Resource Guide for Church Planting and Growth

By Rev. Dr. Gabriel Oluwasegun

The challenge in this book: Resource Guide for Church Planting and Growth; is to remind us of the special love that God has for the perishing multitudes. The growth of the Church is the heart-beat of God. The Church of God is in the world to offer illumination and a sense of direction that will bring perishing ones back to a Savior that cares.
What is it that you need to change in your ministry? What is it you need to change in the perceptive of your Church? What is it that you have been doing for the last number of decades that you need to change? What structure in your Church needs to change? What things in your Church are hindering your moving out in a new dimension?

The contents of this book provide the pre-requisites and practical guidelines for Church painting and growth, with in-depth analysis of modalities for Church planting and strategies for its growth and your interactions with materials contained in this book will be of immense

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543937237

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© Rev. (Dr.) Gabriel Oluwasegun, April 2018

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ISBN: 978-1-54-393723-7

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my beloved peer-hood friend; Late  Deacon James Ola Orugun of blessed memory, who was a former Deputy Director, Planning Unit, National Board for Technical Education, Kaduna, Nigeria.

Late James Ola Orugun was a bosom friend from my youthful days, whom God used very tremendously as a vessel of encouragement for me both in life issues and in my ministerial endeavors. Our friendship which started when we were both alien to the saving grace of our Lord, spanned for over a period of forty years, before he went to be with the Lord. We both got married to our individual spouse in respect of reciprocal counsels received from each other about our choice of life partner, and the Lord was marvelously gracious to each of us in our marital life. Late James Orugun’s family was regularly a financial burden bearer for me in ministry during his life time. May his gentle soul continue to enjoy a lasting rest in the bosom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to my Heavenly Father and also, to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to all my mentors in life and Ministry. I am indebted to the United Missionary Church of West Africa Theological College, Ilorin, Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, and Ashland University of Ohio, U.S.A for affording me the opportunity of Theological Education in their respective Institutions. I am also grateful to Touro College Graduate School of Social Work for affording me the benefit of a Masters’ Degree in Social Work.

Realizing the impact of men in the accomplishment of God’s plan in the lives of men, I register my profound gratitude and appreciation to all those whom God had used to make the publication of this book a reality. I am grateful to my darling wife; Mrs. Victoria Mopelola Oluwasegun; my daughter: Mrs. Damilola Oluwarantimi Adetunji and her husband Dr. Tomi Adetunji, who supervised and paid for the cover design of this book, and my other children: Titilope, Oluwaseun and Oluwamayowa, for their regular moral, spiritual, intercessory assistance and consistently regular financial supports to my Ministry.

Indebtedness is also acknowledged to all the Pastors, Missionaries, Volunteers and Covenant Partners who had served or supported my missions and ministerial endeavors physically, spiritually, morally and financially, especially Omega 2 Project, Abuja, Nigeria, Horeb Foundation, Lagos Nigeria, Pastor & Deaconess Durojaiye Ojetayo , Rev & Mrs. Olawale Oluwole, Onifade Titilope & Co. Chartered Accountants, Lagos, Nigeria and many other numerous individuals.

Indebtedness could also be acknowledged to many others for the thoughts in this book. I acknowledged the use of certain materials in this book which I came in contact with in the place of studies that are not originally mine. Such materials were dully acknowledged and referenced in my bibliographical entries at the end of this book.

PREFACE

Church Planting is the composite of activities and efforts that is involved in the establishment of a church. It is an act of evangelism which has to do with preaching, teaching and discipline of converts with the resultant effect of establishing a Church. Church growth on the other hand is the science that diagnoses the nature, function and the health of a growing church, with key emphasis of ensuring that the church is alive and on track. The growth of the church is the heart beat of God. One of the characteristics of living things is growth. The Church as a living organism is expected to grow. As a science, Church growth diagnoses the nature, function, and the health of a growing Church, with key emphasis of ensuring that the Church is alive and on track. Jesus commanded the Church to go into all the world and disciple all the nations.

A Church is certainly not the building at the corner there, with the beautiful stained glass and steeple on top. The Church may meet there, but that building is not the church. It is not building of houses that are Church planting but preaching to people and making disciples for Christ from those who come together in a place, to fellowship with each other, either on a mountain or in a valley. The moment converts are thoroughly discipled, the Church is planted. The church is the assembly of believers in Christ, which are called out, baptized by the Holy Spirit into His Body and joined to the Lord and to one another by the Holy Spirit. The Church in its universal sense consists of all those who have had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ regardless of their race, nationality, denomination or position in life (Gal. 3: 26-28). The purpose is to praise and adore the Lord. The Church was also established for fellowship and to show the world how to live. The Church was formed to evangelize the world.

A survey of the Church Planters gives us the conclusion that God Himself started the work of Church planting with the call of Abraham. Through the Ethiopian Eunuch who got converted to Christ by the ministration of Philip in Acts 8:26-40, the Church entered Ethiopia in East Africa. Another example of Church planting is that of the Samaritan woman through whom multitudes in Samaria believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ in John 4:1-26. Paul’s tremendous work of Church planting is clearly seen in the Book of Acts of Apostles. Emphasis in the Bible for Church planting is on believing on Christ and fellowshipping together (Heb. 10:25); other aspects of a Church are not usually mentioned.

Church planting should be the major work of the church today. If there is any work in the Body of Christ today that is most important, it is the work of Church planting. Going through the scriptures and looking at the assignment given by Christ for His own glory, it is Church planting. Right from the Old Testament, God called out His chosen race; the Israelites and took them to a promised land, to live separate from all other nations and tribes that surrounded them. What else can we say here than God’s first attempt of Church planting and he succeeded in the business. Thus Deut. 6:23 says:

And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore unto our fathers (KJV).

It is the perfect will of God that Churches hold the responsibility of Church planting above any other work in the Church. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself commanded us above all other things saying:

… therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all things I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of age (Matt. 28:19-20 NIV).

Judging from this commandment, it is recognized that the Lord wishes above anything, that we go into all nations and make bodies of believers, (which is Church formation), and to disciple and teach them to observe all things. The work of the truly born-again Christian is to see to the evangelization of the world through Church planting.

The target of the Church should be to let every land hear the gospel. In this millennium, Christians are faced with many challenges in mission. The increasing world population, its diversities, the realization that millions have not yet heard even for the first time, our awareness of the unreached people groups in Nigeria, West Africa, Asia and in the 10/40 Window of the world, are some of the challenges ahead of us. Although tremendous progress has been made in the past century, the task ahead remains very formidable.

Is your Church giving Church growth principles the priority of teaching and practice that it deserves? Will you rate your Church a healthy Church or one that is infected with various diseases? Is your pastor a Church growth pastor? Is your congregation a Church growth congregation?

The challenge in this book: Resource Guide for Church Planting and Growth; is to remind us of the special love that God has for the perishing multitudes. The growth of the Church is the heart-beat of God. The Church of God is in the world to offer illumination and a sense of direction that will bring perishing ones back to a Savior that cares.

What is it that you need to change in your ministry? What is it you need to change in the perceptive of your Church? What is it that you have been doing for the last number of decades that you need to change? What structure in your Church needs to change? What things in your Church are hindering your moving out in a new dimension?

If the Holy Spirit says: Take a new direction, take it. Let’s go with the Holy Spirit. When we follow what the Holy Spirit says and do what He instructs us to do, we will have a Church that is alive in the Lord Jesus Christ and wonderful things will be accomplished. There are lot of changes that we need to make, changes in style, changes in concept, changes in approach, changes in orientation, etc. How do you intend to move into God’s perfect will for your Church?

The contents of this book, highlight the pre-requisite and practical guideline for Church painting and growth, with in-depth analysis of modalities for Church planting and strategies for its growth and your interactions with materials contained in this book will be of immense benefit to you and your Church.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PREFACE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Books by Rev. Gabriel Oluwasegun

SECTION ONE

THE CHURCH

1.1 Introduction

1.2 The Definition of The Church

1.3       The Founding of The Church

1.4       The Purpose of The Church

1.5    What the Bible Requires of a Church

1.6       The Supreme Task of the Church

1.7       God’s Perfect Plan for the Church

1.8       The Destiny of the Church

1.9      Church Trends and Statistics

1.10 American Faith in the ’90s.

1.11 Interesting Church Facts

SECTION TWO

CHURCH PLANTING

2.1 Historical Perspectives

2.2      What is Church Planting?

2.3       Modern Church Planting Movement

2.4       Ten Elements in Church Planting Movement

2.5       Who is a Church Planter?

2.6       Qualifications for a Church Planter

2.10 Paul’s Whole Strategy was to Plant Urban Churches

2.11 Seven Steps to Church Planting

2.12 Church Planting Goals

2.13 Learning from Early Church Planters

2.14 Some Factors That Led to Their Success

2.15 Some Problems with Church Planting of Today

2.17 Church Planting Prerequisites

2.18 Church Planting Basics

2.19 The Church Planter’s Second Priority: Raise up Leaders

2.20  How to Raise up Leaders

2.21How to Plant Churches Cross-Culturally

2.22What Is Culture?

2.23       Local cultural characteristics

2.24 Ethnography

2.25 The Issue of Contextualization in Cross-Cultural Church Planting

2.26 The need for Environmental adaptation

2.27 The need for Message Configuration

2.28 Dealing with Satanic Confrontation

2.29 How to respond to Cultural Demands

2.30 The Pauline Method of Cross-Cultural Church Planting

2.31 Following the Pauline method of cross-cultural church          planting

2.32 The Native is the Key in Labor Recruitment for Cross-Cultural

2.33 Ordaining Elders

2.34 Management of Church Planting

2.35 The Tasks of a Newly Planted Church

2.36 Idea Bank for Church Planting and Growth

SECTION THREE

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION FOR CHURCH GROWTH

3.1 What is Church Growth?

3.2 Church Growth is not something new.

3.3  Church Growth is a theological conviction:

3.4  What Church Growth is Not:

3.5  Myths about Church Growth

3.6  The Origin of The Church Growth Movement

3.7  The Modern Church Growth Movement

3.8       Faulty Premises of the Church Growth Movement

3.9  Church Growth and Science

3.10 The Laws of Church Growth

3.11  Principles of Church Growth

3.12 Growing Churches in the Book of Acts had the following Spiritual Factors:

3.13       Types of Church Growth

3.14       Types of Quantitative Growth

3.15       Quality or Qualitative Growth

3.16       Characteristics of Qualitative Growth

3.17       Cases of Mission History that Caused Church Growth

3.18 Prerequisites for a Growing Church

3.19       How to Escalate Church Growth

3.20       Essential Breakthrough Actions for Church Growth

3.21 The Role of Spiritual Gifts in a Growing Congregation

3.22 Ten Don’ts of Church Growth

3.23 Pillars of Church Growth

3.24       Caterpillars of Church Growth

3.25       Church Growth Barriers

3.26 Factors that Hinder Church Growth

3.27 Other Obstacles that can Hinder Church Growth are:

3.28 Church Growth Diagnostic Clinic

3.29 The Plateaued Church

3.30 Characteristic Problems in a Plateaued Church

3.31 Reviving the Plateaued Church

SECTION FOUR

THE CHURCH GROWTH PASTOR

4.1       The Qualifications of a Church Growth Pastor

4.2      Other Essential Qualities of a Church Growth Pastor

4.3       The Church Growth Pastor as a Player-Coach

4.4       The Church Growth Pastor and Goal Setting

4.5       Characteristics of Good Goals

4.6        The Church Growth Congregation

4.7       Seven Vital Signs of a Healthy Congregation

4.8      Identifying Passivity in a Congregation

SECTION FIVE

CHURCH GROWTH AND SPECIFIC MINISTRIES

5.1       The Power of Prayer in Church Growth

5.2    The Place of Visitation in Church Growth

5.3      Designing an Effective Visitation Program

5.4       The Power of Praise in Church Growth

5.5       The Role of Christian Religious Education in Church Growth

5.6       Biblical Basis for Christian Education

5.8       Church Growth through the Sunday School

5.9       The History of Sunday school

5.10  The Purpose of the Sunday School

5.11 The aims of the Sunday School

5.12 Ten Important Points about the Sunday School

5.13 Sunday School Organization

5.14 The Age Division of the Sunday School

5.15 Sunday School Visitation

5.16 Sunday School Absentee Check-up

5.17       How often should the Teacher Visit in the Home?

5.18        Schedule a Regular Time each Week for Visitation

5.19      The Importance of the Home Fellowship to Church Growth

5.20 Definition of the Home-Cell/ Home Fellowship/House      Church

5.21       Seven Secrets to a Successful Home Fellowship Ministry

5.22 The Operational Tactics Employed in the Home Fellowship:

5.23 Home Fellowship Meeting Format

5.24       The Position of the Home-Cell leader in the Church

5.25 General Job Description of the Home Cell Leader

5.26       The Functions of the Home-Cell Leader: These are classified into two as follows:

5.27       The Home Cell Zonal Leader as a Co-ordinating and Monitoring Arm of the Church

5.28        The Co-ordination of the Home Fellowship Meeting

5.29       How to Organize Your Home Fellowship Meetings.

5.30       Required Preparation for the Home-Fellowship Meeting

5.31       Some Benefits of the Home Fellowship to the Church

5.32       HOME FELLOWSHIP DOCUMENTATION FORMAT

5.33  House Fellowship System Evaluated with Robert Coleman’s Master Plan of Evangelism.

SECTION SIX

STRATEGIES FOR CHURCH GROWTH

6.1 The Master Plan for Church Growth

6.2 Ways to Grow Your Church

6.3 Here are some of these Church-growth principles:

6.4       Seven Keys to Grow Your Church

6.5      Improve on the Eight Systems of Your Church

6.6       Focus More on Effective Assimilation

6.7       Assimilation Overview

6.9 Start Doing Church as a Team

6.10 Motivate Your Church Members through a Reward

6.11       Grow Your Church Groups

6.12       Eight Other Steps to Grow Your Church

6.15       Multiplication through Proper Discipleship Program

6.16      The Church as a Training School

6.17      Spiritual Gifts Discovery

6.18      Use the Laity to Spread the Gospel

6.19      Understand the Factors Responsible for Decline in Attendance of Evening Church Services Low rating of evening service:

6.20      Reach out to the Unchurched:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Foot Notes

LIST OF BOOKS BY REV. DR. GABRIEL OLUWASEGUN

SECTION ONE

THE CHURCH

1.1 Introduction

T

he English word for Church is derived from the Greek word Kupiokov which means a thing belonging to the Lord, it was originally applied to a Church building. It is indicated by an Old Testament word, qahal; which means a gathering in response to God’s call  (Exodus 35:1) which was translated Ecclesia in Latin  and which means the natural religious communities which are joined together by birth.

The Latin Ecclesia and its derivatives although used for the Church, when used in secular form meant an assembly primarily of citizens in a self-governing city like that of Ephesus (Acts 19:39). In the Septuagint, Ecclesia was used as the assembly or congregation of the Israelites, especially of those within the covenant as opposed to the strangers in their midst (Deut. 23:3, Neh. 3:1); but in Acts 7:38, the word is used with Old Testament reference.

In the New Testament, the word Ecclesia occurs only twice from the Lord’s mouth in Matt. 16:18 and Matt. 18:17. In the New Testament sense, the Church is referred to as the company of believers called out from the world and indwelt by the Spirit of God. The fundamental idea of the Church then is brought out in the Greek verb kaleun signifying to call and kletol meaning the called (Rom 1:6,7,8, L28;1 Cor. 1:2; Jude 1), which designate the membership of the Church.

1.2 The Definition of The Church

Ecclesia; from which  the  word  Church  comes, has the meaning of being called out  for  an assembly or congregational meeting. In the New Testament sense, the Church is the company of believers called out from the world and indwelt by the Spirit of God.

The  true  Church  is  composed  of  the  whole  number  of regenerated  persons  from  Pentecost  time  to  the first resurrection, who are united together to Christ by baptism with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12,13). It is the Body of Christ of which He is the head (Eph. 1:22,23) and as such, it is a Holy Temple for the habitation  of  God through the  Holy  Spirit (Eph. 2:21). It is  one  flesh with  Christ  (Eph.  5:30), and espoused to Him as a chaste virgin to one husband (2 Cor. 11:2-4).

From the above definition, two things become clear: first, the Church is called out from theworld, and unto  Christ. The Church is thus a picked company (2 Tim. 1:9; Rev. 17:14). Secondly, the Church is bigger than any denomination or single organization. It is composed of believers from all denominations that accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour (1 Cor.12:3; 1 John 5:10-12).

Moreover, the Church is composed of believers from all nations, colors, races and tongues. (Mark 16:15).

Those to be gathered around His throne at the end of age will be from all nations and kindred, and tongues (Rev. 7:9).

1.3       The Founding of The Church

The first place where the word Church is used in the Bible is in Matthew 16:18. In the passage, Jesus Christ taught that the called out company, His Church, is built on Christ the Son of God (1 Pet. 2:4-8). The last place where the word, Church occurs in the Bible is in Revelation 22:16. Throughout the New Testament the idea of the Church is that of an assembly identified with Christ. It will be noted that Jesus speaks of His Church:

Upon This Rock I will build my Church… Mt.16:16-18. Jesus’ statement: Upon this rock, also recorded in Jn. 20:19-23; Mt. 18:18 found fulfillment on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on worshippers in their place of meeting (Acts 2:1-4).

Jesus Christ founded the Church upon Peter’s confession in Mt. 16: 16, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ, God’s incarnated Son and the Savior of