Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

LESSON 3 | FOCUS ON REPRODUCTION: CHURCH GROWTH / 419

Church Growth: Reproducing in Number and Quality How to Plant an Urban Church That Reproduces: An Overview

Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

CONTENT

As disciples called to obey Christ’s commission to go and make disciples of all nations, we know that radical discipleship is produced and authenticated only in Christian community. To plant churches is to fulfill the Great Commission, which involves three integrated steps: Evangelizing (winning the lost), Equipping (establishing new disciples in the Church), and Empowering (outfitting leaders and the church to reproduce itself in fellowship with other like-minded churches). Our objective for this lesson, How to Plant an Urban Church That Reproduces: An Overview, is to enable you to see that: • The Word of God teaches that radical discipleship is produced and authenticated only in the context of Christian community. • To fulfill the Great Commission of the risen Lord Jesus we must plant healthy, Christ-honoring churches among all the peoples of the earth. • Church planting is made up of three integrated steps of kingdom ministry. • The first step is Evangelize , where we evangelize the lost by sharing in word and deed the good news of the Kingdom in Jesus Christ. • The second step is Equip , which is establishing new disciples to live the Christian life in the context of Christian community – the Church. • The third step is Empower , which involves resourcing and outfitting the leaders and the congregation of the newly formed church to reproduce itself and associate with other like-minded churches. • Ten critical principles exist to guide us in our church planting efforts, which are drawn from the apostolic ministry in Acts, and can be readily applied to our own church planting efforts in the city. • By evangelizing the lost, equipping new Christians to grow as disciples of Jesus, and empowering leaders and churches to reproduce, we can see dozens of solid, healthy churches planted throughout the cities of our nation and world.

Summary

3

U rban M i s s i on