making disciples & planting churches
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Making Disciples & Planting Churches. What God can do when the local church accepts her responsibility to “Go and make disciples.”. Purpose of the Church. Why did Jesus come? God so loved the world . . . . (Jn. 3:16) Seek and save the lost (Lk. 19:10) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Making Disciples& Planting Churches
What God can do when the local church accepts her responsibility to “Go and make disciples.”
Purpose of the Church
• Why did Jesus come?– God so loved the world . . . . (Jn. 3:16)– Seek and save the lost (Lk. 19:10)– Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the
fields, that they are white for harvest (Jn. 4:35).– This is eternal life that they may know you, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (Jn. 17:3)– they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may
know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me (Jn. 17:23).
– Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation (Mk. 16:16).
– As the Father has sent Me, I also send you (Jn. 20:21).
Purpose of the Church
• The character of the church is to represent God’s purpose on earth by honoring God and making the way of reconciliation through his son known to all people through spiritual and physical service in His name.
Purpose of the Church
1 Corinthian 3:6, 8– I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but
God made it grow. . . The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose.• Church planting is the deliberate process to
plant:• New Churches in New Places for New People
Christianity in America
• The late 20th century generation of churches is declining
• U.S. churches are losing over 3 million people a year to non-religious lifestyles
• 50% of U.S. churches did not record 1 conversion the previous year
Challenge #1
Largest Religions in the U. S.: 2000
Islam0.5%
Judaism1.3%
Nonreligious/Secular
14.1%
Others7.1%
Buddhism0.5%
Christianity76.5%
Christianity in America
Growth/Decline 1990-2005
Christianity in America
Attendance Growth Percentage of Protestant Churches 1994-2004
0.00%
2.00%
4.00%
6.00%
8.00%
10.00%
12.00%
14.00%
EstablishedChurches
NewChurches
TotalProtestant
PopulationGrowth
Established Churches
New Churches
Total Protestant
Population Growth
Christianity in America
400,000 Churches in America
21%
17%
62%
Growing Above Nation
Growing Less than Nation
Declining
Christianity in America
Challenge #2
Each American generation since WWII has become less churched
Generational Church Attendance
35%
15%4%
65%
BridgersBustersBoomersBuilders
1977 - 19941965 - 19761948 - 1964Before 1948
Thom Rainer, Sept. 2005
Christianity in America
Generational Church Attendance
88%
90%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Age 30+
Age 20-29
I believe I can have a good relationship with God without being involved in a church.
Ed Stetzer, Lost and Found, 2009
Christianity in America
Generational Church Attendance
6%
9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Age 30+
Age 20-29
The church is the only place to learn what it means to be a Christian.
Ed Stetzer, Lost and Found, 2009
Christianity in America
Generational Church Attendance
The church is the only place to learn what it means to be a Christian.
Ed Stetzer, Lost and Found, 2009
20.4%19.5%
18.7%17.5%
16.5%15.5%
14.7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Evangelical
Catholic
Mainline
Total
Churches of Christ in the U.S.
Churches of Christ have been a plateaued movement since 1985– 1980-1990 gain of 415 new churches– 1990-2000 loss of -126 churches
0200,000400,000600,000800,000
1,000,0001,200,0001,400,0001,600,0001,800,000
1980 1990 1994 1997 2000 2008
Church of Christ: U.S.
MembersAdherents
Religious Group Churches Members Adherents Attendees
Southern Baptist 41,514 15,922,039 19,881,467 5,535,891
United Methodist 35,721 8,326,616 10,350,629 3,487,039
Catholic Church 21,791 62,035,042
Churches of Christ 13,027 1,264,808 1,645,584 1,256,845
Assemblies of God 11,880 1,489,281 2,561,998 1,623,889
Latter-day Saints 11,515 4,224,096
Presbyterian Church 11,106 2,516,816 3,141,566 1,303,216
Evangelical Lutheran 10,739 3,798,370 5,113,418 1,560,712
Episcopal Church 7,314 2,314,756 836,143
Lutheran Church - Missouri
6,077 1,922,763 2,521,062 968,073
Religious Groups by Churches - 2000
Religious Groups by Churches - 2000
1980s3.3% growth
Religious Groups by Churches - 2000
1990s–1.2% growth
Churches of Christ in the U.S.
-5.00%
0.00%5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%35.00%
40.00%
DGR 1980s DGR 1990s
C of C
Assemblies
SBC
US Pop.
C of C 3.32% -1.20%Assemblie 35.40% 16.35%SBC 12.46% 6.02%US Pop. 9.70% 13.20%
Churches of Christ Plantings1967-2007
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
New Churches
Schaller’s 1% Rule
1% Rule: Each year an association of churches should plant new congregations at the rate of 1% of their existing total just to maintain their existing numbers otherwise they will experience a decline. If the want to grow at 50% they would need plant 2% to 3% per year.
Church Plant Facts
• Average plant size is 40 at year 1 and 84 at year 4– 68% of plants survive at year 4– 60% of plants are self-supporting at year 4
Ed Stetzer, Church Plant Survivability and Health Report, 2007. Center for Missional Research, North American Mission Board.
Evangelism in America
• 20th century evangelism– Head – Intellectual Approach– The question asked: “What is Truth?”– Our answer was: “Here is Truth”
• 21st century evangelism– Heart – Service Approach– The question asked: “Does it give me meaning?”– Our old answer doesn’t answer the new question– Our new answer puts truth into action - service
Conversion Patterns
Modern:Information Faith Conversion Community
Post-Modern: Conversion
Community FaithInformation
Evangelistic Conversations
1. Spiritual
Diagnosis
2. Introduce Jesus
IntellectualLife-styleOppressionBad
Experience
3. Gospel Specifics
Community
People Will Listen
The unchurched population in America = 180 millionU1: Highly Receptive 11%U2: Receptive 27%U3: Neutral/Unsure 36%U4: Resistant 21%U5: Antagonistic 5%
133 million people to talk with!
Thom Rainer, Surprising Insights and Effective Evangelistic Churches
People Will Come
Will people come to church if invited?• 80% of all people asked said they would come to
church if invited• 80% said they had never been invited
Did they actually come?• 69% did when the inviter took them• Only 12% did when they went alone
Thom Rainer, 2005
People Will Come
75%
89%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Age 30+
Age 20-29
If someone wanted to tell me what she or he believed about Christianity, I would be willing to listen.
People Will Come
27%
46%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Age 30+
Age 20-29
I would be willing to join a small group of people to learn more about the Bible and Jesus.
People Will Come
47%
63%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Age 30+
Age 20-29
If a church presented truth to me in an understandable way that relates to my life now, I would attend.
Resources
• David Olsen, www.theamericanchurch.org• David Olsen, The American Church in Crisis, 2008.• Glenmary Research on Religion in America, 2002,
www.glenmary.org• Stephen Gray. Planting Fast Growing Churches, 2007.• Flavil Yeakley, Jr. Good News and Bad News: A
Realistic Assessment of the Churches of Christ in the United States, 2008.
• Ed Stetzer, Lost and Found: The Younger Unchuched and the Churches that Reach Them
• Ed Stetzer, Church Plant Survivability and Health Report, 2007. Center for Missional Research, North American Mission Board.
• George Barna, www.barna.org• Tom Clegg & Warren Bird, Lost in America, 2001.• Thom Rainer, Surprising Insights from the
Unchurched, 2001.
Resources
Major Religions of the World
1. Christianity: 2 billion2. Islam: 1.3 billion3. Hinduism: 900 million4. Secular, Nonreligious, Agnostic,
Atheist: 850 million5. Buddhism: 360 million
Religion and the World
Living in a Religious World
Major Religions of the World• 1. Christianity: 2 billion• 2. Islam: 1.3 billion• 3. Hinduism: 900 million• 4. Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist:
850 million• 5. Buddhism: 360 million• 6. Chinese traditional religion: 225
million• 7. Primal-indigenous 190: million• 8. Sikhism: 23 million• 9. Yoruba religion 20 million• 10. Juche 19 million• 11. Spiritism: 14 million
Major Religions of the World
• 12. Judaism: 14 million• 13. Baha’I: 6 million• 14. Jainism: 4 million• 15. Shinto: 4 million• 16. Cao Dai: 3 million• 17. Tenrikyo: 2.4 million• 18. Neo-Paganism: 1 million• 19. Unitarian-Universalism: 800,000• 20. Scientology: 750,000• 21. Rastafarianism: 700,000• 22. Zoroastrianism: 150,000
World Religions: % of Population
Christianity33%
Hinduism15%
Islam22%
Other3%
Primal-Indigenous
3%
Nonreligious14%
Buddhism6%
Chinese Traditional
4%
Major World Religions% of World Population 1900-2000
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
'190
0 '10
'20
'30
'40
'50
'60
'70
'80
'90
'200
0
Buddests
Evangelicals
Hindus
Muslims
Christians
Religious Change – 20th Century
ReligionReligion 1900 Pop.1900 Pop. % % Pop.Pop.
2000 Pop.2000 Pop. % Pop% Pop
ChristiansChristians 558,056,300558,056,300 34.5%34.5% 1,973,000,0001,973,000,000 32.5%32.5%
MuslimsMuslims 200,102,200200,102,200 12.4%12.4% 1,279,000,0001,279,000,000 21.1%21.1%
NonreligiousNonreligious 2,923,3002,923,300 .2%.2% 938,000,000938,000,000 15.5%15.5%
HindusHindus 203,033,300203,033,300 12.5%12.5% 820,000,000820,000,000 13.5%13.5%
BuddhistsBuddhists 127,159,000127,159,000 7.8%7.8% 400,000,000400,000,000 6.6%6.6%
Chinese Tra.Chinese Tra. 450,000,000450,000,000 27.827.8 383,000,000383,000,000 6.3%6.3%
Ethnic Rel.Ethnic Rel. 106,339,600106,339,600 6.6%6.6% 176,000,000176,000,000 2.9%2.9%
OtherOther 21,364,00021,364,000 1.3%1.3% 95,000,00095,000,000 1.6%1.6%
Distribution of Evangelicals – 2000Mission Frontiers, December 2001, p. 31
ContinentContinent Evangelical Evangelical Pop.Pop.
% % Pop.Pop.
AfricaAfrica 116,076,000116,076,000 27.6%27.6%
North AmericaNorth America 93,813,00093,813,000 22.3%22.3%
Latin AmericaLatin America 55,000,00055,000,000 13.1%13.1%
EuropeEurope 17,275,00017,275,000 4.1%4.1%
AsiaAsia 135,000,000135,000,000 32.1%32.1%
PacificPacific 4,765,0004,765,000 1.1%1.1%
0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
700000
800000
1989 1992 1994 1997 2000
Church of Christ Membership:Africa