Lead Church Strategy
“...go and make disciples of all nations...”
(Matthew 28:19)
A scenario that is all too often played out in Christian churches is having new believers left with little or no personal guidance in the midst of numerous church programs and busy ministry schedules. After making their professions of faith, they are normally directed to a small group and encouraged to attend corporate worship. However, they are seldom given the opportunity to be personally discipled by a more mature Christian. Experience has demonstrated that for new church members to remain active, grow, and multiply, they need to be discipled by a dedicated fellow believer. This normally takes place through an equipped church member who introduces them to a network of Christian friends. An intentional relationship like this is especially important during the initial months of their newly established faith in Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 says, “But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.”
Equipping A New Generation for Life-to-Life Ministry
What can we do to assimilate and disciple successive generations of new Christians?
Prayerfully Consider These Three Recommended Steps:
First - Initiate A Life-to-Life Training Ministry:
Make the strategic decision to improve your church’s DNA by implementing New Testament disciple-making through an intentional plan designed to assimilate and equip all new believers and other new church members. To accomplish this, Lead Churches prayerfully focus on having balanced ministries of excellence in three primary Biblical areas: Preaching (one-on-many) Teaching (one-on-some) and Training (one-on-one).
Second - Establish Disciple-Making Instruction:
Most Christian churches are already intentional in the areas of Preaching and Teaching. However, “Operation Multiplication’s” instruction strengthens the Training component of a church’s ministry. This equipping process is based on Ephesians 4:11-12 and is dedicated to assisting churches that desire active and effective lay ministries. The first step on this journey begins by conducting four quarterly Lay Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making. These four Saturdays are set aside for the purpose of vision casting and preparing a team of your church’s most dedicated members for effective ministry.
Third - Enlist A Leadership Team:
Once your four workshop dates have been established, your next step will be to enlist three gifted and highly dedicated lay ministry workshop facilitators. They will become the core of your church’s First Generation Team selected to implement the Lead Church Strategy:
· One of these three prayerfully selected leaders will minister by exercising his or her spiritual gift of teaching. He or she will lead the workshops’ discussions following the two inspirational DVD segments and the PowerPoint instruction teaching the use of the material.
· The second facilitator will be selected because of his or her spiritual gift of administration. Their leadership will provide the logistical oversight for the four workshops’ preparations.
· The third facilitator (whom we call Barnabas) will serve through community outreach. He or she will need to be a positive, energetic, teammate who feels comfortable working with area Christian leaders. In that spirit, they will invite interested area churches to bring their mission-minded members for workshops two, three, and four. Through this inclusive area-wide vision, “Operation Multiplication” training quietly increases each quarter impacting every part of the community for Christ.
Your First Workshop:
Your church’s initial Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making will be led by one of International Evangelism’s certified teachers. He will also equip your church’s three selected workshop facilitators on that visit. The first workshop will typically involve only 10-30 highly committed lay leaders representing all age groups of your church. Those who are invited to launch this new ministry are personally enlisted under the prayerful direction of the pastor and church staff. This leadership enlistment process includes the presentation of a single page orientation letter from Dr. Billie Hanks, Jr. For excellence in “Operation Multiplication’s” training, each new disciple-maker is enlisted by personal invitation rather than through a public appeal.
Teaching and Training:
Through the Lead Church strategy’s four Lay-Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making, its core leadership receives transforming instruction. During the morning, the discipleship sessions focus on Biblical illustrations demonstrating life-to-life ministry. The formative experiences which Paul enjoyed with Timothy and Titus are presented. Following lunch, the afternoon sessions impart a working knowledge of the discipleship training process and its materials. These segments include role-playing, PowerPoint instruction, and ample time for questions and answers.
Multiplication Begins:
Spiritual multiplication begins naturally as each workshop participant catches the ministry vision and accepts the challenge of matching up with a Christian friend to experience the equipping process. These eight one-to-one training sessions allow every disciple-maker to develop his or her own ministry skills. The practicum effectively builds confidence into the team members for their first ministry assignment. This is how the multiplication process begins and builds naturally. It simply repeats itself with each succeeding generation of new workshop participants. Your church’s First Generation Team of lay-leaders will establish and model the training process. In addition, they will prayerfully enlist six or more outstanding potential disciple-makers to participate in the area-wide Lead Church workshop ministry.
Building A Kingdom Vision:
Following the first workshop, your Barnabas will begin inviting nearby congregations to participate as Associate Lead Churches. They will each bring several of their most dedicated lay leaders for training during workshops two, three, and four. This inclusive vision provides the spiritual opportunity for all interested area Christian churches to partner with you in reaching your community for Christ.
What is A Lead Church’s Financial Commitment?
The minimal startup cost for your church’s budget will be:
$295 for the reusable Workshop Leaders Materials which include: four Discipler Packets, four copies of the Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman, two DVD Teaching Segments by Billie Hanks, Jr, a PowerPoint Training Disc by Randy Craig, Training Manuals by Charlie Robinson (for your three ‘lay facilitators’), and the Teacher’s PowerPoint Notebook containing written narratives for the instructional slides.
-Providing:
· Travel and hospitality for International Evangelism’s certified leader.
· Refreshments and Lunch for your trainees.
Note: One Discipler-Packet and a copy of the Master Plan of Evangelism are included for the pastor.
The other three sets of material are for the Barnabas, Teacher, and Administrator.
The cost per individual member for the workshop’s training material is:
-$30 in English or $20 in Spanish for their reusable training materials. These will be shipped to your church’s workshop location approximately 10 days prior to the scheduled instruction. Pre-registration takes place online at www.ieaom.org by clicking on the ‘Workshop Tab.’ A credit / debit card can be used for pre-registration and there is no tuition fee or charge for attending subsequent workshops.
-A freewill faith offering will be received, allowing workshop participants to partner with International Evangelism in taking “Operation Multiplication’s” training to participating countries worldwide!
Note: Associate Lead Churches from your area will have no expense unless they choose to subsidize their members’ lunches and training materials.
Please Call:
Charlie Robinson, (254)541-7730, charlie.robinson@ieaom.org. He will look forward to answering your questions and discussing available dates for your first Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making.
“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop,
multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.”
(Mark 4:8)
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