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The Third Wave of Chinese Churches

Most probably you have heard of the Three Self church and also the underground church in China. But a new wave of urban churches are emerging. These are run publicly, with the full knowledge of the party officials. While the underground church is mainly amongst rural communities, this new urban church is made up of educated Chinese who have influence with the officials often including the party elite themselves.

According an article in Christianity Today Chinese official estimates number Christians in China to be 130 million! These three streams of the Church in China represent staggering growth. According to this article, Christianity is changing China in all kinds of social ways, from economics to dealing with corruption. 

So what are some of the keys to explosive Church planting in China?

1. There is a moral/spiritual vacuum created by communism in China. Especially so after Tienanmen square.
2. The Gospel is shared person to person not through programmatic approaches.
3. With a strong emphasis on Church planting, new believers quickly plant new Churches.
4. Theses Churches are Bible based, theologically conservative and evangelical
5. Within the Chinese church planting movement there is a release of the five fold gifts found in Eph 4
6. The equipping of all disciples to make disciples
7. A missionary call permeates the Church to go reach the nations through movement like the 'Back to Jerusalem' movement

As China is emerging as the next super power, God is raising up a Church that will shake the world. Bring it on Lord!

The dynamite of the gospel!

While in India, I had the privilege of being at the sidelines of some 'CHE' (Community Health Evangelism)training and ministry. It's great!When you get hold of the idea that the gospel is not simply about going to heaven but the transformation of communities... you have dynamite on your hands! It can result in explosive church planting, communities being impacted in every aspect of life, and the empowerment of people. That's what a Jesus movement can do!

Floyd and Sally McClung came to town!

Floyd and Sally are not only authors and leaders, but they have pioneered ministries around the globe that have resulted in many broken people coming to Christ. Pioneer of Diliram Houses, The ‘Ark’ in Amsterdam, YWAM International president - and now, instead of slowing down, Floyd and Sally has decided to keep pioneering with a move to South Africa to work with pioneering Church planters in that continent. Many of you would also know Floyd from his numerous books including ‘Living on the Devils Doorstep’ & ‘The Father Heart of God’.

Floyd has ministered to me over the years as I have sat under his ministry. He is a father in the Lord, a teacher and a visionary. He is one of my heroes!

Check out his blog

Pass this onto anyone you know that might be blessed by Floyd’s ministry.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy

I think that one of the most overlooked areas of church planting movements is the role of the Holy Spirit. It seems in every movement, as one looks behind the scenes, there has been power encounters of some kind that sets the stage for explosive growth. The gospels and Acts proves this point well. Most of the growth in the Church in the last hundred years has been what most would classify as pentecostal or charismatic movements. The explosive church in South America, China, Africa and India could be primarily described as such. One staggering fact is that pentecostalism has grown from 0 to 600 million in a hundred years! Most of this growth is in the third world, in places of poverty and often when there is intense persecution. In relatively recent history, explosive movements in the Western world like the Salvation Army, or the Wesleyan revivals have had great manifestations of power in their beginnings. And when the Holy Spirit is involved he always seems to jump out of our neat little boxes.
'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
Acts 2: 17-18 (NIV)

Secret 7 - Cause driven

Structure

The Hope Chapel movement is cause driven. The movement hangs together because of the cause of discipleship and Mini Church. Research on Hope Chapel daughter churches has shown that six generations removed, the granddaughter churches still hold to the original model and DNA of the Hope Chapel. They maintain the DNA and still talk like Ralph Moore. Decision making is given away quickly to the plant because they are cause driven not driven by structure. Focus on teaching the leader how to think is the priority, so they then will know how to act.

Hope Chapel is a movement within a movement. The Churches are part of the Four Square movement. Mostly Four Square provides the legal structures and policy by which they should operate. Though it should be noted, this is not the case with all their plants. The ‘cause’ is primary, and therefore decision to be Four Square is left up to the individual plant.

As already stated, Hope Chapel is relationally driven. This is also the glue of the movement. They exhibit the ‘band of brothers’ ideal.

I love this statement by Ralph...

We are fractious, accidental and chaotic, and we want it to stay like that. As soon as we start to systemise things we will lose it… and God will start to move on the edges again. If our systems stand in the way of the bleeding edge of Christianity, we have got to get rid of the system.’ RM

Secret 6 - Training

Training

The 6^th secret Ralph Moore has is Hope Chapel’s in-house training.

‘We are not smart, we are relentless.’ RM

Moore discourages planters and developing leader going to seminary or college. This helps him create his culture of discipleship within the hearts of those he disciples.

‘Every Church is supposed to be the seminary. It’s not about what’s wrong with seminaries; it’s about what’s wrong with the Church.’ RM

‘Church is your discipleship model and discipleship is your Church model.’ RM

Moore meets with a group of 20 -30 potential leaders, mainly drawn from his Mini Church leaders and current planters, every Saturday Morning at 9am. They use the same methodology as the Mini Church. Talk and pray. They read books, the Bible and discuss. There is no time commitment required, just come if you want to. Most of the leaders/planters we heard from paid a considerable personal cost to attend this meeting and Moore has no difficulty with people wanting to come.

The range of people being trained is quite striking. They included:

• different ethnicities (Japanese, Hawaiian, Anglo’s);
• a wide age range of people;
• those who had been homeless to surgeons.

Secret 5 - Producing leaders

Producing Leaders

The 5^th secret of Ralph Moore’s success is the ability produce leaders. Leaders came from such a wide range of people, from the homeless to surgeons.

‘If some-one has a follower, they are a leader.’ RM

Hope Chapel’s Mini Church is the leadership farm. To become a leader within the Hope Chapel movement you must first demonstrate ability to lead within the mini Church model. The potential leader must begin the group, multiply him/her self and then start another group. Once they have started 2 or 3 groups they are then considered as potential planters.

‘We are crazy and out there, but we don’t take big risks. We take small and measured risks with people.’ RM

There seemed to be a seamless integration between paid staff and non paid staff. Or better put, the clergy - laity gap did not exist. Hope Chapel has a bent towards releasing lay leaders

Secret 4 - Relationally driven

Relationally Driven

The 4^th secret I could glean from my time with Ralph Moore at Hope Chapel was it is all about relationships.

‘The discipleship just happens - discipleship is friendship.’ 

Hope Chapel Planter

In my time at hope Chapel, there were many of the leaders that stated, ‘you know it’s about hanging out together’. One leader of a Church larger than a 1000 people told me over a meal, ‘Ralph discipled me through teaching me how to change oil on my car’.

Moore exemplifies that discipleship is not a program, but who you are. It is not based on curriculum.

‘People are hungry for relationship and the Sunday morning does not fill the longing.’

Secret 3 - Simple Church

‘When it gets so easy to reproduce that people don’t know the founder – then it’s a movement’ Ralph Moore

Ralph's objective is to produce a reproducible model of Church that anyone could do. A model that requires little or no resources. Neil Cole, who has been mentored by Ralph says it like this... we need to bring the bar down on doing Church and lift the bar on discipleship.

I love this! Making disciples is the core of the program. There is no manual. No tens steps. For Moore Church is simply the gathering of Mini Churches. It all starts with the Mini Church.

Re the complexity we have created about Church Ralph says ‘Busyness in the programs, ‘church stuff’ destroys the heart of discipleship. Mini Church helps people concentrate on what is important. I.e. the Great Commission: reaching our friends for Christ... Setting up chairs is easy’.

Church needs to be simple and reproducible enough that people don’t have to leave their jobs to do it. Using this as a basis for Church Ralph suggests that planting a congregation of up to 200 people needs no staff and no wages. Pretty radical.... what do you think?