Please press the Play button above to see a short introduction to the
BGCT’s Texas Hope 2010 follow-up process by Dr. Billie Hanks, Jr. (1 min 22 sec.)

The Lead Church Strategy Overview

Welcome!
Greetings and welcome to the BGCT’s Texas Hope 2010 – “Operation Multiplication” Lead Church Strategy for Disciple-Making web page.  The BGCT, in partnership with the International Evangelism Association, is pleased to announce a major statewide lay ministry initiative.

Texas Hope 2010’s commitment is to share the hope of Christ with every person in Texas within their own language and culture by Resurrection Sunday 2010.  Our emphasis on prayer and several strategies of evangelism, including a multimedia CD to be put in every home, will result in thousands of folks responding to the hope of Christ.  International Evangelism has made a commitment to train disciplers to follow up with these decisions.

Churches across Texas are being sought to serve as Lead Churches during this follow up process.  Serving as an area Lead Church requires spiritual commitment to a unified vision.  Each Lead Church will:
• Send 3 lay leaders to one of the equipping cities to become “Operation Multiplication” facilitators.  (These 3 lay leaders may be accompanied by their pastor or staff member at no additional charge.)
• These 3 facilitators will conduct four quarterly Saturday Lay Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making at their own church.

Our Texas Hope 2010 goal for follow up is to equip 100,000 lay leaders to personally disciple all those who respond to the gospel during 2010 and beyond.  If you are interested in becoming a Lead Church, please read the following information and then click on Lead Church Registration to register for a one day Lay Leadership Retreat close to your city.  (You will have a choice of paying by credit card or net 30 day billing.)

Questions & Answers
What qualities should I look for in the three lay leaders that I send to become facilitators?
• One of your three selected lay leaders will need to be a gifted teacher who has the ability to clearly communicate how to utilize the “Operation Multiplication” training materials.  Each teacher will be given a DVD and PowerPoint to aid with communication.
• One of your three selected lay leaders will function as a “Barnabas” and will need to feel comfortable visiting area pastors, presenting the spiritual vision, and enlisting the participation of sister evangelical churches in your area.
• One of your three selected lay leaders will need to be gifted in administration in order to coordinate your workshops’ physical preparations.

If we choose to become a Lead Church, what will be the cost to send my three lay people to be trained at the one-day Lay Leadership Retreat and become facilitators?
The cost to become a Lead Church is $395 and each church will receive the following materials worth $606.78.

	Retail Price	Sub-Total
• Seven A Call to Joy/A Call to Growth Discipler’s Packs.	$59.99	$419.93
• Eleven Copies of The Master Plan of Evangelism	$11.99	$131.89
• Three Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making Training Manuals.	$9.99	$29.97
• One Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making PowerPoint Presentation	$24.99	$24.99
• The use of two Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making DVDs	$0.00	$0.00
• Training for 3 lay people to become facilitators	$0.00	$0.00
	Total Retail Value	$606.78
	Your Cost	$395.oo

How do I register to become a Lead Church and what are the hours of training?
Simply click on Lead Church Registration and select your nearest city. (You will have a choice of paying by credit card or net 30 day billing.)
Registration & coffee:  8:00am – 9:00am
Lay Leadership Retreat:  9:00am – 5:00pm

When will we receive our materials? 
You will receive your materials when you attend the Lay Leadership Retreat.

What is the difference between a Lead Church and an Associate Lead Church?
A Lead Church will host 4 quarterly workshops at their own location. Associate Lead Churches are invited to participate in the 4 quarterly workshops hosted by a Lead Church in their region.

Why will each Lead Church conduct 4 Lay Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making at their church?

One of the innovative features of this process is the discipler enlistment strategy.  In the past, churches have made announcements and used posters and bulletin inserts to enlist participants to attend events and workshops.  “Operation Multiplication” uses a friend to friend enlistment strategy.  Here’s how it works:
• 10 to 30 (depending on the size of your church) of the most mature believers from your Lead Church are enlisted to attend the first Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making.
• At the conclusion of the first workshop, each participant is challenged to bring 3 of their most mature friends to the second workshop scheduled 3 months later (these friends can also be from other evangelical churches in the area).  If only ½ of the 20 participants bring three friends, there will be an additional 30 Disciplers trained at the second workshop.
• At the conclusion of the second workshop, each participant is challenged to bring 3 or their most mature friends to the third workshop scheduled 3 months later.  If only ½ of the 30 participants bring three friends, there will be an additional 45 Disciplers trained at the third workshop.
• At the conclusion of the third workshop, each participant is challenged to bring 3 of their most mature friends to the fourth workshop scheduled 3 months later.  If only ½ of the 45 participants bring three friends, there will be an additional 67 Disciplers trained at the fourth workshop.

Here are some exciting ministry numbers!
If your church chooses to become a Lead Church and follow this simple plan, your church will have 162 trained Disciple-Makers.

If 20 churches choose to become Lead Churches from just one of our equipping cities and follows this simple plan, those 20 churches will be responsible for training 3,240 Disciplers.

But…if 20 churches choose to become Lead Churches from each of our 33 equipping cities and follows this simple plan, those churches will be responsible for training over 100,000 Disciplers!

When my three facilitators return and lead a Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making at my church, what will be the cost per person to attend?

The cost per person is only $30 and each participant will receive an A Call to Joy/A Call to Growth Discipler’s Pack
with a retail value of $60.  A Freewill offering will be taken to help cover the cost of lunch and ministry expenses.  Usually the church pays for the registration of its members for the very first workshop.  Each participant pays for his or her own registration during the second, third, and fourth workshops.  If a participant has already attended a workshop they can attend again for free.  When they attend again, they can bring three friends with them! Registration for a Lay Ministry Workshop on disciple-Making is available now, just click on the Workshop Registration tab.

What will my people learn when they attend the Saturday Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making?
Each participant will be shown the Biblical basis for personal one-to-one follow-up of new believers and trained to take them through 7 weeks of A Call to Joy and 11 weeks of A Call to Growth.  Each new believer will have a Christian friend to show them how to:
• Receive assurance of salvation
• Spend time with God each morning
• Draw insights from the Word of God and apply them to their daily life
• Experience the different aspects of prayer 
• Study the Bible
• Memorize Scripture
• Present the gospel from memory using Scripture
• Disciple other new believers

New believers need more than a handshake when they join our churches…they need a Christ centered friend -someone to walk alongside them, help them feel welcome, introduce them to friends, answer their questions, encourage them to join a small group, and equip them to become “self feeders” from the Word of God.

Many churches simply hope their new believers find a dedicated Christian friend and learn the basics of spiritual growth.  They also hope their new believers will attend a small group Bible study and learn how to share their faith.  However instead of hoping, many growth minded churches are now establishing an intentional process which will ensure that every new believer receives the personal care and instruction they need.  This is the heart of the “Operation Multiplication” strategy!

For years, churches have been overlooking their most valuable resource for evangelism – new believers.  Why are new believers so special in terms of evangelism?  Because they still have natural relationship bridges with non-Christians.  When we walk with these new believers and show them how to grow spiritually and share their faith, they begin to witness and spiritual multiplication takes place naturally!

“Operation Multiplication’s” mission is to help churches train disciple-makers to personally befriend and equip each new member with the needed ministry skills to enjoy a lifetime of spiritual growth and evangelistic multiplication.

When will the Lay Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making occur?
On Saturdays, starting in January, 2010, there will be workshops occurring simultaneously conducted by Lead Churches across the state of Texas.  Each Lead Church will also conduct the same exact workshop again three times in 2010.

How do my people register for the Saturday Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making? And what are the hours?
Simply go to www.ieaom.org and click on Workshop Registration.
Workshop registration & coffee:  8:00am – 9:00am
Workshop:  9:00am – 4:00pm

If I want to become a Lead Church, where do I register?
Simply click on Lead Church Registration.

Process Overview
The following is a recap of the BGCT Texas Hope 2010 – “Operation Multiplication” Process:
• Decide to become a Lead Church and register your 3 lay leaders by clicking on Lead Church Registration.
• Send your 3 key lay leaders to a one day Lay Leadership Retreat to become “Operation Multiplication” facilitators and lead four Saturday Lay Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making at your church.
• Calendar and conduct the four state-wide Lay Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making during 2010.

If I have further questions, who can I call?
You can call Charlie Robinson, our Texas Coordinator at (254) 541-7730.

Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making – 2010
On Saturdays, in 2010, there will be workshops occurring simultaneously conducted by Lead Churches throughout the state of Texas. Each of these workshops will be led by three lay leaders who were trained at one of the Lay Leadership Retreats.  Each Lead Church will also conduct the same exact workshop again 3 more times in 2010. Click on Workshop Registration to register for a Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making.