Building a Strategy toward a Sustained &

Saturating CPM

Cooperating with God based on what we learn from a Pauline Case

StudySteve Smith

Questions►BASE PRESUPPOSITION:

CPMs are Spirit-initiated works Yet, our posture indicates whether we

will see Him work through us or not►Are you postured for CPM?

E.g. A ship setting its sails for the wind Are you utilizing methods that allow for

the Spirit to work?►No one puts new wine into old wineskins;

otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins. Mark 2:22

►How do you get there from here?

Posturing for CPM1. Path: Discerning the critical path of sectors

that must be reached2. Presuppositions: your mental boundaries /

expectations (faith) of what God will do3. Principles: the foundation of how you

operate your ministry that cooperates with the Spirit

4. Plans: your action plans to persistently work in expectation that God will honor such efforts

5. Person of God: – Nothing lasting will happen in your ministry without you first being a man or woman of God with a heart of integrity. The quality of your ministry will directly reflect the quality of your spiritual life.

1. Path – Understanding the basic sectors that need a CPM

► Simon & his companions went to look for him, & when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else – to nearby villages – so I can preach there also.” Mk 1.36-38

► At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” Lk 4.42,43

► After this the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. Lk 10.

► What do these Scriptures teach us about Jesus’ sense of purpose, planning and goals?

► Why did Jesus move on to new villages?

► Basically, we need to know the basic sectors of our target group that need a multiplying movement of churches

Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds. Prov 27:23

► Paul did the same thing

Exercise

► Read you passage► Answer

1. Where did he work?2. How long was he

there?3. How many churches

and believers resulted?4. Any other results?5. How did it come

about?6. Why did Paul leave?

1.Acts 13:4-522.Acts 14:1-253.Acts 15:39-

16:404.Acts 17:1-345.Acts 18:1-216.Acts 18:23-

20:17.Acts 20:1-38

1.Acts 13:4-522.Acts 14:1-253.Acts 15:39-

16:404.Acts 17:1-345.Acts 18:1-216.Acts 18:23-

20:17.Acts 20:1-38

Journey #1 (12 months)►CYPRUS – whole island receives

gospel in 2 months via gospel & signs

►PHRYGIA – less than 1 month Paul targets capital city – PISIDIAN

ANTIOCH Movement results through whole region Joy-filled discipled Paul run out by persecution

►GALATIA – 3-4 months ICONIUM – large number believe via

bold witness & signs; run out by persecution.

LYSTRA – non-Jewish background believers via sign and witness. Run out by persecution.

DERBE – Many disciples► Returned & strengthened

believers (sev months?) Solidified churches (appoint elders)

GalatiaPhrygia

Cyprus

Journey #2 (3-4 years)

Galatia

Cyprus

Barnabas & Mark

Barnabas & Mark

Paul & Silas

Paul & Silas

Macedonia

Achaia

► CYPRUS – Barnabas & Mark visit believers

► GALATIA & PHRYGIA

– revisit believers (2-4 mos)

► ASIA, MYSIA, BITHYNIA prevented by Holy Spirit

►MACEDONIA – 3-4 months PHILIPPI – witness via

2 POPs, miracle. Sent away by authorities

THESSALONICA – large number of disciples. Run out by Jews

BEREA – large number of disciples. Run out by Jews but Paul & Silas stay longer

►ACHAIA – 1.5 years ATHENS – few disciples, poor response CORINTH – great harvest; Priscilla &

Aquila. Protected by authorities; stay 1.5 years. Weekly training. Reach most of Achaia

► Touches Ephesus briefly; leaves P&A

Phrygia

Journey #3 – (4-6 years)

Galatia

Cyprus

Macedonia

Achaia

ASIA

Illyricum reached

Phrygia

► GALATIA & PHRYGIA

– revisit believers – several weeks - months

►ASIA – 3 years EPHESUS – daily

witness & training by Paul; great signs; radical commitment & life transformation

ALL ASIA hears gospel

Ephesus as a BASE

► MACEDONIA/ ACHAIA revisit believers – 4-5 mos ILLYRICUM reached

► EPHESUS (Miletus) - visit believers – 1 week

Romans 15 – From Jerusalem to Illyicum . . . no place left for me in these regions.

Romans 15 – From Jerusalem to Illyicum . . . no place left for me in these regions.

NO PLACE LEFT

Lesson

►In your small groups list 2 important lessons you have learned from this

Lessons from Paul’s situation?

► 6 basic CPM streams Once there were

sustained CPMs he felt finished

► He tackled regional centers Helped the locals expand

to the area Moved on when this was

working well (when possible)

► He had 2 priorities Work night and day to

win devoted followers► Thru witness, signs, life

transformation Help them begin

multiplying in their witness.

► He planted the DNA of multiplying disciples ACCESS CRITICAL: He

worked with his disciples in a weekly or daily process

He stayed as long as possible

Imparted his LIFE to them CP appears to have been by

witnessing Christians along the way

► He had key trainers / helpers in each region

► He returned whenever he could to help the movement continue

► Not much else!

Path – Key Centers

►Plant KEY STREAMS of CPM in basic sectors (ethno or geographic segments) This can be where you end-vision from the

end and work back OR it could be defining the basic ethno-

geographical groups that need a stream of CPM

►Either way, you must periodically evaluate how the work is progressing in getting to each major sector

Example - SS

► Look at the end and work our way back►Define the most basic sectors you must get

to, then work your way to larger more inclusive ones

►4800 villages 90+ districts

►35 key areas 11 counties (PRIORITIZE most populous

counties)

►We must catalyze the seeds of CPM in each basic stream of population. CPM that is sustained and saturating

Example – YK

►Started building relationship in his city and training anyone available

►Gradually over time looking around to ask what other key sectors need to be reached

Goal in each sector

►FIND or WIN local believers (e.g. PoP)►Help them begin witnessing to their

oikos Help them become trainers of others Multiplying believers

►Help them purposefully form churches along the way

►E.g. 1 Thes 1:5-8 Paul brought them the word with power /

HS and conviction Paul acted as an example

►They imitated him They began to witness to others

►They became examples to them

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

Pitfalls on the path

►Making it too difficult Getting too

scientific

Not a simplified process

►Not starting Spending too

much time preparing for the path

►Not getting to all basic segments – people still unreached

►Doing what is insufficient What I like, what is popular, what I am

“able” to do Not focusing on highest value activities

Paths in a CITY

►What might the basic relational sectors of a city look like? Discussion What are the basic relationships in a city? How do people tend to associate in a city? Can you have a CPM in one sector of your

city that does not affect the others?►How do you know when a CPM is going

in a way that will permeate the whole city?

Exercise

►Take the next few minutes and try to lay out the key sectors of your group that need reaching

►What are the regional centers that your work needs to expand from?

2. Presuppositions of how God works

► Presuppositions are the way you think that set guidelines and parameters about how you should approach your ministry. These parameters can radically alter your basic approach to a ministry.

► These is your mental paradigm, your mental assumptions, about what can and cannot happen

►Presuppositions restrict or free you! It’s your FAITH! Let us have the same

faith as Paul

What were Paul’s presuppositions?

► What did he expect God to do?

► E.g. How long will it take to reach them?

►Assuming they are ready “Do you not say ,

‘There are yet four months , and then comes the harvest ’? Behold , I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields , that they are white for harvest . " (Jn 4:35)

Paul expected immediate fruit from his preaching

►Resources for reaching them are in the harvest And this [preaching about the kingdom] took place for 2 years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:10) Focus on multiplying disciples

(e.g. Acts 8:4) Expect churches along the way

(as shift in my thinking)

►Right efforts, not just MORE efforts Faithfulness & Fruitfulness Expected the HS to show up! Dependence on Him to mature

believers

Getting to CORRECT Presuppositions

►How do you shatter faulty presuppositions?

►How do you arrive at correct ones?►Based on the Word

Do our presuppositions come from the Word?

Do we expect Acts to still live today? Acts 29!

►Based on Who God is Are they based on a God Who is the same

yesterday, today and forever? (Heb 13:8)►Living in LISTENING mode!

Presuppositions: Example► What constitutes a church? How many people?

Where meet? 2-3 in a house

► Can new believers lead? Yes, Acts 14:23

► How old does a church have to be to start a new one? Old enough to be sure of following Jesus

► How quickly can we leave new churches on their own? 6-8 weeks (Paul’s journeys)

► Can a movement spread quickly and mature deeply? Eph 4:11-16

► Does CPM mean shallow Christians? Usually the opposite

Presuppositions: Example►Do church planters have to be supported

financially? No, Acts 8:4, 19:10 - they should be normal

believers►Can a “resistant” people believe?

Yes, People of peace (Luke 10)►Does it take 40-50 stories before a rural

person can believe? No, e.g. Lystra (Acts 14)

►Can a “reached” people think in new ways? Absolutely! 12 apostles

►Does a CPM have to start big? Does it need huge resources? No, it starts like a mustard seed (Matt 13:31-32)

Presuppositions – Where are You?

►What do you assume God can do?►Do you assume Acts can be repeated?►What are you expecting God to do?►Is it in line with Who He is and what

the Word says?►Repeated readings of Acts helps!

Presuppositions: Where are You?

►How long did it take for Paul to see God work sustained CPMs in 6 provinces? 8-10 years

► If you assumed that God wanted to reach your target group in 5-10 years rather than 50 years, how would you plan your ministry differently? Yet work until it is accomplished

►What principles & plans would you have to use to get there?

3. Principles: the bedrock of your plans

► Principles are the unchanging ways of God’s kingdom (how God acts) that we discover both in the Word and in council with the people of God.

► Principles are the bedrock of any ministry.

► They never change, though the application of them to a certain situation may vary.

► FIRST we look at the path (“what will it take?”)

► SECOND, we try to discover biblical presuppositions / boundaries

► THIRD, we discover principles that are in keeping with these (before making plans!)

Principles

►How do you discover principles that are in keeping with how God works? Scripture Nature of the King and His Kingdom

Principles: Example - Kingdom

► Jesus’ first words: “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk 1:15)

► Heartbeat of Jesus: Lord’s Prayer “Your kingdom come”

► Acts first words: kingdom (Acts 1:3)

► Acts last words: “preaching the kingdom of God … unhindered (28:31)

► What is the kingdom of God like?► How do you recognize it?► How do you apply principles that encourage its

growth?► Study Kingdom Kernels - Matthew 13:1-23, 24-50,

Mark 4:26-29, Lk 19:11-27: What are the principles of the kingdom?

Kingdom Principles► We must focus on sacrificial

followers who will live in obedience to the Word. Focusing on quick, but shallow responses will quench a movement. Focus on radical response, even though immediate.

► The kingdom is characterized by the life of God’s power and will spread and grow as we allow it to. We do not need to prop it up.

► Kingdom growth is exponential (30, 60, 100 fold)

► Responsiveness is there when the gospel is understood

► In any significant manifestation of the kingdom, there will be counterfeits, sins & false teaching. We must learn how to keep true believers in biblical tracks.

► Planting the right seed (DNA) at the beginning is the key to seeing the fullness of the kingdom of God. True kingdom movements start small.

► Even a minority of fervent believers is sufficient to bear strong witness and bring transformation to non-Christian environments. We should encourage contact with the world in the context of mutual Christian support.

► A true vision of the King can spark a joy in followers that leads to giving up all to enter & spread the kingdom of God.

► The King will return in final judgment one day. Only a sense of urgency about this imminent day will cause us to be desperate enough to seek only a God-sized work.

► Only faithfulness results in greater responsibilities. If you aspire to seek the kingdom come, aspire to be faithful in the little things you are given charge of now. JUST DO IT!

Principles: Example – Luke 10

►Principles of how to bring the kingdom to places where Jesus has not gone yet

►Based on a great harvest field but few workers

►Study Luke 10:1-20►What are the key principles of

penetrating new target groups?

Principles: Example – Luke 10

►Single-minded tenacity (v4)

►Find a God-prepared person of peace Work through

lines of relationship

Help whole groups come to Christ and become church (Cornelius)

Give the POP a vision for his oikos – Acts 11:14

►Depend on HS and POP (not outside $$)

►Power and proclamation (v9) Miracles attest

the truth of the word

►Presence – living with people and living their lifestyle

►Move on till you find those ready to receive

Principles: Example – PaulE.g. Roland Allen Miss Methods and Spontaneous Expansion

► Focused on strategic centers (Rm. 15.19-23; Acts 19.10 Ephesus/Asia)

We just lay foundations► Diligent work to find

and win people Thru witness, signs and

life transformation► Daily or weekly train

local believers in discipleship and witness Life-on-life – 1 Thes 2:8 –

Impart the gospel & your life

Help them repeat the process with others (e.g. 2 Tim 2:2)

Everyone is a key to reaching / discipling someone else

► Rapid multiplication can also be accompanied by rapid maturity rate (not instant maturity) – Eph 4.11-16

► Intentionally get to CP through witnessing disciples 6-8 week church planting

rate (max 20 weeks) Any Christian can start a

new church! It’s not just churches

starting churches, but believers starting churches

Principles: Example – PaulE.g. Roland Allen Miss Methods and Spontaneous Expansion

► Follow-up is critical Having regional (“big”)

trainers is essential

► Church planting can be in a trade language and transferred into local languages

► A method and pattern of maturing based on Biblical obedience (Rm 6.17)

► Raise up multiple leaders immediately from new converts (Acts 14:23) Leadership standards

and definition of church is the Biblical minimum, not our cultural maximum

Based on character growth

Principles: Key questions

►What principles underlie your plans?►Are they biblically timeless?►Are they kingdom principles or

human / worldly principles?►This week we will uncover these

eternal principles and HOW TO APPLY THEM

PRACTICE!

►PRINCIPLES that do not lead to PRACTICE are POINTLESS

►PLANS are the step to make PRACTICES out of PRINCIPLES

4. Plans, Methods & Models: What you will do

► FIRST we look at the path (“what will it take?”)

► SECOND, we try to develop biblical presuppositions / boundaries

► THIRD, we discover principles that are in keeping with these (before making plans!)

► THEN, we devise plans in keeping with these

► Plans are the time-stamped application of eternal principles in a certain situation.

► Plans are always subject to evaluation and revision, since we may not always understand how to best apply principles or because a situation has changed.

A few insights on plans1. Purposeful - Focus on those that get to

most directly to EV/CP and multiplying believers

Radically evaluate along the way (e.g. Athens)

2. Plural – Ecc. 11:1-6 – we need multiple initiatives, not knowing which God will bless (e.g. many different people we witness to and train)

3. Practical & Simple – any person in your target group can learn it, live it and pass it on► For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to

preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. 1 Cor 1.17

4. Persistent – you don’t give up until you see sustained CPM! Gal 6:8-9

So what kind of plan did Paul have?

►Let’s construct it together (whiteboard)

Building a CPM plan►Identify and

penetrate your key centers They may not be

what you expect. “What do you have

in your hand?”►Do you have willing

believers in any of those places? Write their names down

►If not, where do you need to win the first disciples? Who are they?

►Help believers multiply their lives Persons of peace

– witness to whole oikos

Train believers to win and train others, and repeat the process►A simple method

& process What goals &

expecta-tions will you set?

Do you have a simple method?

Building a CPM plan►Plan frequent

access in the beginning Who will be

training them daily or weekly?►Singles?►Spouses sent out

for special season?►Couples with no

kids?►Local partners?►How will you gain

access? Will it be life-on-

life? (e.g. 1 Thes 2.8)

If you can’t have frequent access, is it worth starting there?

►Intentionally help believers start churches Build CP into their

discipleship Build CP into their

expectations Whenever there

are enough believers, they just start a new church

If so, then you should see multi-generational churches

Are you helping believers form new churches?

Building a CPM plan► Raise up and train

emerging leaders Over time, you must be

intentional about leaders emerging and churches taking shape► There may be a

nebulous period where “groups” are still becoming “churches”

There must be a leadership training track that emerges

Are you intentional in help leaders emerge?

► Develop mid-level and regional trainers (e.g. Timothy, Titus, P&A) They will help the

movement continue strong

Return to train them frequently

Let them address the growing concerns and pass them down

Who are your mid-level trainers?

Are they passing this down to other leaders?

Building a CPM plan►Encourage an

ethos of boldness in the face of persecution Think of how

many times Paul was persecuted and this emboldened believers!

It starts in you and your key leaders: So death works in us, but life in you. 2 Cor 4:12

How will you encourage bold sacrifice?

►COOL PART! This is what we

came to overseas to DO!

Not brochures, websites, overseas recruiting, etc.

It’s possible now!

5. Person of God: Who you are

► FIRST we look at the path (“what will it take?”)

► SECOND, we try to develop biblical presuppositions / boundaries

► THIRD, we discover principles that are in keeping with these (before making plans!)

► FOURTH, we devise plans in keeping with these

► But FINALLY, God builds movements around people

► Person of God – (Psalm 78.72) Nothing lasting will happen in your ministry without you first being a man or woman of God with a heart of integrity. The quality of your ministry will

directly reflect the quality of your spiritual life.

Are you building fruit that will remain? (John 15:16)

► Are you the type of person God would use to build a movement through? CPMs are built around men and

women of God God uses men not simply

methods!

Person of God: Who you are

►People of God – (Col 1:28) - the team and locals that God has partnered you with NOT people OR the task people ARE the task

►Are you affirming and equipping the people around you? NOT simply using them E.g. The SC who said: “My heroes are

the team members that are church planters.”

►God does not work in a vacuum. He will speak through them also.

Stay the Course!!!► Stay on the critical path; don’t become

side-tracked Plan periodic times in to evaluate whether or

not you are still on the path (Primacy of PRAYER – not dealt with here)

► There are ALWAYS many more things you can do. Most are GOOD, few are CRITICAL

► It’s not about INNOVATION (but I want to be creative!)

or INTEGRATION (but we need to all work together!)

but about IMPLEMENTATION!