Church Planting
The missionary task is making disciples and planting churches among all the unreached peoples and places of the world. The church is at the center of the Great Commission. Church planting is simply what missionaries do as they faithfully proclaim the gospel and make disciples. We encourage missionaries to play their part on a missionary team that seeks to wisely steward its resources for the spread of the gospel.
As we make disciples among unreached peoples and places and these disciples gather together in groups, we work intentionally to bring them to the point where they identify as a church. As churches are formed, we help them grow in health through patient teaching, training, prayer, and guidance. Our goal in proclaiming the gospel and making disciples is healthy church formation.
Church planting includes six core, reproducing tasks:
- Entry
We gain access to a people, begin to learn their language, and seek to understand their culture. - Evangelism
We intentionally cross barriers to share the gospel in ways that are meaningful with both individuals and groups of people. - Discipleship
We teach believers how to obey all the commandments of God so that they grow in understanding, character, and godly behavior. - Healthy Church Formation
We help organize disciples into churches that bear the characteristics of health described in the Bible. - Leadership Development
We help new churches identify, equip, and appoint leaders and church multipliers. - Exit
We believe new churches have the responsibility to join in the spread of the gospel throughout the world. We look for churches that demonstrate multiple generations of disciple making and church growth and that are ready to send their own missionaries to proclaim the gospel among unreached peoples and places.
In order to faithfully steward God’s resources, we are tracking our efforts, continually training, and evaluating fruitfulness along this continuum.
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Church planting is simply what missionaries do as they faithfully proclaim the gospel and make disciples.