1
The ROADMAP: a Training & Assessment Framework for Church Planting and Multiplication G2S version 2017 Introduction The Roadmap is a training framework and tool. It serves as a guide for designing training for missionaries and teams as they strive to establish reproducing churches. The Roadmap captures much of what we have learned about church planting and multiplication. The intent of the Roadmap is to break down into more detail the process of church planting (CP) so we ll better know in what areas to equip workers. The Roadmap is organized into five sections: An introduction to the Roadmap this page Four major components of church planting: Evangelism, Discipleship, Nurturing communities of believers, and Multiplication. These four areas include many endeavours such as: outreach, discipleship, developing leaders, forming new communities, team development, nurturing churches, and multiplying everything we do. Though the four areas are presented in a specific order, we acknowledge that our engagement in the activity of CPM does not always happen sequentially, but rather simultaneously and organically. For example, while we focus on developing leaders, we do not neglect the missional idea of the church being sent into communities. Simultaneously we must focus on new converts, young disciples, sustaining mentors, etc. Church planting can get quite messy at times. Suggestions for using the Roadmap Each of the four components is fleshed out into three areas, listing competencies in attitudes, skills, and areas of knowledge. These three areas represent holistic personal development in our training efforts. One can also use these lists as an Assessment Tool to inform both training and individual growth plans. First choose the component(s) in which you are most focused in ministry. Then, read through the lists, asking: where do I (we) need to improve? What are strengths? Strengths also need development. You will want to prioritize what to work on and share your findings with others. Each church plant requires us to move forward on our knees, looking to God to put the pieces together. The Roadmap assumes this. It also affirms that teams are at different levels of experience and phases of ministry. As we contextualize a church planning effort, we ll make it relevant for our local contexts. In many cases, it will be morphed and translated by each team to address local needs. Distinctives of the Roadmap A variety of CP models are assumed. Further, we need to compare and critique various models in light of Scripture and differing contexts of ministry. The Roadmap is neither exhaustive nor polished. It is intended to stimulate critical reflection on our work. We welcome your feedback at WT-OnlineTraining@WorldTeam.org. G2S also offers online courses that are designed to help individuals grow deeper in each component. 2
The Roadmap: The Four Components EVANGELISM: POINTING PEOPLE TO JESUS WITH OUR LIVES AND THE GOOD NEWS ATTITUDES Our desire is that the Gospel would produce a repentant attitude, having been freed, forgiven and totally accepted in Jesus, resulting in Attitudes are learned in the trenches, not in seminars, although ideas can be discussed to plant seeds of change as we call ourselves to faith and repentance. Love and concern for people, overcoming ethnocentrism which can be expressed in attitudes like superiority, sarcasm, or a critical spirit Faith in God when confronted with unbelief in our audience, e.g., o Recognizing possible causes (lies of the Evil One, worldly influences and human fleshly desires) o A lack of pessimism or defeatism from little response to the Gospel o Not believing lies which affect motivation when we think, These people do not want or need to hear because they are happy, etc. o Pushing through the fear of failure or of what others will think A growing faith in God and dependency on the Spirit and not in our abilities, strategies or methods Openness to experiment with innovative ideas that risk failure outside the box of comfortable methods A consistent desire to be like Jesus through dependency on the Spirit and his Word A person stops criticizing the host country s customs and begins to embrace and value differences by showing pleasure with customs not in conflict with biblical teaching The worker is developing deepening friendships and ministry partners from the host culture We find ourselves turning to God in prayer when discouraged about evangelism, instead of dwelling on the obstacles and being controlled by a defeatist attitude You respond without defensiveness to an accountability partner or supervisor on questions such as: How are you reproducing yourself? How can you help others learn to evangelize? You are boldly sharing Christ with others because of your total acceptance in Jesus We show respect and value the contributions of those who have gone before us and laid foundations for ministry, as well as learning from mistakes made Lack of fruit will stimulate healthy evaluation without self-condemnation because I have failed SKILLS Foster development of and effectiveness through Learning how to understand the basic worldview, values and assumptions of a people group, drawing out implications for evangelism and contextualization Evaluation of progress in light of your exit strategy 3
The Roadmap: The Four Components (Evangelism) A process for training: Assess training needs. Make a training plan. Implement the plan, being flexible to adjust it as needed. Assign follow-up action steps. Provide ongoing oversight and regular evaluation of training. Mentor people all along the way multiply yourself. Selection of appropriate story-telling styles and occasions based on understanding of local orality Selection of culturally sensitive ways to tell a story, applying the Gospel to worldview/heart issues Use of personal testimonies, shaped in content and length to the audience(s) Explaining in appropriate terms the big picture story of redemption in short and longer versions which compare/contrast competing worldviews and truthclaims Ability to compare/contrast host cultural values with one s own, with reflection and the ability to be self-critical Using creative and culturally appropriate mediums of evangelism (e.g., film, comic books, art) Integrating field experience, research and accumulated wisdom into strategy Experimenting with different approaches, learning from trial and error while also learning from tested approaches and not repeating past mistakes Learning to equip others in evangelism Prayer and problem-solving with teammates to address obstacles encountered at this stage Individuals/teams experiment with new methods of evangelism We tell biblical stories with people in compelling ways that impact heart issues, addressing specific worldview assumptions and beliefs of those we want to reach The team evaluates the history and experience of their field as it relates to their work Prayer walking leads to warm evangelism through prayer and personal relationships A disciple walks people through the story of redemption A worker enjoys being with non-christian friends and influencing people from the host culture Team members actively evangelize together, praying, sharing, and coaching one another Illustrating how a local worldview points to culturally appropriate ways to develop friendships and share the Gospel Seeing disciples learn to do evangelism KNOWLEDGE Develop critical thinking in these areas Rehearsing the Gospel: o To reflect on what the Gospel is and is not, in light of false gospels in the field context o To reinforce the power of the Gospel to transform lives (using live examples) o To renew confidence in the role the Divine Evangelist, the Spirit, to bring people to faith in Jesus 4
The Roadmap: The Four Components (Evangelism) We want to encourage and establish accountability through qualitative and quantitative assessment, focusing on results, not activity. Prayer and problem-solving with teammates to address obstacles encountered at this stage Discussing basic worldview assumptions/values which reflect issues of the heart (what moves people) so we apply the Gospel to deeper issues Knowing basics of orality and implications for communication in local culture Understanding how people change (conversion and sanctification) Reviewing basic principles of intercultural communication Reflecting on evangelism as a process and as an event, and how evangelism lays foundations for discipling Understanding how the Gospel could travel through a group s social organization (local kinship and networks of relationships) A worker articulates key similarities and differences between worldviews of the people group, the Bible and the missionary in order to build bridges and clarify differences between truth and error Cross-cultural workers grow more bicultural, embracing values of the host culture while retaining their own distinct values in a way which gains credibility with others Illustrating how aspects of the culture s social organization serve as potential doors for the Gospel A worker helps others understand key ideas about evangelism Knowing how to contextualize cultural insights to an evangelistic outreach Illustrate how every element of our ministry should be multiplied Using the bicultural bridge to understand appropriate lifestyle which open doors for evangelism The worker shares with others significant doctrinal truths and how they affect his/her life 5
The Roadmap: The Four Components DISCIPLESHIP: GROWING MATURE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS ATTITUDES Out of the power of the Gospel, we offer forgiveness and acceptance in Jesus for me and others resulting in The lists of attitudes, skills and ideas provide a grid for evaluating where workers can sharpen their skills, helping us know where to plug any leaks. A commitment to model Gospel truths as imitators of Christ in reciprocal, transparent, loving relationships with others (1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 3:17) Willingness to experiment with innovative ways of speaking truth into the lives of others, setting aside preconceived notions of communication based on our own culture Growing dependence on the Spirit and prayer in our lives and for helping our disciples A persevering attitude to disciple even when a disciple falls away, (recognizing my value is not based on the response of my disciples, that I too have failed Jesus, and that world view transformation is a long process) Personal reflection on the Gospel, repentance, renewal and living in the freedom of forgiveness Growing more deeply in our confidence in the Spirit to call out and produce godly believers and leaders Be examples of personal growth in the fruit of the Spirit in specific attitudes and behaviours confirmed by others (e.g., colleagues note less defensiveness and openness to listen and learn on issues we feel strongly about) Able to explain how God s gracious love helped you change through a failure or difficult trial Finding yourself and colleagues turning to God more frequently in prayer An expectation that disciples will multiply themselves Responding without self-protection to an accountability partner or supervisor on questions such as: How are disciples growing? How are they passing on what they know? SKILLS Foster development and effectiveness in helping oneself and others grow spiritually through Discipling people appropriate to local worldview themes and issues, employing various biblical genres tied to personal life application Modeling followership of Jesus as I help others study and apply the Bible to daily life and cultural issues, contextualizing truth while avoiding syncretism Teaching foundational doctrines and biblical themes in the context of the Bible s storyline The ability to use the Word to address life issues and teach others how to use it themselves Prayer and problem-solving with teammates to address obstacles encountered at this stage Evaluation of progress in light of your exit strategy and multiplication 6
The Roadmap: The Four Components (Discipleship) In assessing training needs, we ask: Where do we need to grow? In what areas do we need to improve in order to move forward toward our vision and strategic plan? Ability to evaluate over time a person s maturity level, understanding what they believe and need, resulting in shepherding this person to the next level A person being discipled begins to study the Bible themselves, not depending on us to make decisions about issues One uses his/her own life experience as a teaching tool, sharing how joys and struggles spur them to follow Christ The newer Christian begins to disciple another person with your help, then moves to doing it alone, finds others to disciple, and releases his disciples to disciple others (reproducing ourselves) The cross-cultural worker uses biblical stories, truth applicable to life circumstances, and worldview assumptions and themes in discipleship Ability to effectively communicate biblical truths at the heart level of disciples (contextualized discipleship) KNOWLEDGE Develop critical thinking in areas related to: Explaining what biblical discipleship is, especially as modeled by Jesus Articulating basic phases of spiritual development, as well as content, skills, and relational /developmental themes a person encounters in each phase Understanding how dynamics of social organization affect discipleship and gathering people into discipleship groups Comprehending how discipleship builds on prior knowledge shared in preevangelism leading to conversion How to guide people from spiritual infancy to a growing dependency on God Understanding the nature of character development through modeling truth (life-on-life mentoring) Discerning how people learn in the host culture and adjusting your discipleship or teaching style accordingly Desired outcomes of the outworking of these truths: Explain a biblical teaching with applications to the worldview context, e.g., the doctrine of sin related the host culture versus a western view of worst sins (e.g., shame-orientation/relational vs. guilt-orientation, with law/rules) The development of discipleship materials with ministry partners, contextualized to the host culture Field testing, evaluating and changing materials and methods based on effectiveness Express how every element of our ministry should be multiplied, with specific examples from our personal mentoring Consciousness that I grow as a disciple as I disciple others, because we are all following Jesus 7
The Roadmap: The Four Components NURTURING THE FORMATION OF A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS ATTITUDES Flowing out of the Gospel, our freedom in the Lord moves us to extend forgiveness and acceptance in Jesus to our community as we engage in Interdependence, trust and mutual accountability as we actively build others up Lovingly protecting others against their weaknesses Intentionally looking out for the interests of others, guarding unity Supporting leadership while also graciously and courageously engaging them on important issues Expressing joyfulness when I see others doing ministry I could do myself Prayer that God would remove our own idolatries, transforming us into godly models worthy of being imitated by other believers (cf. 1 Thess. 1:6; 1 Cor. 11:1; 1 Tim. 4:16-17) Affirming the incarnational presence of a community of believers in a local setting It s a challenge to wrestle with the factors in a given environment in order to begin new communities of Christ-followers. You find yourself urgently seeking to ask forgiveness and restore unity as soon as a conflict arises Team members want to meet regularly for prayer, discussion and the nurturing of relationships You respond without defensiveness to an accountability partner or supervisor on questions such as: How are you reproducing yourself? Rejoicing when a believer assumes responsibility for a ministry Generational differences and perspectives are deeply valued among teammates A growing reflex to confess personal sin and forgive others A prayer life characterized more by a kingdom perspective than by my personal ambition or goals Focus on the incarnational presence of the church not an attractional model SKILLS We seek to build Christ-centered communities living out of the Gospel by Demonstrating facilitative and situational leadership by intentionally developing and releasing others who will do the same (2 Tim. 2:2) Training ourselves for godliness which God s Spirit uses to motivate others to follow Jesus (1 Tim. 4:7, 16) Seeking unity in community by resolving conflict according to the Scriptures Nurturing together as a team a fledgling body of mutually-accountable believers toward maturity both individually and corporately Practicing organizational skills in a church structure that are sensitive to social forms and consistent with Scripture (without imposing external forms) Grounding the community in sound doctrine ( the whole counsel of God ), pointing people to Christ as the Head of the church 8
The Roadmap: The Four Components (Nurturing Communities) Engaging in prayer and problem-solving with teammates to address obstacles encountered at this stage Evaluating progress with respect to our exit strategy and goals for multiplying ourselves Helping communities of believers to engage the world around them, considering how the Gospel impacts social change My goal at this point is to help our workers determine whether they need further training and in what area. WT Field Director Ministry partners are entrusted with responsibilities as soon as appropriate, with encouragement and evaluation Strongly encourage new believers to follow up with people in their orbit of relationships Serious evaluation ensures we do not demand people be more mature than needed before they begin to serve Host country workers preach the Gospel to others and us, challenging our own daily walk with Jesus Cross-cultural workers negotiate appropriate roles and status within the community based on an understanding of social organization, biblical teaching/mandates and critical needs Workers discuss with local believers and unbelievers perceptions regarding attractions/obstacles of workers (e.g., cultural values) as they seek to form a new community Members of the community use biblical guidelines to resolve conflicts and demonstrate a growing dependence on God in prayer Consistent rehearsal of the Gospel, asking what faith expressing itself through love looks like in our daily lives Taking appropriate risks to develop people in new strategies New communities help begin new gatherings of believers KNOWLEDGE Develop a biblical understanding of establishing the church and living biblically in community, through Explaining a biblical philosophy of leadership grounded in a commitment to build others up Thinking critically about the influence of western individualism and our own experience of community Comprehending the nature of the church, including distinctions between form/function and how the church should fit in any given culture Working alongside local believers to wrestle with what a biblical church is and looks like in that culture Describing how the dynamics of the bicultural bridge (properly understood) function in the host culture Understanding how worldview assumptions and values influence concepts of community, social organizations and leadership models and styles Learning the process of contextualization in close collaboration with local ministry leaders 9
The Roadmap: The Four Components (Nurturing Communities) Training provides a place where we can wrestle with concepts, try out skills, and cultivate attitudes. Wrestling with C-1 to C-6 modes of a contextualized church in appropriate settings Knowing how giftedness functions in the context of one-anothering Articulating what it means to walk in line with the Gospel, explaining the difference between legalism and a godly, disciplined life seeking to obey God from the heart Understanding the issues of proclamation and presence related to one s context of ministry Describe specific ways in which the church will or does function consistent with social organization in the host culture Local believers express a vision and seek to model community Cross-cultural workers discover appropriate roles in new communities according to cultural values and models and styles of leadership Workers train others to develop new communities of believers Take appropriate and necessary risks to initiate new, creative strategies for developing communities Lead a discussion with the team regarding what a church is and looks like (ecclesiology) and identify the baggage we bring to a new church plant Identify and demonstrate how every element of gathering and nurturing new communities should be multiplied About faith endeavors in the Kingdom of God: Things first look impossible. Then difficult. Then done. - C.T. Studd 10
The Roadmap: The Four Components DIVINE MULTIPLICATION: THE REPRODUCING CHURCH ATTITUDES Flowing out of the power of the Gospel, trust God to multiply the church through Build multiplication into the training plan how are we going to reproduce ourselves as we acquire and practice these new attitudes, skills and understandings? Faith (against unbelief) to believe that our God does and will cause the church to grow in his time A willingness to step out in action, openness to change, trusting God for the increase Humility to recognize we can work confidently because God promises to build his church through his Spirit, even with our human inadequacies and failures Asking the Lord of the harvest to raise up communities of faith who o Would become imitators of God and their spiritual leaders o Reflect a growing passion for the glory of God o o Joyfully endure the struggles and suffering of life and ministry Serve as models of believers whose impact radiates out to surrounding regions (1 Thess. 1) o o o o Identify clear benchmarks that reveal attitude change, e.g., we name 2-3 people being developed we identity others who our disciples are developing the outreach activities show a sharing of responsibilities amongst expats and national believers we verbalize an exit strategy from the current ministry, equipping others to do the ministry Taking appropriate and necessary risks to develop people and initiate new, creative strategies, while also building on the wisdom and success of others Respond without defensiveness to an accountability partner or supervisor on questions such as: How quickly are you delegating? What are you delegating? What new things are you trying? SKILLS Sow the seeds of multiplication by: Casting vision as to what God desires to do through his people Strategic planning accompanied by rigorous evaluation and a desire to keep in step with the Spirit Mentoring consistent with a multiplication mindset Applying appropriate leadership styles to developing leaders Knowing how to move on when appropriate (understanding dynamics of change and transition) Prayer and problem-solving with teammates to address obstacles encountered at this stage Evaluation of progress in light of your exit strategy 11
The Roadmap: The Four Components (Multiplication) Jesus knew that people learn by doing, not just hearing. So he gave his apprentices practical challenges so that they could apply the truths that he was teaching them. Then he took them aside to a quiet place to reflect on what they had been doing (Luke 9:10; 10:17-20). - Roland Walker Ability to clearly articulate a vision for multiplication Identifying those you are developing and what your goals are for them and your disciples do the same You have an exit plan, sensitive to the Spirit and working closely with ministry partners, to leave your role and release others to lead, articulating factors which guide the exit process Disciples articulate a heart for multiplication Assisting a group in prayerfully thinking through a strategic plan, evaluation and refining of objectives for multiplication Writing a strategic plan for establishing a reproducing church Demonstrating an ability to adapt his/her leadership style to the particular situation with a leader-in-training in order to encourage/facilitate multiplication Talking with enthusiasm about how people are growing, displaying confidence in their abilities and commending them to others KNOWLEDGE Develop critical thinking about church multiplication by Understanding the biblical basis for multiplication (e.g., Acts and 1 Thess. 1) Critically analyzing strengths/weaknesses of approaches to church planting/multiplication and movements Interacting with several case studies in multiplication Grasping how our values reinforce and promote multiplication Recognizing different leadership styles suited to various tasks Being aware of how change and transition relate to multiplication Articulate a biblical basis for multiplication from the Scriptures Able to discuss and analyze various methods for church planting (CP), multiplication, and nurturing movements Able to help contextualize CP and multiplication methods to the particular context of the team Identify where and how CP multiplication and movements may be occurring in one s region Demonstrate how every element of our ministry should be multiplied, with specific examples from our personal mentoring * * * * * * 12