LifePoint Global will have a big day on July 10. This coming Friday we have a short-term team of 13 leaving for Brazil. They will serve in the favelas (slums) of Sao Paulo alongside our Brazilian partners and two LifePoint Global interns, Erica and Jared. Half of our Bangkok Church Planting Team is departing on a scouting mission to Thailand. We also have a family of four moving to West Africa in partnership with IMB. On the same day our senior pastor, exec pastor, myself and leaders of other sending churches will participate in a meeting with IMB president Jerry Rankin and his senior staff. We will discuss a new way of working with non-traditional churches (sending churches) to reach the nations for God's glory.
When you pray this Friday, remember to intercede for LifePoint and their partners, as we continue to follow Jesus on His mission and spread the fame of His name together.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
sending church: more lay leaders... less professional missionaries
This post continues our description of what the sending church looks like today. Of course we have the best picture of sending church from the New Testament. We must continually ask ourselves, "How do we apply biblical patterns to whatever context we find ourselves in today?" This is a continuation of two previous posts: "sending church is..." and "sending church: more missional groups... less individual missions". We are using contrasts to help define the sending church.
Dream with me for a moment. What if our tribe (churches we associate with) would shift from sending individuals to sending churches to carry out God's mission among the nations? What if our denominational mission agency helped to facilitate the sending of churches rather than the sending of individual/professional missionaries? What would happen if our mission agency commissioned churches for making disciples among a people group, instead of individual/professional missionaries?
I know, I know... this would be risky, messy and many things would have to change for this to happen... but I believe it would be worth it all. I believe we would see numbers of missionaries, resources, engaged people groups and harvest grow exponentially. The greater the risk... the greater the reward.
Our denominational mission agency could use their authority and influence to challenge churches to take responsibility for being the missionary where the Holy Spirit is leading them, even as they help educate churches on global priorities. Instead of asking for more money, the agency could ask for more churches to step up and become the missionary among a people group (money follows people). The agency could assist them with practical logistics, provide for training of their missionaries, share the burden of financial support, and do whatever else necessary to facilitate the success of their mission. There are hundreds of churches out there that would jump at an opportunity like that.
The churches would be responsible for screening and selecting their people, forming the missionary teams, sending them out, sharing in the financial burden, supervising strategy, and shepherding the missionaries through their team leaders. The agency could educate and help with those aspects if some churches needed the help, but the responsibility would belong to the sending churches.
See, the mission agency should relate directly to churches, not to individuals belonging to those churches. The churches should be responsible for their people and their mission, using agency expertise as a resource to accomplish what the Holy Spirit is calling them to do.
If the sending church is sent by the Holy Spirit, there should be more lay leaders involved than professional missionaries. Some Scriptural background for this type of movement...
The Jerusalem church did a great job of reaching their own people, the Jews (Acts 2:47). But they had not obeyed Jesus' commission to "make disciples of all nations". So, God allowed them to go through a terrible persecution that forced the church to scatter and thus spread the gospel (Acts 8:1-4). God used some of those scattered believers from the great persecution to plant the church cross-culturally at Antioch (Acts 11:19-21)... there were more "lay people" involved, less professionals, (apostles stayed behind). The Jerusalem church heard about this and sent Barnabas to Antioch to follow-up (Acts 11:22-24)... Barnabas found Saul (Paul) and they stayed for a whole year teaching great numbers of people (Acts 11:25-26)... these were the "professionals" (lesser number involved).
Paul and Barnabas took John Mark along as a helper (Acts 13:5) as they were sent out by the Antioch church. Later, John Mark returned (Acts 13:13), and as a result there was a sharp disagreement over him between Paul and Barnabas that led to the formation of two missionary teams (Acts 15:36-40). Nevertheless, missionary work was accomplished through apostolic teams in community, not through lone rangers. Also, John Mark's participation demonstrates there is a role for "lay" believers in the missionary task. John Mark was not a top leader or teacher, but was part of the missionary team. Much later, Paul changed his mind about John Mark and called for his help as a valuable team member (2 Timothy 4:11). From Scriptures we observe many additions to missionary teams throughout various journeys: Silas, Timothy, Luke, Titus, Priscilla & Aquila, etc. (and I believe many unnamed). Most of these team members came from the missionary harvest fields as new Christ followers and accompanied Paul on missions to other places (international teams).
Sent by the Holy Spirit... This movement can happen through circumstances orchestrated by God, like a catastrophic event with a Jerusalem type church. Or, it can happen because of the DNA of an Antioch type church. Whatever happens to help stimulate the sending church, it is the Holy Spirit driving the movement, not a strategy from a denominational agency or a programmed approach from a local church. Notice what they were doing in Acts 13:2 before the Holy Spirit spoke to them about sending leaders on a mission(worshiping, fasting and praying).
More lay leaders... This movement requires the whole church to be involved, not just a few who are especially qualified. God scattered the whole church in Acts 8. God spoke through the whole church in Acts 13. Of course we need the "professionals," the higher level leaders. However, when these high level leaders are called out by the Holy Spirit, they are called to lead the rest of the church to go along on God's mission. Also, the higher level leaders or "professionals," are the minority. They quickly form larger teams with "lay people" to help in the task.
Less professional missionaries... This movement does not require a lot of professional leaders, but does require the best the church has to offer from their leadership ranks. There were five high level leaders mentioned in Acts 13, and the Holy Spirit spoke to the church to set apart two of them for the work He called them to do. Then the church sent them out with prayer, fasting and laying on of hands (authority) in partnership with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:3,4).
____________________________________________
Recap of Sending Church definition:
What is a sending church?
* A community of Christ followers
* Sent by the Holy Spirit
* To be the hands and feet of Christ
* To engage all people with the love of Christ
* To multiply disciples among the nations for God's glory
Sending Church is
MORE... missional groups
LESS... individual missions
MORE... lay leaders
LESS... professional missionaries
MORE... practical ministry
LESS... talking and meeting
MORE... relational influence
LESS... programmed evangelism
MORE... transformational disciples
LESS... institutional discipleship
___________________________________________
Next sending church post will be about: Being the hands and feet of Christ... more practical ministry... less talking and meeting.
Comments Welcome.
Dream with me for a moment. What if our tribe (churches we associate with) would shift from sending individuals to sending churches to carry out God's mission among the nations? What if our denominational mission agency helped to facilitate the sending of churches rather than the sending of individual/professional missionaries? What would happen if our mission agency commissioned churches for making disciples among a people group, instead of individual/professional missionaries?
I know, I know... this would be risky, messy and many things would have to change for this to happen... but I believe it would be worth it all. I believe we would see numbers of missionaries, resources, engaged people groups and harvest grow exponentially. The greater the risk... the greater the reward.
Our denominational mission agency could use their authority and influence to challenge churches to take responsibility for being the missionary where the Holy Spirit is leading them, even as they help educate churches on global priorities. Instead of asking for more money, the agency could ask for more churches to step up and become the missionary among a people group (money follows people). The agency could assist them with practical logistics, provide for training of their missionaries, share the burden of financial support, and do whatever else necessary to facilitate the success of their mission. There are hundreds of churches out there that would jump at an opportunity like that.
The churches would be responsible for screening and selecting their people, forming the missionary teams, sending them out, sharing in the financial burden, supervising strategy, and shepherding the missionaries through their team leaders. The agency could educate and help with those aspects if some churches needed the help, but the responsibility would belong to the sending churches.
See, the mission agency should relate directly to churches, not to individuals belonging to those churches. The churches should be responsible for their people and their mission, using agency expertise as a resource to accomplish what the Holy Spirit is calling them to do.
If the sending church is sent by the Holy Spirit, there should be more lay leaders involved than professional missionaries. Some Scriptural background for this type of movement...
The Jerusalem church did a great job of reaching their own people, the Jews (Acts 2:47). But they had not obeyed Jesus' commission to "make disciples of all nations". So, God allowed them to go through a terrible persecution that forced the church to scatter and thus spread the gospel (Acts 8:1-4). God used some of those scattered believers from the great persecution to plant the church cross-culturally at Antioch (Acts 11:19-21)... there were more "lay people" involved, less professionals, (apostles stayed behind). The Jerusalem church heard about this and sent Barnabas to Antioch to follow-up (Acts 11:22-24)... Barnabas found Saul (Paul) and they stayed for a whole year teaching great numbers of people (Acts 11:25-26)... these were the "professionals" (lesser number involved).
Paul and Barnabas took John Mark along as a helper (Acts 13:5) as they were sent out by the Antioch church. Later, John Mark returned (Acts 13:13), and as a result there was a sharp disagreement over him between Paul and Barnabas that led to the formation of two missionary teams (Acts 15:36-40). Nevertheless, missionary work was accomplished through apostolic teams in community, not through lone rangers. Also, John Mark's participation demonstrates there is a role for "lay" believers in the missionary task. John Mark was not a top leader or teacher, but was part of the missionary team. Much later, Paul changed his mind about John Mark and called for his help as a valuable team member (2 Timothy 4:11). From Scriptures we observe many additions to missionary teams throughout various journeys: Silas, Timothy, Luke, Titus, Priscilla & Aquila, etc. (and I believe many unnamed). Most of these team members came from the missionary harvest fields as new Christ followers and accompanied Paul on missions to other places (international teams).
Sent by the Holy Spirit... This movement can happen through circumstances orchestrated by God, like a catastrophic event with a Jerusalem type church. Or, it can happen because of the DNA of an Antioch type church. Whatever happens to help stimulate the sending church, it is the Holy Spirit driving the movement, not a strategy from a denominational agency or a programmed approach from a local church. Notice what they were doing in Acts 13:2 before the Holy Spirit spoke to them about sending leaders on a mission(worshiping, fasting and praying).
More lay leaders... This movement requires the whole church to be involved, not just a few who are especially qualified. God scattered the whole church in Acts 8. God spoke through the whole church in Acts 13. Of course we need the "professionals," the higher level leaders. However, when these high level leaders are called out by the Holy Spirit, they are called to lead the rest of the church to go along on God's mission. Also, the higher level leaders or "professionals," are the minority. They quickly form larger teams with "lay people" to help in the task.
Less professional missionaries... This movement does not require a lot of professional leaders, but does require the best the church has to offer from their leadership ranks. There were five high level leaders mentioned in Acts 13, and the Holy Spirit spoke to the church to set apart two of them for the work He called them to do. Then the church sent them out with prayer, fasting and laying on of hands (authority) in partnership with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:3,4).
____________________________________________
Recap of Sending Church definition:
What is a sending church?
* A community of Christ followers
* Sent by the Holy Spirit
* To be the hands and feet of Christ
* To engage all people with the love of Christ
* To multiply disciples among the nations for God's glory
Sending Church is
MORE... missional groups
LESS... individual missions
MORE... lay leaders
LESS... professional missionaries
MORE... practical ministry
LESS... talking and meeting
MORE... relational influence
LESS... programmed evangelism
MORE... transformational disciples
LESS... institutional discipleship
___________________________________________
Next sending church post will be about: Being the hands and feet of Christ... more practical ministry... less talking and meeting.
Comments Welcome.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Bangkok - Belgium - Boom!
We are hanging on for the ride here at LifePoint Church. The response to the challenge of going on a church planting team to Bangkok or Belgium has been overwhelming as nearly 40 commitment cards came back to us from families, couples and singles. We have interviewed people of all ages and from many different walks of life. Many are just trying to discern what God wants them to do, others are not quite ready for this level of commitment, but there are some who are ready to begin the process for preparing to go. What is exciting for us is the fact that ALL want to give their life away for God's glory!
I have not made time to blog lately but it is not because there is nothing to say. I am trying to keep up with the rapid pace of change in our church. There is a good possibility that we may go from three vocational international missionary units to directly sending at least a dozen missionary units over the next two years. We are experiencing a massive response to the call to serve outside of church walls. Since January over 300 people in our church have participated in various local and global mission opportunities. These are people we know about, there are many others we don't know about who are serving their neighbors, volunteering with other organizations, ministering to hurting people, influencing people to pursue Christ through a variety of ways. These are exciting days for church based missions. I will try to write down some lessons learned as soon as it slows down around here... uh, it will slow down, a little, I hope.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Say Yes to Sending Church!
Our pastor did a great job of communicating the vision and direction for our church yesterday. If you have not heard the message, it would be worth your time to check out the April 19 Sunday morning message at LifePointChurch.org. To get the whole picture, you will have to listen to the whole message. These are exciting days at our church... a missions pastor's dream! Over the past several years our church has moved from a "supporting church" missions model to a "partnership church" missions model and now to a "sending church" missions model. Our church is going through an Acts 13 experience and will be sending out our first Church Planting Teams to Bangkok and Belgium.The vision was cast and the call to say YES was issued. We will have an informational meeting this Wednesday night for all who are sensing God's direction to make a three year commitment and join with a team to Bangkok or Belgium. We will follow a process to prepare the teams to go directly from our church but in partnership with mission agencies that will help facilitate and resource our going. The teams will work under the strategy and authority of the church, not the missionary agency. Our church will work closely with mission agency partners to develop a sending church model that can function with other like churches. We will work with GFM to send a team to Bangkok, and with IMB to send a team to Belgium. In both of these initiatives the vision is to begin an indigenous movement that will multiply disciples, leaders and churches for God's glory.
I will post more about the sending church model and our journey as a church in the weeks and months to come. Comments or questions are welcome.
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