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

earth. He calls them to the particular fields of service where they live and work, and he alone empowers them with his Spirit. As Lord of all, Jesus is in charge of every dimension of his servant’s ministry, determining where he will send them, as well as what his servants must endure for his name’s sake. He has assured his servants that he will stand with and by them to the end of their task. 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. Now is the time for you to discuss with your fellow students your questions about church growth and reproduction. To grapple with these concepts, we must seek the integrated nature of effective urban ministry. We evangelize with a mind to equip the new believers in the faith, and equip with a commitment to empower these same growing Christians to share their faith with others. As you reflect on these stages and ideas, what particular questions have come to mind? Explore your own questions, as you reflect on those below.

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Student Application and Implications

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