Church Planting Movements: Community Development vs. Access

Church Planting Movements: Community Development vs. Access

The Other 99 Sheep

Cross cultural (cc) acclimatizing for the glory bearer (missionary) can sometimes reveal the most poignant of opportunities for deeper trust in the Father. Without the foremost hunger in our own hearts for daily transformation we simply and easily can fall pray to “doing ministry” the way they taught us in our home cultures.

                  

A foreign laborer on our island had formed a partnership with a local ministry leader. From the years of investment the foreigner had made into this leader’s life he assumed that loyalties to God’s ways were at equal passions for both. 

                  

A supporting fellowship from another country desired to be further connected to the Lord’s purposes among the Muslim Unreached People Group in this same cc context. They labored with the on-site missionaries in prayer, resources, and supportive ways. However, in their enthusiasm to be more directly connected, though at a distance, they began engaging with the national partners without coordinating with partnering missionaries on site. Long term workers, in most cases, have much insight which can be shared in what potentially may or may not be the most effective ministry approaches in any given people group. Indigenous partners have this same great potential. However, we are discussing CPM efforts among heretofore Unengaged/and or Unreached People Groups. In other words, this usually means that there are no near culture or indigenous laborers available in these groups with whom to consult.

                  

We have the Great Sheep Debacle to remind us of the desperate need any one of us has, in humility, to continue to be learners in any and every cc context ministry opportunity.

                  

Roughly $12,000 was invested by this foreign supporting Fellowship in what they thought would be the purchase of 99+ head of sheep to be raised as a project to help access a Muslim community. The vision which the national leader cast to them was the purchase of these sheep would afford him to place another national worker into that Muslim area as a consultant for the caretakers of the sheep and thus have a platform for sharing the gospel. That was the vision pitched. This same national leader had already been caught in financial embezzlement and deception as leader of a local branch of a national evangelical Bible School. The missionaries knew this information but were not consulted in the process of the foreign Fellowship’s intent.

                 

In Church Planting Movements approach, this would have been considered a huge financial investment to one area and would have been questioned as to having been an effective “access” project or not. The foreign supporting church was more interested in “just doing it” without considering or weighing the potential effectiveness or not in opening up households in that community. However, at this time in the process of ministry among this UPG, ministry tended toward more traditional approaches. At this point in time, roughly 20 years ago, we had already been hungering for what the Church Planting Movements (CPM) approach helped to frame for those of us on the mission field among UPGs.

                  

The difference between CPM approach to a community versus a Community Development CD approach is simply put:

Access Ministry versus Community Development CD

Goal CD:  improve the quality of life of a community seeking the opportunity to share Christ

Goal of CPM: Access to a given community is practiced in accordance with Luke 9, 10 and Matthew 10 approach. The desire: rapidly plant pregnant house churches of obedience based disciples of Jesus which plant pregnant house churches to multiple generations.Transformed oikos (households) of disciples begin to transform their communities. In other words, in a process, as these oikos come to know and grow in Christlikeness, they have normalized the desire to obey His heart. In response to God’s heart and the leading of the Holy Spirit they will offer indigenously driven solutions to the development issues in their communities and beyond for the advancement of the glory of God, while focused upon disciplemaking movement.

◦                     CPM marries nicely with CD. Households transformed in obedience based discipleship begin to transform their communities

◦                      CPM is making reproducing households of disciples in a process

Funny thing is, all those 99 sheep and all the money was “habis” (gone) upon follow up inspection by the sponsoring foreign Fellowship. The national ministry leader who had convinced these folks of the efficacy of this investment simply shrugged his shoulders and just mentioned that maybe all the sheep must have died. Thus, the Great Sheep Debacle of 1997 remains legendary in the minds of that Fellowship.

Sometimes the greatest lessons learned in cross-cultural CPM efforts come in the form of two-by-four packages. 

Church Planting Movements (CPM); Surrenderedness at Personal Levels

Church Planting Movements (CPM); Surrenderedness at Personal Levels

Sticky Bunned Levels of Transformation

Transformation. God is after our hearts: on all levels, at all costs. Not the part, but the whole. Totality in surrenderedness is the heart of the Father for His followers. Obedience borne forth of implicit trust in the One who knows us best and loves us most is sweet surrenderedness.

How did my husband and I feel about our daughter leaving soon to serve the Lord among a Muslim unreached people group in the war zone of the Middle East?

No kidding, as my husband and I were returning to J*ta a few months ago via Thai Airways we noticed two huge Middle Eastern sheikhs fully adorned.

Their red and white-checkered head covering was coifed quite perfectly atop their regal heads while they sat in the middle section of the plane. These men were quite committed to boss anyone and everyone around who would feign give ear.

While these men seemed to be in a constant posture to complain, they were in motion to prepare to arrive into J*ta. Most likely, they were to perhaps be a featured speaker at one of the larger mosques of note. Or at least, that was my best guess as to the necessity of the entourage. Their underlings hurriedly complied with every barked command. Whether to fill out their entry forms or just plain “you live to make my needs satisfied” type addresses flowed freely from their lips.

What happened next is where it gets really sticky-bunned as well as personally more engaging. As our plane began to descend, at the precise moment where all flight attendants are seated, one of these 6-foot-5ers proceeded to rise from his seat and to open the storage bin.

At this move, and at that precise moment, a little waif of a 90 pound (dripping wet) female flight attendant rushed over to “force” him to be seated for his and everyone else’s safety. Who truly knows what impact a 300-pound sheikh flying through the passenger cabin could have if things went awry? Of course, we won’t mention how reality says that a little strap of seat belt won’t do much to avert bodies flying if something really went amiss. Anyways, back to the action.... the female flight attendant sees a non-complying man who basically gives her the brush off, “no, no, this is what I am to be doing! No, no I am just getting my things! Let me be!” This verbal exchange is actually funnier if you add some linguistic imagery to the mix; just add Arabic accent and it would sound about right.

With the obvious show of non-compliance the flight attendant ran towards this large man as though she were going to “take” him down! After my eyeballs returned to their sockets at the sight of this calculated but absolutely stunning move, I saw this little gal put that huge man in his place. He continued to grumble and “thus protest loudly” on all levels, but in the end, she had the upper hand.

The thought that comes to mind is “His perfect love casts out fear.” I felt convicted in such sweet whisperings of grace and mercy on two levels at that moment. On the first level, I realized that even in my observation of these men there was a level of disdain I felt for Muslim men at that moment. Do I really get it, after all these years of serving among Asian Muslim UPGs? “Such was the condition” of my own heart apart from the sweet and powerful grace of our Master and King. Who am I? I could be the same. And the reality is, apart from Christ I was the same lostness to the Father. Whether dressed in robes while barking calls and commands to all whom I expect to attend or simply politely self-willed, God is still Holy and the Perfect and Most Righteous Judge. Christ alone is our salvation.

The second level of conviction was when the tears flowed. I heard my ABBA whisper at that precise moment, “you are fearing your dear Toni from being among the likes of these, are you not?” To which I was able to acknowledge and then be honest about the process of releasing my fears about the Lord’s leading for Toni into His hands.

Lest I be misunderstood, we are thrilled with His leading for Toni and are cheering her on big time. I had not recognized a small level of fear that could have grown given the right cultivation had the Lord not revealed even this to my heart. I love the ways in which the Father moves and lovingkindedly leads. Nothing hidden, nothing held back, all in a process of on-going surrenderedness is such as He desires. It’s funny but I am not sure why I am writing this to you exactly except perhaps He might encourage your own heart at whatever levels.

Taking on them Giants, one 300 pounder at a time, RA

Training Indigenous Leaders: CPM Leadership Development

Training Indigenous Leaders: CPM Leadership Development

“So, what I am wanting is for you to let me know if you all have any national workers in your network with whom I could partner for this UUPG? I am only looking for highly mature, thoroughly tested, thoroughly impervious to temptation, godly nationals who know suffering and can take it,” ventured a foreign colleague recently. Interestingly so, he offered no involvement in the process of coming alongside and developing those whom we might know who might feel called to that particular UUPG.

The bit playful part of me wanted to offer the response, “so, what you are looking for is a ready made disciple like the Apostle Paul?” Thankfully, grace and mercy in the nudging of the Holy Spirit’s conviction prevented the above response.

In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus admonishes the disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

There are many times where the fruit goes limp or wanting for lack of harvesters in  UPG areas. You too, if you were serving in an Unreached People Group, most likely would concur. 

We come from a society, in western culture broad strokes wise, where instant gratification is the norm. Whatever we desire can either be acquired, desired, or inspired by all that is available in our day. Fast food, drive through, is main course for millions. Our western cultures crave the satisfaction of every longing, every impulse. We want information, just the sound bites, not the depths. And we want whatever we want instantaneously. Not later, not in a process.  At least, that would be the tendency of my flesh, maybe not yours.

Not so, the process of the development of disciple-makers in the CPM process or in any ministry approach really.  When you start from scratch, many times you can feel shredded by the process of pouring into others’ lives. But then again that is what we do as disciples of the Lord Jesus: we make disciples. We need to follow the patterns Jesus laid forth in selecting others whom we pour the Christ life into. Faithful, available, teachable ones are the ones whom God led Paul to disciple. Select well, by the Holy Spirit’s leading.

In the CPM process, we often start with the lump of clay. That pretty much sums up the condition of each of our hearts before God molds us into Christ-likeness displays, obedience based followers, and worship thirsty disciple-makers. He is about Himself being made famous through us, his desired vessels of honor. His honor.

Much to the consternation of many a western culture background missionary that is a long process. Discipleship of oikos and the respective indigenous facilitators/leaders of them is a messy deal. Be assured that there are no ready-made trained disciple-makers in UPG areas.

The Apostle Paul was not ready made, lest we forget that transformational power of the Holy Spirit reality. That is precisely one of the main reasons why these groups remain Unreached. There are few going to them. Even those near culture Christians have various bondage areas, which need the redemptive power of Christ in order to walk in freedom and to themselves become vessels of honor. Isn’t that true of each of us?

Shy not from the process of disciple-making with those whom God is raising up in the near culture laborers alongside the indigenous Persons of Peace (Luke 10-POP’s) and their respective oikos.

Discovery Bible Study (DBS) style disciple-making helps to reduce patron-client dependences, which are rampant in Asian cultures. I love that reality. I love that from the get go, as we partner with the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, we invite others to become effective in facilitating others and themselves to engage with ABBA in this way. As they become those who desire to be obedient worshipers of Jesus then the DNA can be set, which can then birth the development of Apostle Paul types.

Persecution in CPM Process: The Necessary Ingredient

Persecution In CPM Process: The Necessary Ingredient

“I would gladly give my life for sake of the gospel and God’s glory being made known among the Sumbi/SOLI,” weighed each of our key national lay partners. Each in their own distinct phrasing, each in their own unique way has asserted the same expressions in the span of the last four months. We have enjoyed the privilege of learning from their hearts as we disciple them, equip them as leaders, MAWL (Model-Assist-Watch-Love/Letter/Leave) them for now several years.

These national partners are our heroes of the faith. A few years back, the slightest flinch of the Evil One’s attacks upon them caused immobilizing fear to them. Thankfully today, these same worshippers have been transformed. The Holy Spirit has one intent: God’s glory at all cost.

They have been seasoned through the fires and have not been burned: though they have lost personal possessions, promotions, suffered riots, threats upon their lives, as well as endured beatings for the sake of His Name. Persecution from Muslim families and communities is still rampant in our national partners experience. What has transformed them? I will venture to say that as they have moved into the deeper intimacy of Christ, relied upon the sufficiency of His Word, and surrendered unto to the empowering of the Holy Spirit, there has been growth.

Just recently as well, and not surprisingly so, a 3^rd generation DBS has begun with a couple others on brink of starting. There are over 30 total DBS being facilitated by this band of transformed hearts. Several 1^st and 2^nd generation indigenously led house fellowships have formed and are forming as well.

Our national lay partners have endured much for the sake of making God famous among these Muslim UPGs. Persecution is one of those areas where one seems to not so much plan as rather to avoid. However, in the whole scheme of eternal perspective lifestyle abundance, which God affords us in Christ, persecution is a necessary ingredient utilized as the sharpening of the heart of the follower on many levels.  

Sometimes one can become so enthralled in the desire to see rapidly reproducing multiplying disciples of oikos that one can forget the beauty, as well as the messiness of the process of transformation in the heart of another. CPM is a process. Yes, we are intentional to see this launched with healthy DNA, yet, are we truly willing to stay for however long it takes, according to God’s time table? Be assured that persecution will be part of the mix, no matter where you serve among UPGs.

RA