planting the “simple essence” of the body of christ... the church
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Planting the “SIMPLE ESSENCE” of the Body of Christ... The Church in every overlooked relationship group. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Planting the “SIMPLE ESSENCE”
of the Body of Christ...The Church
in every overlooked relationship group
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Consider using this slideshow as the basis for a group dialogue among a few
Christian friends who want to be part of a grassroots
revolution that naturally touches and transforms the unreached lives in their own
daily traffic-patterns!
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Ask God’s Spirit to guide each dialogue… whether you view it all at once, or break it up
into multiple share times. As you talk together consider
questions such as:
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1. Are there groups of friends or daily relationships that come to mind as I
ponder these ideas?2. Has God’s Spirit made me hungry to
be a part of something like this?3. How would I reshape one of these
ideas for the group God has put on my heart?
4. What’s holding me back from taking the first step?
5. Who might partner with me in praying about this for the next 30
days?
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Micro-clusters of friends
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Micro-clusters of friends (and their network of
unchurched relationships) can become
life-changing vibrant churches.
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Each cluster can become His Hands, His Heart, His
Voice, His Compassion, His Touch…
a “complete” Body of Christ,
by living out the 5 basics of church life.
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Many passionate Christians are making
the choice to birth these relevant
church-bodies that totally transform every
friend-group.
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They support themselves entirely by a personal
career, as part of a revolutionary movement
to follow Christ.
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0A living example :: Ben
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Ben radiates as he shares about the church-body of
young couples and families that gather in his home.
They begin to arrive about 10 a.m. and sometimes stay
well past the noon meal together.
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During their few hours together they flow, almost without direction, through
fellowship, discipleship Bible study, prayer, worship, and
ministry projects… usually in a different sequence each
week… often taking a snack or play break with the kids.
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He says it is the most engaging church most have ever experienced. It is easy to bring friends to such a
group.
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Everyone has time to listen, to laugh, and to encourage one another. Not only are people coming to know
Christ and maturing in their faith, it is transforming how
they live!
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Ben challenges them regularly to grow spiritually
to the point of beginning such a church in their own homes for another circle of
friends.
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Radically elemental & contagiously powerful!
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1. Are there groups of friends or daily relationships that come to mind as I
ponder these ideas?2. Has God’s Spirit made me hungry to
be a part of something like this?3. How would I reshape one of these
ideas for the group God has put on my heart?
4. What’s holding me back from taking the first step?
5. Who might partner with me in praying about this for the next 30
days?
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An “Elemental” & Biblical view of church… church boiled down to its very
essence
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indi/2391675917/
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Defining Church :: a group of Christ-followers who
fully function, believe, and understand themselves to be the Body-of-Christ in
their sphere of influence.
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Five “Basics” of Church life (recurring patterns,
or defining traits) :: worship.
evangelism. discipleship.
ministry. community.
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…some add missions, church planting, etc… you read Scripture and trust His Spirit to guide you in defining the essence of
“church.”
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When your group begins living true to those Bible
basics then call it the Body-of-Christ,
The Church!
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The five basics restated as: “rhythms” of the
Body-of-Christ:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchy/24642440/
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Blessing Others with sacrificial help,
encouragement, or prayer
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Openly Sharing about Christ’s influence in our life and journey today
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Worshiping, listening to, talking with… being personal with God
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Learning & Living by Christ’s truth… following
Him as Lord of our actions and attitudes
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Seeking to “Be There” for each other
in the ups & downs of life…often over a meal
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1. Are there groups of friends or daily relationships that come to mind as I
ponder these ideas?2. Has God’s Spirit made me hungry to
be a part of something like this?3. How would I reshape one of these
ideas for the group God has put on my heart?
4. What’s holding me back from taking the first step?
5. Who might partner with me in praying about this for the next 30
days?
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What makes the most difference in transforming
an unreached group?
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Paul went around sharing the Good News
and planting churches among new groups…
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these faith gatherings lived on and impacted
lives after he moved on.
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The most life-transforming touch we can humanly provide an unreached
group is…
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a simple Body of Christ planted in their midst to live-out all of the basic
functions or life-rhythms of a church!
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As a group of Christ-followers become His Hands, His Heart,
His Voice, His Touch, His Compassion within an
overlooked group, persons are contagiously drawn to this
everyday faith-living…
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they see it making a difference in peoples’ lives!
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Pastors can mentor spiritually healthy
Christians (2 Tim. 2:2) as servant-leaders of an on-
site Body of Christ to reach overlooked friends
(in every micro-culture) who have mentally
distanced themselves from a regular church building.
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1. Are there groups of friends or daily relationships that come to mind as I
ponder these ideas?2. Has God’s Spirit made me hungry to
be a part of something like this?3. How would I reshape one of these
ideas for the group God has put on my heart?
4. What’s holding me back from taking the first step?
5. Who might partner with me in praying about this for the next 30
days?
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Why Bother?
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Why would a regular church and Pastor bother
with something like mentoring healthy
Christians (“Timothys”) to plant the Body-of-Christ,
on-site, all around the community?
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Why can’t people just come to the regular services on Sunday?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iwona_kellie/3198044940/
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Well, if you can get them there, that’s great….but consider these realities
too:
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In most towns from 90% to 95% of all residents are currently not involved in
church on a regular basis.
ChurchedUnchurched
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Worship trends, big name speakers, and even in-
depth discipleship programs really haven’t changed that fact very much over the years… though each has born
some fruit.
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You do the math for your town:
• What’s the population? • What is a close estimate
of the total number of people who are in all
churches in the area on any given Sunday?
• About what percentage is that?
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This quick math is generally staggering.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acidwashphotography/2967752733/
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To borrow a concept from International
Missionaries… most towns are
overwhelmingly full of Unreached People Groups
on Sundays…
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usually these are micro-clusters of friends &
relatives… they aren’t coming in our church buildings, they are sleeping, playing or
working!
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God clearly gives us permission in Romans
16:3-5 to have real “church” in a very
elemental manner…
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“greet the church that is in their house” is Holy Spirit inspired wording that affirms Prisca & Aquila type churches
wherever they are needed.
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International Missionaries have been planting
churches in homes and apartments, by
riverbanks, and even at “underground” secret
locations (somewhat like the ancient catacombs) with great success for
many years now….
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and many lives have been transformed by Christ.
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Every servant-leader of such a group needs the
on-going wise-counsel of a “Paul” to lead such a gathering. And, most
Christian leaders want to invest in others what God
has built into them.
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No funds are needed. Servant-leaders willingly volunteer, and by their
very nature these groups gather in free places like homes, apartments, and
parks.http://www.flickr.com/photos/dborman2/3258378233/
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If your church could reach 5 to 10 times as many
persons by penetrating their environment with an
on-site Body-of-Christ (one in each micro-culture)
…
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and then celebrate their lives as part of your
yearly “spiritual fruit”…
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it would be worth the prayer, mentoring, and
yes, even some problem solving, as you follow the
Lord into all the world!
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1. Are there groups of friends or daily relationships that come to mind as I
ponder these ideas?2. Has God’s Spirit made me hungry to
be a part of something like this?3. How would I reshape one of these
ideas for the group God has put on my heart?
4. What’s holding me back from taking the first step?
5. Who might partner with me in praying about this for the next 30
days?
![Page 59: Planting the “SIMPLE ESSENCE” of the Body of Christ... The Church](https://reader035.vdocuments.mx/reader035/viewer/2022062520/568164ac550346895dd6adb4/html5/thumbnails/59.jpg)
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