Focus on Reproduction, Mentor's Guide, MG12

1 7 4 /

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

3. Why can’t a church be called viable if it fails to faithfully assemble a committed group of converted, gathered, and maturing disciples of Jesus regularly? Why is the gathering of the faithful a sign of a healthy church? 4. Can a church reproduce itself if it is not governed by its own pastors and leaders, ruling under their own protocols and processes? Explain your answer. 5. Why is it necessary for the emerging church to redefine its relationship with the missionaries, church planters, and workers who helped to found it? What are the range of possibilities that the new church can outline for these workers? 6. Why must an effective church be defined in terms of its ability to encourage and sustain credible burden-driven, gift-oriented ministries carried out by its own members? 7. Can a church be empowered that is financially dependent on resources from the outside? In what sense must a church be able to generate its own resources and income for it own ministry operations, ministry, and faithfully steward those resources and facilities with kingdom priorities in mind? 8. Why must commitment to missions, both home and abroad, always be included as a criteria for a healthy, viable church? 9. Of all the attitudes, resources, and gifts needed to plant effective urban churches, what do you believe are the most important? Defend your answer with Scripture. This lesson focuses upon the Empowerment phase of effective church planting, and covers the final letter “T” in the PLANT acrostic: Prepare, Launch, Assemble, Nurture, Transition. The heart and soul of these processes and activities concern our ability to raise up a qualified core of commissioned leaders of proven character who possess the competence to lead the community which God has called them to. This transfer of authority and leadership is for the purpose of empowering the church, i.e., enabling them to grow toward independence, associate with other churches for fellowship and service, and reproduce themselves in kingdom-oriented witness and ministry. The concepts below outline the major insights and principles covered in the lesson.

4

Summary of Key Concepts