Getting Ready for CPM - 5 - David Watson
Appropriate Evangelism/Church Planting

Scripture is the primary tool of the Church Planter. Understanding culture and world view in order to present the Word of God to a community is the second tool. How we present the Word of God to a community is almost as important as the Word itself. If we are not sensitive to the culture, and present the Word of God in a way that is offensive to the culture, we cannot expect people to be responsive to the call of the Holy Spirit to salvation.

Appropriate evangelism begins in right relationships. It is in relationship that the Church Planter shares his spiritual life. It is in relationship that the Church Planter shares the Word of God that leads to families discovering the Creator and His plan for their lives. Relationships are defined by culture, and in knowing the spiritual and family world view of a culture the Church Planter is better prepared to enter into significant relationships that leads to the evangelism of families and the establishment of new churches.

There are several key principles that lead us to appropriate evangelism and church planting. The first principle is that God is the only one who can save. He may work through a miracle, dream or vision, testimony, or Bible study to touch the lives of a family. How God prepares a person to receive Christ may vary, but at some point that person must hear the Gospel in order to decide to commit his life to Christ and receive salvation.

The second principle is that the Gospel must be presented in a way that the family will accept. In highly resistant areas this is usually through a study of the nature of God that leads to a fear of God and questions of how to relate to the Creator who hates sin, judges those who sin, but provides a way for sinners to be saved.

The third principle is that the focus of evangelism is families, not individuals. We are told over and over again in the New Testament that a person received the Gospel and he and his entire household were saved and baptized. Read the story of Cornelius in Acts 10, or the story of Lydia in Acts 16. The focus of evangelism in the New Testament is family.

In Luke 10 and Matthew 10 Jesus instructed his disciples and followers to go to the villages He was about to visit and find the man of peace or worthy person and stay with him in his home. They were not to move from house to house. Jesus wanted His followers to focus on households, especially those He had prepared to receive the Gospel.

When families become our focus for evangelism and church planting we cause several things happen. When a family receives Christ and is baptized, a nuclear church is formed. This embryonic church can depend on each other, and do not have to fear each other. Because the minimum cultural unit made the decision to change their belief system, it is easier for others to accept, and it is easier to transmit this change to others.

Often, the Church Planter’s relationship begins with an individual. This is usually the case in student work. When an individual comes to the salvation, the Church Planter sees him or her as a doorway to a family or affinity group, and works to see the Gospel move into the family or group.

The methodology that is most effective in church planting begins with a relationship, not a tract, book, Bible, or witnessing method. As we build relationships our lives speak the message as well as our words. Jesus lived with his disciples for almost three years before they were ready to declare that He was the Son of God. In our experience, it takes about six months for a committed Church Planter to lead a family to the Lord and start a new church.

posted by alexander @ 6:11 AM    0 comments

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