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

Please explore now some of the ideas presented in the last video segment. Empowerment deals with the final stage of effective urban church planting, Evangelism and Equipping being the first two stages. Also, Empowerment highlights the final step of the PLANT acrostic, or transition toward independence and maturity . This focus on transfer of leadership is central to the success of church planting; enabling urban disciples of Christ to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit through the leaders and members he has provided to them. Keep these important concepts in mind as you grapple with the following questions. Support your answers with Scripture. 1. Why is the concept of Empowerment such a central notion for effective urban church planting ? In what sense can we say that a church is not empowered if it neither has its own leadership nor the ability to be a self-governing, self-supporting, and self-reproducing church? 2. What is the relationship between raising up godly leaders who lead the congregation and the likelihood of the church’s survival and reproduction? Who is ultimately responsible for raising up leaders for the Church? (cf. Acts 20.28 - Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.) 3. True or False. “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.” Explain your answer. 4. Why is it important that the church planter and the church plant team devote a large amount of its energy and resources in raising up a leadership team who will have the authority, character, competence and membership support necessary to cause it to grow and mature in Christ? What are “time and resource wasters” which might sidetrack a team from this primary responsibility? 5. List some of the key obstacles that must be overcome in order to empower urban churches for maturity and reproduction. Of these challenges, which do you suspect is the greatest or most fundamental challenge that must be given priority over the others? Explain your answer.

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Student Questions and Response

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6. What is the difference between helping an urban church avoid dependence, on the one hand, and yet, the need for the church planters to avoid