Focus on Reproduction, Mentor's Guide, MG12

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F O C U S O N R E P R O D U C T I O N

Planting Urban Churches Reaping

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Welcome in the strong name of Jesus Christ! After your reading, study, discussion, and application of the materials in this lesson, you will be able to: • Articulate the concept of Empowerment , as it relates in the urban church planting process. This process seeks to help the emerging church become sufficient to work with other congregations as leadership authority is given over to the church in order that it may become a self-governing, self-supporting, and self-reproducing church. • Support biblically and logically the notion that raising up godly leaders who can shepherd and protect the church is the single greatest responsibility of effective urban church planting. Without godly gifted leaders taking responsibility for the well being of the newly formed church, the likelihood that it will survive, let alone thrive, are nil to none. • Give evidence of the kinds of investments that are necessary in order for the leadership team of a church to have the authority, character, competence and membership support necessary to ensure a dynamic healthy church. • List out some of the major challenges involved in empowering an emerging church for maturity and reproduction. These include the issue of authority, avoiding dependence while ensuring friendship and connection, and encouraging the church to not merely survive but reproduce itself for Christ. • Outline the four central aspects of godly church leadership: the godly leader must be commissioned, i.e., a person of distinct recognized call; the godly leader must be a person of character , i.e., a person of proven experience; the godly leader must be a person of competence: a person of gifting and skill; finally, the godly leader must be a person of community: a person who lives to serve and sacrifice on behalf of others. • Provide an overview, a snapshot, a blueprint of the three concepts and seven criteria related to empowerment which ensure the kind of church that effective urban church planters seek to empower and reproduce. These concepts include striving to ensure the church’s independence, ensuring

Lesson Objectives

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