Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

LESSON 3 | FOCUS ON REPRODUCTION: CHURCH GROWTH / 433

10. Summarize briefly the ten principles of cross-cultural church planting. Do you agree with the statement that “the fastest, most productive, and most biblical method of world evangelization and discipleship is to plant churches cross-culturally?” Explain your answer.

CONNECTION

This lesson focuses upon providing you with a general overview of the critical theology, methodology, and perspective in doing effective urban ministry. In order to be most effective in advancing the Kingdom of God in the city, we as his called servants must understand carefully and precisely what God is doing in the world through the proclamation of the Gospel. The Father has exalted Jesus to his right hand as Lord and Savior, and now, through the Spirit, the Gospel is bring proclaimed throughout the earth. As we plant healthy, viable churches of Jesus Christ in the city through evangelism, equipping, and empowerment we can see men and women, boys and girls be converted, grow, and become fruitful witnesses of the Kingdom of Christ where they live, play, and work. • In every phase and dimension of mission, teaching, preaching, and outreach, we must appeal to our Lord Jesus for aid and direction, for he alone can enable us to win souls and plant churches in the city. • The Great Commission of Christ is a call to go and make disciples of the nations, and this radical discipleship cannot be produced and proven valid apart from the Christian community. • An effective church planting strategy can be summarized in the PLANT acrostic: prepare, launch, assemble, nurture, and transition. These phases are included within three integrated stages: evangelizing the lost, equipping the new disciples to live the Christian life in the church, and empowering the leaders and the community to reproduce itself and associate with other like minded churches. • The principles of cross-cultural church planting underwrite our efforts to minister among the poor in the city. Drawn from the apostles’ experience outlined in Acts, these principles make plain the critical insights of effective urban ministry. They include affirming that Jesus is Lord, the challenge to evangelize, equip, and empower unreached people to reach people, and the need to be inclusive, culturally neutral, and to cross racial, class, gender, and language barriers to make the Gospel of the Kingdom plain to those who we seek to reach.

Summary of Key Concepts page 184 & 5

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