Cross-cultural Church Planting in Teams

taught by Missionary Paul Pritchard

Too many cross-cultural church planters take the latest church planting model and trek off single- handedly into other parts of the world, then struggle as "lone rangers" in their obedient and noble efforts to reproduce a church on foreign soil. When they do finally get a church going, they are often unable to take a furlough because their individual absence would produce a vacuum within the fledgling church and impede its ability to function.

How about starting a church in teams? The coordinated effort of multiple members of diverse ministry gifts is an overlooked precedent employed by the Apostle Paul and recorded in the New Testament. Maybe we have become too accustomed to doing things independently because we can't get along with anybody else. Or maybe it's because we don't want to share the "credit" with potential ministry partners. Since most of us recognize these excuses as unbiblical and unspiritual, let's consider the power and potential of "Cross- cultural Church Planting in Teams."

by Missionary Rick Groover

It is an amazing thing how God uses our whole lives as training for what He wants us to do. Little did I know that the years of being on and off the mission field, preaching in churches all across America, and teaching at Biblical School of World Evangelism would bring me to where I sit writing this letter.

I believe God is the "Great Initiator" of all anointed ministry! Many times God's people just run here and there doing "ministry" without any initiation from the One that makes it all happen. This being said, I offer you the following testimony and Scriptures. I also implore you, "Don't Forget the Holy Ghost!"

We Baptists are bad about reading the Bible to back up what we believe but not just for what it says! In Acts 13, we see the Holy Ghost as being the Key to the whole missionary and ministry process. I relate the starting of a new church plant, Celebration Baptist Church, to this passage. I believe it demonstrates the importance of the Holy Ghost in ministry.

In light of the following global profile, what should your church's mission's strategy (plan, program, etc.) look like?

One-fifth of the people in the world consider themselves Muslim.

Ninety-one percent of foreign missionaries minister to professing Christians, not the least-reached.

Twenty-eight percent of the world is unreached (there is no church, missionary, or Christian present to reach them)!

Half of the peoples of the world live in the cities.

The "10/40 Window" (from the west edge of northern Africa to the east edge of Asia) contains the most unreached peoples, the fewest missionaries, the poorest peoples, and the home of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Sixty-six percent of the world's missionaries today are non-western!

Sixty percent of the world lives in Asia.

Twenty percent of the world is truly poor (i.e., they don't have safe water, health care, nor good nutrition).

Sixty-six percent of all people in the world live in "restricted areas."

Only 5% of all missionaries labor in the most unreached areas of the world (where people have never even heard of Jesus).

One third of the world says, "I am a Chirstian." One third of the world says, "I'm not a Chirstian." One third of the world says, "What's a Chirstian?".