Church planting - Dave Lawton

How to Kill Church Planting Movements

David Garrison has written an excellent article on how to kill Church planting movements.

It comes from his book Church planting movements   

Click here for the pdf found in Mission Frontiers Nov-Dec 2004

China's Greatest Evangelist - Goforth

Have you heard of Jonathan Goforth? Probably not if you are like me. The heart of the greatest growth in the history of the Church has been in Henan Province of China. It was to this place the Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth went in the late 1800's. Goforth is a great name for a missionary isn't it! Through very difficult times of physical persecution and opposition from within and outside of the Church he saw many people come to Christ. Goforth laid the foundation of the earthshaking move of God in the 20th century in China. 

Dubbed as 'China's greatest evangelist' Goforth was dissatisfied with luke warm Christianity. He firmly rejected liberal theology that was within the current Chinese Church and also in the West. After witnessing revival in Korea, and being impacted by the Welsh revival and Charles Finney, the stage was set for Henan province. He declared the Bible had become 'life and breath to me'. He was intensely committed and only returned to Canada after he went blind in 1932, 2 years before his death. His methodology was simple and powerful... He preached the gospel and revival would come to those who publicly confessed their sins, repented and obeyed the Holy Spirit. New believers were quickly released into the task of preaching the gospel, often enduring real persecution.

Maybe we need to learn a few things from these heroes of the faith.

Check out Paul Hathaway's new Book 'Henan - the Galilee of China'

Read more here and here.

Small Groups host the Virus

      Lee Strobel writes....

I'm excited about the huge trend of believers starting small groups and inviting nonbelievers to join them. The Alpha Courseis taking this approach. A ministry on the East Coast, Neighborhood Bible Studies, was just kind of floundering. They have a new leader, Mary Schaller. Her vision is 25,000 groups, which have a new name, Q Place, in the next six years. We started these kinds of groups at Willow Creek. At one point, we had 1,100 nonbelievers in these groups. We found that if nonbelievers join one of these groups and stay with it, 80 percent come to faith.

 

80% is a big number!

 

If the Gospel is like a virus that spreads from person to person then maybe small groups are the best hosts of the virus. I firmly believe in the power of small groups. One of the truths that we are rediscovering from the non-western Church is that our models of 'what is Church' is often found wanting. By spending most of our time focusing on the one sacred hour on Sunday morning, we can be a Sunday morning, program orientated, building fixated Christianity. In doing so we have effectively contained the virus in quarantine and stopped the gospel becoming a pandemic. 

 

Many non-western Churches however gather anywhere and anytime they can, they study often in twos and threes... they are usually part of viral movements that spread and cannot be contained. These groups are simple, organic and led by 'untrained' and un-ordained men and women. . Though bound together by relationship, they also easily multiply.

 

If our job is to get the virus of the gospel out of quarantine.... could rediscovering the missional qualities of small groups be one of the keys?

The Viral Nature of the Gospel

 

 

In the late 70's there were an estimated 3 million Christians in China. Some are optimistically saying that there are now more that 130 million. If so that’s a 43 times multiplication! That makes it one of the largest growth spurts in Christian history. Similar comparisons could be made to modern day Africa and Latin America and what is now beginning in the great nation of India. 

    What has been the driving force in China? There have been no great crusades allowed, no big churches running great programs. As people crowd in small and uncomfortable houses, for hours on end to hear the gospel - buildings, car parking and toilets are not one the big considerations. 

    The Gospel has spread from person to person. In China the gospel has spread like a virus. Similar parallels to the current spread of the H1N1 virus could be made. The authorities might try and stop it and the best medical minds try and limit its contagious spread but it relentlessly continues on to spread from person to person. Such is the power of a virus. It is contagious and out of control. It starts small then spreads like wild fire. Once it is out it is hard to stop. That is what the gospel is supposed to be like. But in our Western form of Christianity, have we effectively locked it up? Have we inoculated Christians against sharing the gospel? Have we created non-contagious Christians? Something’s wrong. 

    I don't know about you but I am hungry, in fact I am desperate for the same infectious spirit to be released in our nation... and in me.

 

Concertinas and Movements?

 

My good friend Steve Addison talks about church planting movements using adaptive methods. This can be clearly seen in the Salvation Army’s use of Concertinas. Many think of the Salvos being a brass band movement, but few would know today that one of their primary instruments was the Anglo concertina.

 

Read more ...

General Booth - A vision for the Lost

One of the striking characteristics of movements is passion for the lost. It goes beyond theory  to a heart engagement that drives us into action. Jesus was like this in his engagement with the lost. Another great example is the Salvation army. Read what General Booth wrote and catch his passion. I think it is close to the heart of God.  

In one of my recent journeys, as I gazed from the coach window, I was led into a train of thought concerning the condition of the multitudes around me. They were living carelessly in the most open and shameless rebellion against God, without a thought for their eternal welfare.

As I looked out of the window, I seemed to see them all… millions of people all around me given up to their drink and their pleasure, their dancing and their music, their business and their anxieties, their politics and their troubles. Ignorant- willfully ignorant in many cases- and in other instances knowing all about the truth and not caring at all. But all of them, the whole mass of them, sweeping on and up in their blasphemies and devilries to the Throne of God. While my mind was thus engaged, I had a vision.

More...

Meet Abhay!

Hey, today I fly out for India. In the first week I catch up with my friend Abhay. Abhay is a Church planter and is spawning a movement of churches amongst Nepali people. Signs and wonders often happen under his ministry. Listen to his story. You'll enjoy hearing more about his story in posts to come!

Communication II - Phil Pringle

More quotes from Phil Pringle on communication

KISS > Keep It Simple Stupid

• If what we say is complicated and complex we are foolish.
• Great leaders speak in clear, simple, easily understood terms.
• Everybody following understands exactly what is required.
• The signal is clear about where we are going and where we are not.
• Great leaders master the art of communication.
• Successful communication is not in how much is said, but rather in the clarity. Did the listeners get it?
• If they 'got it', at what level were they inspired to act?
• Our people get courage from clear communication.
• They get ready for war.
• Say it as simply as you possibly can.

Communication - Phil Pringle

Communicating vision From Phil Pringle. Here are some quotes you might enjoy

• People in a dark room want to turn the light on.
• They want to see where they can walk.
• Communication in an organisation turns the light on for everyone.
• People do not function well in the dark.
• Absence of communication leaves people in the dark.
• Fear, distrust, suspicion, gossip and rumour all fester in this dark.
• Trust, faith and security make an organisation healthy.
• Communicate with people all the time.
• Arrange systems of communications.
• Use all the technology available to maintain open lines.
• Any military strategist will tell you that an army without communications is a defeated army.
• Turn the light on in your families, your workplace, your networks.
• Communicate!

The power of vision - 3C

C3 2020 Vision V1

One of the crucial elements of any church planting movement and leadership in general is the ability to create a compelling vision. What are people going to buy into? Where are we going? Christian City Church is one of the fastest growing Church planting Movements in Australia. Hearing Phil Pringle cast a vision for the 3C movement it's no wonder why!