More and More

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

One of the hardest challenges for church planters is to make the transition from evangelist to disciple maker. When we start new churches, our focus is on finding persons of peace, sharing the Good News and helping new believers get started in obedience to Christ.  These are the activities of fields 1 and 2 in the Four Fields Model. And the need to evangelize never ends.  The need to explain Good News of Jesus to new people is a constant need in any church.

But sometimes church planters get stuck in the role of evangelist and do not take on very well the role of disciple developer. Their churches grow in numbers, but after a while, as many people are leaving the church as enter the church.  Church planters must be both evangelists and disciple developers. We must preach the Good News and call people to repentance and faith in Christ. And we must also constantly be helping new believers go on to maturity in Christ.

But sometimes church member can get discouraged and resistant if we push them too hard toward a holy life.  So Paul’s example expressed in his words to the Thessalonians is a great pattern for us to follow.  He said in 1Thessalonians 4:1, “We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.”  What a great combination of affirmation and challenge!  This is the sign of a good leader. Good leaders know how to strike the right balance between affirmation and challenge.  Paul affirmed the Thessalonians progress in pleasing God. Then he challenged them to please Him more and more.

He uses this pattern of affirmation and challenge again in verses 9 and 10: “Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.  And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more.” Affirmation and challenge.

Why this insistence on growing in a life that pleases God? Because Paul understood that his job as a church planter was not simply to bring people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, but to help them become fully mature in Him.  He told the Colossians1:28, “[Christ] is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”

My church planting friend, keep up the good work you have begun. Keep on evangelizing; keep on inviting men and women, boys and girls to follow Christ. And don’t forget to help them go on to maturity.  You are on a good path. Don’t quit!

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #GoOnToMaturity