Review the Basics of Church Planting - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

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

On several occasions when I have gone to worship at church with my daughter, she will remark on the sermon, “What a great message. It was so full of the Gospel. Just the Gospel.” Both she and I love to hear a pure Gospel message telling of the saving power of Jesus Christ. It is the basic story for all Christians.

In the same way, I love to participate in basic training for church planters. I love to review the essential steps that help form an embryonic church which will grow and multiply. I am so thankful that during the month of August, church planters from all over Africa will gather in their respective VCP training centers with their trainers to review the basics of church planting.

What are the basics of church planting? They are skills described in Terms 1 and 2 of the New VCP program.

* Identify, research and map villages without churches

* Pray for the villages including prayer walking in the villages

* Look for and find persons of peace

* Share the Good News of Jesus with persons of peace and with their family and friends

* Make disciples by teaching new believers to obey the Seven Basic Commands of Christ.

These are the essential activities for church planters. When we walk by faith and practice these 5 activities of basic church planting, God meets us. He empowers us. He helps us make good connections. When we do these activities trusting in God and his great love for lost people, he fills us with love and with power.

These are the basic skills that all village church planters must learn, practice and perfect. But for many of us, these activities are very challenging. So we find other, easier activities to be involved in.

Our 90 days of prayer, fasting, and church planting are meant to change all that. First we pray. We pray to be filled with love. We pray for power to go. We pray for God to show us persons of peace and draw them to Himself. We pray for God to draw lost people to himself. As we continue in prayer, we sharpen our basic church planting skills. Then we go.

During the month of August, you, along with VCP church planters across Africa will prepare yourself for action. By prayer you will build up your faith and access the power of God to be his witnesses. By training you will strengthen your abilities in the basics of church planting. Then you will go out with church members you have identified as daughter church planters. As you go with them to villages without churches, God will meet you. He will be with you and He will make you fruitful. Remember Jesus’ promise. He said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last." (John 15:16).

 

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