Wednesday, December 21, 2011

theory Of Church growth In The Early Church

Introduction

This narrative presents the plan of 'church growth' alongside evangelism in general in the book of Acts. Whereas the Old Testament depicts evangelism as people coming to God, the Lucan perspective demonstrates that God's servants will go to His people. Blauw's thesis is that "a centripetal missionary consciousness becomes in Acts a centrifugal missionary activity..." (1974, 34). In George Orwell's Animal Farm, the pigs looked from pig to man and vice versa but could not differentiate them in the very last page of the text which by postponement shows what could happen if the church wants to imitate the world. One cannot replace the methods or the system that brought church increase in the New Testament in our own era.

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Types Of Church Growth

1. Internal : This is the spiritual increase of Christians. Right association is established with God and man. Many Christians quote John 3:16 which demonstrates God's love for man without taking into consideration I John 3:16 which focuses on man's love for his fellow man.

2. Expansion: This is terminated by the evangelization of non-Christians within the area of the execution of the church or ministry.

3. Extension: This is the increase of the church by the preparation of daughter churches within the same normal homogeneous group and geographical area.

4. Bridging: This focuses on the preparation of churches in dissimilar cultural and geographical areas.

Church increase : Ways To Increase

1. Biological growth- children of existing members who come into the church.

2. Transfer growth- members of one church who unite with an additional one church.

3. Conversion growth- the coming into the church of people of the world who are converted by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Definition Of Terms

Evangelism: Evangelism in Acts is the transportation of the good news of Jesus Christ straight through verbal notification and lifestyle witness, with the intent of foremost a man or group to salvation in Christ.

Church Growth: This is the quantitative and qualitative development of the church. It is dissimilar from 'swelling' which is coarse and risky in the modern church. The African Church is dismissed as a mile wide and an inch deep which implies that other parameters other than numbers list for church growth. Church increase could also be seen as an application of Biblical, anthropological, and sociological system to congregations, denominations and their communities in an endeavor to disciple the most number of people for Jesus Christ. Believing that it is God's will that His Church should grow and His lost children be found, church increase endeavors to devise strategies, organize objectives and apply tested system of increase to personel congregations, denominations and the worldwide body of Christ.

Church increase Eyes: This is a characteristic of Christians who have achieved an quality to see the possibilities for increase and to apply appropriate strategies to gain maximum results for Christ and His church.

Church increase Principle: according to McGavran and Ann, this is "a universal truth which, when properly interpreted and applied, contributes significantly to the increase of churches and denominations. It is a truth of God which leads his church to spread his Good News, plant church after church, and increase his body"(1977, p.15).

Principles

1. Prayer or Spiritual Warfare

Prayer is primary to church growth. John Stott comments that following Jesus' ascension, the prayers of the disciples had two characteristics which "are two essentials of true prayer, namely that they persevered, and were of one mind" (1990, 10). The principle of unified prayer, or prayer with one mind and purpose, is a thread that runs throughout Acts. Luke's introductory narrative of the 120 (1:5) shows that they followed Christ's command to wait for the Holy Spirit by obediently praying as a group With One Mind. See also Acts 4:18 (Sanhedrin); Acts 12:5 (Herod); Acts 11:11 (Peter's rescue).

2. A clear and unique vision

In the King James Version, Proverbs 29:18 is rendered, "Where there is no vision, the people perish". foresight is God's dream of what he wants to accomplish in and straight through our lives and the lives of our churches. Any churches have foresight statements they never use. What God blesses with success in one place is not necessarily His plan for any other. Every growing church has a sense of unique foresight and purpose - a clear sense of direction. The church planter and the laity share a coarse foresight for what God wants that church to accomplish. In most cases, the church planter and the people can clearly tell and utter their vision. This gives the people a sense of direction. They are enthralling toward an objective. They are not merely existing.

3. Leadership

A vigorous growing church is catalyzed by dynamic leadership that draws the entire church into action. For the church planter to function as a good leader, s/he must have definite definite character qualities and carry out definite definite leadership responsibilities. The church planter must truly desire increase for the church and must be willing to pay the price in hard work. The leadership must lead the work to organize the mission, set goals, organize plans, and mobilize the people to accomplishment. S/he must be creative, innovative, and assertive with regard to the foresight and mission God has for His work.

4. The recognition and importance of the laity

The people of the work must be qualified to peruse and use their gifts. They must be ready to assume new responsibilities and willingly hand over assorted leadership positions to other new people as the church continues to grow or expand.

5. Strategic Planning

The idea is to organize ongoing strategies that will help accomplish the mission of the church. These should move the church toward realizing the accomplishment of its vision. With definite instructions from the Saviour, the apostles established a strategy to reach Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Nehemiah positioned his people in areas of interests. Paul went to the synagogue and then the agora which was both a shop place and centre of public life (Acts 7:17). A good church website can help your church to grow. Unfortunately there is an on-going war in this technological age: Technophilia vs. Technophobia. Many Rip Van Wrinkles exist in modern times. Any church leaders are yet to realize inherent of a website for church growth. Yet a church website, specifically designed to reach outsiders, integrated with other appropriate outreach strategies, could be a major key to drawing non-Christians to your church.

6. Life development Groups

This could be stated as the principle of assimilation. Perhaps the most foremost aspect of this principle is that the church must be structured in a way that develops an organizational base for growth. The larger the base, the greater the possibilities for growth. Life development groups provide a primary function that facilitates a church's increase e.g. Sunday School groups, Youth Fellowship, Ministries (Men, Women, Youth, Children) etc.

7. Indigenization

Paul and Barnabas left the indigenous churches with leadership that would provide the direction after the apostles departed. Though the forms of church government vary in the New Testament, they appointed elders to continue their leadership roles. The elders were within the church ("in each church" Acts 14:23) completing the indigenization process.

8. Open Gospel

In the early church, some regarded Christians as Jews who have received Jesus as the promised Saviour. Consequently, any Gentile desiring to come to be a Christian must first come to be a Jew. This 'closed' gospel was a major concern for Christians like Paul. The Jerusalem Council became a pivotal point in the history of the early church. Neither circumcision nor adaptation to the Jewish society would be a requisite. Christians today should peruse the same attitude to the unbelieving world. Is the gospel open today, or does it carry the baggage of cultural expectations, idolatry of tradition etc? One should not necessarily come to be a member of your tribe before he is a Christian.

9. Follow-Up

The mission of the church is to win souls. Therefore, evangelism is not treated as a single principle since that is the traditional mission of the church. The related plan of 'follow" is crucial for young Christians. according to Acts 15:36, "some days after, Paul said unto Barnabbas, let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do." Follow-up could be regarded as a motherly instinct. It is a deliberate focus on young and new believers for the purpose of spiritual guidance and counseling.

10. Discipleship

According to John Wesley, foremost souls to Christ without a discipleship programme is to beget sons for the devil. Church increase is enhanced when each member becomes a part of the body (Eph. 4:16; Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor.12:12-22 etc.) and is endangered when they do not recognize with the body. What we have learned must be committed to the particular to teach others also. The importance of Bible Study, Sunday School Classes etc. Cannot be overemphasized.

11. Sovereignty (Supreme Authority of God)

Despite the abundance of conflicts and setbacks in the early church, Luke communicates clearly that God is the final victor. Acts, in one perspective, is a narrative of the sovereign work of God in the midst of external and internal forces that would thwart any 'normal' movement. Though we are the vehicles to tell the Gospel, our compel and power come from God. He gives the increase after the 'planting' and 'watering', He makes every thing beautiful, not in our, but in His time. One sows, an additional one waters but God gives the increase. The clay does not quiz, the Potter's intent.

List Of References

Blauw, J. The Missionary Nature of the Church. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

McGavran Donald A. And Winfield C. Arn. Ten Steps for Church Growth. New York: Harper and Row, 1977.

Stott, John. The Spirit, the Church and the World. Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter Varsity, 1990.

Wagner, Peter C., ed. Church Growth: The State of the Art. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986.

theory Of Church growth In The Early Church

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