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A Case for Church Planting in the Carolina
Conference
Is there Biblical & SOP support for raising up new churches?
Acts 16:6-10“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night…
Acts 16:6-10“…a man from Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us,’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
Acts 16:6-10
“…a man from Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us…’”
Who was this “man” from Macedonia?
Acts 16:6-10
Who here is initiating church planting in Macedonia?
Church planting is a central focus of the early church!
Church Planting in the NT?
Paul, model church planter
“And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written,
Romans 15:20-22
‘They who had no news of Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.’ For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you.”
Romans 15:20-22
Evidence that God used EGW to support church planting in the Adventist Church is clear.
What about in the SOP?
Testimonies, vol. 9, page 28-29
“I saw jets of light shining from cities and villages, and from the high places and the low places of the earth. God’s word was obeyed, and as a result there were memorials for Him in every city and village. His truth was proclaimed throughout the world.”
"Upon all who believe, God has placed a burden of raising up churches."
Medical Ministry, p. 315
Work not finished with paid clergy alone!
“It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained minister.” Desire of Ages, page 822
“We shall not hover over the churches but press into new territory and raise the standard in places where the message has not been proclaimed.”
Manuscript Releases Volume Seventeen [Nos. 1236-1300], Page 124
“If the ministers would get out of the way, if they would go forth into new fields, the members would be obliged to bear responsibilities, and their capabilities would increase by use.”
What a blessing to be tapped into!
Letter 56, 1901.
Vision for multiplication1. Pastors that commit to raise up a new church in every district they pastor until Jesus comes!
2. Lay people that step forward as laborers to raise up churches… resulting in “jets of light” in every city and village.
STOP PRAYING FOR THE HARVEST!
“The harvest is plentiful, BUT the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
Leadership is the single most limiting factor to church plant multiplication!
Purpose of Church Planting?Convenience of driving?Have less church work???
Purpose of Church Planting?Convenience of driving?Have less church work???Carry the message to lost people
Purpose of Church Planting?Convenience of driving?Have less church work???Carry the message to lost people
Building Jesus (spiritual) kingdom
What will be the consequences of not intentionally planting new churches?
The $25,000 question
What will be the consequences of not intentionally planting new churches??
A limited harvest of souls(damaging) Church splits!
The $25,000 question
When the motivations for starting a new church are due to LEGITIMATE unhealthy issues in the mother church, what is the down side?
Having intentional church plants vs. unhealthy unintentional church splits
Consider:If we do not learn how to be intentional/strategic in planting churches, the only plants will be as a result of splits. Entire metro areas are populated with unhealthy churches due to this being the method utilized. The bad DNA continues to be perpetuated.
What about the impact on Mother Churches?
Loss of attendance
What about the impact on Mother Churches?
Loss of attendanceLoss of finances
What about the impact on Mother Churches?
Loss of attendanceLoss of financesBut NOT in intentional church
plants
Let’s look at a case study of a church plant…
Raleigh Church
Population2000…….276,0932010…….403,892
MOTHER CHURCH – RALEIGHLITTLE CREEK ADVENTIST FELLOWSHIP
COMPANYGroup Status: 07/01/2008Company Status: 07/19/2010
Attendance at Raleigh prior to company status 2009……316 people2010……2011…….2012……
MOTHER CHURCH – RALEIGHLITTLE CREEK ADVENTIST FELLOWSHIP
COMPANYGroup Status: 07/01/2008Company Status: 07/19/2010
Attendance at Raleigh prior to company status 2009……316 people2010……355 people (303+52)2011…….2012……
MOTHER CHURCH – RALEIGHLITTLE CREEK ADVENTIST FELLOWSHIP
COMPANYGroup Status: 07/01/2008Company Status: 07/19/2010
Attendance at Raleigh prior to company status 2009……316 people2010……355 people (303+52)2011…….399 people (332+67)2012……
MOTHER CHURCH – RALEIGHLITTLE CREEK ADVENTIST FELLOWSHIP
COMPANYGroup Status: 07/01/2008Company Status: 07/19/2010
Attendance at Raleigh prior to company status 2009……316 people2010……355 people (303+52)2011…….399 people (332+67)2012……436 people (340+96)
What about the impact on Mother Churches?
Loss of attendance? Loss of finances?
What about the impact on Mother Churches?
Loss of attendance? NO!Loss of finances?
What about the impact on Mother Churches?
Loss of attendance? NO!Loss of finances? NO!
What about the impact on Mother Churches?
Loss of attendance? NO!Loss of finances? NO! Quick recovery for mother
church (6-12 months)
What about the impact on Mother Churches?
Loss of attendance? NO!Loss of finances? NO! Quick recovery for mother
church (6-12 months) YES!
What about the impact on Mother Churches?
Loss of attendance? NO!Loss of finances? NO! Quick recovery for mother church
(6-12 months) YES!Key is to avoid taking more than
20%of worship attendance from mother
What is a pastor-coach?
In lay-led church plants,they each have a pastor-coach
What is a pastor-coach?Definition of coach:--A pastor employed by the
Conference.
In lay-led church plants,they each have a pastor-coach
What we are looking for in a pastor-coach…
- Proven soul-winner- Excellent listener- Empowering (will not take over
the plant).- Familiar with the techniques of
coaching and self-discovery.- Willing to commit (this is
voluntary!)
RequirementsCoaching Relationship:
1. Lay Planter and Coach
will meet on a monthly basis for a coaching appointment. Lunch or supper is recommended (up to $20 covered by conference).
Content of Coaching Meeting:
--Ask Questions--Listen--Encourage--Accountability--Resource--Prayer
--Ask Questions--Listen--Encourage--Accountability--Resource--Prayer
Content of Coaching Meeting:--Ask Questions…Examples: “What successes/victories
have you experienced recently?” “What can we celebrate?”
“What challenges are you currently encountering that we can pray about?”
--Ask Questions…Examples: “What successes/victories
have you experienced recently?” “What can we celebrate?”
“What challenges are you currently encountering that we can pray about?”
Requirements:2. Coach meets with church plant group on a
monthly basis.
--Maximum 1x quarter on Sabbath morning. Options include: board meeting, business
meeting, social, youth outing, etc.
--Coach conducts baptisms and ordinations.
Purpose: A relationship is built with the coach. The coach can resource the lay planter more intelligently.
Requirements:
3. Coach holds (or plays integral role) a one week-two weekend reaping evangelistic meeting with the plant on an annual basis.
-- The coach has a relationship with the group so they will be well prepared and supportive of the meeting.
Future benefits of a coachCoach encourages planter and plant to:
-- move toward company and then church status.
-- stay focused on the mission of the church through regular evangelistic endeavors.
-- be realistic regarding facility needs and requests.
-- keep a positive relationship with the Conference.
Pastors doing more equipping, training and empowering of lay leadership
The parts of the world where this is followed the most, church grows the fastest!
Pastors aligning themselves closer to their Biblical job description
Affluence obesity
Work more less time
Fast food obesity, etc. Technology
less mobility
Affluence Link
Affluence detrimental.Affording and employing settled pastors (spiritual and church growth killer)
What’s the counsel on pastor-dependency?
Lack of growth in US Church: culprit
“Teach the people to have light in themselves, and not to depend upon the ministers. They should have Christ as their helper, and should educate themselves to help one another, so that the minister can be free to enter new fields.”
Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, Page 139
The Seventh-day Adventist Church had more churches raised up from 1920-1929 than ministers employed.
By 1996, it took 122 ministers to raise up one church!
But isn’t having a pastor more
of a blessing to church growth?
Benefit of more lay-led, pastor-coached church plants:
workers to be used to enter new fields where there is no church!
But do we have areas that still need to be reached in 2013?!
such wide-open territories….
YES!
Annual pop. increase of 97,000Most populated cities
Charlotte = 731kRaleigh = 404kGreensboro = 270kWinston-Salem = 230kDurham = 228kFayetteville = 200kCary = 135k
NC Stats (9.7million)
Annual pop. increase of 58,000Most populated cities
Columbia = 130kCharleston = 120kN. Charleston = 98kMount Pleasant = 68kRock Hill = 66k(most pop. county) Greenville County = 452kCurrently 1 English Ch. & 1 Spanish Ch.
SC Stats (4.5 million)
What do you think
the pop. within this
circle is?
What do you think
the pop. within this
circle is? >1 million
!
The new role of associate pastors was to plant one church each year?
1/6th of Carolina Conference pastoral force was reassigned to plant churches while pastor-coaching the established churches?
What would happen if….
“Those who take their stand for the truth are to be organized into churches, and then the minister is to pass on to other equally important fields. Just as soon as a church is organized, let the minister set the members at work. They will need to be taught how to labor successfully....”
Evangelism, Page 353-354
1. Local church communicates desire with the conference church planting director
2. Church planting director processes viability with Executive Secretary and/or church planting committee
Initial Process of Planting a Church
3. Once approval has been given, the prospective mother church votes both in favor of the church plant and who the lay leader will be at a business meeting
4. A core group is selected and it processes the workbook, Steps to Church Planting by Tom L. Evans before launching worship services.
Initial Process of Planting a Church
What counts as a step?50 Steps in 5 years
What counts as a step?How’s our progress?
2011……….…………………………………….?
2012…………………………………………….?
2013…………………………………………….?
2014…………………………………………….?
2015…………………………………………….?
50 Steps in 5 years
What counts as a step?How’s our progress?
2011……….…………………………………….7
2012…………………………………………….?
2013…………………………………………….?
2014…………………………………………….?
2015…………………………………………….?
50 Steps in 5 years
What counts as a step?How’s our progress?
2011……….…………………………………….7
2012…………………………………………….9
2013…………………………………………….?
2014…………………………………………….?
2015…………………………………………….?
50 Steps in 5 years
What counts as a step?How’s our progress?
2011……….…………………………………….7
2012…………………………………………….9
2013…………………………………………….3
2014…………………………………………….?
2015…………………………………………….?
50 Steps in 5 years
