POUCH CHURCHES
Modified
What Are You Aiming For?
What fruit do you hope to see as a result of your ministry?
*What exactly is your ministry?
Strategic thinking & planning ? Equipping others for ministry? Modeling ? Mobilizing ? Enabling? Evangelizing & discipling ? Planting a church ?
*Is your aim correct?
Think More Broadly
We must begin to think in terms of what needs to be done
rather than
what we can do personally.
Your Goal Complete
evangelization of whatever group you are working among!
Nothing less than a true church planting movement among the people group !!
What Are You Doing Now?
Is the way you spend your time, the way you conduct your ministry now, in line with what you claim you are wanting to happen?
Will your intended outcome result from your current ministry?
If not, what do you need to change?
*Why not re-visit your goal?
1. Consider what your vision would look
like if it were fulfilled.2. Consider what it would take to get there.3. Work backwards, step by step, to your
present situation.4. Take the necessary actions to retrace the
steps forward through time to your goal.
Evangelizing 6 Million People
You will need a church in every village and city neighborhood.
5,000 churches!
*How many will it take for your People Group?
Leading One Person a Day to the Lord
--until
my retirement--
Result:
15,000 new believers
6,000,000
- 15,000
5,985,000
left to win
*How long would it take YOU?
Twenty Church Planting Teams
Planting one church a year--would take 250 years to plant
the
5,000 churches!
*How many years will it take for your Church Planting teams?
Two Kinds of Churches
Mule
Horse
A Mule Church
Mules are sterile. They are hybrids. They can’t
reproduce.
A Horse Church
Produces a church every year
which Produces a church every year
which Produces a church every year
Completing the job in 13.25 years!
Winning Individuals/Planting Churches
Winning individuals is
not the same as
Planting churches.
Planting mule churches is
not the same as
Planting horse churches.
*Your Church
Based upon your endvision, what will the typical church in your
people group look like?Describe this to your colleague!
Describe the Kind of Local Church You Would Like to See
What will be the worship
style? What are marks of success? Who will be the pastor? How many members will it
have? Where will they meet?
* What questions might you need to describe the church among your people group?
P.O.U.C.H. Churches
Participative discussion characterizes Bible teaching. It centers on application.
Obedience to Scripture by members and the group is the measure of success.
Unpaid, often semi-literate lay people co-lead.
Cell groups or small independent churches of about 15 members are usual.
Houses or storefronts are typical meeting places.
P: Participative
Participative Bible Study Every member a
contributor Every member
reproducing
O: Obedience
Obedience to Scripture *Bible is the
authority; not a leader, not another church, not tradition.
Result: Fruitfulness
Bible mandate to share or take the gospel to every people group.
U: Unpaid
Unpaid Lay Leaders
No seminaries available
Formal education would limit the pool of potential leaders“Extras” would slow down preparation time
Salaries would slow down multiplication of churches
U: Unpaid (con’t.)
Advantages: Reduced load Reduced requirements Prevented distinction between
clergy and laity Preparation was “on-the-job” Ready supply of “extra” leaders
C: Cell Groups
Cell groups or small Congregations will provide:
Intimate settings for effective accountability Assured involvement A doable leadership task A measure of security A true spiritual family with a high sense of
mutual concern
H: House
House churches No expense frees
resources for outreach Intimacy helps maintain a
“go and serve” mentality instead of a “come and hear” attitude
Encourages witness to family and friends
- -
Your “Ideal” Church
Critique your stated goal for an ideal church in terms of
REPRODUCIBILITY.
Ideal Church
?
STOP!
*What is one major tool for establishing your “ideal” church ?
The most important tool for establishing your “ideal” church is
modeling.
Model Patterns
In Bible studies, praying and singing. (*Discipleship is not a body of knowledge to teach, it is a series of processes or concepts to be modeled.)
By entrusting new converts to the Lord. By teaching that Biblical concepts are the
same for all people. By teaching that they have the same Holy
Spirit guiding and indwelling their lives.
Model Patterns
By involving believers in shared leadership from day of baptism
By allowing new leaders to lead in new group meetings.
In all discipling and training situations
MODELING
Participative Bible Study
When you lead in evangelistic Bible study
When you lead in discipleship training
When you lead in leadership training
MODEL!
MODELINGObedience to Scripture
Make obedience the norm
Ensure that everyone follows the same pattern
Teach that the Bible demands accountability
Show the Bible is living book with which to interact
MODEL!
MODELINGUnpaid Non-professionals
Use unpaid non-professionals
or model in a way
that can be reproduced by unpaid non-professionals
MODEL!
MODELINGCell Groups
*Participate in a cell groupLook for natural groups. (It is easier to group and win individuals than it is to win them and then attempt to group them.)MODEL!
MODELINGHouses or Storefronts
Encourage the usage of local homes or storefronts.
***Houses become legitimate locales for evangelism and
spiritual activity.
***Houses are much less threatening than a traditional religious setting.
MODEL!
Training Cycle
Model Assist
WatchL
eave
Model
As you train Church Planters
YOUChurch Planter
Model
Church Planter
1st
Generation
Church planting team does the work...
Discipleship Chains
Cell Group
Cell Groups
Church (Cell Group) Multiplication
Assist
As team members and others do the work
CPer
1stYOU
WatchWatch for second and third generation starts
2nd
3rd
you
Church Planter
Cell church
LeaveLeave and start new work in
another area.
Begin the process all over!
You
Church Planter
Model patterns with new churches
At the macro level when planting a church
Provide assistance when asked
Don’t give opinions; go to Scripture
Observe from a distance to ensure that reproduction occurs
Leave to begin new work elsewhere
The Most Common Mistake
Developing a dependence upon the church planter rather than on the Lord• Over assisting!• Inappropriate modeling!• Not observing! Observing ensures they
do things the same way the CPer did.
Dependence causes exiting never to occur!
Jazz Chants
“Model, assist, watch and leave…”
“Modeling is great if you do things right...”
“Assist means help;don’t get in the way...”
“Watch means observe: best done from afar...”
“Leave means go! Just get out of there...”
“Just model, assist, watch and leave...”
To SUMMARIZE:
REALIZE your goal is important because it determines
what is done who does it how they do it, and when they do it.
To SUMMARIZE:
MOBILIZE the necessary people and resources to accomplish your goal.
Do not be limited by what you can personally do.
Do whatever it takes under Christ.
To SUMMARIZE:
*Develop (POUCH) or Horse Churches.
Your goal should be nothing less than a church planting movement.
To SUMMARIZE:
MAXIMIZE modeling opportunities at every level.
Do this at the individual level in witnessing and discipling.
Do this at the church planting and training level.
To SUMMARIZE:
UTILIZE local leadership among believers.
Always. Without exception.
To SUMMARIZE:
EMPHASIZE the training cycle:
Model Assist Watch Leave
Try Again!
Win Converts1 Point
Plant Mules5 Points
Plant Horses1,000 Points
Office of Overseas Operations
International Mission Board
of the Southern Baptist Convention
P. O. Box 6767 • Richmond, VA 23230, USA