the Asian community is the single most effective form of church planting.
has grown from 0.8 percent to 1.2 percent of our population. Here is how you can help:
The global harvest is outside the doors of our cities. 1. Pray for new church planters in the Church of God.
Assessments: When I started my church plant, Dr. We can reach tens of thousands of people if we become a
Charles Ridley’s Thirteen Knock-Out Characteristics for Church reproductive church-planting movement.
Planters did not exist. Today, this research has provided 2. Invest in the planting of another congregation. Ask
immense wisdom to over 5,000 denominations and thou- God how you can help resource these new missionaries.
sands of church planters. Today, we have an abundance of 3. Know that we are in the developmental stages of cre-
scientific research to aid church planters. The new Church ating a new church-planting strategy complete with assess-
Planting Candidate Assessment is one such tool. Such infor- ments, coaching, and training.
mation would have been invaluable to me in choosing lead- 4. Mentor a young minister who wants to plant a new
ers to aid in the work. Ed Stetzer, in a 2003 study, found that church with our movement. We need everyone to accom-
churches that use assessment testing to choose their repro- plish great things.
ductive leaders were more effective at evangelizing the lost. For more information, you may contact Dr. Michael
Stetzer asserts that the assessment of church planters before Knight at www.cogplanting.org. ■
investment is “arguably one of the most important church
planting developments during the past 20 years . . . failure to Raymond F. Culpepper is general overseer for the Church of God;
initiate such a mechanism will result in weaker churches and Website: www.churchofgod.org; Email: [email protected].
a higher rate of attrition.” 5
Coaching: In a new work, I would spend more time
reproducing myself into leaders. I would meet regularly with 1 Christian Schwarz, Natural Church Development (Carol Stream, IL:
potential church planters and coach them while we repro- ChurchSmart Resources, 1996), p. 69.
duced ourselves in our cities. In one study “church planters 2 Tim Keller, “What Is God’s Global Urban Mission?” The Lausanne
who met with a mentor or coach planted larger and more Global Conversation (Cape Town, South Africa, 2010), p. 8.
effective churches than those who did not. Church planters 3 Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, Exponential: How You and Your
who met weekly with a mentor were 12 percent larger dur- Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2010), p. 11.
ing the first year, 13 percent larger during the second year,
4 David A. Anderson, Multicultural Ministry: Finding Your Church’s
25 percent larger during the fourth year . . . and 100 percent Unique Rhythm (Grand Rapids: 2004), p. 38.
larger than those who did not meet with a church planting 5 Ed Stetzer and Phillip Connor, Church Planting Survivability and
coach.” 6 The subject of coaching and mentoring is rooted in Health (Nashville: Center for Missional Research, North American
the DNA of Church of God church-planting endeavors. In Mission Board, 2007), p. 5. :,17
HQJDJH
our earliest years, church planting was reproductive, team 6 Ibid, p. 1.
initiated, and used as a form of effective training. 7 Ibid, p. 1. 5
:,17
HQJDJH

6
PLANTING NEW
CHURCHES
Our Future and Our Hope
■ by TIMOTHY M. HILL

D
OES THE CHURCH OF GOD, despite its rich David T. Olsen makes this observation:
heritage of evangelism and church planting, Every group with less than a 1 percent planting rate—
face the possibility of drifting into a mainte- less than one new church for every 100 established
nance mode and losing its zeal for winning churches—is declining numerically in attendance. For a
the lost? If so, how do we reverse the trend? denomination to keep up with the population growth
The simple solution is to plant new churches. Planting it needs a planting rate of more than 2 percent each
churches has been shown to be the most effective method year—or 1 new church started for every 50 established
of reaching new people with the gospel and revitalizing a churches. Many evangelical groups plant three or four
denomination. new churches a year for every 100 established churches,
If the Church of God does not advance its efforts in which is why their attendance growth exceeds popula-
church planting and aggressively employ relevant- and cut- tion growth. 1
ting-edge methods to engage and coach prospective church
Olsen also gives a “top ten” list of reasons why it is impor-
planters, it will eventually fade away into irrelevance as a
tant for a denomination to plant new churches:
denomination. It is a proven fact that a denomination must
maintain at least a new church-plant rate of 3 percent of its The Top 10 Reasons to Plant Churches
number of already active churches in order to keep ahead of 10. New churches lower the age profile of the American
the number of churches closed each year. For the Church of church, increase its multiethnicity, and better posi-
God, that would be about 180 new church plants annually. tion the whole church for future changes.
During the past decade, the Church of God has averaged 9. New churches provide synergistic benefits to estab-
lished churches. Research shows that denomina-
planting 145 new churches annually. Last year, we planted
tions that plant many strong churches have more
89 new churches in the United States. However, around
healthy, growing, established churches than those
the world, a new church is being planted every six hours in
who plant few churches.
World Missions areas. It is obvious then that we must renew
8. The continued growth of new churches will extend
our commitment to planting churches in the United States.
up to 40 years after their start. The growth that
Historically, it has been in our DNA and must resurface now
occurs in years 10 to 40 is critical for creating a
as our most passionate enterprise. We must fine-tune our strong base of churches for the future. The mainline
energies, efforts, and finances to help more people fulfill the denominations have lost the influence of a complete
Great Commission at a local level. Church planting is the generation of new churches.
most effective way to do it. 7. New churches provide a channel to express the energy
I once heard retired Brigadier General David Grange, in and ideas of passionate, innovative young pastors.
a speech about principles of strategic success, say, “When Church planting encourages the development of
in battle, all guns must be in the fight.” May God inspire us :,17
the expansionist gifts of ministry and leadership.
HQJDJH
all to unite in the battle and see our church-planting efforts Denominations that plant few churches uninten-
multiplied. tionally focus on training pastors in stabilizing gifts. 7
 A denomination needs both stabilizing and expan- A church-planting task force under the auspices of USA
sionist gifts to be both healthy and growing. Missions is currently developing a strategy to be presented to
6. New churches are the research and development unit the International Executive Committee and the Council of
of God’s kingdom. New churches create most of the Eighteen for review and then presented to the 2012 General
current models and visions for healthy church life. Assembly. Our desire is to leave the Assembly with a fully
Healthy cultural adaptations and theological vitality embraced and endorsed church-planting strategy for our
occur more often in a denomination that excels in movement.
church planting, because the ferment of new ideas We need to realize that God is very serious about the
and ministry solutions is more robust. church and its work. Five things about the church make it the
5. New churches are the test laboratory for lay leader-
vehicle God intended for carrying the message of salvation
ship development. Because top lay leadership posi-
to our world. These five things are: the church’s fellowship,
tions are usually already filled in the parent church,
favor, faith, fire, and future.
new churches provide a new group of emerging
The Church’s Fellowship. Jesus said, “On this rock I will
lay leaders the opportunity to grow and develop
build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail
as primary leaders. In new church plants that do
well, most lay members report that being part of the
against it” (Matthew 16:18 NKJV). What is the church?
beginning of the new church was one of the defin- It is the ekklesia or “called out ones.” It is God’s church!
ing spiritual events in their life. Fellowship or koinonia is the joint participation of individuals
4. New churches are historically the best method for for a common cause or purpose. Fellowship was God’s own
reaching each emerging generation. While many desire, and with the nature of God in us, it is our desire also.
established churches have the ability to connect The focus of the church’s fellowship should always be Jesus
with the younger cohort, each generation also seems Christ and His divine purpose.
to need their own new type of churches that speak The Church’s Favor With God. The work the church must
the gospel with their own cultural values and com- do for God demands that we have His favor. The angel’s
munication style. announcement to Mary concerning favor says if you have
3. New churches are the only truly effective means to the favor of God, there is nothing to fear. “Then the angel
reach the growing ethnic populations coming to said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor
America. Every people group needs to hear the gos- with God’” (Luke 1:30 NKJV). No problem is too great, no
pel in a way that makes sense to their culture. It is circumstance too insurmountable, and no situation too dif-
difficult for established churches to become diverse. ficult if you have the favor of God.
Church planting can effectively create both ethnic- In 2 Chronicles 26:4-6, three strong points concerning
specific and multiethnic congregations. a young king named Uzziah give us insight on gaining the
2. New churches are more effective than established favor of God. “And he did that which was right in the sight
churches at conversion growth. Studies show that
of the Lord” (v. 4); “And he sought God” (v. 5); “And he went
new churches have three to four times the conver-
forth” (v. 6 KJV).
sion rate per attendee than established churches.
If we are to have the favor of God in our efforts to obey
1. Because the large majority of Americans do not
the Great Commission, we, as a church and as individuals,
attend a local church, many more new churches are
must do right, seek God, and go forth with the message of
needed. In 2005, 17.5 percent of Americans attended
salvation.
a local church on any given Sunday. Seventy-seven
percent of Americans do not have a consistent con- The Church’s Faith. Any movement is only as good as
nection with an orthodox Christian church. The its foundational values. David asked, “If the foundations be
best and most effective way for the Christian church destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3 KJV). It
to keep up with population growth is to start new is obvious that only that which is built on a solid foundation
churches. 2 will stand the test of time. During the past 2,000 years, the
church has lived through persecution, scandal, and opposi-
CHURCH PLANTING STRATEGY tion, yet she remains strong.
The Church of God is launching a new church-planting Systems and movements built around men and a dogma
initiative intended to accomplish four goals: (1) recruit quali- or doctrine that is materialistic, carnal, and self-serving will
fied church planters; (2) develop and train church planters; die. But the church still stands because of her faith in the
:,17 (3) address the financial challenges of church planting; and word of the living God. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will
HQJDJH pass away, but My words will by no means pass away”
(4) address ongoing connectivity and nourishing of church
8 planters. (Mark 13:31 NKJV). The church’s faith is the message our
world needs to hear. We must proclaim the gospel to this is the church moving against the gates of hell themselves.
generation. The point is that the gates of hell are not strong enough to
The Church’s Fire. On the Day of Pentecost, fire from keep God’s church out. God has given us power to pull down
heaven fell on the church. “Then there appeared to them strongholds and bring the captives out. The church’s fellow-
divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them” ship, favor, faith, fire, and future assure us of victory. “For
(Acts 2:3 NKJV). The fire of God is a sign of cleansing, purg- whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is
ing, approval, warming, protection, life, and gifts. The fire the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John
that fell at Pentecost was the motivating force of the early 5:4 NKJV).
church, which took a small group of 120 believers and caused The work of the church is reaching and reaping. “Put
them to reach multiplied thousands within the first week of in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe” (Joel 3:13 NASB). “The
the church’s existence. harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray
People from all over Jerusalem were drawn to the Upper the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest”
Room when the fire fell on the 120 believers. People today (Luke 10:2 NKJV).
still will be drawn to the genuine fire of God in our midst. Can the church in the United States plant new life-giving
May it be so in our churches today! churches and reach the last-days harvest? Yes, we can, as we
The Church’s Future. Don’t believe it when you hear that go forth in the unity of our fellowship, walking in the favor of
the church is going down. Thankfully, the Church of God is God, holding fast to our faith, filled with the fire of God, and
leading the way with the largest increase of growth across the trusting God for the future He has promised for His church.
country. In recent years, we have seen an increase of 183 per- “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the
cent, while many major denominations have suffered losses Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future
ranging from 8 percent to 45 percent. Our future is bright. and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV). ■
Jesus said of the church, “The gates of hell shall not
prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18 KJV). What do you see Timothy M. Hill, D.D., is first assistant general overseer; Website:
when you read that verse? Many see the opposite of what www.churchofgod.org; Email: [email protected].
Jesus meant. Some see the church standing with every ounce
of strength it can muster to keep the devil from barging in.
“Hold the fort” attitudes prevail everywhere. That’s not the 1 David T. Olsen, The American Church in Crisis (Grand Rapids:
visual we are to see here. Gates don’t move. They can’t get up Zondervan, 2008), p. 146.
and walk around. The visual Jesus intended for us to see here 2 Ibid, pp. 155-156.

The Value of
CHURCH by WALLACE J. SIBLEY, Th.D.,
PLANTING Secretary General, Church of God

The well-known statement that has been echoed around the church world is true: “The most
effective way for an organization to grow is by planting churches.”

The benefits of planting churches are phenomenal: Souls are won to Jesus; People have
a higher regard and respect for each other; Families work more diligently to remain together;
Denominations are financially able to support missions and other benevolent endeavors because
of increased contributions

While planting churches, here are some of the things I have been able to accomplish with God’s
help: (1) Rented the Masonic Hall; (2) Rented a vacant lot for the mobile chapel; (3) Moved the
mobile chapel to various communities; (4) Organized a church on a front porch; and (5) Organized
41 churches in two years. :,17
HQJDJH

9
 Creating a Successful
CHURCH PLANTER ■ by MICHAEL B. KNIGHT

I
N THE CLOSED PAGES of time lies a gift for the There will be a struggle to discern the call of God. The
future of the Church of God. Somewhere between adversary does not want God’s chosen to know, without a
100 B.C. and 300 A.D., the Greeks and Romans were doubt, that he/she has been called. A mentor must look for
perfecting a craft that greatly influenced the young perseverance in the planter’s life because that perseverance is
vivacious church of the New Testament—apprentice- proof of the call (Romans 5:4).
ships. It is a biblical concept: everyone from Moses to Jesus The church planter will begin to sense an internal call.
and the apostle Paul used the concept of apprenticeships The end result of this wooing of the Holy Spirit is that the
effectively. planter has a deep inner desire to abandon his or her current
Too often we ask the question, “How do you make a ministry and vocation and pursue this new calling. Mentors
church planter?” Only God can make a church planter. must encourage the planter to pray and fast during this sea-
We cannot mass-produce church planters through a series son (Isaiah 58.) When one is called to plant a church, that
of cookie-cutter events. While there is a plethora of new individual knows it deeply. Mentors should aid in helping
research on the qualities needed to be a successful church the planter to reach spiritual maturation.
planter, no one but God can tell us how to make one. The An external call will be evident by wise and mature
development of a church planter requires the Spirit’s woo- Christians close to the planter. For example, the planter
ing. A more important query focuses on a task that the should look for spousal approval and confirmation within
Church of God has within its ability to control: “How do we the circle of leadership. Those who serve potential church
as a denomination of leaders steer the brightest candidates planters as pastors, administrative bishops, and ministerial
through the call?” What should guide the conversation of friends will be used by God to confirm the call in planters’
an administrative bishop, a U.S. missions representative, or a lives. If one is called to plant a church, someone else will be
senior pastor when faced with the potential recipient of such able to see the calling as well.
“wooing?” It is simple: The church planter will exhibit the germination of an
articulate vision. The leader must lead the planter from a vision
that is fragmented or disjointed, to articulation of a plan.
C + D4 + ACT = AFOR
SUCCESSFUL BEGINNING
A CHURCH PLANTER ©
There may also be signs of others who are contemplating
C the embracing of this new vision. Mentors should encourage
Call: Church planting is a very important call that God the planter to embrace a team concept; it will increase the
places upon specific men and women. Quite simply, not success of the plant by 50 percent.
everyone has been called and equipped by God to plant a
church. Because of the great difficulty often associated with D4
the ministry of church planting, it is wise to encourage only Discovery. After a church planter accepts the call to plant
those who are sure of their specific calling to pursue planting a church, a process of discovery must begin. Planters will natu-
a church. Mentors and coaches must examine the call and rally begin to ask, “Why plant rather than restore an existing
the planter. church?” Scripture mandates church planting, and research
:,17 A supernatural relationship comes with church plant- indicates that it is the most effective form of evangelism.
HQJDJH ing (Luke 24: 31-32). A leader must look for the signs of the The next question is “Where?” The mentor should
10 Spirit’s work. encourage the planter to go where the church is not, where
sin abounds, or where the population is exploding. Simple +ACT
things such as studying the religious history of a city, prayer- Assessment. Assessments are instruments of steward-
walking its parks or analyzing the demographics of America’s ship for the mentor and apprentice. An extensive assessment
fastest growing cities will aid the planter. He/she should process will aid in the coaching of a new church planter. The
determine what is needed and which church-planting model mentor should assess the church planter in several areas. A
would best fit his/her personality. Mentors should encourage thorough assessment is an intensive, multiday experience
patience to hear from God as well as a diligence to research that combines interviews, interactive exercises, individual
the possibilities. and group presentations, and written evaluations by peers,
Discernment. Church planting is a journey of stages, assessors, and the candidate. These insights aid the predict-
peaks, and valleys. Planters need continual guidance. The ability of potential success, help the planter know his/her true
mentor should not assume planters don’t need guidance identity, and serve as a tool to clearly confirm the call. The
after their initial call. The mentor should answer questions North American Mission Board found that if a church planter
such as, “Where should I go from here?” with concise clarity. has a “realistic” expectation of church planting, its likelihood
The advice should include: encouragement to seek continual of success increases by 400 percent.
counsel, leading to a strong relationship with the state office, Coaching. Church planters who meet with a group of
and encouragement to contact the National Church Planting peers increase their productiveness by 135 percent. Those
Office for an assessment test. who meet with a mentor/coach see an immediate difference
Development. No modern Evangelical would ever in the size of the church plant. However, by year four those
think of sending a missionary to Lesotho, South Africa, with- who met regularly with a mentor were more than twice the
out clearly thinking through the journey. Mentors should size of the plants that had no mentor. The national office
encourage the planter not to rush into service, but rather believes in coaching and is dedicated to providing coaches
articulate the seeds of discovery and discernment. for its planters.
To affect apprenticeship, the leader should meet regularly Training: The tools and talents it takes to successfully
with the planter to earn the right to speak deeply into his/ manage an existing church are not the same tools and tal-
her life. The mentor and planter should visit the typical and ents it takes to plant a new church. As a matter of fact, they
most successful churches in the geographical area of the are polar opposites. We would never send a missionary to a
plant. The mentor should discuss issues of personality and country without teaching him/her a new language, yet we
character. Mentors should direct the planter to the master think it’s appropriate to send an American missionary to an
reading list of church-planting books and resources on the urban city without training. Leading the planter through a
National Church Planting Website (www.cogplanting.com). bounty of available training increases the likelihood of suc-
The apprenticeship should also include a clear layout of the cess by 250 percent. When planters are taught proactive stew-
vision. ardship plans, studies have shown a 178 percent increase.
This stage should also include defining the DNA through The payouts are enormous for the investment of training.
purpose and vision statements. Creating clear core values and Dr. David Olson with the Evangelical Free Church says,
setting the administrative principles of money, government, “A denomination lays the foundation for its future by each
and discipleship is crucial—as is creating evangelistic plans year planting quality new churches equal to at least two per-
contextualized for postmodernity. Mentors should help the cent of the number of congregations in the denomination.”
planters finalize the vision with the state office, set the launch The Church of God must plant a minimum of 65 churches
date, and create effective marketing. in America each year (without losing established ones) just to
Dreams. A mentor should realize what every parent keep our denomination steady with current growth patterns.
knows: “The birth of a baby is the beginning of the journey, Multiple studies across denominational lines report an
not the end.” After the launch date, the planter will need a enormous statistical relationship with church-planting sur-
mentor more than ever. In the waves of success, the winds of vivability and clear denominational systems like assessment,
friction, and the awkwardness of learning to walk, the kiss of coaching, and training. God has placed an apprentice in your
Judas, and the joy of a new convert, the planter will need the life for a reason. Lead him through this wonderful journey
wisdom of a mentor. like a father holding his young son’s hand through a cool
Proverbs 8 demonstrates that God creates by scien- afternoon. The Kingdom will become better for it. ■
tific principles. Church planting is a spiritual enterprise.
However, it is also a science of principles. Three keys will Michael Knight is lead pastor of Covenant Community Church :,17
HQJDJH
greatly magnify the success of any church planter during in Madisonville, KY.; Website: www.covenantcc.net; Email:
the D4 process. [email protected]. 11
 PAUL BECKER
engage interview
The State of Church Planting Today
An interview with Paul Becker, president and founder of the region of Turkey. Yet today it is a 99.8 percent Muslim
Dynamic Church Planting International nation with only 0.01 percent of the population being evan-
gelical Christians.
What is the state of church planting in America among In the second century as much as 60 percent of the
denominations today? region was one of the strongest Christian footholds in the
There is incredible energy, passion, and enthusiasm about Mediterranean region. What went wrong? The churches that
church planting in America today among many denomina- were planted put an unhealthy focus on themselves and
tions. Never before have we seen so many resources, training, neglected a vision for the expansion of the greater kingdom
and networks of support available for church planting. God of Christ by planting daughter churches.
is definitely on the move.
Many denominations are placing more emphasis than Are church plants keeping up with church closings in
they have in decades into the starting of new churches, America?
which is very exciting. Research however shows that only Research tells us that for every new church that is planted,
15 percent of denominational local churches are actually four existing churches are closed. In spite of a heightened
parenting new churches. We discover, that a large portion awareness and emphasis on planting new churches, research
of church planting is actually being completed by a small unfortunately points out that many denominations have yet
percentage of churches. to see an overall net growth.

In your opinion, what is the best approach to church

planting today? Paul Becker
At Dynamic Church Planting International, we don’t
believe that there is any one model of church planting that
is the best approach for every context. As I read through
the New Testament, I see many different kinds of churches
being started by the apostle Paul. Scripture seems to focus
more on the principles we should follow as we plant
churches and the way that group of believers should func-
tion than an actual model of how every church should look
and operate.

In times past, the mother-daughter method of church

planting was effective. Is this model still viable today?
While I don’t believe that there is any one model that is
best for every context, I certainly feel that it is very effective
when a church is planted by a mother church. A mother
church has the resources of leaders and workers, finances,
oversight, training, and encouragement that can help plant
churches which in turn will also plant churches.
:,17 Modern day Turkey is a great example of the importance
HQJDJH
of mother-daughter church planting. Most of the miraculous
12 church planting recounted in the Book of Acts happened in
 “For every new church that is planted, four existing churches are closed.
In spite of a heightened awareness and emphasis on planting new
churches, research unfortunately points out that many denominations
have yet to see an overall net growth.”—Paul Becker

What is the best news about the future of church International (DCPI) understands that effectively reaching
planting? people for Christ requires disciple-making as well as introduc-
Jesus has promised “I will build My church, and the gates ing people to the gospel. Disciple-making requires the pres-
of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).” This ence of healthy, sustainable, and dynamic churches within
verse doesn’t describe a fortress mentality where believers are easy access for people. While we hear of multitudes coming
huddled in churches trying to defend themselves against the to Christ around the world, there is a shortage of healthy
attacks of Satan. Instead, this verse pictures believers storming churches. A primary factor in the shortage of churches is the
the gates of hell. In church planting, we are in an offensive lack of trained leaders who are equipped to establish new
attack against the kingdom of darkness. Jesus is the Lord of churches and disciple new believers. There is a church plant-
church planting, and He is at work building the church and ing “training famine” in many nations.
the gates of hell will not prevail against it. That is why DCPI does what it does—find and train
indigenous leaders to plant dynamic churches worldwide.
Why are you so passionate about church planting? Then, we equip these leaders to teach others. These trained
Nearly half the world’s population does not have access to leaders will go places we can never go, reach people we can-
a church like the one you and I love so much! People worldwide not reach, train in languages we cannot speak, and relate to
come to Christ but have no church to attend, no one to disciple their “people groups” as we cannot in order to plant churches
them, no one to minister to their needs and no one to teach to reach the world for Christ. ■
them to share their faith—they’ve become spiritual orphans!
In keeping with the Great Commission to go and Website: www.dcpi.org; Email: Go the bottom of the site
make disciples of all nations, Dynamic Church Planting and click on the envelope.

The Value of
CHURCH by Fedlyn A. Beason, Ph.D.,
PLANTING Field Representative, Caribbean

Church planting has sustaining value, because (1) It is a biblical mandate, (2) It reaches new
people, and (3) It engages the local church in the missional mandate.
Church planting reaches new people for whom Christ died. With a global population of more
than six billion souls, the church must cultivate the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5-8), who demon-
strated obedience to the Father. Church members are obliged to assiduously employ their gifts and
resources to reaching as many individuals and people groups as is humanly possible. As people are
reached with the gospel, then the question of what to do with them must be addressed. The obvious
solution is the establishment of new churches.
Church planting engages the local church in contributing to the purpose of Jesus Christ, our
Redeemer. Commitment is a quality of existence that signifies purpose in the believer’s life. Nowhere
is this more evident than in the employment of time, talent, money, and other resources in sowing
the precious seeds of the gospel of Christ. Wherever these divine seeds are sown and germinate, a
:,17
new church is planted. HQJDJH

13
 CHURCH
PIsLANTING
Not an Option
■ by RONNIE HEPPERLY

P
LANTING CHURCHES is not something I set as a team effort where everybody can win. It’s not about me or
a goal when I first started in the ministry. It is you; it’s about Jesus and about being fishers of men.
something that evolved out of an evangelistic After being part of more than 250 church plants around
mission call upon my life. I believe evangelism the world, it would be hard to convince me that church
and missions are not options for the believer or planting is not important or necessary, both in our own
the church corporately. In the first few years of my first and backyard and in developing countries. Several close friends
only pastorate, we outgrew our first building, moved into and family members of our church leaders are now coming
a tent twice the size of the building, and then moved into to church as a direct result of new church plants. Those folks
a new building which was filled on the first service. In just wouldn’t come to hear me even though their family mem-
a short time, it was evident something had to be done. We bers were leaders in my church. It wasn’t until they were
were having multiple services on Saturday and Sunday, and given the opportunity to pastor a church that their family
one of my associates did one of my three Sunday morning members would attend. Only so many top leadership spots
services. As parking and seating issues continued to intensify, exist in any church. I’ve seen over and over again people sit-
a decision to plant our first church was made. ting on the bench in my church get a chance to really “get
In November 2004, a little more than five years into my into the game” by starting a new church plant. As a pastor, I
first assignment, we birthed our first satellite. My associate feel it’s my job to get a fishing pole in everyone’s hand.
pastor, Dale Buchanan, preached for me whenever I was on Sometimes, planting a church starts with a place; some-
a missions trip. I told him anyone he could persuade to go times it starts with a person. If our focus is on a place, it
with him to pioneer a new plant had my permission and may be a location God has put on our hearts, and it is
blessing. This set a pattern and a precedent for the next nine usually connected to a need. Usually, the place is identified
plants in the following seven years. by a major need or an open door that has become avail-
We learned a great deal in the next few years through able. The person we plant churches with must have certain
trial and error, but our overall focus never changed. Our characteristics and qualities. The person needs to be a godly
focus has always been the Great Commission and bring- example, called to the ministry, a person of influence, and
ing souls to Jesus. I’m always telling my folks that we are a hard worker. Understanding and being loyal to our vision
involved in a fishing tournament. It’s not about individual is something that is also essential. Without this loyalty, it
:,17 accomplishments or who caught the most or the biggest fish. will be a bumpy ride. Integrity and determination are also
HQJDJH
The more people I enable and empower, the better chance necessary, because temptation to quit and take shortcuts is
16 we have in winning people to Christ. Christianity, to me, is always going to be there.
 I believe there are always going to be places that need a
church. As time goes on, I feel it will be harder and harder to
find a person willing to plant a church. Ezekiel 22:30 states:
“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up
the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I
should not destroy it: but I found none” (KJV). First Timothy
3:6 states, “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he
fall into the condemnation of the devil” (KJV). Sometimes
the person God sends you to plant a church may not fit your
perception or expectation of a church planter or pastor. He
might be a five-foot-tall Indian without any formal education
who lives in a little shack in the mountains of Panama. He
might be a biker dude with a shaved head and a spider and
a green snake tattooed on his head and neck. One thing for
sure is that the person God has called will have a burning
desire to catch “fish” and rescue the perishing.
I hope that as you read this article, you don’t discount
its value because of its simplicity. If you have the right per-
son and the right place, along with God’s power fueling the
endeavor, the rest is just details. Please feel free to contact me
if there is any way I can assist you.

Ronnie Hepperly is senior pastor of Restoration International

Outreach in Maryville, TN; Website: www.riochurch.com; Email:
[email protected] Phone: 865-681-2763.

The Value of
CHURCH
PLANTING
by Fidencio Burgueño,
Administrative Bishop,
South Central Hispanic Region

If there were no new churches, the church

as a whole would not only suffer, but it would
also die! New churches bring life to other
areas where there are no churches. New
churches bring vitality in fulfilling the Great
Commission.
A new church is like a newly planted tree!
Trees produce oxygen, and oxygen produces
life. When we plant a new church, not only are
we oxygenating the established churches, but
we are also bringing the life of Christ to those
who have either never heard the gospel or :,17
to those who need to hear it one more time. HQJDJH

17
 BREAKING
the MIND-SET
About Church Planting
■ by WILLIAM A. REID

I
T HAS BEEN SAID that these are the best of times and in 2000 and to 17.0 percent in 2007.2 The population in the
the worst of times. Truly our times have brought us United States continues to grow, but those attending church
many conveniences. Technology has given us the on a weekly basis continue to decline. It is time for the church
computer, the cell phone, iPods, and iPads. As we to arise and take the city!
look around, one could build a case to say that these To be successful in planting churches, we must break
are the worst of times. For example, within ten days, my the current mind-set about church planting. To reach the
geographic area experienced an earthquake and a hurricane. present-day harvest, we need to plant approximately three
We are bogged down in two wars thousands of miles away. times the number of churches we are planting. Perhaps the
Daily, we are reminded of famine and pestilences in many greatest challenge facing church leaders when it comes to
parts of the world, not to mention governments rising and church planting is the unspoken conflicts that exist over
falling overnight. whose territory the new church
If the church is to survive, it will invade.
must seriously renew commitment We have to realize that the
to reaching the post-Christian, post- area around our church is not our
modern and multiethnic nation territory but part of God’s king-
that we have become. The Great dom! We are territorial when we
Commission of Matthew 28 is still consider the lost “my sinners.”
the mission of God’s church in the We are territorial when we do
twenty-first century. Doing busi- not want another church planted
ness as usual will not reach a world near “my” church. We are territo-
that has changed and is constantly rial when we see the harvest as
changing. exclusively mine. We are territo-
A recent article in Christianity rial when we think we can reach
Today stated: “If denominations are the harvest all by ourselves. Jesus
to survive they must plant new looked at the harvest as His har-
churches.” 1 Many people ask the question, “Why do we vest. His command to us is to go into His harvest!
need more churches when we have so many already?” The In contrast to being territorial, we have a Kingdom mind-
truth of the matter is that we are losing ground in church set when we see the vastness of the harvest and realize we
attendance in the United States and Canada. The American cannot reach everyone. We are Kingdom-minded when we
Church Research Project reports that the percentage of see the harvest and realize that there are some people others
people attending a Christian church each weekend decreased can reach that we cannot reach. We are Kingdom-minded
significantly from 1990 through 2007. Numbers from actual when we welcome others into His harvest. We are Kingdom-
:,17 counts of people in orthodox Christian churches show that minded when our desire is to reach His harvest. We are
HQJDJH
20.4 percent of the population attended church on any given Kingdom-minded when we pray to the Lord of the harvest
18 weekend in 1990. That percentage dropped to 18.7 percent to send forth laborers into His harvest.
 When we become Kingdom-minded, we will not care Who am I? We are but servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who
who gets the credit! When we become Kingdom-minded, we deserves all the credit for anything that is accomplished? Not
will see ourselves as partners with Him in the harvest. When Paul! Not Apollos! Not Bill! Not you! It’s not your territory! It’s
we become Kingdom-minded, we will see ourselves as part- not my territory! It is His kingdom! We are His servants!
ners with our fellow laborer. Paul reminds us, The words of Jesus from John 4 have never been more
When one of you says, “I’m on Paul’s side,” and another relevant than they are today:
says, “I’m for Apollos,” aren’t you being totally infantile? As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that
Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well,
matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look
you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields
mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assign- are ripe. It’s harvest time! The Harvester isn’t waiting.
ment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, He’s taking his pay, gathering in this grain that’s ripe
but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or for eternal life. How the Sower is arm in arm with the
the one who waters who is at the center of this process Harvester, triumphant. That’s the truth of the saying,
but God, who makes things grow. Planting and water- “This one sows, that one harvests.” I sent you to harvest
ing are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you
makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. have walked in on a field worked long and hard by oth-
You happen to be God’s field in which we are working. ers (John 4:35-38 TM).
Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using
the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed It’s harvest time! Jesus is coming soon! Let’s go forth into
blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each His harvest “arm to arm with the Harvester, triumphant.”
carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on All of it is His territory! He wants His church to go and make
the foundation! Remember, there is only one founda- disciples. He wants His church to build up His kingdom! We
tion, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular have the mandate! We have the power of the Holy Spirit!
care in picking out your building materials. Eventually Let’s unite together to win the lost to the kingdom of God!
there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or The time is now! ■
inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection
will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a William A. Reid is director of Evangelism and USA Missions
thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, for Delmarva-DC; Website: www.cogdelmarva-dc.org; Email:
your part of the building will be torn out and started [email protected].
over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but
just barely” (1 Corinthians 3:4-15 TM).
1 Rick Warren, “Planting Life-Giving Churches, Intentionally,”
Notice what Paul is saying! All of us are laborers for our Christianity Today.
mutual Master. Your church, my church, it all belongs to 2 The American Church Research Project, “The Case for Church
Him. Your city, my city, it all belongs to Him. Who are you? Planting.”

The Value of
CHURCH by T. Wayne Dority,
PLANTING Administrative Bishop, Texas

The core value of church planting is compassion. Church planting is risky personally, financially,
and socially. But, compassion turns risks into action. The term compassion in Luke 10:33 means “to
feel something in your heart and be moved to action by it.” Compassion and church planting go hand
in hand. Both are at the heart of Christ’s mission to the world. The value of church planting is that it is
in itself the vehicle by which the Church of God brings the compassion of Jesus to the world. That’s
:,17
why church planting must not be something we do, but it must be who we are. HQJDJH

19
 Planting a Church and
STAYING
WITH IT ■ by ANTONIO C. RICHARDSON

H
OW MANY OF YOU are pastoring church- The first of many obstacles came when I told my wife. At
es and you believe you are doing every- first, she was not supportive. She thought I had gone too far
thing God said? You have attended church and did not attend my first service, which was held in my
growth conferences. You have prayed and home with only three people attending . . . four, if you count
fasted and still you see little to no results. the dog.
Are the pressures of ministry beginning to wear you down? The second obstacle was the building we wanted. It was
Wait! Before you allow another negative thought to invade not approved for ministry by the city. Third, my work hours
your mind, allow me to share a revelation that will change as a policeman often conflicted with our church services. And
your life and ministry forever. God increased our ministry last, people were not coming to our services.
from three people to well over 700 in twelve years. I questioned God, because for more than a year, we
In April 1994, my life would change forever! I would struggled, winning only one family to the church. I told
discover that I had a “date with destiny.” I had been on the Lord I was doing everything He said, and that’s when
the Jacksonville Police Force for seven years. I had become He spoke these profound words that changed me forever:
secure in my career. I was bivocational in ministry and was “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
preaching occasionally when the opportunity to pastor pre- every word that PROCEEDETH out of the mouth of God”
sented itself. I had an encounter with God that thrust me (Matthew 4:4 KJV).
into ministry, changed my life forever, and birthed New Life Notice the word proceedeth, the “ETH” at the end which
Evangelistic Center Church. means continually. God told me that I was doing what He
I was traveling home from preaching at a church in a said, but not following what He was saying. An example of
neighboring town. Unable to shake the intense burden I had this is when God told Abraham to kill his son. But, Abraham
for nurturing and developing God’s people, I heard the Lord’s would have destroyed his seed if he only did what God said
voice. It was at that moment God spoke these words: “Today and not what He was saying. God later tells Abraham not to
is the day, and now is the time.” kill his son. WOW! How many of us are doing what God said
The words were clear and plain. They left no doubt that in our churches, but have missed what He is saying? (Read
it was the Lord. I then looked to my right and discovered a Genesis 22:1-13.)
vacant building. When I drove up to it, someone had written When we plant a church, we must:
Psalm 24:1 in the dust of the weather-worn window: “The UÊʈÀÃÌ]ÊLiÊÃÕÀiÊœ`ÊÃ>ˆ`Ê«>˜Ìʈ̰Ê
earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and UÊÊ-iVœ˜`]ʓ>ŽiÊÃÕÀiÊÜiÊV>˜Ê i>Àʈ“Ê>ÃÊiÊÌiÃÊÕÃÊ œÜÊ
they that dwell therein” (KJV). I asked the Lord: “How can to keep it fertilized.
I start a ministry with no funds?” When I looked on the Most pastors, I have noticed, try to pastor their churches
ground, there was a $20 bill. It was at that moment that New after someone else’s pattern. Even though it may have
Life Evangelistic Center Church was birthed. worked for them, it could spell disaster for you.
I had an unusual excitement and zeal as I made plans to I made this mistake early in ministry by trying to follow
:,17 carry out this work that I was sure the Lord told me to do. the matrix of other ministers which unknowingly placed me
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However, little did I know there would be some giants in the in a box. The moment God would tell me to move, it would
20 land, and I was in for the fight of my life. cause me to move apprehensively, because it didn’t line up
with the matrix I was following. I soon realized it was not
God I was following, but man.
Three things every pastor should realize in planting and
growing a church:
1. Know that you are the farmer who has been called to
plant.
2. Know what kind of farmer you are, because every pas-
tor is unique and will reap in his own special way.
3. Expect to grow what you plant.
I made up my mind that I would live by the words that
“proceedeth” continually out of His mouth, and I would
move as He was saying, not just as He said.
My mindset changed. My wife came on board, and God
had us move from Callahan to Jacksonville, Florida. In a
matter of weeks, we had well over 80 people. We began
having services in schools and later purchased a building
that seated 150 people. We renovated that building, and six
months later God said, “Sell it; I have something greater.”
He also told me to resign my job of 12 years of service. I was
obedient like Abraham, and God opened the door for us to
purchase a larger facility that seated 300. The building cost
$500,000.
I now had a nice building in a good neighborhood, and
things were looking up. But God was not finished, because
He told me to move again. That move would take me out my
comfort zone. The building was 60,000-square feet and more
than $2 million. God always makes provisions when He gives
a vision.
Just as I began to question God, a church came and
offered us $1.4 million for our current building that we had
been in only five years and had paid only $500,000. Once
again God had proven Himself faithful.
We now have well over 700 members, and we are current-
ly preparing to open our school, New Life Eagles Christian
Academy, which will educate youth in grades K through 12.
Wouldn’t you know it? Our current location is up for sale,
and who knows what God will do next?
Every pastor who is discouraged needs to remember what
God said to him/her in the beginning, and know what He is
saying now. Sometimes God speaks just enough to move us
to a place where we can hear.
Don’t be afraid to move outside the box or even change
your box, because your “launching pad” may not always be
your “landing pad.” Trust God and watch Him take you to
levels and dimensions that others will only dream about.
God bless you! ■

Antonio C. Richardson is pastor and founder of New Life :,17

HQJDJH
Evangelistic Center; Website: www.streamingfaith.com; He can
be found on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. 21
 Reflections on
MOTHER/
DAUGHTER
Church Planting
■ by฀ ฀ ฀

F
ROM MY EARLIEST recollections, I can remem- tant that the mother church continue to cover them with
ber church planting was almost always done prayer, because “the daughter will come home to do laun-
through the mother/daughter concept. That is dry” many times through the years. The mother church
not to take away from many, many dedicated needs to assist, but then send them back to continue their
men and women who went to areas and worked growth process.
and carved out a work with no help at all. They went with The mother church needs to keep in mind that their
a burden to see a church become active and viable in an church is not viewed as a division but an expansion of the
area that was placed in their hearts and minds. The mother/ gospel. It is up to the pastor to quiet the fears of the congre-
daughter concept, however, is a tried and true way to open gation and to keep them focused on the main thing—the
up a church in a region where the mother church feels “Great Commission.”
is ripe for harvest. The Book of Acts talks about the Antioch church
The mother church must be totally given to in Syria and their church- planting ventures. The mis-
church growth and have an outreach mind-set. Not sionary journeys were all about the Great Commission
only the pastor but also the entire church must share and the spread of Christianity. It is because of the early
this vision of mothering a church. It must be church and church planters that we have churches
part of their DNA from the beginning. They in North America today! The early church went
must be dedicated to reaching beyond everywhere—to the rich, to the poor, to the
their four walls and having a vision for Jews, to the Gentiles; it didn’t matter—
winning the lost. Being able to start a they traveled extensively to see churches
church with a core of people who have planted.
already grown in discipleship at the I recently read that since the 1970s
mother church is invaluable. when the church-growth movement
The mother/daughter concept is became strong, the emphasis has been on
much like raising a child. You are there the mother church getting bigger and big-
to teach them how to walk, how to talk, ger, not multiplying churches. We need to
and how to grow in wisdom and maturity. get back to mother/daughter church plants
Eventually, if your leadership is done right, and see the Kingdom multiply. If vibrant
:,17 the child is ready to face life on his/her own. churches are going to be started, then
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The same is true with the daughter church. the whole church needs to be educated
22 When they are released, it is highly impor- about church planting. They need to
look outside their own growth and start daughter churches UÊ7ˆ˜V iÃÌiÀpDavid Douglas along with Mitchell Tolle
that can impact areas they could never impact. at Man O’War Church are mothering The Mission where Ed
Many times church planters are afraid to step out because Toler is the pastor.
of the emphasis on large churches. Mother churches do not UʜՈÃۈi]ÊNew Covenant—Pastor Don Combs and his
want to give members to a church planter, because their congregation are mothering the Nueva Iglesia de Dios church
numbers might go down for a season. If we can get our minds where Adolfo Rodriquez is pastor.
off numbers and turn our minds to souls being saved, we can UÊ>`ˆÃœ˜Ûˆi] Covenant Community—Pastor Michael
once again become a growing body of believers. Knight and his congregation are mothering the Louisville,
Most churches in North America are less than 100 in Covenant Community church.
membership. They are not involved in mother/daughter These daughter churches are progressing extremely well.
planting, because they are waiting until they are a mega The mother churches are continually giving help, oversight,
church before they can send someone out from their own prayer coverings, and financial assistance. You may ask:
church. Most of them will never be involved in church plant- “Why should my church become involved in church plant-
ing. If this had been true of Paul and Barnabas in the New ing?” The answer is, “For the glory of God.” Plus, the Bible
Testament, North America would be totally unchurched. It sets the example for us, and what is most important is that
is not the size, but the vision and purpose of the pastor and people in America are unchurched. There are communities,
congregation of the mother church. “Little is much, when villages, boroughs, towns, and cities that need a lighthouse of
God is in it!” hope. Is your church ready to be a mother church?
In Kentucky, we have several mother/daughter churches. Many resources are available that mother churches can
They are: utilize to give birth to thriving daughter churches. They can
UÊ-œˆ`Ê,œVŽpPastor Jonathan Boling’s church is mother- be found by contacting the Church of God International
ing a daughter church of Taylorsville where Marvin Redmon Offices at www.churchofgod.org (click on USA Missions and
is pastor. then church planting). I am personally involved in DCPI
UÊ7ÕÀ̏>˜`pPastor Henry Montgomery is mothering a which stands for Dynamic Church Planting International.
church in Smith Branch. Their Website is www.dcpi.org. ■
UÊ œ«Žˆ˜Ãۈi]Ê Northside—Pastor Joseph Leek and his
congregation have started the Morton’s Gap mission with Keith L. Ivester is administrative bishop of Kentucky; Website:
Debbie Back as pastor. www.kycog.net; Email: [email protected].

The Value of by Paul B. Keeter, Jr.,

CHURCH Senior Pastor,
PLANTING Rivers of Living Water, Fayetteville, NC

When we talk about building new churches, we

use the term “planting.” The key word is “planting.”
“A seed left in the seed bag is of no value to
anyone.” That seed must be planted in order to
produce fruit.
The former seed has gone through its complete
cycle… seed, sprout, plant, harvest … a new seed
must be planted in order to produce a new crop.
Planting churches is just as important as the
planting of seed is for the farmer in the springtime.
:,17
No seed; no harvest. HQJDJH

23
 GEORGE O. WOOD
engage interview
Church Planting and the Great Comission
Raymond F. Culpepper, General Overseer, interviews They are not coming to us. Planting a new church is the best
George O. Wood, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God. way to go to them.
The fourth reason is a pragmatic one. Research by David
Why is church planting essential in fulfilling the Olsen indicates that only 17.1 percent of Americans regularly
Great Commission? attend ANY church. This means that on any given weekend,
First and most important, it is the biblical pattern for over 80 percent of Americans are NOT engaged in a corpo-
the evangelistic expansion of the church. When Jesus gave rate worship experience. The number of churches per capita
the Great Commission to a small group of His disciples, the continues to trend down. In 1900, there were 28 churches for
world population was approximately 100 million people. It every 10,000 Americans. By 1950, that number had dropped by
was an overwhelming challenge. But the Great Commission 17 for every 10,000. In 2000, there were only 12 churches per
is a potent mandate. A few years after Jesus gave this com- 10,000; and in 2004, the ratio was down to 11 per 10,000. The
mand, the Jews in Thessalonica described the disciples as church in the U.S. cannot afford to give up any more ground.
those who “caused trouble all over the world” (Acts 17:6
NIV). In a world with no mass media, how did a small band You have instituted an aggressive church-planting
of people from the obscure Roman province so quickly initiative; please share some insights with us.
develop a reputation as influential world changers? The When I was selected as the general superintendent, God
answer is that, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, they placed in my heart an urgency to align our organizational
planted churches. Everywhere they went they made disciples behaviors with our organizational values. I wrote about those
and formed new communities of faith. values in my book, Core Values. One of the values I wrote
The second reason church planting is essential in fulfill- about was planting churches. Since we view church plant-
ing the Great Commission is the evangelistic productivity ing as “cardiac” to our ability to be on mission with Christ,
of young churches. Every study I am aware of indicates that we recognized the need to reallocate our resources to ensure
younger churches consistently demonstrate a higher level broad organizational support for vigorously planting new
of evangelistic proficiency than older, established churches. churches. The result was the formation of the Church
For example, a study conducted by author and researcher Ed Multiplication Network. I think the results speak for them-
Stetzer revealed that the typical Assemblies of God church selves. In 2008, we opened 247 new churches. In 2009, we
plant baptized an average of thirty-one people annually by opened 266. Last year we opened 325, and we are on track
its fourth year. In contrast, established Assemblies of God to open 365 in 2011. What changed was that we got serious
churches baptized an average of only nine people per year. It about being an organization that leveraged every organiza-
is a fact: Planting new churches results in more people com- tional asset to help start new churches!
ing to Christ. I think some guiding principles include:
The third reason church planting is essential to fulfill- 1. Church planting has to be a top priority for the senior
ing the Great Commission is sociological. Like it or not, leader. It has been important for me as the key leader to con-
people tend to group together around affinities and cultural sistently express my personal support for church planting.
preferences. In the same way that Christ came to us and That holds true for our district leaders as well. Their influence
incarnated into our world, starting a new church affords us is crucial.
the opportunity to “incarnate” the gospel to reach a specific 2. Church planting requires organizational action at a
group that is isolated from the good news because of cultural national, regional, and local level. While my influence has
:,17 characteristics that tend to isolate them from the broader cul- been essential, words are not enough. We have carefully
HQJDJH
ture. New churches act like bridges that convey the gospel to invested money and personnel in appropriate ways to create
24 subcultural “islands” of people who desperately need Jesus. an environment where planting becomes a common activity
 George Wood and
Raymond Culpepper
“We believe a healthy church will ultimately
multiply by planting other churches. We
lower unnecessary barriers to planting and
encourage an organizational culture that
supports planting.”—George Wood

of healthy churches. The Church Multiplication Network is tored. One of the key principles that helped us when we were
a tangible way we have backed up my words and influence small is that we laid good foundations for the weight that
with action. Each of our districts has been challenged to act the Lord would later place on us. Often in smaller churches,
in a similar manner. All of our churches are encouraged to the mistake is made of saying or thinking, “Well, when we
look for ways to multiply. are larger, we will do such and such.” A prime example of
our vision and planning is the early childhood center. We
œÜÊ >ÛiÊޜÕʓœÌˆÛ>Ìi`Ê«>Ã̜ÀÃÊ>˜`ʏœV>ÊV ÕÀV iÃÊ established policies of hygiene, check-in and check-out,
to get involved in church planting? volunteer and paid workers, teaching program—all when we
We strongly encourage every leader to lead his church had less than five children. When I left the church, we had
toward health. We believe a healthy church will ultimately 200 children every Sunday in our early childhood center. We
multiply by planting other churches. We celebrate churches were using the same principles and policies then that we did
that multiply. We provide resources to support churches that when we had less than five.
multiply. We lower unnecessary barriers to planting and Another key principle was making sure that the worship
encourage an organizational culture that supports planting. services ministered both to the saints and to those on a quest.
Additionally, in an effort to be accountable to our stated We sought to have our singing time a blend of the old and
values, I asked every district to prayerfully submit 2020 goals. the new. Front and center always was the ministry of the
The goals presented were truly “God-sized!” To be successful, Word that both declared what the Scripture said then, and
we will need to do what we’ve never done before! We are now what it says now, by way of application today. If the ministry
doing everything we know to do and relying heavily on the from the pulpit is not relevant to young and old alike, then
Lord of the harvest to help us achieve those God-given goals. the church is going to have a hard time growing. We also
took care of our physical facilities. I learned that lesson early
You were a pastor for many years and experienced on when I felt the Lord say to me: George, if you cannot take
remarkable growth. What were the key elements of your care of the lawn, how can I trust you with people? ■
growth?
I’ve laid out those key elements in my new book, Road George O. Wood, D.P.Th., is general superintendent of the
Trip Leadership (available at www.influenceresources.com). Assemblies of God. Website: www.ag.org; Email: general super-
Our growth was very steady for the seventeen years I pas- [email protected].

The Value of
CHURCH by Eric A. Brown, FRSA,
PLANTING National Overseer, England and Wales.

Planting new churches is a priority. Strengthening existing congregations in order that they grow
and, in turn, plant other churches is also a priority! We must invest more of our resources into leader-
ship development and training to sustain our growth, close fewer churches, and release a new army
of reapers for the ripened harvest.
Making disciples is an absolute priority. We must have church planters who are sound in faith and doc-
trine, genuine in love and fellowship, and passionate about winning the lost for Christ. The global move-
:,17
ment of people demands a fresh strategy for reaching them with the gospel and planting new churches. HQJDJH

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 MITCHELL WAYNE FLORA

resource review
THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF CHURCH PLANTING ing of all, he declares, is the reality that, eventually, ALL
By Aubrey Malphurs CHURCHES DIE…as did the Jerusalem church, as well as
2011, Baker Publishing Group the early churches of Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia, and oth-
ers (10). Consequently, the author offers definitive biblical
LTHOUGH AUBREY MALPHURS, senior professor of premise for the process of planting churches as integral to

A pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary,

had already written a book about church plant-
ing (Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century: A
the Great Commission.
I am particularly impressed with Malphurs’ simple, yet
well-structured approach to writing. His outline is easy to fol-
Comprehensive Guide for New Churches and Those Desiring low as he states in topic sentences what his next few insights
Renewal, 2004), he understood the complexities of cultural and instructions will be, carefully relegating emboldened
change and challenges and decided it was time to write captions for each succinct thought. When he gives a defini-
a different kind of church-planting tool—one that focuses tion, for instance, he will immediately expound upon each
on process, not model. He notes that “most current books key concept in that definition. For example, upon first
endorse a particular model or way of doing church”—seek- defining church planting as “an exhausting but exciting venture
er-driven, seeker-sensitive, purpose-driven, cell churches,
organic churches, etc. However, this new resource is simply
a down-to-earth “nuts and bolts” general guide for plant-
ing churches which builds upon a fourfold process clearly
delineated in Malphurs’ basic, but biblical outline: (1) Core
Values, (2) Mission, (3) Vision, and (4) Strategy. The reader
will note that after thoroughly laying his foundation in
Chapters 1–7, he deliberately allocates the most of his
practical instruction to the strategy aspect of church plant-
ing in the final seven chapters. Consequently, he not only
answers “Why?” to planting a church, but also “How?”
Malphurs begins his premise for writing another book on
church planting by jolting his audience with cold, hard facts
about today’s church. He points out that 80 to 85 percent of
churches in America are plateaued or declining. Referencing
David Olsen’s research, he notes that 82.5 percent of the
population did not attend any orthodox Christian churches
in 2007, and that church growth is losing ground in ratio
to population growth. He further informs that Americans
professing no religious affiliation has doubled since 1990 and
has shifted from the Northwest to the Northeast, indicative
that the Christian, “historic foundation of America’s culture
was cracking” (7, 8). He convincingly conveys that church
plants have higher percentages of people won to Christ in
a year—10 per 100 members for a congregation three years
old or less, and 3 per 100 members for congregations 15
:,17 years old or older. It is further agreed that younger congre-
HQJDJH
gations are much more willing to “trust” their pastor and
30 let him lead than older congregations. Most disappoint-
of faith,” he then recapitulates each segment of this defini-
tion in separate, but colorful paragraphs—“exhausting,”
“exciting,” “venture of faith,” etc. Since this book is written to
be a step-by-step course on how to start any kind of church,
it is most important that the author make these guidelines
easy to understand and easy to follow. Malphurs accom-
plishes this with the expert conciseness of a gifted educator
and mentor.
Perhaps most important of all, Malphurs’ insights
about church planting are derived from the biblical text
itself, and not from the realm of corporate and business
America. Therefore, his guidelines are adaptable to any
culture or context. ”No one has ever accused me of being
Bible lite,” he says. “I want to know first what the Bible
has to say about a topic. Then within that context, I’m
ready to move to the practical.” Consequently, any aspir-
ing church planter can be sure the resource is theologically
sound and scripturally faithful.
Finally, Malphurs has included in his book an appendix
chock full of helpful instruments for “testing” one’s gifting
and passion for church planting, including a spiritual gifts
inventory, a passion audit, several temperament analyses,
and various leadership assessments. He provides very basic,
but practical tips for seeking support, financial and emo-
tional, and offers conversation cues for engaging the appeal.
Further resourcing in this section includes core value audits,
sample mission statements, and expanded vision state-
ments for those who need the root level boost to get the
church planting process started.
Having pastored the church I planted 23 years ago, I
could only wish this book had been written when I needed it
most. However, that I am now involved in ministerial devel-
opment and church-planting consultation for the Church
of God in Eastern North Carolina, I will be recommending
this book for every church planter I train. The hard work is
done—just follow the instructions! Give it a read…then hand
it off to a friend. THEN, go out and start a church! ■

Wayne Flora, D.Min., is founding pastor of the University Church

of God in Greenville, NC. He has served in ministerial development
in ENC since 1992 and as coordinator for 12 years. He is chairman :,17
HQJDJH
of ENC’s Church Planting Consultation Team, offering guidance
and training to aspiring church planters in the state. 31
 BILL GEORGE

resource review
PLANTING MISSIONAL CHURCHES 3, “The Biblical Basis of Church Planting,” paints a reason-
By Ed Stetzer able and believable scenario of disciples walking through the
2006, B & H Publishing Group New Testament world, leaving new churches wherever they
passed. His portrait of the apostle Paul as a church planter
URING THE LAST quarter-century, a new church- unveils a standard to which all planters might aspire.

D planting book a week has been published—at

least, it seems that way. If Ed Stetzer had cho-
sen another subtitle for his contribution to the venue,
He challenges today’s churches:
The accounts and details we’ve considered in Acts dem-
onstrate that Paul and other early Christians believed in
Planting Missional Churches, however, he might have and practiced church planting as a normal part of their
used, “The All-in-One, Everything-You’ll-Ever-Need, Tried- lives—and specifically in response to the commands of
and-True, Comprehensive, Practical, Biblical, Proven, Jesus . . . The life of Paul and the action of the early church
Questioning-Answering, How-to Manual for Planting demonstrate that church planting was a primary activity.
Effective Churches.” Perhaps he considered that descrip- Any church wishing to rediscover the dynamic nature of
tive caption; nevertheless, he ended up using a shorter the early church should consider planting new churches.
one: Planting a Church That’s Biblically Sound and Reaching
People in Culture.
The publisher’s description says: “Planting Missional
Churches is an instruction book for planting biblically faithful
and culturally relevant churches. It addresses the “how-to”
and “why” issues of church planting by providing practical
guidance through all the phases of a church plant while tak-
ing a missional look at existing and emerging cultures.”
The book’s primary recommendation is that it succeeds
masterfully in realizing its purpose. Its main drawback may
be its encyclopedic approach: 29 well-defined chapters fill
371 pages. But if it is thought of as a textbook—which it
is—it will be studied, restudied, put into practice, prized, and
referred to often in the process of a church plant. It will likely
be dog-eared and worn after the first couple of years.
The 2006 publication is the second iteration of the book
originally published in 2003 under the title Planting New
Churches in a Postmodern Age. Its timely update indicates it is
apt to become a classic resource, revised slightly as needed
when conditions and/or vocabulary change.
Stetzer writes from the posture of an experienced church
planter, having established new churches in a variety of
cultural settings. His book reflects his learning from his suc-
cesses and his failures. Not only a practitioner, he is also a
researcher. The pages are peppered with illustrations from
a broad range of church-initiating environs. He rounds out
:,17 his excellent qualifications with a thorough and grounded
HQJDJH
understanding of the Bible and theology. His aim, as he
32 puts it, is to plant biblically sound congregations. Chapter
 Perhaps the distinctive message of the book is its empha- TYPICAL QUOTES
sis on “missional.” The author believes church planters UÊ
VVœÀ`ˆ˜}Ê̜Êeasumbandy.com: “Studies show that if a
should use the methods of a missionary. Like those who go denomination wishes to reach more people, the number
into other cultures in other countries, the planter should of new churches it begins each year must equal at least
“exegete” the culture, attempting to understand it and adapt 3% of the denomination’s existing churches. Based on
to it. Stetzer does not champion one particular method of this formula, mainline denominations are failing to
establishing a new congregation (although a close reading plant enough churches to offset their decline” (p. 5).
might reveal a bias toward using a team approach with a UÊ vviV̈ÛiÊV ÕÀV Ê«>˜Ìˆ˜}ʈÃʓˆÃȜ˜>ÀÞÊܜÀŽ°Ê˜Ãˆ} ÌvՏÊ
“big bang” launch of the movement); but he insists that the church planters must begin by determining their mis-
church should “fit” its place. sion—exploring questions of personal call and convic-
tion—and by learning missions principles. Then they
“STETZER WRITES FROM THE seek to understand the culture they’ve been called to
reach (p. 115).
POSTURE OF AN EXPERIENCED
UÊ i>˜Ê˜ÕÀÃiÀˆiÃ]ÊÃÌ>vvi`ÊÜˆÌ ÊµÕ>ˆÌÞÊ«iœ«iÊÜ œÊÃiÀÛiÊ
CHURCH PLANTER, HAVING in a safe environment, are much more welcoming than
ESTABLISHED NEW CHURCHES IN A “a place to keep kids” (a small, unpainted room with old
VARIETY OF CULTURAL SETTINGS. donated cribs). New churches should pay close attention
HIS BOOK REFLECTS HIS to what quality child care looks like in the churches in
their area and emulate what they see (p. 308).
LEARNING FROM HIS SUCCESSES
AND HIS FAILURES.” Planting Missional Churches is a gift to the Church of God
and other Evangelical movements that want to place in the
Is this the perfect book for church planters? Almost. In hands of a church planter or church-planting team a thor-
some of the more practically oriented chapters (Finances, oughly researched and workable tool to help them do their
Children, Small Groups), one might wish for more detail; work well. ■
however, a book’s thickness must be somehow limited, and
Stetzer always offers enough to get the planter started. William (Bill) T. George, D.Min., serves as coordinator of educa-
Bottom line: If you are a church planter and want to have tion and publications for Church of God World Missions; Website:
a single source of great help, this is the book for you. www.cogwm.org; Email: [email protected].

The Value of by Travis M. Hovde,

CHURCH Lead Pastor, Eagles Wings
PLANTING Community Fellowship, Minot, ND

Planting a church gives a new option for people in a community or region to connect with and
worship God. It strengthens and expands the body of Christ by giving a new venue for God to reach
and disciple people. Church planting creates a unique community of Christ followers with its own
unique mission and DNA. The Book of Acts gives a model of vibrant, growing Spirit-led churches
reaching new geographic locations and people groups. Unique, growing, Spirit-led church plants are :,17
as valuable and essential in the twenty-first century as they were in the first century. HQJDJH

33
 Church Growth
READINESS QUIZ
C HURCH GROWTH IS TOUGH! You have to think big,
face tremendous pressure, be creative, and solve difficult
problems. You have to trust God without wavering!
7. What is your attitude toward building relationships?
a. If I teach and preach, relationships will follow.
b. If people love the Lord, they will love each other.
The following quiz will profile your church growth c. I work hard at fostering cooperation.
readiness. Circle the appropriate letter (a, b, c, d) following d. I am responsible for bringing people together as
each statement/question based on your goals, dreams, and partners in ministry.
outreach posture.
8. What do you do when faced with church conflict?
£°ÊÊ œÜʓ>˜ÞÊ`œÊޜÕÊÜ>˜ÌÊ̜Ê>ÛiÀ>}iʈ˜ÊV ÕÀV Ê>ÌÌi˜- a. Wait patiently until it goes away.
dance in the next 12–24 months? b. Seek an appointment to another church or position.
a. 25–100 c. Bring the church together in prayer.
b. 100–200 d. F ind a scriptural solution without causing division.
c. 200–500
9. When members criticize certain aspects of your
d. 500–1,000 and beyond
ministry, how do you respond?
2. What is your ministry dream for the church? a. I stand my ground, because I know I am right.
a. Hold what we have. b. I form a group of church members to stand with me.
b. Emphasize our doctrinal stance. c. I honestly evaluate their point of view.
c. Develop mature disciples. d. I will meet with them, and together in harmony work
d. Reach the unchurched. out anagreeable solution.
3. Which statement best describes your ministry posi- 10. What would you do if you were moved from your
tion? church without another appointment?
a. I am waiting on another appointment/position. a. I would complain to denominational leaders.
b. I don’t feel this church has potential. b. I would ask the church to continue to support me
c. I have a clear vision for outreach. until I was placed in another church.
d. I am where God wants me to be. c. I would pray fervently for God to open another door.
d. I would immediately begin to make contacts to find
{°ÊÊ œÜʓÕV ʓœ˜iÞÊ`œÊޜÕʈ˜ÛiÃÌʈ˜Ê«iÀܘ>Ê“ˆ˜ˆÃÌÀÞÊ
another pastorate.
development each year (books, tapes, CDs seminars,
study courses)? How to compile your readiness score. Count the number
a. I depend on direct Bible study. of a’s, b’s, c’s, and d’s. Score two points for every a; four points
b. $100 to $200 for every b; six points for every c, and 10 points for every d.
c. $500 to $1,000
d. $1,000 to $2,000 Points Rating
20-40 Restricted—Need growth vision overhaul.
5. What expression best describes your ministry focus 41-60 Recovering—Developing growth attitude.
and energy? 61-80 Responsive—Alert to growth possibilities.
a. Most all my energy is spent on sermon preparation. 81-100 Ready—On path to steady growth.
b. My responsibility is to see that the laity is involved in
ministry. Well, it’s time for action! Look at your score. What does
c. I have a full tank of physical and spiritual energy. it reveal? Where do you want to go? How do you want to get
d. I am devoted daily to performing ministry. there? Plan a "1,- of action.
Ê UÊ Êharter a growth path.
6. What is your philosophy of church growth?
Ê UÊ"Êrganize for effectiveness.
a. Church growth is about being in the right place at
Ê UÊ1Ênite for harmonious teamwork.
the right time.
Ê UÊ,Êefresh by the Holy Spirit.
b. If you have a vision, church growth will happen.
Ê UÊ-Êtrategize in full motion.
:,17 c. Pastoral leadership is the nucleus for church growth.
HQJDJH Ê UÊ Êxperience Christ-exalting growth.
d. Church growth is a combination of leadership, vision,
34 unity, faith, organization, worship, and outreach. Now, it is ready, set, grow! —Floyd D. Carey
:,17
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 SPIRITUAL
LEADERSHIP
An Imperative for Church Planting
■ by MICHAEL L. BAKER

W
HERE DOES church planting begin? Is it Today, we have a plethora of resources—volumes of
recruitment, identification of location, books, manuals, conferences, programs, and promotions at
assessment, or focus on a model? All of our disposal. We can dissect it, analyze it, talk about it, teach
these are part of the process; however, about it, and yet, are we planting churches? Statistically, we
the beginning of church planting is a are either plateaued with zero new churches, or we are actu-
matter of the heart. The very life blood of early Christians ally declining. This is current reality and speaks to us with
was evangelism. They were not aware of the definitive nature clarity about where we stand. Right now, there is the greatest
of church planting or various approaches. First-century opportunity to touch a hurting, lost, and wandering world
Christians only knew that Jesus had commissioned them to with the hope and love of Christ. Christ’s commission is just
share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. They recog- as real today as it was to the first-century church. Our motiva-
nized without reservation their calling was to go and pen- tion for church planting is not just an invitation, but a divine
etrate the world with the good news. They had never heard of mandate to every believer by Christ.
the term church planting, they just knew they had a mandate
from Christ to go. The end result was churches planted and WHY PLANT NEW CHURCHES? VISION!
organized throughout the world. Church planting is exhausting and hard work. Who
In the early history of the Church of God, there was wants to exercise deep faith and start at ground zero—no
not a department or defined program of church planting. place, no people, no money, and most of the time what
Nonetheless, every church in existence today began as a seems to be no resources. However, it is no different than
church plant. Pioneers of faith had a purpose and passion to visionaries who start new ministries, new businesses, or new
fulfill Christ’s directive and build His church. It simply started anything. People who are committed to church planting are
with a desire by saying, “We need a church in…” and off authentic visionaries who possess spiritual vision. Spiritual
:,17 they went. Were their methods refined? No. In spite of this, vision is the ability to see God’s presence, power, and plan in
HQJDJH
they possessed essential ingredients for twenty-first century spite of the obstacles. Spiritual leaders get it, they see it, and
40 church planting—spiritual vision and passion. they do it.
 Church planting is a biblical blueprint for reaching the Him. This is an imperative for church planting. Secondly,
lost. It is an effective evangelism methodology and model for Jesus gave us a strategic plan to carry the gospel to our home
making disciples. It provides opportunities for new leaders to circle of influence—our Jerusalem, then to the surrounding
emerge and reach new generational communities and people areas—our Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the whole
groups. The one ingredient necessary is a called missional world. Finally, in order to accomplish this vision and imple-
person who demonstrates spiritual leadership and significant ment this strategic plan, Jesus gave us the promise of the Holy
preparedness for maximized success. Spirit—the empowerment for ministry.
So what is a missional leader? Ed Stetzer says in Planting Passion for church planting is about spiritual leadership.
Missional Churches: “Planting churches should be about It is about the pastor of a church who becomes zealous about
planting missional churches. But don’t confuse the terms expanding his Jerusalem and fulfilling the missional mandate.
mission-minded and missional. The first refers more to an atti- It is about the church planter who has a driving conviction, a
tude of caring about missions, particularly overseas. Missional spiritual enthusiasm, an unquenchable Pentecostal fervency,
means actually doing missions right where you are.” He fur- intense zeal, and dedicated devotion to establish the body of
ther states, “A missional church is ‘on mission’…meaning Christ, a church, the called-out ones. When the dimensions
being intentional and deliberate about reaching others.” of spiritual leadership become the common denominator
Until we demonstrate a vision for missional church planting for church planting, then we must embrace the models and
that is founded upon our spiritual leadership, we will read methodology necessary to maximize a church’s success.
the books, attend the conferences, listen to catalytic voices, We are not feeble, frail, ineffective, powerless, or anes-
but never engage the process. Church planting begins with thetized believers. We are born again, full of hope, and Holy
calling and commitment to Christ’s mandate. Spirit baptized disciples of Him who loved us and suffered
the indignities of the cross for us. Our passion should always
PASSION FOR CHURCH PLANTING be about Jesus Christ, and our passion for church planting
Passion! We talk about it. We know it when we see it. Yet, should also always be about Him.
do we possess it? If we do, what kind of passion do we have,
and what is its level of strength? As a pastor, am I passionate THE IMPERATIVE
about church planting? Or, am I passionate about being a Spiritual leadership stresses the importance of biblical
church planter? principles with Christ as the foundation and model of leader-
Passion is defined as “intense, driving, overmastering feel- ship. It is not about a position or profession, but fulfillment of
ing or conviction.” Synonyms include words such as fervor, a calling. It is influencing people to God’s will.
enthusiasm, zeal, obsession, infatuation, craze, ardor, and Every leader should be engaged in church planting. It is
many others. In Pentecostal ranks, we allude to passion with said frequently, “I’m not a church planter.” What does that
phrases such as “burning desire” or an “unquenchable fire.” mean? Generally, it is actualized by leaders who currently
Where is our passion for church planting? We hear about maintain an existing congregation without motivation to
the programs and initiatives and view it as just another item reach beyond their four walls. Because of financial and other
on the ministry plate. As the church has grown, have we pressures, church planting may negatively impact their cur-
allowed our passion for church planting to shift from pure rent church. For those entering ministry, it might mean, “I
spiritual dimensions to a broader more eclectic and blended want a church that will provide full financial support and
passion of both internal and external facets? Externally, we all the trimmings that come with a full-time position.” The
are bombarded with the latest book, voices of influence, or genesis of church planting is commitment and passion, and
trends. Church planting becomes just another “church thing.” then comes preparedness and resources. These variables are
Internally, passion is a spiritual issue which is related to our all interdependent.
Christian core values of who we are in Christ and what He has It is critical that we understand the absolute importance
called us to be and do. Christian passion is all about Christ. and value of recruitment, training, resources, assessment,
In Acts 1:8 we read, “But you will receive power when the process, evaluation, and accountability. These are necessary
Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in for success. But, in the beginning and throughout the pro-
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of cess of planting, building, and leading a church; remember,
the earth” (NIV). In the last words of Christ before His ascen- spiritual leadership is what keeps you focused and preserves
sion, He gave us a vision, a strategic plan, and a promise. one’s passion to fulfill God’s divine call of church planting. ■
His vision for us was first and foremost to be witnesses of :,17
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Him. To be a witness of Christ requires experience of Him, Michael L. Baker is administrative bishop in North Georgia;
a personal relationship with Him, and a commitment to Website: www.ngacog.org; Email: [email protected]. 41
 The SOUL
PURPOSE ■ by REINHARD BONNKE

Why the church must return the Great Commission to top priority.

A
S ONE OF THE fivefold ministries given to the in all of their error, were not far from the real thing. All they
church, my perspective as an evangelist belongs had to do was turn, open the door and He would come in.
with that of the apostle, the prophet, the pastor, Jesus had not left them. They had left Him.
and teacher. Taken together, these five visions
equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. BECOME THE REAL THING AGAIN
So, what does this evangelist see? I see two disturbing And so, in the Spirit of Christ knocking at the door in
trends: Laodicea, I say to churches that have lost their zeal for evan-
First, I see churches that are not increasing. They sit in gelism: “You are not far from the real thing. Let soulwinning
communities where the population is growing, children are return as a priority. The church of Jesus Christ is not a plea-
born, immigrants move in, jobs attract new families, govern- sure boat, but a lifeboat. Entertainers are neither needed nor
ment programs attract the needy, yet these churches remain wanted. From the captain to the cook, all hands are needed
stagnant. They are growing inward, forgetting the imperative on deck for soul saving. The church that doesn’t save the lost
of the Great Commission. is lost itself.”
Second, I see megachurches growing for the wrong rea- What is the secret to keeping the evangelistic fire alive?
sons. Thousands of seekers are attracted by a warm social First, I believe we must cast ourselves in utter reliance upon
environment but are not finding the pearl of great price. the Holy Spirit. Oh yes, many say this, but what does it really
They are not embracing Christ as Savior and Lord, nor are look like? I believe when we rightly trust the Spirit, all of our
they being made uncomfortable by the claims of His cross. methods, programs, denominational loyalties, and long-held
How this distresses my soul! traditions become secondary—even expendable. If the Lord
But I will not react in anger. My feet are shod with the chooses to let a sacred cow or two die, we let them go, because
preparation of the gospel of peace. I am a bearer of good we utterly depend upon the fire of the Spirit for life, for breath,
news. My message to both erring churches is, “Return.” I am for every sinner who repents. He is the only true “soulwin-
not pointing a finger or calling for breast-beating, fasting, ner.” He is the fire. We have the great privilege, through the
prayer, humiliation, or a vow to do better. No, I am simply “foolishness of preaching,” to be stewards of His fire.
saying, “Return.” When I was a young missionary in Africa, I dutifully
I am always struck by the picture of Jesus standing at the saluted my “fathers” in the work. They taught me what was
door of the church in Laodicea: “As many as I love, I rebuke considered to be the proper methods of missions, tried and
and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand true, proven for longer than I had been alive. I could not
at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens lightly dismiss them. Yet it made my heart ache to see how
the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he few responded to the rigid picture those fathers painted of
with Me” (Revelation 3:19-20 NKJV). our gracious Savior.
What is He doing there? He is knocking! This image It was almost as if we handed the baby Jesus to the world
from the Book of Revelation was not given to the wonder- wrapped in legal documents, covered in rules and regula-
:,17 ful church of Philadelphia. No, it was given to the church tions that obscured His very nature. I longed to see the vast
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of lukewarm, compromising, Spirit-ignoring believers. And multitudes of precious African people rejoicing in Christ, but
42 what does this picture tell us? It tells us that the Laodiceans, under such trappings, I was not surprised that so few came to
Him. The tried and true methods of the traditional mission- me from heaven. It leaves no room for neutrality. It allows
ary endeavor had become a boneyard of dead, putrefying no stopping point. To me, this is not a mere notion, nor a
religion. far-fetched ideal. It is a word from God that has become my
God took a hammer and chisel and began working on marching order. I live by it. I run by it. I go, I go, and I go
me. Things didn’t shape up overnight. I learned lessons one into the world with this sense of purpose—“plundering hell
by one. New dimensions of the Holy Spirit opened up, and to populate heaven.” I am not driven by it, I am led by it,
each one was an astonishment to me. Signs and wonders and it separates me from others who have accepted a more
began to occur, and things began to change. One would have comfortable treaty with the Lord of the harvest.
to read my autobiography, Living a Life of Fire, to fully appreci- But today, I must deal with the fact that I will probably
ate the sequence the Lord took me through. not live to see the fulfillment of either a blood-washed Africa
With each lesson, I found myself opposed by those who or an empty hell. God will not give the whole world to any
clung to methods, programs, denominational loyalties, and one man or woman. He wants to raise up an army of anoint-
long-held traditions. In each case, there came a time to break ed people. For this reason, I constantly scan the horizons for
free of such, and follow the Spirit in the pursuit of souls. It other men and women who may take up this challenge for
was emotionally wrenching to go through it, and that is why Holy Spirit evangelism.
many do not travel this road. They buy a false security in the God is the creator of evangelists. We are ordinary flesh-
company of death. and-blood folk. Angels probably could have done a far more
Utter dependence on the Holy Spirit sometimes can cause efficient job, but in the infinite wisdom of the Lord, He
us to look like troublemakers, but that is not what is happen- had no such plan. It is striking to consider that the angel
ing. You must simply love Him and esteem Him above all who appeared to Cornelius in Acts 10:5 was not allowed to
others. Let the chips fall where they may. There is no formula mention the name of Jesus to him or to explain the way of
for instant success “on the cheap,” I’m afraid, and I am not salvation.
offering such here. All the angel could say was, “Now send men to Joppa and
But I can offer my testimony. I have seen over 1 million call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.” This mighty
people record decisions for Christ in a single meeting. I have seraph from heaven had to bow to Peter’s higher privilege
seen 55 million embrace Jesus in the past 10 years. On it goes. of carrying the gospel of Jesus Christ to Cornelius. We only
Our crowds are greater than ever. Multitudes are being healed can accept, with wonder and humility, the fact that it pleases
and filled with the Holy Spirit. It is harvest time. The Book of God to call and to send people like you and me. We humans
Acts was not the peak performance of the power of God, but are privileged. There should be no reluctance on our part to
the first sampling of the possibilities for His followers in the do this work.
Holy Spirit. Trust Him! Accept no substitutes. It has always been the same. God used not one, but four
By breaking free of the tried and true, we have seen whole evangelists—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—to write down
countries shaken by the power of the gospel. If this can be the the story of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Such a pattern is linked,
result of the things God has shown me, my hope is that God in my mind, to the four men in the Old Testament who car-
will show you also. May you receive that heart revelation of ried the Ark of the Covenant.
the matchless glory of His power, a power beyond anything Carriers of the gospel change from generation to genera-
yet seen. The potentials of Pentecost have never been fully tion, but the gospel remains the same. We are here now, and
realized, and there is much more to come. today is our turn. God has called us. Each of us. The gospel
needs to be taken to the ends of the earth. I sometimes won-
OUR TURN TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL der if the millions I am reaping today were not meant to be
Two thoughts have long thundered in my soul. First is divided among many others who turned away from His call.
the vision God gave me of a bloodwashed Africa. This vision I do not believe that it is God’s plan to allow hell to be
shook and cracked and disintegrated the tried-and-true meth- bigger than heaven. Although Scripture speaks in Matthew
ods of missionary work in my life. I had to decide to pursue 7:13 about “many” who are on their way to eternal destruc-
it and look neither to the right nor the left, and it cost me for tion, they must be intercepted by men and women preach-
a short while the affection of many fellow laborers. Would I ing the original gospel. Hebrews 2:10 reveals that provision
trade their affection for the harvest the vision has led me to? has been made to bring “many sons to glory,” and Revelation
Would you? 7:9 speaks of a successful conclusion to this idea. Jesus told us :,17
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Second is the principle of plundering hell to populate to make disciples of all nations. These were not empty words.
heaven. Does this idea make you uncomfortable? It came to —Continued on page 58 43
 B. RANDALL PARRIS

resource review
THE MILLENNIALS: CONNECTING TO AMERICA’S already expect. For example, members of the Millennial
LARGEST GENERATION Generation use their cell phones a lot and use Twitter,
By Thom S. Rainer & Jess Rainer Facebook, etc., to stay connected to their friends and family.
2011, B & H Publishing Group Some of the more interesting findings:
Uʈi˜˜ˆ>ÃÊ>Àiʜ˜ÊÌÀ>VŽÊ̜ÊLiVœ“iÊÌ iʓœÃÌÊi`ÕV>Ìi`Ê
AVE YOU EVER HEARD success defined in seven sim- generation in history.

H ple words? Here goes… “He serves God’s Purpose in

His Generation” (Acts 13:36). To effectively do min-
istry, we must try to know and understand the generation
Uʈi˜˜ˆ>ÃÊ>ÀiÊ«Ài`œ“ˆ˜>˜ÌÞÊ>˜Ê>}˜œÃ̈VÊ}i˜iÀ>̈œ˜°Ê
Uʈi˜˜ˆ>ÃÊۈiÜÊv>“ˆÞÊ>ÃʓœÃÌʈ“«œÀÌ>˜Ìʈ˜ÊÌ iˆÀʏˆÛiðÊ
Uʈi˜˜ˆ>ÃÊi˜œÞÊ >ۈ˜}Ê>ʓi˜ÌœÀʈ˜ÊÌ iˆÀʏˆÛiðÊ
to whom we are ministering. This key concept is reinforced Uʈi˜˜ˆ>ÃÊ >ÛiÊ}Ài>ÌÊÀiëiVÌÊvœÀʜ`iÀÊ}i˜iÀ>̈œ˜Ã°Ê
in a simple statement found in 1 Chronicles 12:32: “And of Since Millennials are delaying marriage, on average, until
the children of Issachar, which were men that had under- after age 25, perhaps they will defy the odds and not wind
standing of the times” (KJV). The magnitude of the Millennial up divorced, like their parents. However, children of divorce
Generation alone makes this book well worth the time and have a unique perspective about marriage that could make it
effort. How prepared are we to identify, attract, win, and impossible for them to make a marriage work. While over 80
disciple Millennials? Thom Rainer and Jess Rainer, a father-
and-son team, set out to find what defines this generation.

Who and What Are the “Millennials”?

Examining this generation, the Rainers uncover many
facets of this group of young Americans that set them apart
from their counterparts: the “Baby Boomer” Generation and
“Generation X.” The “Millennials”—the group of people
born from 1980 to 2000—are the largest generation in
American history, a title previously held by the Baby Boomer
Generation of 1946–1964.
The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation
illustrates that members of the Millennial Generation are
unusually close to their parents. The Millennials were raised
by their Boomer parents, and that impacts the Millennials’
views on just about everything. The authors look at not only
the raw statistics of their research, but also possible expla-
nations of why Millennials, for the most part, have closer
relationships with their parents than adults in earlier genera-
tions, and they explore possible reasons for this. For example,
Millennials are not satisfied with attaining high-paying jobs
and buying “stuff”—they want to make an impact. Inside the
pages of this exceptional book, the authors offer some insight
into this statistic as well.
The authors do a remarkable job of describing how the
:,17 Millennials view money, work, family, religion, the media,
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and more. Many of the observations that the authors make
44 simply serve to confirm what most people would probably
percent of Millennials believe they will only be married once, It is obvious that the Millennial Generation is searching
they also (perhaps naively) believe the government will be diligently for something. Jonathan McKee describes this ambi-
able to pay for their retirement! guity in the following way: “They believe in an eternal spirit of
life after death but don’t want to read the Bible, attend church,
Millennials and Their Bearing on Church Growth or change their lifestyles.” This means that we see many people
and the Future calling themselves “Christian” who don’t put their faith in
The Rainers gracefully acknowledge that no amount Christ or believe in the Bible. Millennials long for and treasure
of statistical analysis could ever predict what God will do relationships that provide earthy, honest, pragmatic traits. It
in and through a generation. So, while the work is helpful appears the Millennial Generation is growing weary of typical
to show us that those born between 1980 and 1991 (the church and thirsting instead for authentic Christianity.
book limits itself to the older Millennial Generation) are Part of their desperate searching in so many places and
looking to make a difference in the world, we cannot fully ways for spiritual things comes out of a severe lack of biblical
know what the Lord might do with such a generation. As knowledge. Sadly, the church has not done enough to help
the authors make clear, this generation is the least churched this generation find the answers they truly need. Millennials
of any in American history. At the same time, this genera- might seem sure they don’t want Jesus, but the truth is they
tion’s Christians are as radically committed to Christ as any really don’t know what they want. They just want something
generation in memory. to fill the empty space in their hearts and souls.
One of the descriptions of Millennials that is loaded with
tension is “spiritual but not religious.” That statement holds My Impressions of the Book
both good news and bad news for the future of the church. I am not a “statistics and numbers geek,” but I can eas-
The Millennials seem to have a deep and genuine thirst for ily detect that the writers of this book are. The presentation
spiritual things and to experience God. So, for the church, might have been strengthened with the inclusion of graphs,
we find a very thin line between their potential response charts, pictures, or other visuals when there are so many
and rejection, embracing and embarrassment, community statistics to consider.
and cult. One thing the church undoubtedly must do is love This book is a valuable contribution toward understand-
them authentically, and be cautious about harsh judgment ing the values and attitudes of Millennials. Some of the
and religious legalism. interview questions were open-ended, such as, “What’s truly
important in your life?” Other questions were quite precise
How Does the Church Respond and Minister to and easier to evaluate, such as “What technology tools do
Millennials? you like and use?” The authors are evangelical Christians, but
The authors map out inclinations and beliefs for the appear to have successfully kept any biases separated for their
reader that are distinctive and ingrained in this generation. understanding and presentation of results.
Anyone who ignores these insights will doubtfully connect The book presents a captivating snapshot of the views
with, understand, or positively influence this age group. and priorities of American young adults on a wide variety
While no church should compromise its teaching or of themes. Some readers may be skeptical of some of the
the commands of Christ to “bring in” the latest genera- conclusions about how the Millennial Generation is almost
tion, a look at the facts can certainly help church leaders to destined to change society for the better. I suppose much of
better understand the views and intentions behind those that depends on whether they can grasp the love, hope, and
who may be quite different from themselves. This genera- positive future found only in Jesus Christ. ■
tion is different, so the body of Christ can either choose to
embrace that challenge, or sit back and watch a “big chunk” B. Randall Parris, D.Min., currently serves as the Youth :,17
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of another generation choose to disregard the church, and Missions (YWEA /Leadership) Development coordinator Website:
consequently, Jesus. cogyouthanddiscipleship.org; Email: [email protected]. 45
 Preparing for the Journey of a New
WORSHIP FACILITY ■ by WES HARDIN

A
S YOUR CHURCH begins to realize the need STEP 1: CHOOSING A GUIDE
for a new worship facility, you can begin to A guide is a person who leads anyone through unknown
experience an overwhelming sense of anxiety or unmapped country. As you follow your guide, the first
and fear. However, we know this is not God’s step should be selecting the best leadership suited for your
will. Second Timothy 1:7 reminds us that project. The people—architects, engineers, and construction
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and consultants—will set the tone and affect the outcome, qual-
a sound mind” (NKJV). Our team of professionals has helped ity, and cost of your project. It is imperative that your budget
hundreds of churches through this process successfully. We amount is established next.
feel that it is best to view this process as a journey. With this I have consulted with many pastors and church leader-
in mind, the question most commonly asked is, Where do ship teams who have previously experienced the horror
we start? It is imperative you select a design-build consultant of spending many months of planning and hundreds of
(we refer to this person as a guide) to walk you through each thousands of dollars on architectural plans, only to discover
step of the journey. that the cost exceeds their ability to fund the project, leav-
ing the leadership team and the congregation disillusioned
and angry at the loss of valuable resources. This is why it is
imperative to have a fixed budget and maintain
it through each step of the process. A guide
can help you account for your overall
cost and ensure that you stay within
budget.

STEP 2: SELECTING A
DESTINATION
Once your budget is
established and your team
is selected, you are well on
your way to developing
the critical path of your
future worship facility.
Your guide will assist
you in determining
your worship-space

:,17
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46
needs, developing a design based on your church’s DNA, about the project will begin to grow. Your guide should keep
determining where your new facility will be constructed, and you completely informed during the building process. We
define and reevaluate your budget for the total project. Now believe that weekly updates are absolutely necessary during
you are ready to begin the design process. this phase to guarantee your project is completed on time
and within budget.
STEP 3: THE DESIGN PROCESS The design/build method will give you single-source
After completing a needs analysis and overall budget, you accountability. Rather than hiring several contractors and
will be ready to design your new worship facilities. During consultants, your church has just one entity to deal with.
the design process, your church’s needs are translated into a Design revisions, budgeting, permitting, jobsite issues, con-
viable solution that can be communicated to your congrega- struction questions, change orders, and billing can all be
tion and, ultimately, to your construction team. I feel the best routed through one source. Additionally, the design/build
way to accomplish this is the design/build method in which method steers projects away from the “finger-pointing”
the builder, design team (architect, engineer), and the church that is often commonplace in construction projects, and
are all under one contract from the very beginning of the allows the church to turn to one source with questions or
project. This cooperative team effort reduces misunderstand- concerns. Also, it is important that you limit your liabilities
ings and prevents adversarial relationships from occurring. by obtaining a builder’s risk insurance policy, as construc-
How does this work? Specifically, the design/build meth- tion sites can be very dangerous. In the United States, there
od focuses on combining the design, permit, and construc- are typically over 1,000 construction-related fatalities a year.
tion phases in order to streamline the traditional design/ Worship facilities can be subject to many different risks while
bid/build process. The design/build method strives to bring under construction. They can catch fire, be damaged by high
together design and construction professionals in a collabora- winds, or fall victim to other forces such as theft or vandal-
tive environment to produce the most cost-effective design ism. In many cases, the church itself is responsible for these
and to simultaneously complete their tasks. Sometimes, this liabilities, instead of the contractor.
can be referred to as value-engineering. With this method,
the church, the design team, and the design/builder work STEP 6: COMPLETING THE JOURNEY
together to determine what methods and materials will maxi- One of the most overlooked areas of cost is commonly
mize the church’s value. known as FF&E (fixtures, furniture, and equipment). This
includes your audio-visual package, office furnishings, tele-
STEP 4: FINANCING THE JOURNEY communications, sanctuary seating, coffee shop/gathering
Once your building documents (architectural and civil place needs, etc. Failure to properly plan for this area in your
plans) are in place, you will be prepared to present them overall budget can cause your team and congregation to be
to your congregation and lending institutions. Again, it is disappointed in the worship experience of your new facility.
critical that your guide walks you and your leadership team We suggests 10 percent to 20 percent of your total budget
through securing funds for your project. In today’s banking be included for this area. Today’s worship facilities require a
environment, it is extremely difficult to obtain large loans significant amount of time, energy, and financial resources.
without professional help. However, with proper planning, the building process should
not be feared but embraced. ■
STEP 5: CONSTRUCTION
Once construction begins, the church will start to see Wes Hardin is owner of PAR Church Builders; Website: www.
the results of your labor, and the congregation’s excitement parchurchbuilders.com; Used with permission.

insights & trends

PASTORSWIVES.ORG offers community and resources to help these brave “first ladies”
of church life. The site provides discussion forums, devotionals, conference details, and :,17
practical articles—all geared for women in this unique and challenging role. HQJDJH

47
:,17
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48
 The Need for
DISCIPLESHIP AND

MENTORING ■ by BRENDA R. ANDERSON

I
HAVE BEEN in ministry since 1981. During this time, things of God. A discipleship program should occur on a
I have personally discovered that members who are weekly basis. This will help new converts to stay focused as
discipled according to the Word of God grow and they grow to become strong and mature followers of Christ.
flourish in the things of God. I have been blessed to
minister in the inner city, and the majority of our MENTORING
members come from deplorable conditions. Most were hard- Along with a sustained discipleship program, it is vital to
core drug addicts, but by the grace of God they surrendered create a mentoring ministry that utilizes the talents and gifts
their lives to Jesus. The leadership of the church was ready to of the experienced pastor and older saints to help establish
lead them in discipleship, which in turn, brought an excite- young believers in their walk with Christ. While discipling
ment and enthusiasm to reach others by telling them what looks more at spiritual development, mentoring helps devel-
the Lord had done for them. op the social development of character and conduct. For
I personally mentor church members. Discipling and example, mentoring can be done one-on-one to help develop
mentoring are both vital in the twenty-first century. Our Lord a Christian within a social environment such as work, school,
and Savior Jesus Christ gave the mandate “to go and make self-development, self-awareness, and reaching individual
disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV). As our risen goals. Examples of mentoring in the Bible are seen in the rela-
Lord spoke over two thousand years ago to the first disciples, tionship between the apostle Paul and young Timothy and
He is speaking today to pastors and church members. He is with the older women instructing and teaching the younger
speaking through the Holy Spirit to continue His mandate to women (Titus 2:3-5). Mentoring is an experienced person
“go and make disciples of all nations.” Discipling is biblical teaching a younger person from their own life experiences,
teaching to observe all things Jesus has commanded. thereby giving wise counsel and guidance.

DISCIPLING MANDATE
The church must invest in a discipleship program that We have a mandate from our Lord to “go and make
teaches and instructs in the message and doctrine of the disciples.” Church leaders must develop a discipleship pro-
Bible. Discipleship builds on the knowledge, precepts, and gram that fits the needs of the local congregation. Again,
teachings of Jesus Christ. Discipleship guides the church in it is essential that a well-constructed mentoring program
following the command Christ gave after the Lord’s Supper to be developed. Discipleship and mentoring includes all
and washing the disciple’s feet (John 13:13-17)—to observe ages. People will experience life to its fullest as they grow
His example. Jesus personally instructed the disciples in and mature in the will of God through discipling and
the things of God. We must disciple those sent our way by mentoring. The Church of God under the leadership of Dr.
teaching them the doctrines of Christ. Discipleship supports Raymond Culpepper (general overseer) has chosen to meet
the growth of the church. As the gospel of Christ is spread the mandate through a biblical emphasis on prayer, the
throughout our communities, people will hear and accept Great Commission, and the quest for trust. It is time to reach
the good news and respond positively. the harvest and bring souls into the Kingdom. The door of
The church must go beyond passing out tracks, advertis- opportunity is open for discipleship and mentoring! ■
ing, and knocking on doors. These are wonderful ways to
reach people, but we must think about the “what after.” After Brenda R. Anderson, M.A., is pastor of Victory Praise Church :,17
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performing these regular evangelistic things, a well-structured in Washington, D.C.; Website: www.victorypraise.homestead.
discipleship program will teach and instruct believers in the com; Email: [email protected] 49
 28 DAYSof
REACHING OUTin PRAYER
March 4–25
An Intercession Emphasis for Touching the Unchurched
Important: Even though this prayer emphasis is listed for plan is very simple: the emphasis will include four weeks, and
March, it can be used at any time by a local church. each week prayer will center on one of four areas of outreach.
Guidelines and suggestions are listed for each week. The

P
RAYER IS THE POWER of the church! Prayer brings prayer emphasis for each week can be listed in the church
us into the presence of God, issues His peace, and bulletin or all four weeks can be distributed in the form of a
cultivates prosperity in every area of life. Prayer is brochure.
also the “reaching-out” power of the church. It
produces conviction for sin, creates a desire to seek the Lord, DAILY PRAYER TIME
and inspires change in loyalty and lifestyle. Each day church members will begin prayer time by pray-
The 28-day prayer campaign is designed to bring local ing the Jabez Prayer:
congregations together to pray for outreach vision and Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my
involvement—focus on reaching the unchurched for Christ. The territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that
You would keep me from evil, that I might not cause
pain [that I may bring glory to Your kingdom] (1
Chronicles 4:10 NKJV).
The prayer is both personal and corporate. It revolves
around the four specific areas of outreach on which the
emphasis will focus—Blessings, Enlargement, Protection, and
Kingdom Enrichment.
After praying the Jabez Prayer, look at the subjects for the
week. Observe the suggestions, make a list of names, loca-
tions, or activities, and then spend quality time in interces-
sory prayer.

FIRST WEEK: March 4–10

Pray for the Ministries of the Church.

UÊ>Ži a list of the ministries of the church. Be sure to

include all ministries—from the nursery, to nurturing pro-
grams, to new converts.
UÊ ,iVœÀ` the names of ministry leaders, workers, and
helpers in each department.
UÊ ˆÛˆ`i the ministries into five or seven days. Pray for
specific ministries, activities, and personnel each day during
:,17 the week.
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UÊ
Î God to bless outreach effectiveness, discipleship
50 training, spiritual fruitfulness, and contribution of workers.
 UÊ œ˜Ì>VÌ four or five ministry leaders or workers via a Pray:
phone call, letter, or personal conversation. Express apprecia- —The Lord’s Prayer—Matthew 6:9-13;
tion for their vision, commitment, and service to God and —For lost sheep—Luke 15;
His church. Let them know you are praying for them. —To speak with authority—Acts 4:29-30;
—That God’s Word would spread rapidly—
- " Ê7 \ÊMarch 11–17 2 Thessalonians 3:1.
Pray for Unsaved Family Members and Relatives. UÊ
Î God to make you a burning light at work (1 Peter
2:9). Pinpoint specific ways to share your faith with people
UÊ
Î God to disturb your spirit concerning your own with whom you work.
flesh and blood who do not have a personal relationship UÊ7ÀˆÌi down the names of five leaders in your city. Pray
with Jesus Christ. for them by name and ask the Lord to visit them with a spirit
UÊ *Ài«>Ài a list of unsaved parents, brothers, sisters, of righteousness.
aunts, uncles, etc. Write a personal note by each name. UÊ ,i“i“LiÀ to pray for the chief of police, officers,
UÊ-iiŽ God for their salvation. Ask Him to strike convic- firefighters, and postal employees.
tion in their hearts and to send witnesses and wake-up calls
across the path of each one. At the conclusion of the 28 Days of Reaching Out in
UÊ > at least five of the individuals on your list. Talk Prayer, your Christian life will be richer, the church will be
about their wellbeing and state you are praying for them. stronger, and the lives of hundreds of individuals will be
UÊ -iiVÌ at least one or two and invite them to attend purer. The four tracks of prayer outlined—Church, Family,
church with you. Arrange to have lunch with them. Believe Children and Youth, and Neighbors (workplace and city
the Lord for a life-changing decision. personnel), is a pattern you can use on a regular basis. It is
foundational in touching the unchurched.
THIRD WEEK: March 18–24
Pray for the Children and Youth of the Community. Even though dates have been set for this emphasis, a
church has the option to set a different time to promote the
UÊ *ÕÀ«œÃi to make an impact on children and youth prayer campaign.
who are close to you. Write down the names of five of them
for whom you will earnestly pray.
UʈÃÌ the names of elementary and junior high princi-
pals and some of the teachers. Pray for school safety, leaders,
and the development of students.
UÊ*Ài«>Ài a list of high schools. Pray for students, coach-
es, and school programs. Ask God for a spiritual awakening
among students.
UÊ -iiVÌ one school for prayerwalking. After school, or
one day during school, walk around the school and pray for
God’s provisions and protection. Prayerwalking “helps you to
draw nearer in order to pray clearer.”
UÊ/>Ž to one or two students. Share that you are pray-
ing for them and their school. Inquire about problems and
opportunities.

"1,/Ê7 \ÊMarch 25–31

Pray for Neighbors, People at Work, City Leaders.

UÊ-iiVÌ several families in the neighborhood to pray for

daily. Invite a family to have a meal with you. Share literature
about the church and upcoming activities. :,17
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UÊ ˜}>}iÊin prayerwalking in the neighborhood. As you
walk, pray God’s blessings on each home. 51
 The 74th Church of God
INTERNATIONAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY

E
VERY TWO YEARS, the Church Important Items to Remember
of God looks forward to gather-
ing together to celebrate God’s
Orlando, Florida The Assembly will take place in the
North/South Building of the Orange
goodness through fellowship, July 24-27, 2012 County Convention Center (OCCC).
worship, praise, relaxation, and church t
3FHJTUSBUJPO is required for admission
business. Due to the popularity and ease to observe General Assembly business
of the venue, the General Assembly will Registration and Hotel sessions.
be conducted in the beautiful and family- Reservation Forms t
1BSLJOH is available adjacent to the
friendly city of Orlando, Florida, for the 0GGJDJBM
SFHJTUSBUJPO
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+BOVBSZ
 As OCCC for $14 per day with in and out
second consecutive time. with any Assembly, the first order of busi- privileges. There will be no shuttle service
Orlando has a lot to offer Assembly ness is registration and hotel reservations. between hotels and the OCCC.
delegates, from a convenient and versa- The forms on the following pages give t
)PUFM
SFTFSWBUJPOT are being coordi-
tile conference venue to plenty of nearby complete instructions. Once completed, nated by The Housing Connection via
hotel space. Like past locations, there these forms can either be mailed or faxed XXXDIVSDIPGHPEPSH.
is also a multitude of dining choices, to the proper venues. However, the quick- t
5IF
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*OUFSOBUJPOBM
"JSQPSU is
but Orlando also offers what it is most est and most efficient method for accom- located approximately 12 miles from the
famous for—family entertainment in plishing both of these items is by logging OCCC.
BCVOEBODF
1MBDFT
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XPSMEGBNPVT
%JT- on to the Church of God website (www. t
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TUJQ-
ney parks, Universal Studios, Sea World, DIVSDIPGHPEPSH) and clicking on the “Gen- ulations as indicated on the delegate and
and the Holy Land Experience offer ways eral Assembly” link on the home page. hotel reservation forms to ensure a com-
for the family to enjoy themselves on the Online reservations/registration opens plete and pleasant registration process.
front or back end of the Assembly. January 9. See you in Orlando!
:,17
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 The
QUEST
for
TRUST
The Foundation for the Christian Life

Responses from
Pastors and Church Leaders
■ Trust is the foundation of the Christ life—trust in God, ■ Ernest Hemingway once said, “The best way to find
trust in the church, and trust in each other. Trust is vital to out if you can trust someone is to trust him.” The Quest
the mental, emotional, and spiritual life of a believer. I am for Trust emphasis reminds us as partners in ministry we
thankful for The Quest for Trust Response Kit. The age-level must constantly act in ways that demonstrate our trust
material has impacted our congregation and community. in God and in each other, and that conveys our own
—Randy Smith, lead pastor, The Healing Place Church, trustworthiness. Dr. Culpepper’s first initiative, Prayer,
Trussville, Alabama emphasized the Great Commitment; the second focused
on The Great Commission; and the third, The Quest for
■ I highly recommend The Quest for Trust initiative. Trust, underscores the Great Commandment. The Quest
Using age-appropriate resources key areas of ministry have for Trust is a full-gospel catechism for understanding bib-
been targeted—our families, our congregations, our com- lical relationships.
munities, and our leadership. The state office was able to —James E. Cossey, D.Min., state administrative bishop,
provide packets for all of our pastors. I have been blessed Michigan.
by the overwhelmingly positive response. Trust is a founda-
tional principle in church health and outreach. ■ I serve on the board of directors of an organization called
—Kenneth R. Bell, D.Min., administrative bishop, Pennsylvania. Operation Transformation—“churches working together for
a changed community.” We are making a positive contribu-
■ The Quest for Trust is a tremendous resource that brings tion toward developing trust between the local church and
clarity as to how the body of Christ is to function. The the government. The Quest for Trust material comple-
:,17 initiative has enhanced the unity of our church. I highly ments and adds guidance and support in reaching our goals.
HQJDJH
recommend it. —Richard L. Shelton, lead pastor, Rivereside Tabernacle, Fort
56 —Laurence Wall, pastor of Newport, Vermont, Maine. Gratlot, Michigan.
■ To shepherd the same flock for 27 years, you have to laity and clergy for church unity and growth. I commend
say to the people “Trust Me!”, then you have to prove it by the Executive Committee for this scriptural initiative.
setting an example of integrity, discipline, and mentoring —A. Ray Garner, administrative bishop, South Georgia.
leadership. The Quest for Trust material shows how to be
an example of trust for pastors and church members. Trust ■ Providing the Trust Response Kit for our pastors was an
principles for children and youth are also set forth. I have investment in leadership. To perform God’s work effectively
been in ministry for over 58 years, and I believe the trust and progressively in leadership on a state level and in local
material is foundational for every local church. churches requires trust and interdependence, partnership in
—Dwight Aldinger, pastor, Stafford, Garrisonville, VA. ministry. The results have been overwhelming.
—Michael L. Baker, D.D., administrative bishop, North Georgia.
The administrative bishops of both South and North Georgia
purchased The Quest for Trust Response Kits for all of their ■ I find The Quest for Trust resources to be very valu-
pastors. able. I am preaching sermons on trust on Sunday morning,
our Life Groups discuss the material in their sessions, and
■ I met with the pastors on each district and gave them the material for children is taught in Sunday school. It has
The Quest for Trust Response Kit. I have witnessed brought a closeness in our congregation.
throughout the state an increased trust level between the —Calvin Woodring, lead pastor, Elkton, Maryland.

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57
 THE SOUL PURPOSE—Continued from page 43 are the accepted methods of evangelism, which are still
unchanged. They could even be doctrines and sentiments
Furthermore, there are no emergency arrangements which tell us to “leave it all to God.”
found in Scripture in case the gospel fails. It won’t! More Some insist God’s method of winning the lost is revival,
people are being saved, healed, and baptized in the Holy but they fail to carry out the Great Commission in the mean-
Spirit today than ever before in human history. We are not while. Some think that if people are to be saved, they will be
called with the outcome of an uncertain war hanging in the saved anyway. Suppose such theories are wrong? After all,
balance. We are called to share the victory and the spoils. they surely are! What an awful risk, to rest the eternal destiny
God’s invincible secret is the cross of Christ, which fright- of souls upon a controversial interpretation of Scripture or
ens every demon in hell. Heaven will be an eternal and domi- the turn of a Greek verb. We must err on the side of obedi-
nating monument to the victory of the gospel. My words are ence to the Great Commission.
a welcome to join a conquering army, not a plea to support And so, I urge you, be a part of it. Return soulwinning as
a hopeless and desperate resistance against overwhelming a priority to the church. I believe the best is yet to be. The
odds. Our Captain never lost a battle, and He never will. whole world will resound with the praises of our God and
Savior. In all nations and in every tongue, confession will
BE PART OF GOD’S SOUL PURPOSE be made that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
For this purpose, God has laid down the basic means for Father. ■
the salvation of souls. Human schemes have not been the
answer, and if we follow them, we will see the present genera- Reinhard Bonnke is the founder of Christ for All Nations (CfaN)
tion die in their sins. The mighty commission of Christ to His and is principally known for his gospel crusades. He has conducted
church is a call to the war against unbelief, using the sword of citywide meetings across Africa with as many as 1.6 million people
the gospel as our weapon. attending a single meeting. Since the start of the new millennium,
We need more imaginative approaches rather than doing through a host of major events in Africa and other parts of the
things a certain way just because that’s the way they have world, the ministry has recorded 55 million documented decisions
always been done. Methods which have made little impact for Jesus Christ. He is also recognized for hosting Fire Conferences
in the past are not likely to produce an impact now. Plodding in many parts of the world that are aimed at equipping church
along mechanically might be called faithfulness in the zom- leaders and workers for evangelism. His ministry teaches an online
bie land of the missionary boneyard, but our primary con- self-study course aimed at inspiring Holy Spirit evangelism and
cern in evangelism is effectiveness, not this type of so-called publishes follow-up literature as part of its discipleship-training
faithfulness. program that has been translated into 103 languages and printed
I am concerned, because there surely must be limiting in 55 countries. More information about Evangelist Bonnke can be
factors hindering the gospel. These limiting factors possibly found on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Used with permission.

insights & trends

WOMEN GIVE MORE THAN MEN. According to the Center on Philanthropy,
women give significantly more to charity than men. Nonprofit groups have stated
that women are the driving forces behind many of the gifts they receive. There are
several reasons for this: more women are working, their incomes have increased,
and more have college degrees. The percentage of women who make more
money than their working husbands is now about 26 percent.
—Impact: Does this relate to local church giving? How can it be recognized and
emphasized?

AVENUES FOR CHURCH GROWTH. A survey by the Barna Group/Alpha USA

revealed the top three areas of church ministry senior pastors wanted to see
develop and grow in the coming twelve months: Outreach/Evangelism (46%);
Specific Ministries (youth, children, men’s, etc., 32%); and Spiritual Growth (28%).
:,17 —Impact: You have to reach the unchurched before you can train and teach
HQJDJH about spiritual growth.
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