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

Conclusion

» The kind of community that is empowered is one that is striving for its own independence, associating with other churches in fellowship and service, and ministering in Jesus’ name to the community. » God desires that we plant the kind of churches in the city that will not only survive, but also thrive and reproduce themselves as they seek to be an outpost and agent of the Kingdom of God in the city. » The Lord will lead you as you in obedience to his Spirit go into your community to plant the Church of Jesus Christ, depending upon the leading of his Spirit and his Word to accomplish this important task. The following questions were designed to help you review the material in the second video segment. We saw in this segment how all effective urban church planting culminates in a process that transfers leadership into the hands of the church, i.e., that transitions the church for the purpose of it becoming salt and light in Christ’s name to the community . We have not empowered a church if it has not grown to the point where its leaders and members are set free to govern the affairs of the church themselves, able to form healthy relationships with other like-minded fellowships, and then begin to reproduce themselves in tangible projects of giving, service, ministry, and mission for Christ in the community and beyond. Understanding the role of empowerment and the necessary transition that must occur in an emerging church is central to do cross-cultural church planting. Answer the following questions, keeping in mind these important insights covered in the last segment. 1. What are the three concepts that describe a process that proves to be empowering for an emerging urban church? Why is it important that the leaders and members of an emerging church run their own affairs and grow toward independence in order to be empowered? Why is associating with other assemblies key to real empowerment? Why can’t a church be called empowered if it has not begun to give, serve, minister, and bear witness to the Kingdom?

Segue 2

Student Questions and Response

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2. What are the seven criteria which give us a blueprint of a healthy emerging church?