2. Why do we plant churches in Europe?
“It has always been myambition to preach the gospel whereChrist was notknown,
sothat I wouldnotbe building onsomeoneelse’s foundation”
Paul, in Romans 15:20
3. ChurchGrowthMovement
Theology: “The chief and irreplacablepurpose of mission
is churchgrowth” – Donald A. McGavran,
UnderstandingChurchGrowth, p. 22
Practice: A lack of churchgrowth is causedby a lack of
supply
Strategy: Therefore, we shouldcontinually plant
newchurches
4. “Only the creation of multitudes of new,
vitalcongregations (eitherwithinor without
the state denominations) willreconvert the
myriads of EuropeanChristo-pagans.
Muchthoughtshouldbegiven to this”
Donald A. McGavran, UnderstandingChurchGrowth, p. 191
5. Is growth the purpose of mission?
(testingtheology)
Church planting = a methodology?
“The single most effectiveevangelisticmethodologyunderheaven
is planting newchurches. Itappliesmonculturally and cross
culturally (…) Rememberthissimplefact: It’s easierto have
babiesthan to raise the dead!”
Peter C. Wagner, Church Planting for a GreaterHarvest, p. 11, 25
6. Is growth the purpose of mission?
does God want the world to becomeone big church?
‘everykneeshallbow’?
Biblical images of the church: a minoritypeople
• pilgrim people: “ourcitizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20)
• resident aliens: “I urgeyou, as foreigners and exiles…” (1 Peter 2:11)
•salt: “you are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13)
7. Why is there a church?
witness not ‘howmany’, but ‘what kind’?
growth is notourmission; growth is important to do
ourmission
“The church’sgrowth is a penultimate goal of itsmission.
Butthisgrowth is to bemeasured, notsimplyby the number
of people entering into the church’sfellowship,
butespeciallybytheirparticipation in the bringingabout of a
new order, in establishing a community of love, in
strugglingforjustice and peace as ananticipation of the
ultimaterevelation of God’skingdom. When we think of
churchgrowth in these terms, the wholethingbecomes a
revolutionary, powerfuladventure”.
Orlando Costas, The Integrity of Mission, p. 56-57
8. Is there a lack of supply?
(testingpractice)
sometimestrue
generallynottrue
religiousmarkettheoryvs.secularization
‘back to normal’?
• Earlychurch
• Luther and Calvin
• Wichern and Kuyper
paganism
9. Ecclesiology
(What is the church, and what is itfor?)
priestlycommunities
accept ourminoritysituation
• ourweaknesscreatesopenings
• between USA and Indonesia…
• the way of the cross
Mission
• Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have
carriedyouintoexile. Pray to the LORD forit, becauseifitprospers,
youtoowillprosper”.
• community in exile
• ‘micro-resistance’
10. Some concrete ideas
Models of missionarycontextualization
‘Come and see’ Dimensions of ‘Go and proclaim’ (Re)creation of the
church world
Embodiedworship Leitourgia Liberatingpatterns Freedomvs.slavery
Hospitality Koinonia Peace-making Peacevs. conflict
Mutual care Diakonia Service / justice Justicevs.injustice
Public proclamation Kerygma Evangelism Truthvs. lies
