Front Matters

54 • F RONT M ATTERS : P REREQUISITE R EADINGS FOR THE E VANGEL S CHOOL OF U RBAN C HURCH P LANTING

Source: Ripe for Harvest, pp. 90-92

in the creeds and councils of the Church, and defended by believers throughout history.

Church planting is simply an extension of the subjective expression of this Grand Cosmic Drama. A church plant is a new leaf on the Tree of God’s design, going back to its Sacred Roots. Our identity is based on the guardianship and cross-cultural transference of the Great Tradition, which guards against heresy, sectarianism, syncretism, schism and pragmatism. Once we see the broad landscape of the Church (big “C”) we can then think more responsibly and clearly about the church (little “c”). In World Impact’s conceptual dictionary, we acknowledge that the Church has historically and practically today expressed its community in three ways. These expressions will prove to be essential in our outworking of church planting among city folk, and encompasses all facets of our church planting strategy (including assessment for church planters, training and chartering church plant teams, and providing resources and directions through our coaches and funding). (The purposes of these expressions is not to determine the absolute line between, say, 50 and 51 members in a church. Obviously, these numbers are not given for hard-and-fast distinctions between expressions. Rather, the numbers are meant to help provide us with a sense of the congregations regular, ongoing, size and makeup. Churches breathe in their member ship, but do tend to settle at a particular attendance within margins. Do not see the numbers as absolute boundaries but rather as suggestive guidelines in terms of how a particular church tends to grow and function.) The Small Church (or “house church,” 20-50 or so people). The small (or house) church can be understood as a small store in a shopping mall . It needs the connections to other small churches to both survive and thrive. Small churches are able to meet virtually anywhere and can operate with a tiny footprint with little to no financial burdens. They can focus on a specific block, housing development, or network of families. This expression allows for a strong discipleship focus of indigenous leadership development which can take place in this smaller connected group. Community Church (60-150 or so people) The community church is the most common expression of church, numerically speaking, in the world today. This expression can be understood as a grocery or convenience store in a neighborhood or Our three expressions are as follows:

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