UNDERSTANDING THE CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENT

"Praising God and having Favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:47 (NKJV)

BIBLE READING: ACTS 2:41-47; ACTS 13:1-51; ACTS 16:1-40

Following through with our topic today, we are presented with a vital and expedient question: What exactly is a Church Planting Movement? A rudimentary, straight-to-the-point definition of a Church Planting Movement (CPM) is "a Rapid and Exponential Increase of Indigenous Churches planting Churches within a given people group or population segment." There are several Major Elements found within this definition, which we would examine:

(1.) Rapid: As a Movement, a Church Planting Movement takes place with rapid increases in newly planted Churches. The Reality is that Church Planting Saturation over decades and even centuries may be good but doesn't qualify to be called a Church Planting Movement.

(2.) Exponential Increase: This refers to the fact that the increase in Churches is not simply Incremental Growth, i.e., adding a few Churches every year or so. Rather, it compounds exponentially, e.g., two Churches become four, after which four Churches become sixteen and so forth. Exponential Multiplication is only possible and attainable when New Churches are being established by Existing Churches themselves rather than by professional Church Planters or Missionaries.

(3.) Indigenous Churches: This emphasizes the fact of Church Membership and Leadership being generated from within rather than from without. This doesn't mean that the Gospel is able to spring up intuitively within a people group. The Gospel always enters a people group from the outside, which is the Responsibility of the Missionary, who serves as a Catalyst for the Move of God. However, in a Church Planting Movement, the momentum swiftly becomes indigenous so much so that the initiative and drive of the Movement comes from within the people group rather than from outsiders.

A Church Planting Movement is much more than mere Evangelism that results in Churches. Evangelism that results in Churches is a part of a Church Planting Movement, but the Endgame is less extensive. A Church Planter might satisfy himself with the Goal of planting a single Church or even a handful of Churches but fail to see that it actually takes a Movement of Churches planting Churches to reach an entire people group. A Church Planting Movement is also more than a mere Revival of Pre-existing Churches. Revivals are highly desirable, but they cannot be called Church Planting Movements. Evangelistic Outreaches and Witnessing Programs may lead thousands to Christ, which is quite wonderful, but it is never the same as a Church Planting Movement. The Main Feature of Church Planting Movements is simple and clear: Churches rapidly reproducing themselves.

The closest thing perhaps to a Church Planting Movement is when local Church Planters are trained and deployed to plant multiple Churches among their own people. This is a highly Productive Method of spreading Churches across a population segment or people group, but with the Momentum remaining in the hands of a limited group of professional Church Planters instead of in the heart of each New Church that is begun.

A Church Planting Movement is not an end in itself but rather a Means to an End. The End Result of all of our Missionary Efforts is for the Lord God Almighty to be Glorified. This occurs anytime individuals enter into a Right Relationship with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. As they do, they become incorporated into Churches, which enable them to continue to grow in Grace with equally like-minded believers. Any time people come into a New Life in Jesus Christ, God becomes Glorified. Whenever a Church is planted, no matter who is responsible, there would always be a legitimate reason for celebration. To God be the Glory.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for enabling us as Your children. Lord, we pray that You grant us the Wisdom for Church Multiplication in Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.