by Jon Konnerup
Last month I wrote concerning the need for church planting around the world. Acts 13 provides a clear example of the Antioch church fulfilling God’s plan of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth by sending out those who the Holy Spirit called.
As a Fellowship of churches, the BBFI has the same commitment to send missionaries globally. Currently, we have missionaries sent by local churches serving in 90 different countries. The biblical mandate to send out those “set apart” as missionaries should not be abandoned.
Last month, I discussed how people in the church need to have a great concern for the lost and how, once they have seen the need to share the Gospel, must be willing to surrender to God’s leading.
This month, I would like to conclude my thoughts on the components essential for a successful church plant.
5. Expecting God to do supernatural works through a career missionary in a church planting movement can strengthen through the prayers of others. Missionaries who live on the field and present the Gospel need the power from on high that comes from the intercessory prayers offered on their behalf. As a result, God receives the glory for the salvation of lost souls and churches being started.
6. Equipping leaders to eventually lead the congregation is a vital part of church planting. Career missionaries model Christ-like leadership before the people as they train co-laborers to teach and involve others in the work.
7. Training new leaders to multiply their church by making more disciples is also an integral part of church planting. Helping a church become indigenous so that it can propagate other new churches is brought about by the efforts of a well-trained missionary.
8. Mentoring indigenous leaders in a church planting movement allows the career missionary to move on to a new work while continuing to lend the leadership support in times of need. The career missionary goes through these steps — reaching, teaching, modeling, and equipping. As new churches begin to understand their responsibility to carry forth the Great Commission, they join in our efforts of sending their own to the regions beyond.
With career missionaries serving all over the world, many church planting movements have been started which are now even sending their own around the world. Without our Spirit-led missionaries on the ground, willing to follow these necessary steps, we would not have over 15,000 churches outside the United States today. We need more missionaries to join our efforts, and guess what? They come from our churches. It’s all about churches starting churches around the world using career missionaries. That has always been God’s plan.