Just-in-time Task LaunchingCHURCH MULTIPLICATION PROGRESS CHART

Church planter team leader (name & email):

Mentor (name & email)::

Play volleyball with this chart. Email it back and forth to your mentor, adding comments or questions below it.

Download it from www.MentorAndMultiply.com: click yellow band below home page, type password “staff.”

Do tasks in any order. Note date under a task when you and your trainees master it. Write NA if it’s not applicable.

Action Areas Specific Tasks

1Plan toMultiplyOverview

1aDiscern Ripe

FieldsDate:

1bDiscern what kind of

group will multipl y Date:

1cBind the agreement

to multiplyDate:

2Activate

your TeamOverview

2aGather an apostolic

task groupDate:

2bBond with the people

and their cultureDate:

2cPersevere amid

oppositionDate:

3Gather new

believersOverview

3aExperience Christ’spower and presenceDate:

3bHelp new believers

witness to pals & kin Date:

3cWork within an existing

social networkDate:

3dHeed our King’s

commandsDate:

3eAll take active parts inworship & church lifeDate:

3fLet Christ heal andfree Satan’s victimsDate:

3gConfirm repentance

with baptismDate:

3hEnjoy fellowshipand Communion

Date:

4Train new overseers

Overview

4aTrain leaders like

Jesus and Paul didDate:

4bLet believers developgift-based ministriesDate:

4cLove the needy in

practical waysDate:

4dCultivate the fruit

of the SpiritDate:

4ePractice stewardship and

self-supportDate:

4fTeach to equip

for serviceDate:

4gLet all ages do tasks

in harmonyDate:

4hHeed God’s “one

another” commandsDate:

5Manage the movement

Overview

5aChurches and cellsserve each other

Date:

5bAll leaders mentor

newer leadersDate:

5cCoordinate regional

pastoral trainingDate:

5dOvercome Satan’s

counterattackDate:

COMMENTS/QUESTIONS. Play “volleyball” with your mentor with these notes. Use RED font & date at top.

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jit Action Area # 1. PLAN TO MULTIPLYOverview

Discern a “ripe field” – a specific people – in your area, or in a neglected field abroad, where folks respond and ascertain the kind of church or cell that can easily multiply in it. Passing on spiritual DNA that assures reproduction, and agree in prayer on your objectives and approach.

jit Task 1aDISCERN RIPE FIELDS

Identify receptive people in your areaand in neglected fields

MENTOR: a church planter should already have gone over the four items below. If not, let him do so before dealing with this task’s more detailed resources.

TASK: Detect the people whom God has prepared in your community and among neglected people groups abroad.

WHY? Jesus said to look on fields that are ready to harvest (John 4:35). His disciples were watching Samaritans

come to Jesus, people with whom they would not normally associate with socially. Most church planters have to work outside of their own society to multiply churches.

Jesus said to “shake the dust from our feet” where folks do not respond (Matt. 10:14) in order to go to those whom God has prepared to receive His Son.

Jesus warned that it’s harder for a rich man to enter His kingdom than for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye (Luke 18:25). Affluent people are often too proud to repent. Receptive people are normally the poorer, less fortunate who desperately want change.

Churches do not start multiplying among “camels” although a camel might spark or lead the movement. A movement within a people group or subculture, once started, might in a generation spread among camels who are children of the first poor believers.

HOW? Avoid focusing exclusively on your own community or culture. Paul was willing to “be all things to all

people” in order to win them to Christ (1 Cor. 9:22). Avoid alliances with inflexible workers and policies that hinder freedom in Christ to do what He and His apostles required.

Most church planters who “shake the dust” to see a breakthrough do not change their place of residence; they simply focus on a poorer segment of the population, on people who desperately wants change.

Talk to folks of diverse backgrounds in a community about Jesus, and look for “persons of peace” who open doors for you into their social network.

COMMON TRAPS: Bonding with the wrong people keeps church planters from working with the receptive segment of a

population. Church planter from a church with educated, affluent members too easily bond with people of similar background ─ “camels.” We must imitate Jesus who let go of His riches in glory to identify with needy men (Phil. 2:5-9).

Christian workers entering a new field take for granted the policies of their home church, which impedes church multiplication because every field has different conditions and no two churches will follow the same path from birth to maturity.

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jit Task1bVERIFY THE KIND OF GROUP THAT CAN MULTIPLY

Ascertain what kind of churches or cells can multiplyamong the people you are serving

MENTOR: a church planter should already have gone over the four items below. If not, let him do so before dealing with this task’s more detailed resources.

TASK: Decide whether you will multiply churches, cell groups, or both, and resolve to have them do only those activities that Christ and His apostles required.

WHY? Many teams fail right at the start to multiply churches because they don’t know what kind of churches

multiply. They do so easily when unencumbered by the many popular Evangelical traditions that men have added to God’s New Testament requirements. They pass on spiritual DNA that assures reproduction, as in Jesus’ parables show. It costs far less time and money to gather flocks that multiply in a widespread movement than it does to plant a conventional church with its many heavy, costly, non-biblical traditions.

Some conditions favor multiplying churches, others favor cell groups.

HOW? Multiply congregations by strictly following New Testament guidelines. You must pass on a “light baton”

in order to multiply. Use the New Testament as a filter to avoid any church activities that are not specifically commanded by Jesus or His apostles. If church planters build an expensive chapel and pay clergy every time a church is born, they will not see churches multiply. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Let the churches or cells themselves multiply; Paul and his apprentices started only the first two or three churches in a region, and let them start the rest.

Accept accountability only to leaders who agree fully with the strategy you must follow. To multiply, cell groups must deal quite differently with three distinct kinds of people: 1) seekers, 2) new

believers and 3) mature believers. Many churches, especially in the West, fail to multiply small groups because groups for mature believers swallow up the other two types of groups before they have done their job (see jit Task 3b).

COMMON TRAPS: Using a church that is not birthing daughter churches or reproductive cells as a model for new churches

will guarantee failure to multiply. Imitating the worship style of a larger church keeps a new congregation from developing a style that fits a

small group that emphasizes the New Testament “one another” commands (see jit Task 3e).

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jit Task 1cBIND THE AGREEMENT TO MULTIPLY

Gather in Jesus’ Name to agree in prayeron your objective

MENTOR: a church planter should already have gone over the four items below. If not, let him do so before dealing with this task’s more detailed resources.

TASK: Agree in prayer on your objectives and approach, and be commissioned by a sending church.

WHY? Jesus promised to bind in heaven agreements by two or three gathered in His Name. A church planting team that simply tries to get as many workers on it as possible will fail to multiply

churches. All its members must totally agree with the accord bound in prayer. God promises apostles (“sent ones” in Greek) to congregations (Eph. 4:11-12). “Apostles” in this context

are those sent by a church to do God’s work in another area. These workers have itchy feet and enjoy initiating new congregations.

HOW? Lay hands on “apostles” to send them to start daughter churches or cell groups for seekers (see 3b). Accept accountability only to people who eagerly expect you to multiply churches. Pass on a “light baton” that includes only those church practices that Jesus and His apostles explicitly

commanded. Avoid methods or equipment that new believers in new congregations will not be able to imitate and pass on immediately. Avoid popular church planting practices that require a high level of education, costly equipment, expensive entertainment, technology beyond the new believers grasp or sophisticated methods.

Let a “mother” church lay hands on its apostles to commission them, and provide a letter to any other church or agency involved, stating specifically what it commissioned them to do. Avoid serving under an agency field supervisor who does not wholeheartedly accept the conditions of the letter. The letter can avoid having a new worker tell a more experienced field supervisor how he will work, which would appear arrogant. The letter shows that the new worker is already accountable and commissioned for a specific task.

COMMON TRAPS: Having no concept of churches multiplying leads to the error of assuming that only professional church

planters can do it. Laymen start most churches around the world; often the church planters are believers who simply want to win friends in another community to Christ. The most effective church planters normally are new believers from a nearby church of the same culture.

Gifted modern day apostles go unrecognized because churches are unaware God’s current use of this New Testament gift.

A new church waits to “build a strong home base” before starting daughter churches. The longer it waits the harder it is, because it grows accustomed to disobeying Christ’s command (Acts 1:6; Matt. 28:18-20, etc.).

Church planters become accountable to a church hierarchy that insists on an institutional approach or allows only professional clergy to officiate the sacraments. This forces thousands of new churches around the world to disobey important commands of Christ.

A church planter asks friends to join their advisory board even though they are unaware of church multiplication strategy, which inevitably leads to disaster.

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jit Action Area # 2. ACTIVATE YOUR TEAMOverview

Form a temporary team of like-minded workers like Jesus and Paul did, and let its members bond lovingly with the people of a receptive community. They will focus on what Jesus said to do, help each other face obstacles and pray to the Lord of the Harvest for more workers from among the new believers.

jit Task 2aGATHER AN APOSTOLIC TASK GROUP

Pray for harvesters and form a team that is focusedon your God-given objective

TASK: Prayerfully form a task group to multiply churches or cell groups and confirm each member’s commitment.

WHY? Jesus and His apostles did not work alone. For every success story by a loner there are at least a hundred

failure stories, some quite shameful, that are never publicized. Men cannot make churches multiply; God does this in answer to our prayers and obedience. No one person has all the spiritual gifts to initiate all the vital ministries in a new congregation.

HOW? Keep the team’s objective in mind: to serve as spiritual midwives, helping churches to give birth to

daughter churches. Get new believers on the team as soon as possible, and avoid having “outsiders” outnumber “insiders” on any task group. One team might have several smaller task groups.

Pray regularly for harvesters, especially from among the people you plan to serve. Intercede for the lost, praying for them by name as soon as you know who they are. Let the team be a temporary task group for a specific church planting project; there were no permanent

apostolic teams in the New Testament. The team is temporary scaffolding, removed as soon as the new congregation is stable. This avoids a team’s work becoming an end in itself instead of the new church.

COMMON TRAPS: Working alone, rejecting the example of Jesus and His apostles who always worked in small groups, can

lead to shameful mistakes, fatigue and discouragement. Recruiting team workers just because they are close friends dilutes a team’s commitment and focus.

Recruit workers who agree fully with your objectives. Trying to get as many to serve on a task force as you cans also dilutes its commitment. It’s better to form

several small teams. Spending too much to start a new church abruptly halts a church planting movement. New Testament

churches had no buildings, for example. Let church planting projects be non-budgeted if possible, and depend mainly on volunteers.

Striving for perfect relationships among team members causes them to focus on each other and fail to bond with the people whom God has sent them to serve. Jesus allowed arguing among teammates in the New Testament. Abusive leaders suppress disagreement, even when constructive criticism is crucial to overcome obstacles.

Outsiders outnumbering or overshadowing insiders on a team stifles initiative of new workers. Form or reorganize teams with new, local believers as soon as possible. Let experienced outsiders mentor new insiders from behind the scenes.

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jit Task 2bBOND WITH THE PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURE

Find persons of peace who open doorsinto their social network

TASK: Find “persons of peace,” learn to appreciate the culture if it is not your own, and build relationships with folks of a specific community.

WHY? Jesus told his workers to find persons of peace when they entered a new community. These folks enable

church planters to work within a society, not at its fringes. To be an effective church planter outside of his own culture, Paul had to “become all things to all people”

and form working relationships very quickly.

HOW? Ruth bonded with the Israelite people and their culture because of her loving relationship with her

mother-in-law Naomi, and later Boaz. There is no other way. Merely learning facts about a culture helps but falls short of true bonding.

You can easily bond with a people when living among them, separated for a time from fellow expatriates. Spend time with the people, especially in their homes. Do not hang around all the time with fellow team members.

Respect their culture. All cultures contain both good and bad element; learn to enjoy its positive aspects and avoid griping about things you disapprove.

COMMON TRAPS: Making new churches do things in ways that violate local culture and norms, such as worship postures,

teaching styles, protocols for ceremonies and dress, cancels a movement. Tell new believers only in a general way what needs to be done, and let them work out the details.

Spending too much time building relationships with the people of a community before doing serious work leads to failure. The apostles never dallied this way; they built relationships lightning fast and got on with the work they had been commissioned to do.

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jit Task 2c PERSEVERE AMID OPPOSITION

Face criticism and persecution with the powerthat Jesus promised

TASK:Face opposition and setbacks with courage and determination.

WHY? Satan always counterattacks when churches start to reproduce. Be ready. Often His most disheartening attacks come through well meaning but traditional Evangelicals. Workers who have done significant things for God have all gone through troubled times; Jesus said they

would bear a cross, and the apostles warned that God would let us suffer in order to refine our faith. Peter told us to rejoice when suffering trials.

HOW? Make sure you and your coworkers are basing all activities on specific commands of Jesus or His

apostles, and doing them in love. Doing the right thing with the wrong motive is sin. Accept with grace those criticisms that are valid, and ask God for power to make corrections. Forgive unjust criticism or opposition, and simply continue quietly to obey Jesus and lead your workers

the right way. Do not sit around linking your wounds.

COMMON TRAPS: Workers entering a new community or culture bring opposition upon themselves by failing to explain

their actions, respect local leaders, and doing things without thinking them through from the viewpoint of local residents.

Workers with serious sin in their lives cannot expect God to free them from their troubles. Confession, transparency and accountability are in order.

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jit Action Area # 3. GATHER NEW BELIEVERSOverview

Present the risen Christ as the apostles did. Communicate the historical gospel events, within a specific social network. Teach obedience to Jesus’ commands. Baptize repentant believers and adapt worship to a tiny, closely-knit group.

jit Task 3aEXPERIENCE THE RISEN CHRIST’S POWER AND PRESENCE

Let folks meet Jesus, not merely learn facts about Him

TASK: Present the living, risen Christ the way the apostles did, to get the same results.

WHY? When witnessing, the apostles simply related the historical truths about Jesus’ death and resurrection, and

called seekers to repent. Jesus promised when two or three gather in His name, He will be present, Matthew 18:18-20.

HOW? When mentoring new church leaders, help them find ways in which to let all the believers experience

Christ in their gatherings, along with learning sound doctrine about Him. The best way for seekers to sense the presence of Christ is to let friends give testimonies of Christ’s work

in their lives in small, exclusive meetings (don’t invite the public, only those that a “man of peace” or any seeker who is hosting a meeting wants).

Meet in homes of seekers, or in a place where they feel at home and at ease. Treat urgent needs with compassionate action, and pray confidently for healing. When gathering seekers or new believers, practice strong, loving, positive interaction, as seen in 1

Corinthians 14:3, 24-26: all are to prophesy to edify, exhort, and console, so that if an unbeliever enters, he I will be convicted by all and declare “God is certainly among you.”

Provide joyful fellowship with seekers and avoid abstract Bible study at this stage. There should be lots of laughter, perhaps some tears. There may be food or games.

Confirm faith and repentance without delay with baptism and celebrate Communion. Do not turn the Lord’s Supper into a teaching occasion or over-emphasize its symbolic aspect; let folks sense the reality of the presence of Christ in it (1 Cor. 10:17-17).

COMMON TRAPS: Information overload stifles action. Let folks meet Jesus before overwhelming them with data, baptize

them, teach them to obey His commands before doing detailed Bible study. Witnessing by explaining Jesus’ atonement seldom works. The apostles never did it that way. They

related the historical events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and called folks to repent. Their main emphasis was always Jesus’ resurrection; they explained the atonement later.

Paranoid persons who prefer to be in chronic crisis absorb the time of a small group if you let them. Avoid giving them undue attention.

Greedy persons infiltrate groups to get money from compassionate Christians; they exaggerate needs and know how to manipulate believers’ conscience. Be on the lookout.

Taking seekers or new believers too soon to gatherings that will not be their permanent church causes them to fail to see their own new, small group in which they have experienced the presence and power of Christ as their primary church, and they cease to attend.

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jit Task 3bHELP NEW BELIEVERS WITNESS FOR CHRISTHelp new believers reach their kin and pals for Jesus,

and shepherd their families

TASK: Take apprentices with you and relate to folks the historical events of Jesus’ death, resurrection and promise to forgive those who repent.

HOW? The only way to reach large segments of a population for Christ is to multiply new congregations whose

members obey Jesus and share the Good News with their friends and relatives. Simply having a team do evangelistic outreach does not sustain a movement.

It may require several sessions before the Holy Spirit convicts seekers of their sin. Deal with entire families and help family heads that receive Christ begin at once to shepherd their family

and friends. To help new believers witness for Jesus, deal with three types of people in diverse ways, just as New

Testament churches did: seekers, new believers and mature believers. This chart shows how widely different the treatment of each category is from the others:

GROUPDYNAMIC

1) FRIENDS AND KIN(“Seeker cells”)

2) NEW BELIEVERS(“Seeder cells”)

3) MATURE BELIEVERS(“Feeder cells”)

Duration… Group is short-lived, lastinguntil members are baptized

Group lasts until members run out of pals who receive Jesus

Indefinite

Hosted by Seekers like Cornelius, Lydia, Levi, Zacheus or new believers

New believer, normally Mature believer

Led by… New believer, mentored by a helper, or a church planter

New believer, mentored by a helper or a church planter

Experienced leader

Chance of reproducing…

Nil (folks do not yet know Jesus) High, provided new leaders are constantly mentored

Seldom

Objective… Receive the living Christ (not just learn facts about Him)

Sow gospel among friends and start new seeker cells

Edify, preparing workersfor seeker and seeder cells

Main activities…Partying as Jesus did, games,

barbecues, sports, outings, testimonies, prayer for healing

Sowing the gospel among pals, obeying Jesus’ commands, loving,

starting seeker cells

Bible study, fellowship, mobilizing for ministry, commissioning workers

Common hindrances…

Fear of losing of control, dealing with non-receptive people, teaching

dogma prematurely, pushing folks too soon into groups for mature believers.

Taking folks into feeder cells before they reach their pals, failing to

recognize their group as the body that gives them their main pastoral

care.

Chatterboxes, dogmatists, attention seekers, excessive

monologue, ignorance of church multiplication dynamics

COMMON TRAPS: Groups for mature seekers (“Feeders”) become gluttonous and swallow up seekers and new believers

before they’ve done their job as “Seeders.” On the cutting edge of a movement in pioneer fields, wise leaders can deal with all three in one group, but not in older churches.

Workers using the traditional doctrinal approach to witnessing fail to stress the saving aspect of Jesus’ resurrection as the apostles did. They simply related the historical events of the gospel.

Believers have not seen a model that they can easily imitate, to tell friends about Jesus.

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jit Task 3cWORK WITHIN AN EXISTING SOCIAL NETWORK

Let the Gospel flow through normal social ties

TASK: Let new believers spread the gospel within their social network.

WHY? Serious research shows that movements for Christ flow within existing social networks; new believers

find it hard take a church seriously if forced to worship closely with people that they would not normally befriend.

The only thing the apostles did before baptizing a repentant believer was go to the family. God promises, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and your family” (Acts 16:31).

HOW? Do not extract converts from their social circle. Work within it. Help converts develop loving

relationships with their friends. Do not bring all seekers into an existing group. If one is a potential leader, build a new cell or church

around him and his family. Help him start shepherding his family at once. Invite folks to a seekers’ group only if they fit in it socially. Keep seekers and new believers in their social circle to let the gospel spread? Peter and his helpers in Acts

10 did not take Cornelius to a meeting where they’d be in control.; they presented Christ on Cornelius’ turf where he was in control (Acts 10:24).

COMMON TRAPS: Extracting converts from their social circle stifles church planting movements. Many Western missionary

holds an individualistic worldview that leads them to extract new believers from their circle of family and friends, viewing them as isolated individuals, rather than as God sees them, as part of a larger social circle.

Pulling seekers or new believers too hastily into an existing group or large assembly where they do not yet fit socially keeps them from finding their church home in the small group in which they came to Christ.

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jit Task 3dHEED OUR KING’S COMMANDSObey Jesus before and above all else

TASK: Teach new believers to obey Jesus’ commands before and before all else.

WHY? Jesus said to make disciples by teaching them to obey His commands. Jesus’ parable of a wise and foolish builder in Matthew 7 defines the foundation for the Christian life;

Jesus is the rock we build upon, and our part is to obey His commands. Our spiritual foundation is relational. Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love Me, obey My commands.” If

we fail to teach a new church to heed His commands, Satan will rush in and fill the authority vacuum with spiritual sounding activities, rules and allegiances to replace Christ as the real head of the church body.

HOW? We can summarize all that Jesus commanded in seven basic commands, which the first church in

Jerusalem began obeying at once, following Pentecost. They are:\

Repent (this includes faith and being born of the Spirit),Be baptized and live the new, transformed life that it initiatesCelebrate the Lord’s SupperLove God, family, neighbor (be good citizens, and show mercy), enemy (forgive)Pray (includes waging spiritual warfare, private and family devotions)Give Make disciples (includes learning the Word, training leaders, sending missionaries)

Avoid nearly all divisions and arguments about what believers are to do or not to do, by teaching them to discern Three Levels of Authority for their activities:

Level 1. COMMANDS OF JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES ( love, pray, repent, etc.). Obey these without arguing or voting on them. Do not include Old Testament laws, or you’ll have to stone to death anyone who gathers firewood on a Saturday morning.

Level 2. NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH PRACTICES that were not commanded (using one cup for Communion, baptizing at once, worshiping on Sunday, etc. ). We always have the right to practice them but not to prohibit them, because the apostles approved them. We should not command them as general church law; only Christ has that right.

Level 3. HUMAN TRADITIONS not mentioned in the New Testament. We must not demand them as law, but we can—and must—prohibit them if they hinder obedience. Most such traditions are good; others are evil because they obstruct obedience.

COMMON TRAPS: Teaching that knowledge of biblical truth is our spiritual foundation replaces loving obedience to Jesus as

the foundation. Learning more and more about God is one of the vital achievements that we build on the foundation. Learning the whole Word of God belongs on higher floors; for all eternity, we will be learning more and more about God.

Trying to make disciples with discipling programs that are merely doctrinal courses turns churches into religious schools instead of active bodies.

Insisting that only ordained clergy can baptize or serve Communion forces thousands of new churches, especially in pioneer fields, to disobey these commands of Jesus, even though their leaders meet every biblical requirement for pastoring.

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jit Task 3eALL TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN WORSHIP

Adults and children work in harmony

TASK: Let all believers, including children, take part actively in corporate worship and church life during the week.

WHY? Scripture requires worshippers to take an active part in worship Highly participatory worship and interaction is what small groups do better than large. Churches or cells that provide activity for all during worship multiply easier than one in which believers

observe passively. Children know they’re a vital part of the Body when they do things during worship. Children, especially teenagers, grow rapidly in the faith when we let them lead younger children and

disciple them.

HOW? Let everyone participate in some way during worship, including children. Always give even the little ones

something to do briefly. Give children activities to do during the week, and recognize their efforts at meetings. Serve Communion regularly. Seriously implement the church body life described in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 13. Practice the many New Testament “one another commands” (teach one another, console one another,

correct one another, encourage one another, etc.) during weekly worship. Relive Bible stories during worship. Other religions base their doctrines on ethical, metaphysical and

philosophical musings of mystics, but all key biblical truths arose from concrete historical events. Biblical doctrines are more compelling when teachers relate these historical origins, and the impact is even greater when a group acts out an event briefly, reliving it, as drama and role plays are highly motivating. Follow these guidelines:

Keep weekly presentations brief; avoid costumes and elaborate props.Let anyone who wants to take part do so (let tots shout, cheer or boo, etc).You do not always need an audience; let every-one relive the sacred event.Let at least one man act with the children.Let older children lead, disciple and prepare younger ones to take part during worship.Participants need not memorize lines; just keep in mind the ideas and ad-lib.

COMMON TRAPS: Entertaining performances result in people simply listening passively during worship. Always segregating children by age keeps them from developing loving, edifying relationships with folks

of other ages and from carrying out their duty of discipling younger children. Good teachers and preachers let their gift eclipse other vital, gift-based ministries.

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jit Task 3fLET JESUS HEAL AND FREE SATAN’S VICTIMS

Let folks know of Christ’s power and wage spiritual warfare

TASK: Pray in Jesus’ name for healing and power over Satan, his demons, and any demonic oppression or influence.

WHY? God is moving through signs and wonders in many regions of the world where workers watch healing and

deliverance open many hearts to the Gospel and shut others. Jesus told His followers to heal the sick and cast out demons.

HOW? Practice all of Jesus’ words. He gives his workers authority over sickness, disease, and evil spirits (Matt.

10:1 and Luke. 9:1).After Christ returned to the Father, his followers continued to use this authority, leading many to faith.

Non-Western workers start most of their churches following a demonstration of Christ’s power over sickness and unclean spirits. They do not regard this as unusual.

Apply Jesus’ delegated authority boldly. In the Gospels and Acts, Christ and his followers did not merely petition the Father to heal the sick whole, but spoke directly and authoritatively to the sick, or to whatever spirits were involved.

Ministry with authority may require one to pray at length or speak repeatedly a word of command. Christ prayed twice for a blind man (Mk. 8:23-25).

Look for those whom you can set free. When folks know your team practices healing ministry, you will get opportunities for Christ to show his healing power.

Deal with the whole person. Multiple ills are often evident in those who suffer from disease and the demonic, and through prayer, relief can come quickly. Help these people to confess and put away past sins and involvement in the occult, and forgive those who’ve caused them bitterness and anger.

COMMON TRAPS: Teaching that Jesus no longer gives His followers His authority and power to heal miraculously

contradicts Scripture and the experience of thousands of praying believers. Christians who embrace the materialistic, rationalistic Western worldview let the “god of this world”

influence them by his lies, and doubt Christ’s supernatural work.

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jit Task 3gCONFIRM REPENTANCE WITH BAPTISMLet God begin His transforming work right away

TASK: New believers confirm their repentance without undue delay by baptism into the Body of Christ and new, holy life.

WHY? Biblical baptism is for bad people who confess their sin and faith in Christ, not for those who think they

are good enough to be acceptable to God. Adult converts are newborn babies in Christ spiritually, and desperately need to be welcomed into the

bosom of His church and overwhelmed with loving acceptance. Delaying baptism causes many to doubt, lose heart and cease attending worship.

HOW? Baptize without undue delay to confirm faith and repentance, without imposing men’s requirements for it. There should be witnesses from the group with which the convert will worship. Baptize family members and close friends at the same time when possible. Let leaders baptize if they meet biblical requirements for shepherding (Titus 1:5-9). Some churches

encourage fathers to baptize their children, and those who make disciples to baptize them. Baptism can have a greater effect when the same person who is discipling the new believer does it.

If baptizing by immersion, many cultures require that the one doing it be of the same sex.

COMMON TRAPS: Using baptism as the graduation ceremony following a newcomers’ class or catechism fails to let it serve

as the initial step of faith for the repentant. The apostles baptized as soon as a sinner confessed repentance and faith in Jesus. If newcomers' instruction follows baptism, it will have a stronger, lasting impact.

Making new believers prove themselves over time to be baptized was not apostolic practice and entails legalism. Converts assume they earn their way into God’s church. Valid reasons to delay baptism include illness, waiting for family members and security, but delaying it for legalistic reasons stifles the flow of God’s grace.

Delaying baptism because you doubt a new believer’s sincerity is devastatingly deadly. Such doubts are contagious and disheartening in the extreme for newborn believers.

Putting baptism off until an ordained clergyman can do it keeps churches from multiplying. It forces them to disobey Jesus, cancels grace, and leaves the new congregation feeling that they are second-rate, incapable of fully exercising God’s will for a church.

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jit Task 3hENJOY FELLOWSHIP AND CELEBRATE COMMUNION

Develop a community with loving church body life centered around Jesus

TASK Meet in groups small enough to practice the church body life that of the New Testament: loving, sharing, correcting, mutual edifying, meaningful celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and serving one another in many ways.

WHY? Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John

13:35). Loving fellowship is the one thing that small groups and new, small churches consistently do better than

larger assemblies can. Communion (Lord’s Supper) can be a powerful catalyst to bring believers together in love, with Christ in

their center.

HOW? Provide time during meetings for simply chatting, praying for one another, reporting last week’s acts of

service, and making plans for activities to do during the next week. Let believers gather in groups small enough to practice New Testament body life; these may be home

churches, cells that meet during the week, or during a time provided for it during weekly worship by a larger body. In the latter case, make sure the time is ample.

Celebrate Communion regularly, and do not use it simply as another teaching opportunity; let believers sense the Presence of Christ and recall what He did for them.

Practice the many New Testament “one another” commands: teaching one another, exhorting one another, consoling one another, etc. Jit Task 4h has a complete list.

Let shy newcomers or visitors remain silent if they prefer. Let everyone use his God-given gifts to help others grow and serve. Organize this in your own way,

building on relationships, so that your people find it easy and joyful. Cooperate closely with other small congregations. For example, if yours is weak in evangelism, don’t

seek another method. Look rather for who can help you, someone in another group or church with the gift of evangelism and is willing to assist you, as you in turn aid that group in some other way.

COMMON TRAPS: A small group teacher who uses monologue excessively stifles group discussion and interaction. Segregating children by age too much causes them to fail to develop edifying relationships with other

children. Let them disciple those who are younger, which is a powerful tool to help children grow in Christ and develop leadership skills.

Scheduling the “order of service” too tightly leaves little free time for spontaneous interaction. Having a rationalistic view of the Lord’s Supper fails to allow participants to experience the mystical

Presence of Christ. Failing to practice interactive body life between small groups makes them become ingrown, sterile and

boring. A group small enough to interact is too small to have people with all the spiritual gifts needed to do the ministries that God requires of it, and must interact with other groups. The New Testament letters reveal many instances of believers helping other churches.

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jit Action Area # 4. TRAIN NEW OVERSEERSOverview

Train leaders the way Jesus and Paul did, to multiply churches and cell groups, help believers use their gifts, show compassion to the needy, develop Christian character including stewardship, apply God’s Word to serve one another.

jit Task 4aTRAIN LEADERS LIKE JESUS AND PAUL DIDLet shepherds mentor apprentices in new churches

TASK: Train leaders the New Testament way to keep churches and cell groups multiplying.

WHY? The mentoring “chain” in 2 Tim. 2:2 had four links, Paul, Timothy, “faithful men” and “others also.” It

extended from Antioch and quickly produced churches throughout Asia Minor. Such chains do so today also, if training is integrated thoroughly with evangelism and church planting

Classroom lecture has its place, but not on the cutting edge of a movement where we must train a huge number of new leaders right away in order to keep multiply as in the New Testament.

HOW? Every leader mentors newer leaders in daughter churches or cells. Let fairly new leaders mentor newer

leaders; their new flocks have the same issues and they readily identify with each other. However, these new mentors need a more experienced one over them in the “mentoring chain.”

Fulfill these mentor’s tasks:Models skills for apprentices as you work with people. Listen to trainees before advising. Ask how their work is going, and what they plan to do next.Help trainees discern what their flocks need and think through specific plans.Ask each trainee to start at once to mentor other newer shepherds. Many excellent mentors are only a few weeks ahead of newer leaders whom they serve, because they share similar concerns.Arrange for pastors to mentor new leaders in daughter churches and provide materials geared to mentoring, such as Paul-Timothy, http://www.paul-timothy.net/.Arrange for churches or cell groups to serve one another.Serve trainees as long as they need it, normally until their congregations or cells are practicing the vital ministries that the New Testament requires (see jit 4b). During mentoring sessions, listen to, and plan, both fieldwork and studies.

LISTEN PLANFieldwork Trainee reports work done and needs of his

flock. Compare it to prior plans.Plan fieldwork together and record what trainee, his coworkers and flock will do next.

Studies Trainee briefly reviews studies done, recapping their gist.

Assign new reading that fits trainee’s plans

COMMON TRAPS: Mentors meeting with too many trainees at a time fail to deal with the work of each one. Defining mentoring as “one-on-one” overlooks Jesus’ practice. He mentored twelve and often met with

three or less. Paul mentored a small band as they traveled and worked together. Sending new workers off to get academic training in a distant city cancels multiplication. Extending mentoring chains beyond four links breaks down communication. Keep forming new regional

extension nerve centers.

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jit Task 4bLET BELIEVERS DEVELOP GIFT-BASED MINISTRIES

Develop vital ministries that God requires in the New Testament

TASK: Initiate and sustain the vital ministries that the New Testament requires of a congregation.

WHY? Godly leaders free up believers to serve in gift-based ministries. A church is not fully “planted” until doing the activities that God requires of a church.

HOW? Help believers use spiritual gifts and natural talents to serve each other, their families and communities. Keep in mind all vital ministries in order to assure that their flocks are doing them all. The New

Testament requires congregations to do these activities:1. Disciple-making (obeying Jesus’ commands above all else)2 Character development & transformation3 Worship as a group4 Shepherding members, coaching folks with problems5 Giving, stewardship6 Teaching and applying God’s Word7 Multiply churches or cell groups nearby and afar8 Fellowship9 Family care and marriage10 Organizing and overseeing11 Mercy work and being good citizens (salt of the earth) 12 Prayer and spiritual warfare, personal & family devotions13 Training new leaders14 Evangelism

Know what the spiritual gifts are (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-11, 27-30; Eph. 4:11).

COMMON TRAPS: Controlling leaders, jealous of their authority, do not willingly share it with apprentice leaders. Professional clergy and paid staff do the important work; lay church members become passive. Viewing spiritual gifts as effective only during worship seriously limits the use of most of them. Using gifts in a mechanical way does not result in effective ministry. We must do ministries in love, as

1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 13, taken together, reveal. Specializing by compartmentalizing ministries stifles interactive church body life as defined in

1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4; it isolates the gift-based ministries. Avoid this by gathering folks with different ministries in the same small groups and have them serve one another. Also, have gifted folks in one group or church serve other flocks that lack them.

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jit Task 4cLOVE THE NEEDY IN PRACTICAL WAYS

Integrate ministries of compassion with other vital ministries

TASK: Meet people’s physical needs as part of the normal, weekly work of the church or cell.

WHY? Jesus’ two “Great” commands are to love God and neighbor, and to make disciples. He explained how to

love our neighbor with the story of the Good Samaritan – practical service for the needy. 1 John 3:17-18 prods us to serve the needy: “Whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need

and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

Serving the needy is normally more effective when a loving church body or team does it than when individuals work alone, or when agencies specialize in mercy ministry alone,. The Holy Spirit harmonizes the different gifts and energizes the body in a way that isolated individuals cannot attain.

HOW? Let people know that you belong to a group of Christians that prays for their neighbors’ needs. Most

folks, even though they are not Christians, will welcome prayer if you ask them if they have a need for which you can pray.

Besides praying, offer to help in other ways. The Son of God took time to serve many. Stimulate one another to do good deeds in love (Heb. 10:24). Discuss and plan practical things to do for

the needy during worship sessions.

COMMON TRAPS: Causing dependency on the part of the needy by giving material aid instead of training them to deal with

their own needs. Relying too much on donations from others for dealing with the needy, instead of simply making a

sacrifice to help them. Being too proud or too busy to be take on the role of a servant, simply throwing money at a need Trying to deal with serious needs alone instead of serving with a dedicated task group. Leaving compassionate ministry up to the deacons or paid professionals. People try to do both pastoral and mercy ministry when they are gifted to do only one of them. The

remedy is to work together closely with others who have different gifts.

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jit Task 4dCULTIVATE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Grow in grace, knowledge and Christ-like character

TASK: Help each other develop Christian virtues by being transformed by the Holy Spirit.

WHY? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-

control” Gal. 5:22-23. Believers maintain spiritual equilibrium not only by learning the Word, but also by developing character

traits that exhibit Christ. Healthy churches multiply spontaneously, and holiness is essential for spiritual health. The fruit of the

Holy Spirit is the essence of holiness.

HOW? Help each other to cultivate the Christian virtues, as well as exercising private self-discipline. Consciously imitate Jesus and other persons in the Bible who modeled a particular virtue. Shield new believers from being discouraged by legalistic Christians Develop Christian virtues as a body; exhort one another, and urge believers with problems to b accept

accountability to another whom they trust to be discreet, and practice transparency. Correct others’ serious sin by following the steps Jesus requires in Matt. 18:15-17, and be quick to forgive

and restore an offending brother.

COMMON TRAPS: Defining holiness primarily in terms of negative prohibitions courts sour legalism. Do not define holiness

as being sinless: a toad has no sin but is hardly holy. Turning from sin is essential, but holiness also requires positive action done in love.

Trying to develop Christian virtues privately leads to failure; do it as a family or group of believers. Trying to develop holiness simply by preaching about it is futile. Godly exhortation involves more than

scolding; it requires modeling Christ like character, loving companionship and correcting in humility.

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jit Task 4ePRACTICE STEWARDSHIP AND SELF-SUPPORT

Avoid restrictive financial policies and engage many “tentmakers”

TASK: Be good stewards of what God has given, and engage many as bi-vocational workers.

WHY? Jesus taught often and forcefully about giving; some of His most pointed parables urged conscientious

stewardship of what God has given us. Godly stewards use what He has given them for His glory, not theirs. Giving on earth is an investment in eternity.

Stewardship includes dedicating talents and time to God as well as money. To keep churches multiplying requires a huge number of volunteer workers for every paid one, in a ration

of at least 100 to 1, which makes it an crucial aspect of stewardship The apostle Paul worked as a tent maker with his hands in Ephesus, Corinth and Thessalonica to support

himself and coworkers and set an example for greedy leaders who did nothing unless paid for it.

HOW? .Give sacrificially to support God’s work locally and in neglected fields. Let people know specifically

what their gift is to be used for, and they will give more eagerly. Encourage and practice “tent-making” as Paul did, and engage many self-supported workers. Let most

church planting projects be non-budgeted. Simply encourage believers to reach their friends and repeat what others did to start their church.

Even though 'tentmakers' are earning well from a second vocation, they should receive some support from a sending church. Folks pray more for workers in whose ministry they are investing, accountability is stronger, and field workers need the moral support and stabilizing relationship that an 'Antioch' sending church can offer.

COMMON TRAPS: Entailing large expenses to start a church kills any church planting movement. Professional fundraisers who tell a congregation that “this is not about money” and then talk at length

about nothing but money pervert godly stewardship. Beware of them; their recommendations lead to an overly institutional type of church that can never multiply spontaneously.

Running a business in order to serve as a “tentmaker” in a pioneer field entails many risks. Even though one earns well from a second vocation, he should receive some sup-port from a sending church. Folks pray more for workers in whose ministry they are investing, accountability is stronger, and field workers need the moral support and stabilizing relationship that an 'Antioch' sending church can offer.

Shaming people by manipulating people’s conscience is the wrong way to encourage them to give. The only motive for giving that God accepts is to give out of love. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 emphasizes that God wants believers to give only as much as they can give willingly and cheerfully.

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jit Task 4fTEACH GOD’S WORD TO EQUIP BELIEVERS FOR SERVICE

Let instruction engage workers, build characterand encourage commitments

TASK: Apply God’s Word to equip believers for the work of the ministry and develop Christian character.

WHY? Ephesians 6: 11-16 reveals that the purpose of teaching is to prepare all believers to do ministry. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reveals that all Scripture is inspired by God and lists several things for which it is

profitable; the bottom line is “that the man of God may be… equipped for every good work.” Colossians 3:16 urges believers to instruct one another. To give concrete results, teaching must have the Holy Spirit's anointing, which results in action. In

Scripture, the Spirit's filling or power resulted in some kind of practical service for God. For example, the Spirit came upon Samson and he slew a lion, which led to events that liberated Israel from the Philistines. The apostles “were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

Teachers in Scripture integrated their instruction with other ministries. For example, Jesus taught as He walked among the people healing, rebuking and consoling.

HOW? When teaching, aim to see positive, immediate results, not simply to pass on information. Adapt teaching methods to a small group. This includes questions, discussion, wide participation and

well-defined outcomes. When you mentor new church leaders, be sure to accomplish something tangible. For example, if you

visit their congregation, do not leave until you have helped it do something positive such as win folks to Christ, make specific plans to start a daughter church, commission new leaders or initiate a vital ministry that was lacking.

Bear in mind the vital ministries so that you will help those you mentor to initiate them (see jit 4b).

COMMON TRAPS: Eloquent teaching that merely passes on biblical or theological details eclipses other vital ministries. Wise

teachers avoid information overload; they make sure that action results from their instruction. Abstract monologues usually lead small groups nowhere. Engage people in constructive conversation. Put a gag on know-it-alls who must always have the last word in a small group meeting. Do not invite

such a boor to a group of new believers lest they become passive and fail to take initiative. Traditional ways of teaching common in Evangelical churches did not originate from Scripture. Teaching

in the Bible was far more dynamic, engaging and interactive, and normally resulted in immediate action.

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jit Task 4gLET ALL AGES DO TASKS IN HARMONY

Adults and children share responsibilitiesand do serious ministry

TASK: Give both adults and children something to do together in every meeting and during the week.

WHY? All believers are to take part in the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-12). Families are more devout if they worship and work for the Lord together. Children take their faith far more seriously when allowed to do important ministry side by side with

adults. Church planting movements normally involve strong family involvement.

HOW? Give all adults and children some kind of job, something they can do and want to do it. Plan worship activities ahead of time that will engage everybody who wants to take part, and assign what

they will do beforehand. Keep such activities very brief and simple. Arrange for older children to disciple and lead younger ones, and serve as serious role models. Acting out Bible stories briefly can give everyone a chance to participate; let a narrator tell the story and

ask both adults and children to do things that correspond to what happened in the story. For example, Adam named the animals; let children act like an animal, and let adults give it a new name. Again, keep such demonstrations very brief.

Let older, energetic children write poems, skits and short songs to present to the other children and adults. Let musicians occasionally set children’s poems to music.

Children enjoy drawing symbols and pictures of Bible stories. Let them show their pictures during worship and explain how the pictures illustrate the teaching.

COMMON TRAPS: Adult teachers fail to prepare things for children. Churches keep children apart from the adults too much of the time. Christian education is too closely age-graded to enable children to disciple younger children and develop

good relationships with adults and children of other ages. Leaders who fear loss of control are reluctant to delegate serious responsibilities to laymen and children.

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jit Task 4hHEED GOD’S “ONE ANOTHER” COMMANDS

Practice interaction among believers duringworship and during the week

TASK: Obey the New Testament’s many interactive commands to serve each other reciprocally.

WHY? The reciprocal commands occur in one form or another in the New Testament, and anything repeated that

often in God’s Word has to be close to His heart. Love requires us to use our gifts to enhance others’ gift-based ministries (1 Cor. chapters 12 and 13). A church is a body–an organism–and this is not merely a metaphor. The Holy Spirit enables believers to

serve as organs within the body, each one doing his part, so that the body functions effectively as a whole. This interaction is particularly evident in Ephesians. 4:11-16, Romans 12:1-10 and 1 Corinthians 12.

HOW? Help believers discern what gifts and natural talents they have and how to use them. Let them try different

ministries if they want in order to test their gifting. The New Testament requires believers to do these things reciprocally:

Love FellowshipForgiveBear sufferingsServeBe kindCareBear burdensWork withTeachPray

Honor EncourageExhortSpeak the truthLay down our lives Spur to love and good deedsStrengthen and build upEdify each one with a hymn, word of instruction, revelation, tongue or its interpretationConfess faults

Be of one mind one Avoid gripingAvoid gossipSubmit Be clothed with humilityHave patienceLive in peace Receive with hospitalityGlorify God

COMMON TRAPS: Ignorance of the many “one another” commands leads to passive indifference to what others have to offer

and how one can serve them. “Good” teaching can drown out other vital ministries. A church’s greatest weakness is almost always its

greatest strength taken to excess, and this applies particularly to good teachers. Church meetings that fail to provide free time for spontaneous interaction limit opportunities to serve

people and develop edifying relationships.

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jit Action Area # 5. MANAGE THE MOVEMENTOverview

Churches and cells serve each other; all leaders train newer leaders and help each other resist Satan’s counterattacks.

jit Task 5aCHURCHES AND CELLS SERVE EACH OTHER

Churches and cells serve each other to form the regional Body of Christ

TASK: Churches and cells cooperate constantly to help each other and enjoy occasional united celebration.

WHY? The New Testament shows churches depending on each other, helping each other, and communicating

with each other. The interactive church body life applies as well to congregations as it does to believers. To multiply

churches or cells, mutual support between them can be as crucial as the interaction within them.

HOW? Arrange for churches or cells that are close enough geographically to practice interaction When a church or cell is weak in some area, arrange for folks from other groups to serve them, as

happened frequently in New Testament churches. Mentor new leaders in “daughter” churches or cells until their flocks are doing the ministries that the New

Testament requires. Churches or cells gather occasionally to celebrate. During such meetings, agree on plans to extend

pastoral training and lay hands on new leaders. Also, let each group report what it has done, and celebrate together.

Organize clusters of churches as in the New Testament, as the regional Body of Christ. Arrange for them

to work together, celebrate together and communicate often. Include churches in the regional association (call it what you may) that are close enough so that their

members can attend its occasional gatherings, and not merely send delegates to a distant convention.

COMMON TRAPS: Churches priding themselves in being independent and self-governing contradict the many Scripture.

Passages that show churches working closely together New churches in pioneer fields are like newborn babies; there is no way they can govern themselves.

They need outsiders’ help, just as new churches in the New Testament did. Refusing to have a leader from the outside deal with a local church often results in stagnancy. Paul left

Titus, and outsider, in Crete to serve as a regional coordinator and establish leaders (Titus 1:5). Letting regional gatherings become political by ordaining detailed church bylaws and harping on

controversies can do more harm than good. Let regional gatherings that include lay church members be joyful celebrations. Regional associations of churches easily become political instead of pastoral if they are too distant from the churches for their members to attend united celebrations. It is better to organize a larger number of smaller, more local associations.

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jit Task 5bALL LEADERS MENTOR NEWER LEADERS

IN NEWER CHURCHESShepherds mentor shepherds in their own church

and in daughter churches or cells

Task: Shepherds keep mentoring new leaders in their own congregations and in daughter churches, until those flocks are practicing all the tasks that the New Testament requires.

WHY? A primary duty of shepherding elders (pastors) is to train apprentices to shepherd new flocks, such as

Paul taught Timothy and others. Mentoring can be a powerfully reproductive tool to keep extending God’s work.

HOW? Every shepherd constantly apprentices new leaders. Constantly reorganize and activate new extension centers that initiate new extension “chains.” Maintain records of growth and new churches, in order to evaluate methods, find where they need help,

evaluate methods and deal with urgent problems. Let workers from churches in an area get together and make large maps of the region. Mark the locations

of churches, daughter churches, potential daughter churches, mentoring chains, names of workers, and unreached communities that you are planning to reach.

Use pastoral training materials geared to mentoring and multiplication such as those offered freely in several languages from http://www.paul-timothy.net/, or, for a modest fee for a user’s license, https://trainandmultiply.com/.

Supplement these basic pastorals studies with advanced reading later on. Be ready to recommend good books and web sites, and develop a lending library.

COMMON TRAPS: Lack of vision beyond one’s own congregation stifles outreach. Keep leaders and flocks focused on

neglected areas around them. Extending mentoring chains beyond four links normally delays communication and discourages those at

the end of the chain because they do not receive the attention they need. The Paul-Timothy chain in 2 Tim. 2:2 had four links. Instead of adding more links, it is wiser to keep reorganizing, forming new extension centers, by mobilizing many new coordinators.

Most pastoral training programs by extension in pioneer fields start out at an educational level way to high for the new leaders. Use programs geared to their level, such as those recommended above.

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jit Task 5cCOORDINATE REGIONAL PASTORAL TRAINING

Keep records, commission trainers, keep starting new extensioncenters and extending mentoring chains

TASK: Manage pastoral training at a regional level, providing guidance and materials, keeping records to monitor progress and commissioning new trainers.

WHY? Effective leaders continually evaluate and adjust their strategies, and guide those they lead accordingly. A spreading movement requires training huge numbers of new leaders quickly. This calls for powerful

management by leaders strong enough to ward off traditional, institutional educators that are eager to fill their academies.

HOW? Keep commissioning new pastoral trainers and regional coordinators at regional levels. Provide inexpensive training materials such as are provided freely on http://www.paul-timothy.net/. Keep accurate records of who is training whom, and the progress of their churches or cells in establishing

the essential ministries listed in jit 4b. Provide training “menus” for trainers that list vital church activities and corresponding studies. This

makes it easy for inexperienced mentors to begin doing it well, by listening to a trainee mention his church’s current need, finding its corresponding activity in the menu, and assigning the recommended reading.

Keep reorganizing to keep mentoring chains short enough to assure rapid communication, by establishing new regional centers with new regional coordinators.

COMMON TRAPS: Thinking that merely teaching or preaching is leading. The coordinator at a regional level must be a

strong leader; one is not really leading unless those he leads actually move from one place or activity to another. There must be concrete results. Teaching may be edifying and interesting, but unless it equips believers for ministry, it is not leading. Many pastors are good teachers but not shepherds, and, unfortunately, don’t know the difference. Such teachers must work closely with another person who is an action-oriented leader.

Friction often develops between extension training programs that mentor new leaders for new churches, and the advocates of higher seminary or Bible Institute education. Avoid this by recognizing the validity of both, and the circumstances that favor one or the other.

In a rapidly growing movement, the job of stocking and providing training materials can become formidable. At first, provide only short, inexpensive, locally printed studies such as those recommended above. Make it easy for trainees to get heavier reading later on, by buying or borrowing good books or using resources on web sites.

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jit Task 5dOVERCOME SATAN’S COUNTERATTACK

Be prepared to meet the inevitable oppositionto a spreading movement

TASK: Before the attack comes prepare your people to detect and ward off “wolves” and resist traditional Christians who oppose New Testament multiplication strategy.

WHY? When churches begin to multiply and regain terrain from the Old Dragon, he becomes hate-crazed, aims

his fiery darts and sends out his minions with “doctrines of demons.” Be forewarned. His attacks are as sure to come as the sun is to set at dusk.

Christ warned sternly about “wolves” in sheep’s clothing. Paul said they’d come from within and without. Those from within are Evangelicals that proselytize from other churches, stealing sheep, often causing the most pain. Wolves from without are unbelievers or follow another religion, including quasi-Christian sects such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons.

Opposition comes from well-meaning but misguided church planters, traditional leaders and others who disagree with New Testament multiplication guidelines. They think they’re helping when they attack your methods. Workers who start a movement for Christ invariable experience painful criticism from such brothers. Be careful not to enter into working alliances with them.

HOW? Watch and pray, as Jesus said. Be alert to Satan’s attacks, which come from a variety of sources. Detect false doctrines and devilish “isms” at once by characteristic patterns. They all fail to glorify Christ.

Some err on the side of rationalism, denying spiritual realities. Others err on the opposite side, getting lost in a dream world of mysticism. Both sidestep simple Gospel truths about Jesus.

When considering working with an agency, church or ministry team, first find out if the person to who you will be immediately accountable agrees with your vision and plans.

COMMON TRAPS: Pastors and church planters “burn out” and leave their work following disagreements with coworkers. The

root cause is not that they can’t get along with people; such workers are usually loving, genial people, easy to get along with. Failing to get along with coworkers is in reality a symptom of a deeper, underlying and very common cause; field supervisors or coworkers push new associates into work for which they are neither called nor gifted by the Lord. This happens when field directors fail to listen to a new worker to let him do what he knows God wants him to do. One remedy is for a sending church to send a letter stating that it has commissioned the worker to do a specified ministry. Thus, a field supervisor does not consider the new arrival to be arrogantly asserting what he'll do; he has prior accountability that wise field directors will respect.

Evangelical fads soar like skyrockets, attract popular attention, then fade and die, leaving thousands of disillusioned believers. Detect them by subtle deviations from biblical doctrine.

Wasting time with proud, argumentative and dogmatic leaders will merely drain your energy. Teaching negativity by focusing too much on others’ errors merely gives folks a sour stomach. Confusing Old Testament Law with New Testament church life is a subtle form of debilitating legalism

that Satan often injects into churches.

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