CORE VALUE 7 | PLANTING

INTRODUCTION

HOPE FOR ALL

  • Find the words in the first section that offer hope to every unbelieving person.

  • Find the words in the second section that offer hope to every church-planting team.

  • Find the words in the third section that offer hope to everyone.

Isaiah 55:6-13

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”

Read through and meditate on this section, replacing the “you’s” with your name.


THESIS & SUPPORT

More churches make more disciples.

  • Christ has chosen to use the "church" - both universal and specific, to carry out the great commission.
    What’s the difference between the universal church and the specific church?

  • As individuals can accomplish more together than alone, organizations and communities are the same. Organizations working in tandem can provide better products, cover more ground, and serve more people.
    What questions do you have so far about the Illumine collaboration?

  • The promotion of the Gospel to the unchurched and dechurched is more important than any one organization. Self-sacrificial service moves us toward whatever means are necessary for making as many disciples as possible as quickly and efficiently as possible. People are dying and hell is hot.
    How did the early church prove they believed this?
    How will we?

  • The Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the Gospel via the means of Grace. The more this can happen, the more the Holy Spirit works.
    Explain the distinction between the following statements:
    The more this can happen, the more the Holy Spirit works.
    The more this can happen, the more the Holy Spirit can work.


BIBLICAL CONNECTIONS

 Acts 1:7-8 | 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

 Acts 2:46-47 | 46 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, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.         

 1 Corinthians 9:6-15 | 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

3 John 5-8 | 5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

Philemon 8-12 | 8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, r who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you.


EXPLANATION

Every time an Illumine congregation reaches 50 member households, it begins a Macro-Evangelism Project (that is, it starts working on planting another church.) At least 5 of those households will hopefully be involved in the new location.

A Macro-Evangelism project is divided into 5 phases:

  • WHERE

    • Select Focus Region

    • Identify Indigenous Leader/Key Resource Person

    • Generate Area Churches Map

    • Generate Demographic Study

    • Interview Local Pastors

    • Interview Local Leadership

    • 500 Home Cultural Survey

    • Develop List of Potential Locations for Large & Small Events

  • WHO

    • Identify the Planting Team

    • Formally Invite Team Members

    • Share Demographic Report with Planting Team

    • Celebrate Creation of Planting Team

  • WHAT

    • Develop Training Schedule

    • Begin Weekly Meetings with VISION Focus

    • Develop Local Benchmarks

  • HOW

    • Weekly Meetings Shift to TEAM Focus

    • Develop Local Launch Plan & Schedule

    • Develop Inventory Lists

    • Create Processes for Campus/Add Campus to Machine

  • WHY

    • Weekly Meetings Shift to an IDEALS Focus

    • Develop 10 Year Dream for the Community and Congregation.

    • Share 10 Year Dream with Planting Team

  • WHEN

    • Weekly Meetings Shift to an AWARENESS Focus

    • Develop Awareness Event Hooks

    • Schedule 4 Awareness Events

    • Perform Retirement Reach Out

    • Bring in 3rd Party Promotion Teams

    • Increase Prospect + Connections List to 400