The Jesus Model

Church Planting and Church Growth

based upon Jesus’ example

Jesus - Church Planter?

Yes, Jesus was the first and foremost church planter!

„I will build my Church!“

Why can we assert that Jesus was a church planter?Based upon his expressed goal:

I will build my Church!

The Acts of the Apostels is the record of all that Jesus „continued to do and teach“ (Acts 1:1)

The disciples, around Jesus were the first prototype of the Church.

Jesus most certainly showed and taught His disciples how to plant His Church.

The Jesus-Model: The radically new/old means of

planting churches

1. Incarnational Contact

2. Compassionate Motivation

3. Christ-centered proclamation

4. Liberating Lordship

5. Changed Identity

6. Practical Discipleship

7. Intentional Multiplication At home

in the presence

of God

The Core of Church Planting is life together with God the Father

At home in the

presence of God

Authority and power in ministry are the result of nearness to God (Mk 1:35, 6:46, 9:7)

We will never be more in public ministry than we are in our private fellowship with God.

A healthy life in communion with God is paramount

Because of tempation: to be relevant, to be popular, to be powerful

We stay healthy by exiting ministry and by practicing the spiritual disciplines

We intercede not defensively, but offensively through front line praying

A Church Planter Profile

• Healthy Spirtitual Life – Longing for God

• Spiritual Gifts: Leadership, Faith, Evangelism

• Personality type: Leaders: D and I, Followers: S and C

• Visionary capacity – able to see what is not yet

• Intrinsically motivated

• Cooperation of Spouse

• Creates ownership of ministry

• Connects well relationally with others, especially non Christians

• Resilient: not easily discouraged by set-backs

The Jesus-Model:The radically new/old means

of planting churches

1. Incarnational Contact

At home in the

presence of God

Incarnational Contact

•The incarnation – unique, yet must be universal among Christians

•Connecting: Missional – Third Places

•Church planters will spend half of their time in the harvest (Beware of the danger of the desk!)

•Demographic and Psychograpihc studies and their immpication for the Gospel

•Person of Peace: Mavens, Connectors, Salesmen

•Building Networks of Relationships to non Christians

•Phase One: Generating a Starter Team that is incarnational

The Four Phase Model

Assimilation EventAssimilation Event(Preview service) (Preview service)

Startteam-Meeting Startteam-Meeting

Week 1 2 3 4 5/1

The Jesus-Model:The radically new/old means

of planting churches

1. Incarnational Contact

2. Compassionate MotivationAt home

in the presence

of God

What motivates us to plant churches?The call of God and the compassion for the lost (Lk 6:36; Matt 9:36)

Study the life of Ruth to learn what compassion is

The Jesus-Model:The radically new/old means

of planting churches

1. Incarnational Contact

2. Compassionate Motivation

3. Christ-centered proclamation

At home in the

presence of God

What is the Gospel?

The Gospel is Jesus and all that He embodies with me today! The personal life-changing presence of God in the life of a weak individual.

Scripture: Matt 9:35 (Autobasileia); Lk 17:21Implications:

More than sin management!Participation with God in a new reality of livingLiving out of the resourses of the KingThe incarnation repeats itself daily in my lifeAuthority and power to act in His nameMy Kingdom vs God‘s Kingdom (Flip Chart)

The Jesus-Model:The radically new/old means

of planting churches

1. Incarnational Contact

2. Compassionate Motivation

3. Christ-centered proclamation

4. Liberating Lordship

At home in the

presence of God

Recognizing liberated Lordship

A burning heart (Lk 24:32)A clear conscience (1 Joh 1:5-7)Applied teaching (Matt 7:24)

Levels of Choice

Kingdomof SELF

Kingdomof GOD

Faith

1. SURRENDERControl Level

I need a new leader.

2. SORRY ABOUT ITGuilt and Grief Level

I need forgivenessand another chance.

3. SICK OF ITFrustration Level

I need help.

1. FOLLOWINGObedienceLevel

I have a new leader.

2. ABIDINGLove Relationship Level

I have an eternalfriend.

3. OVERCOMINGReliability Level

My leader has a follower.

The Jesus-Model:The radically new/old means

of planting churches

1. Incarnational Contact

2. Compassionate Motivation

3. Christ-centered proclamation

4. Liberating Lordship

5. Changed Identity

At home in the

presence of God

Changed identity

The danger of socialized Christians

New Identity in relating to Christ, not to task (Gen 4; Joh 1)

The local Church carries in it a new spiritual identity (It knows who it is in Christ and that it is therefore culturally relevent)

Life-Transformational small groups become the micro-cosom of out new identity

The Jesus-Model:The radically new/old means

of planting churches

1. Incarnational Contact

2. Compassionate Motivation

3. Christ-centered proclamation

4. Liberating Lordship

5. Changed Identity

6. Practical Discipleship

At home in the

presence of God

Making Disciples – the basis of reproduction

Teaching people how to live like Jesus

Implimenting a plan for making disciples that make disciples

Disciple-making forms the basis for healthy growth

Disciples

Coaches

Ministry area leaders

Church planters

1

2

3

4

The Jesus-Model:The radically new/old means

of planting churches

1. Incarnational Contact

2. Compassionate Motivation

3. Christ-centered proclamation

4. Liberating Lordship

5. Changed Identity

6. Practical Discipleship

7. Intentional Multiplication At home

in the presence

of God

Good to Great Church Planting

Good Church Planting

Long recovery time

Direct involvement

Emphasis on leadership

Haphazard and situational

Centripetal force

Emphasis on giftedness

Great Church Planting

Timed release

Generational distance

Discipleship depth

Intentional mindset

External focus

Reproducible models

The fruit of an apple tree is not an apple, it is another apple tree.