Church Growth Principles
Continuing with the priorities from
Acts of the Apostles
STEP SIX: THE FAITH
CONFIRMED
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Faith and instruction: Learn by doing, church-based
learning
Faith and worship: the NT concept of worship is adoration
accompanied by some sort of service rendered to the One who
inspires reverence
Faith and service: the basic idea of worshipping God
through using the gifts He has given us in ministry to the body
of believers
Faith and witness: how can we establish an attitude of
evangelism in the newly planted church?
Faith and stewardship: if the church planter provides all
the finances for the newly planted church, he may develop a
receiving mentality that will hurt that church later.
Worship defined
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Worship = “worth-ship”, which
“connotes actions motivated by an
attitude that reveres, honors, or
describes the worth of another person
or object.”
It is to give to God all the honor and
glory that belongs to Him alone. This is
the opposite of “idolatry”.
NT vocabulary for worship
1) Proskuneo (54 times): the act of bowing or
falling down before God as an act of submission
and deep reverence.
2) Sebomai (10 times): literally “fear,” it involves a
deep reverence which stresses the feeling of awe
(though the literal aspect of fear is not to be
excluded).
3) Latreuo (21 times): literally “service” which
includes all of our good acts, which are seen as
our service of worship to God (Rom 15:27) and
the ministry of the gospel (15:26).
Factors that are to be present
in worship (Tozer)
1) Boundless confidence in the God we trust
and worship
2) Admiration or appreciation for the surpassing
greatness and excellence of God
3) Fascination with the wonder of God and His
magnitude
4) Adoration or love of God with our entire
whole person.
ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC
WORSHIP
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Time or beginning
Venue and announcements
Offerings
Praise and singing
Prayer
Special music
Special event
Word of God
Conclusion
Elements of worship
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Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Commitment
Supplication
Response to Proclamation
Requirements of Worship
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Leaders must be worshippers
Worship must be culturally relevant
Worship must be done well
Worship needs a proper
environment
Worship must be Creative and
Innovative
Style of Worship
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Will the music be traditional, contemporary,
classical or a combination?
What kinds of instruments will be used?
Will the songs primarily be hymns, praise songs,
choruses or a combination?
Will there be a choir and/or specials?
Will the songs be sung from hymnals, from the
bulletin insert or projected on a screen using some
type of projection?
Will someone lead the music by standing in front of
the congregation (a possible distraction) or by
playing an instrument?
STEP SEVEN: THE LEADERS
CONSECRATED
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To develop a church that will be able to
adequately stand on its own before the
Lord.
Biblical concept of a leader: a true
servant of the flock which God has
entrusted to him.
Basic functions of church
leadership
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Equipping the believers for their ministry (Eph
4:12)
Governing the congregation (1 Tim 5:17)
Ministering the Word of God to the
congregation (1 Pet 5:2)
Protecting the congregation from false
teachers and doctrines (Acts 20:28-30)
Visiting the sick and praying for them (James
5:14)
Suggested methodology of
church leadership development
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Provide for both spiritual and intellectual development of
the prospective leaders.
Train the workers toward the task, not away from it.
Gear the training for the entire church, not just a select
few.
Adapt the training to the specific situation (e.g., rural,
urban, literate, non-literate, monotribal, polytribal, etc.)
Do not train the leaders to do all the work—train them to
share the load with others. To do this, YOU must set the
example before they will be able to copy it!
Begin the training in church discipline early in the process;
let the prospective leaders have a major (if not complete)
say in the forms and duration of church discipline.
Discovery of the values of a
church/leader/team/ministry
a. Determine the church’s ministry distinctive—different churches
for different people.
b. Values dictate the personal involvement of others in the church
–those with different values are encouraged to go elsewhere
c. Core values communicate what is important to the ministry
d. Core values helps you embrace positive change – change is
always measured against values, as opposed to traditions e.
Values affect the overall behavior –dictate every decision and
budget
f. Values inspire people to action—shared values create unity
g. Core values enhance credible leaders—living according to
values creates integrity
h. Values shape the ministry’s character
i. Values contribute to the ministry’s success.
Definition of Values
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Core values are constant –once chosen they
should not be changed or else…chaos
Values are passionate
Values are Biblical
Values are core beliefs (also precepts,
principles, tenets, standards or assumptions)
Values drive the ministry—all leaders must
buy into them. The must be articulated.
Kinds of Values
1.
2.
3.
4.
Conscious versus unconscious values –
misunderstandings usually are the result of
conflicting values not expressed.
Shared versus unshared values—The higher the
percentage of shared values, the greater the team
confidence and loyalty.
Personal versus organizational values—the more
synonymous = longevity of team member
Actual versus aspiration values—Integrity demands
compliance with values: Is evangelism a value? Do
conversions occur?
STEP EIGHT: THE
BELIEVERS COMMENDED
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To leave the new congregation to stand on
its own (under the authority and power of
the Lord
Resisting the temptation to build a
personal kingdom
Special bond between founder and early
followers hard to break
Procedure for transition should be set in
place early on
Withdrawal process and
procedure
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The timing of the withdrawal
Build indigenous leadership
Why withdraw?
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To help the church by giving the local leaders
a chance to grow and develop
To help the church planter by setting him free
to plant another church and to prevent him
from developing a dictatorship mentality
Continuation of successful existing
ministries
Practical steps
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2.
3.
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5.
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10.
Build deep relationships
Make sure believers share the vision
Model ministry before requiring others to take over
Organize to disperse power
Call for ministry involvement soon
Expect mistakes
Believe in God’s people
Announce departure plans discreetly
Plan programmed absences
Expect the ministry to increase after departure
STEP NINE: THE
RELATIONSHIP CONTINUES
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The goal is a continuing relationship
(between church-planter and church,
denominational and church, and mission and
church) is to maintain a framework in which
the work of fulfilling the Great Commission
will be more effectively accomplished.
The relationship between the church-planter
and the church
The relationship between the new church and
other churches in the same denomination (or
fellowship)
The relationship between the new
church and the mission agency
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Paternalism (with the mission agency
dominating)
Full integration (into one organization)
Dichotomy (a split between the mission
agency and the church)
Full partnership (two organizations
working together as partners)
suggested pattern of
development
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The mission starts the church as a
pioneer
The mission nurtures the new church as
a parent
The mission works alongside the church
as a partner
The mission is under the direction of
the church as a participant
STEP TEN: THE SENDING
CHURCH CONVENED
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The primary purpose of gathering the church
together is to facilitate the perpetuation of
the church planting cycle
A central aspect of the gathering of the
sending churches is to renew their
understanding of and commitment to the
biblical mission of the church.
Evangelism and social concerns; how are they
to be related in the “mission” of the church?
Role of every Christian in the
missionary task
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Seeing the situation
Having compassion for the lost
Praying for the Lord of the harvest to
send forth laborers
Going in one way or another