Menu

What is a Churchplanting Movement?

The field of church growth was developed by a cluster of professors at Fuller Seminary in the 1970's, beginning with Donald McGavran and Alan Tippett, and subsequently expanded to a global movement with thousands of published volumes on the nature of churchplanting movements around the world. Peter Wagner in the 1990's shifted much of the emphasis from people movements to mega-church growth, which is not a useful focus for this course. However many of the recent published studies follow the earlier focus on pioneering movements around the globe. In opposition to this recent emphasis on megachurch and "megachurch pastor as apostle" by Wagner, Christian Schwartz developed research on natural church growth, and a cluster of leaders globally have been emphasizing small house church multiplication (Read the chapters below by David Lim).

Read the following and do a 1 page summary of each reading.

Seven principles of a multiplying discipling movement

1.Empowerment by the Holy Spirit

  • All leaders seek the Spirit
  • High prioirt on prayer and fasting

2. Information flow:

  • simple teaching of the Word
  • requiring obedience
  • simple message of salvation

3. Rapid Multiplication of small groups

  • Face to face recruitment
  • Clear process of small group meetings

4. Indigenous Leadership Emergence

  • Progressive leadership roles that are easily followed
  • Progressing to high (Masters) level thinking for core leadership
  • Six Leadrshp gifts functioning: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher, deacon/ess
  • Women's leadership roles well developed within cultural forms

5. Holistic Engagement

6. Clear Work Progressions

7. Culturally Relevant

  • Within a defined cultural group

8. Principles of the Four Seasons are implemented.

Readings

Berg, M. and P. E. Pretiz (1992).The Gospel People of Latin America. Monrovia, Calif.

Miami, Fla., MARC World Vision International.

Garrison, David. (2005) Churchplanting Movements.

Grigg, Viv. (2004). From Churches to Movements. Companion to the Poor. Authentic Press.

Hall, Doug. (2007). New England's Book of Acts. 2007 Intercultural Leadership Consultation, Lexington, Massachusetts, Emmanuel Gospel Center.

Lim, David, (c2007) A Vision of an Evangelized World. unpublished paper

---. (c2007) Advancing the Servant Church. unpublished paper

---. (c2004). Church Planting Movements: The Only Way to Disciple All Nations. Manila, Unpublished paper.

---- Catalyzing “Insider Movements” Among the Unreached”Journal of Asian Mission 10.1-2 (March-September 2008): 125-145.

Schwarz, C. A. (1998). Natural Church Development : a Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches. Carol Stream, IL, ChurchSmart Resources. 

Stoll, D. (1990). Is Latin America Turning Protestant? : the Politics of Evangelical Growth. Berkeley, University of California Press

Wagner, C. P. (1998). The New Apostolic Churches. Ventura, Calif., Regal. 



Previous Page