The Timothy Conference

T H E T I M O T H Y C O N F E R E N C E

Missiologists refer to this as the principle of indigeneity. See Indigenous Churches in the Appendix.

The idea of using an indigenous approaches is central to World Impact’s understanding of how to take issues of class and culture seriously in the city.

Respect the dominance of the receiving culture

• Seek to discover how things are done in the culture.

• Defer to the wishes of indigenous people in regard to methods (What and Why are unchanging principles, How is a culturally determined application).

Pauline Model –Paul’s circumcision of Timothy, Acts 16.1-3.

Avoid dependence

• Tell people that they have leadership gifts and potential. • Tell people that you are not going to always be in charge.

Plan absences.

•

• Point people to the Word and the Spirit.

Pauline Model - Ephesian Elders, Acts 20.24-32.

Think reproducibility

• Don’t use things just because they are there. Ask, “Is this likely to continue when the missionary team is gone?”

• Always ask “What person can work with me on this?”

• Do things the same way each time whenever possible (establish habits) because it will be easier to train people when this is true. • Structured is more reproducible than unstructured (assuming that the structure is not overly complex and that it is culturally conducive).

Pauline Model - All things to all people, 1 Corinthians 9.19-23.

This type of church-planting demands certain things from a team leader:

Evangelistic -

Pastoral -

Flexible -

Called by God -

Page 22