Adoption & Church Planting

Although evangelism is and can be a good thing, what is equally as important is church planting for long term growth and stability for those that have been recently introduced to Christ. Before evangelism takes place there needs to be a team of strong believers well versed in scripture in place in any given target area for several reasons. The first is to find their way around in a given area. This is crucial in finding local resources, from finding a home base for the workers and have materials ready for an evangelistic effort. Some of the things that are needed is teachers and pastors that are able to mentor new believers. This is key to any good evangelistic effort. Often when people are introduced to Christ there is a host of spiritual attack that needs to be dealt with by mature believers.

The Purpose of Church Planting: To reach out to all, one at a time with His love and ways! Churches are charged with three major functions:

1) The first is to reach out to the community that the serve with Biblical and Godly solutions based on His ways and Covenants for local problems and needs. When the church accepts responsibility to reach out to the total community then everyone can be reached with God’s way. That is an important issue. If a church is established and will only by its design or belief willing to reach out to a few then the church defeats its purpose. The goal of the church is to reach all with God’s ways. When people of the church do this they will bring people in that have a variety of needs to be dealt with. These needs need to be dealt with by the body, not just there but those that have adopted them in areas that are considerably better off and more mature. It is often said that the church is much like a hospital taking care of the needs of those seeking help. Those people seeking God need to be taken in and helped.

2) Secondly after they have met God through Jesus they need to be stabilized. This is done through mentors. Many have different issues and needs that the rest of the body need to work together in prayer in God’s will to help these people so they do become stable. Once stabilized and it takes a different amount of time for each, they need to be taught His ways. That they are an important part of the body and as a part of the body have been called to do something and they need to seek God for their calling and purpose. In that purpose God has given them gifts to help them accomplish their purpose and calling but they also need training and experience in a safe environment, working closely with the body and mentors for support and correction.

3) The third work of the church is to set aside those called and commission them to do the work they have been called to do. From there it takes some time, effort and support to help them get going in their calling. If these basic steps are taken working with the five fold gift ministry the body will be edified and grow to be strong in the things of God and will grow. If any of these things are not done there will be weakness in the body and that is where the enemy attacks to create division. The body is as strong as the weakest member. The body by His design is to surround the parts of the body to heal that part of the body and bring that part up in His will and strength. Today, the church needs now more than ever strong believers to go and do what they have been called to do. If these basic steps are not taken the body the members never really come to maturity for in maturity then its members can reach out to the community with the will and the power of God to deal with all problems in the community. Part of those called will start other churches, but they should always work as one body and work together to accomplish God’s will.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47

Other needs to help establish a church:

The other thing that is needed is the personal contact with mature believers to get new believers to go in the correct direction. This takes a work of teaching to start with so people will know where to start. Each believer needs a welcome packet with basic study information and a Bible. They also need to know about the family of God and how we all should walk together in His will. Often times in many areas there are also physical needs that need to be dealt with.

The point of it all is that it takes a lot of work on everyone’s part to do an evangelistic outreach. It is a far better investment to have the support staff in place before an evangelism team arrives so there is not the fall off that can occur. Should there be a fall several things happen. First it is more difficult to re-establish an area, than to do it right the first time. Often bad teaching comes in if mature believers are not in place and division sets in, which creates disaster all the way around. The basic cost to provide a new believer with the basics and Bible is about $5.34, which is a wise investment. With the basic tools, which includes good teachers a firm foundation can be established for future growth. The reason that is important is once new believers are trained in the gifts and the callings of ministry and once they are stabilized they can go out in many areas to establish more outreaches.

The ultimate goal of any adoption is to plant a healthy reproducing church within the selected people. Part of a good foundation is some basics about what scripture is all about and how to use the Bible, covenant promises and how to find information. The other thing that new believers need to be shown is some basics about prayer, praise and worship and the importance of each so the body can grow in love and unity. If this is well established it becomes a good witness for other people in a given area because others will see the love of God flowing through the new believers. Any work is a witness, good or bad in any given community and given the proper foundation each planted group can and will produce good fruit.

Once a church is planted they also need communication with home advocate groups for prayer, support and advice for the group, new believers and for each person that shows up to the meetings. If prayer advocates back home learn to interact with the new church and pray for new people that do show up to meetings, the walls of the enemy will come down. The important part to remember is that planting churches is a body effort and responsibility so the new fellowship of believers have the support that is needed to get going properly. There are further mission’s opportunities in church planting for prayer advocates, even in just sharing their testimonies with new believers. There is in all cases need in new churches for further evangelism and discipleship of which you could be a part, but the minimum goal is seeing a healthy church established to stabilize new believers and capable of planting additional churches. A structure is not near as important as setting a good biblical foundation for the body to be edified and that takes a mature body of believers to walk with and communicate with new believers.

To plant a church among an unreached people is often a difficult task, and methods will differ depending upon the situation of the geographic area and the needs of the people being reached. For example depending on the area and the ministry opportunity often an outreach or church is established through a teacher called to an area. On the other hand there may be medical needs that need to be dealt with, which demonstrate God’s love. Currently there are a host of natural disasters that need to be dealt with and while we are helping people in need it is possible to plant churches that will help create local stability in a given area. Natural disasters according to scripture are the result of spiritual problems. Deal with the spiritual problems and natural disasters have to cease as He has put everything under His foot stole. There are several ways to do church planting and we offer counseling and resources through Outreach Consulting Services in an effort to help co-ordinate efforts and reduce costs. Much of what is planted is based on needs. We have found it difficult for example to preach at people when they are hungry. It does happen more than one might think. This is why we support efforts that care for people in their body, soul and spirit.

A final thought on church planting. While it is good to plant churches we do not recommend that you try to plant a church on your own except in a local area where you personally are available. Nearly every part of the world where "unreached peoples" reside is very different culturally and politically than that experienced by the typical Westerner. Often without a coordinated effort, serious and significant negative impact or repercussion can result and possibly disrupt years of on going field work to existing believers. We can and do work with other agencies of all denominations in the field for proper communication. In many cases we can provide current information concerning realities of the field situation peculiar to the people of interest to you and information about partnership opportunities. We may also be able to put you in touch with Christian workers in or near the people upon which you are focusing.

We are responsible…..

When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, We want our hand always to be there. For that we are responsible.

We are responsible both to God and each other.

"Together we can make a change, we can make a difference!"

"God gave us His Son, Spirit, Love, Direction, Purpose, Gifts, and free will. He gave us all the basic tools to either care for Him and others or care just for ourselves.

It is a choice either way, to either learn to work together to solve problems, but at the end, when it is all said and done, our true hearts will be exposed. We are given two things to do, love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.

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