COMPREHENSIVE GROWTH PLAN (CGP) Stewardship Strategic Plan for the Local Church Inter-American Division

1. INTRODUCTION Local Church Within the organizational structure of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, without a doubt the local church is the most important. This is because it is at this level in which the acts occur which ensure the growth of the Church. Local Church

The Two Great Acts What are the two great acts that ensure the growth of the church? Baptism Tithe Where do these two acts occur? In the Local Church!

Baptism When “the Lord added to their group those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47), it was in the local churches where the new converts were received and accepted as memebers. When Jesus, acting as the “faithful witness“ addresses “the seven church in the province of Asia” (Revelation 1:4,5), there were local churches within which the acts of the gospel were taking place.

TITHE In regards to the financing of the evangelistic mission of the church, Ellen G. White wrote the following: “God’s money is to be used to carry forward in His own way the work that He has declared must be done in our world” (Evangelism, p. 85). According to this quote, God has money since we notice that it is talking about “God’s money, and this money should be used to preach the Gospel, for this is the work that God has indicated should be done in this world to save the sinners. However, where does God get this money so that His church finance His mission.

The Only Source of Financing “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse" (Malachi 3:10). If the Church needs funds to finance its mission, God indicates that the tithe is the means to obtain those funds. However, where is this tithe collected? At the General Conference? In the building of a Union? No, it is collected in the Local Church Each Sabbath, in the more than 129 thousand adventist congregations scattered in some 204 countries in the world. “God’s money” is collected. In no other place does this act occur but only in the local church .

THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LOCAL CHURCH We are clear in that the organization of the different levels in the structure of the church is necessary, but let us remember that before the church was officially organized in 1863, some 125 local churches already existed. The organization came as a need precisely because of the large growth that was happening in the local church. That need of organization has not changed because the local churches continue to multiply, and a work so extensive requires an organizational structure, but we emphasize that the demand for said structure is due to the growth that is occurring in the local church.

Strategic Element To understand the strategic role of the local church is vital for God’s work to continue to grow. Therefore, this Instructive is a Stewardship plan directed to the local church, so that its leaders and officers can organize themselves to face the challenges raised by the financing of the mission of the church on one hand, and on the other enormous challenge of promoting and ensuring the growth of each church member in the different components of Christian stewardship.

A Successful Plan Therefore, this Instructive has been prepared for the local church. The recommended procedures, in addition to the activities that must be performed, have been tested by way of a laboratory in various local churches, and its successful result ensures that the same success be repeated in each local church that faithfully follows its instructions.