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Introduction:
Making disciples -
what is church planting?
Church
planting is a cooperative process of evangelizing people and nurturing them so they
become well-established disciples in a worshipping
Christian community. Projects may or may not involve
constructing a traditional church building. Newly
planted churches have met in a variety of places such as
schools, a former YMCA and in industrial/commercial
spaces.
They
begin in a variety of ways. Sometimes a church planter
starts and advances a potential plant by establishing a
strong core group with clear plans for a new church.
In
other cases, a group of lay people or a church may seek
to advance the planting situation to the point of
submitting a successful grant application before seeking to recruit a church planter for part-time
or full-time ministry.
Under-served communities can be areas in transition such
as new suburbs, revitalized downtowns, and changing
neighborhoods. Sometimes the community that does not
have a strong Christian presence is not geographic. It
can be a group linked by a common interest such as
motorcycles, businesses, or the arts, a lifestyle, or
ethnicity or by a discomfort in established churches.
Effective church planters first try to understand a
"culture," its values, needs, and language. Based on that, they develop models of Christian ministry that
make sense to and appeal to the community they want to
help.
Reading Assignment #1:
Understand the role of church planting in the spreading
of the gospel.
Lecture 1
Read the following e-books:
Bad Church Planting Philosophies
The Biology of Church Multiplication
Week #1 Assignment:
After
going through the above reading assignments, please
write a paper on your observations on why church
planting is relevant and necessary in the spreading of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Your paper
should be 6 to 8 pages, presented as a well-written
report, and properly cited in either APA or MLA format.
You may use other online resources for your assignment.
Reading Assignment #2:
Consider some of the obstacles of planting a church in
another country.
Read
the following article and by using online resources
research church planting and the starting of missions in
foreign countries.
Strategizing for Church Planting Movements in the
Muslim World
Week
#2 Assignment:
Write a
paper on your findings from the above article. What are
some of the obstacles you might encounter? Your
paper should be
6 to 8 pages, presented as a well-written report, and
properly cited in either APA or MLA format.
You may use other online resources for your assignment.
Reading Assignment #3:
Possess an understanding of
some of the legal issues involved in planting a church.
Starting a Non-Profit,
501c(3) Ministry:
In the United States it is
required that you become a non-profit organization in
order to receive donations to support your ministry.
This week you will examine the process that is involved
to incorporate any type of ministry and you will examine
the various aspects of starting a non-profit church.
Read the following articles and web resources:
http://www.501c3.org/faqs.html
http://www.churchlawtoday.com/newminlesson.php?144
Week
#3 Assignment:
After
reading the above articles and any additional online
research necessary, write a paper on the legal issues
involved in starting a new ministry.
Your paper should be 6
to 8 pages, presented as a well-written report, and
properly cited in either APA or MLA format.
You may use other online resources for your assignment.
Reading Assignment #4: Be
familiar with the common challenges faced by church
planters.
Lecture 2
Week
#4 Assignment:
After
going through the reading assignments please write a
paper on your observations of the pitfalls of planting a
church.
Your paper should be 6
to 8 pages, presented as a well-written report, and
properly cited in either APA or MLA format. You may use
other online resources for your assignment.
Reading Assignment #5:
Develop an analysis of their own capacity as church
planters.
Lecture
3
Week
#5 Assignment:
After
going through the reading assignments please write a
paper on your observations on your ability or lack of
ability to plant a church.
Your paper should be 6
to 8 pages, presented as a well-written report, and
properly cited in either APA or MLA format. You may use
other online resources for your assignment.
Week
#6 Assignment:
FINAL
PAPER:
Directions:
In writing, develop a Church Plant Model. The
model length should be a minimum of
ten (10) pages and no longer than
fifteen (15) pages. (It
will be impossible to secure an A on the final with less
than ten pages). Be creative! Use the things that you
learned in the other lessons and the things God has laid
on your heart.
Ingredients:
The following must be included in your model but your
model is not limited to them:
New Church Plant
Theological Justification:
Why have you chosen to start a new church and what is
your scriptural support for such an endeavor? If you
truly believe God is calling you into this type of
ministry, He will never change His mind and this calling
is never revoked. Make sure of your calling and state
what evidence He has given you to do this.
People Group:
What geographical area have you targeted and why?
New Church Plant
Name: What is the name of your New Church Plant
and how did you arrive at this particular name? Does
this name reflect the community that you have planted in
or the group of people you are ministering to? What
does this name say to the un-churched – what message
are you trying to communicate?
Staffing:
Discuss the type of staffing you would need to make your
New Church Plant ministry a reality. Also give a brief
job description of each individual and how you will be
selective in choosing volunteers. What qualifications
will you look for and why?
Budget:
Describe what your initial budget would be over the
space of the first year of operation. Take into
consideration methods of fundraising, the cost of
salaries, medical insurance, advertisements/public
relations, facility rental, staffing facilities and any
other foreseen expenses. Consider the spiritual,
economic, financial, social, racial, and other issues,
which would benefit or prohibit your success in this
venture.
Nucleus:
What technique would you use to attract your nucleus of
people around which you would build your New Church
Plant?
Be sure all assignments, all parts completed, are posted
by the course closing date |
