Church Planting Movement A rapid and multiplicative increase of indigenous churches planting churches within a given people group or population segment Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB

Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB Definitions Church: A local group of baptized believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who gather regularly for worship, nurture, and fellowship; and who depart the gathering endeavoring to obey all the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ. Church Planting: The process of winning individuals and families to Christ through any and all means that effectively communicate to the culture, then gathering and baptizing them into the Body of Christ for the purpose of doing church. Church Planting Movement: Local churches within a people group rapidly and regularly planting multiple new churches within the same people group as a normal part of being and doing church. Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB

Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB Definitions Evangelism: Taking the Gospel to one’s own people group for the purpose of redeeming individuals and families in such a way that churches can be started. Missions: Taking the Gospel to a people group that is different from one’s own for the purpose of redeeming individuals and families in such a way that churches are planted and a Church Planting Movement can be started. Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB

Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB Components of a CPM Rapid: New churches are started quickly Multiplicative: not just incremental growth — a few churches a year – but compounding with each church regularly duplicating itself without professional missionaries. Indigenous churches: Generated from within rather than from without A missionary initiated the entrance of the Gospel without Western trappings The momentum quickly become indigenous w/o missionary involvement, except for training Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB

Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB What CPM Is NOT More than evangelism that results in churches More than a revival of pre-existing churches More than evangelistic crusades and witnessing programs More than a final goal – the objective is God is glorified As individuals enter a right relationship to God through Christ they are incorporated into churches where they grow in grace with other like-minded believers Anytime people come to new life in Christ, God is glorified Anytime a church is planted – no matter who does it – there is grounds for celebration Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB

Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB Why is CPM so Special? Is the greatest potential for the largest number of lost individuals glorifying God by coming into new life in Christ and communities of faith A CPM occurs when the vision of CP shifts from the missionary to the churches themselves Missionaries will always be limited – local CPers must be added to the pool CP is woven into the DNA of every new church Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB

Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB What has been learned Shift ASAP to house church methodology Accept the loss of control by focusing on teaching Persecution will weed out insincere, but acceptance of “priesthood” of believer will assure continuance – hierarchical churches will die Missionaries introduce the Gospel, encourage CPM vision, utilize cell-church methodology and protect movement from dependency on foreign funds. Mobilized and trained lay missionaries is key to CPM Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB

Ten Universal Elements Prayer – Give away the chief power source the missionary has to the national Abundant gospel sowing – hundreds or thousands are hearing the claims of Christ on their lives: mass media, personal evangelism and personal testimonies of life changes Intentional church planting – someone implements a strategy of deliberate CP from the beginning Scriptural authority – in non-literates Chronological Bible Storying until Bible can be translated Local Leadership – Missionary must be disciplined to be the mentor to CPers rather than do it personally – Gives training IN ministry in stead of training FOR ministry Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB

Ten Universal Elements Lay Leadership – typically bi-vocational from people group (if typically illiterate people, then leaders will be as well; if fishermen, then leaders will be as well). Paid clergy may develop, but very few. No dependency on institute or seminary trained leadership. Cell or House Churches – small, reproducible cells of 10-30 members meeting in homes or stores Cell Churches are linked to one another via networks, which is linked into a larger, single church identity – more easily conformed doctrinally House Churches look similar, but not organized under a single authority or hierarchy of authorities, but are autonomous units – less vulnerable to hostile governments Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB

Ten Universal Elements Churches Planting Churches – first ones usually planted by Ms or M-trained CPers – new members must believe that reproduction is natural and no external aids are needed Rapid Reproduction – communicates the urgency and importance of coming to faith and laity are fully empowered to participate Healthy Churches – Five Purposes: 1) worship 2) evangelistic outreach 3) education and discipleship 4) ministry 5) fellowship Church Planting Movements – Garrison and IMB