Saturday, February 26, 2011

Tenth Quality of a Healthy Church

X. World Missions Vision.

A. The biblical basis for a vision for missions.

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 18:18-20 ESV

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8 (ESV)




B. Questions about the world missions vision of your church:

1. Do the members of the church take the great commission seriously?
2. What proof is there that this is true?
3. Does the church preach and teach missions regularly?
4. Has the church sent our missionaries?
5. Does the church regularly support missions?
6. What percentage of the budget is given for foreign and home missions?
7. Is a missionary vision a part of the DNA of the local church so that this is reflected in everything?

NOW EVALUATE ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10 TO WHAT DEGREE WORLD MISSIONS VISIONS IS A PART OF YOUR CHURCH

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Ninth Quality of a Healthy Reproducing Church

IX. Reproduction by Church Planting.

A. Biblical basis for reproduction by church planting.

“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:1-3 ESV

When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, [22] strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. [23] And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Acts 14:21-23 (ESV)


B. We need to multiply churches to reach more people.

C. Basic questions to consider about church multiplication:

1. What is the fruit of an apple tree? Not just an apple for if apple trees just produced apples there would be no more apples on the earth. But the fruit of an apple tree is another apple tree as the apple tree produces apples full of enough seeds to create a great orchard.
2. So each church needs to plant and reproduce itself in new churches.
3. In each church is the DNA to reproduce itself and produce another church as we see in the New Testament.
4. As a general rule, new churches win more people to Christ than older churches and smaller churches win more people to Christ than larger churches. Thus church reproduction becomes a key to greater outreach.
5. Is the idea of plant another church that in turn reproduces itself a part of your church’s vision and mission?
6. Are you training church planters in your church to plant new churches?

 NOW EVALUATE ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10 TO WHAT DEGREE REPRODUCTION BY CHURCH PLANTING IS TAKING PLACE IN YOUR CHURCH

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0