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Learn All You Can About Cross-Cultural Church Planting
Many missionaries come to mission agencies for acceptance while having very little experience in the basics of evangelism and discipleship. Yet these missionaries plan to plant churches in the most difficult places around the world. Many missionaries aiming at church planting among unreached people groups have little first-hand knowledge and experience in a healthy church.
Arguably the best pre-field experience you’ll receive is ministry in and through the context of a healthy, biblically led, disciple-making local church.
It's true that an overseas church will and should look quite different than "the one back home.” A church's culture, language, dress, musical expression and liturgy will look quite different in a large wealthy suburb of Minneapolis than in a slum of Cairo. Take time to study the Bible and make decisions about what minimal elements should be present in a biblically functioning local church. Here's a suggested starting list:
Likewise, a biblical definition of a local church eliminates some elements as not biblically essential for a local church, particularly in an unreached people group context:
How can you get church planting training before going overseas?
Arguably the best pre-field experience you'll receive is ministry in and through the context of a healthy, biblically led, disciple-making local church. It is difficult to imagine entering a difficult, resistant part of the world to plant churches without such experience. Even if your church is not directly involved in church planting, you can find a nearby like-minded church plant in which you can observe, intern, or assist. At the very least, get involved in, and ideally lead, a disciple-making small group or missional community in your church.
Pre-field cross-cultural church planting experience can be an invaluable asset to field effectiveness. That experience will clarify and temper your expectations for ministry. One of the most common factors in missionaries leaving the field is unrealistic expectations. Even a little experience HERE can inject realism into your expectations THERE.
Ideally you’re looking for a church planting experience in a linguistic and/or cultural setting similar to your future place of service. Most major cities in the US allow easy access to many unreached people groups. US Census demographic data can help identify your nearest opportunity. Ask around to discover any ethnic churches in your area that might have connections or some relationship with your target group THERE. Whatever relationships, language and cultural connections you can make here will give you a running start when you land on the field.
Finally, some of your best mentors can come in the form of books. Many current resources on church planting and cross-cultural church planting methodologies are available in seminary libraries, Christian bookstores, and online. The best ones are rooted in simple biblical basics.
A missiologically sound cross-cultural church planting process compels the missionary to:
The church planting process universally involves a continuous cycle of:
Once the cycle begins, each earlier stage continues as new steps begin.
What if I'm not going to plant churches?
An increasing number of missionaries' and agencies' ministries primarily address issues of social justice and relief and development. These ministries may include evangelism, but they lack a focus of intentional church planting. While caring for orphans, digging wells for clean water, and stopping sex trafficking are good and biblical ministries, we would argue that the ultimate goal of the Great Commission is disciple making. And where authentic disciples emerge, churches start.
You can engage in social justice and relief/development ministries that are either ends to themselves, or that are attached to a team's larger church planting goals. We would encourage the latter. To see a rationale for this, go to HERE to THERE, Appendix D: Why “church planting” is the priority ministry in missions.
Questions for reflection:
Resources:
As an example, there are websites such as www.islamicfinder.org which allow you to enter a zip code and find local mosques and Muslim-owned businesses.
Here are some classic materials on the purpose of the church and practical missiology on church planting. You won’t have time to study all of them; but you could learn a lot by reading and interacting with one or two; then see where those lead you for further study.
DeYoung and Gilbert, What is the Mission of the Church? (Crossway, 2011)
David Hesselgrave, Planting Churches Cross-Culturally (Baker, 2000)
J.D. Payne, Discovering Church Planting (Paternoster, 2009)
Sherwood Lingenfelter, Ministering Cross-Culturally (Baker, 2003)
Patterson and Scoggins, Church Multiplication Guide (William Carey Library, 2002)
Arguably the best pre-field experience you’ll receive is ministry in and through the context of a healthy, biblically led, disciple-making local church.
It's true that an overseas church will and should look quite different than "the one back home.” A church's culture, language, dress, musical expression and liturgy will look quite different in a large wealthy suburb of Minneapolis than in a slum of Cairo. Take time to study the Bible and make decisions about what minimal elements should be present in a biblically functioning local church. Here's a suggested starting list:
- a mutually committed body of local believers
- worshiping regularly together
- around the teaching of the Word of God and prayer
- observing the ordinances of baptism and communion
- under the leadership of biblically qualified shepherds
- while being active witnesses of the Gospel
Likewise, a biblical definition of a local church eliminates some elements as not biblically essential for a local church, particularly in an unreached people group context:
- paid pastors and staff
- programs
- Sunday School
- choir
- youth group
- printed curriculum
- buildings
- offering plates
- a particular style of music
- electronic musical instruments
- a particular size of congregation/audience
- corporate worship on Sunday morning
- mid-week prayer service
- sound amplification
- LCD projectors
How can you get church planting training before going overseas?
Arguably the best pre-field experience you'll receive is ministry in and through the context of a healthy, biblically led, disciple-making local church. It is difficult to imagine entering a difficult, resistant part of the world to plant churches without such experience. Even if your church is not directly involved in church planting, you can find a nearby like-minded church plant in which you can observe, intern, or assist. At the very least, get involved in, and ideally lead, a disciple-making small group or missional community in your church.
Pre-field cross-cultural church planting experience can be an invaluable asset to field effectiveness. That experience will clarify and temper your expectations for ministry. One of the most common factors in missionaries leaving the field is unrealistic expectations. Even a little experience HERE can inject realism into your expectations THERE.
Ideally you’re looking for a church planting experience in a linguistic and/or cultural setting similar to your future place of service. Most major cities in the US allow easy access to many unreached people groups. US Census demographic data can help identify your nearest opportunity. Ask around to discover any ethnic churches in your area that might have connections or some relationship with your target group THERE. Whatever relationships, language and cultural connections you can make here will give you a running start when you land on the field.
Finally, some of your best mentors can come in the form of books. Many current resources on church planting and cross-cultural church planting methodologies are available in seminary libraries, Christian bookstores, and online. The best ones are rooted in simple biblical basics.
A missiologically sound cross-cultural church planting process compels the missionary to:
- Learn the language and culture of the recipients or target group as the first priority.
- Model a development of a plurality of local leaders from the earliest stages of spiritual growth.
- Focus on the Bible as the source of authoritative guidance for the new believers and the newly forming church.
- Use only locally acceptable and reproducible methods and means.
The church planting process universally involves a continuous cycle of:
- Evangelism
- Discipleship
- Leadership development
- Smaller gatherings for teaching and worship
- Aggregation of several smaller gatherings
- Recognition of local leaders and teachers
- Recognition and affirmation of a local church body
- Extending the cycle to plant other churches
Once the cycle begins, each earlier stage continues as new steps begin.
What if I'm not going to plant churches?
An increasing number of missionaries' and agencies' ministries primarily address issues of social justice and relief and development. These ministries may include evangelism, but they lack a focus of intentional church planting. While caring for orphans, digging wells for clean water, and stopping sex trafficking are good and biblical ministries, we would argue that the ultimate goal of the Great Commission is disciple making. And where authentic disciples emerge, churches start.
You can engage in social justice and relief/development ministries that are either ends to themselves, or that are attached to a team's larger church planting goals. We would encourage the latter. To see a rationale for this, go to HERE to THERE, Appendix D: Why “church planting” is the priority ministry in missions.
Questions for reflection:
- How would you define “church”? What are the absolute biblical essentials? What are the non-essentials?
- How would your definition of “church” impact your perspective on what the church might look like THERE, in your mission field?
- Set up a time to discuss church planting philosophy with an experienced pastor or missionary over coffee or pizza.
- What assumptions have you had previously about “church” that you now see as non-essential?
Resources:
As an example, there are websites such as www.islamicfinder.org which allow you to enter a zip code and find local mosques and Muslim-owned businesses.
Here are some classic materials on the purpose of the church and practical missiology on church planting. You won’t have time to study all of them; but you could learn a lot by reading and interacting with one or two; then see where those lead you for further study.
DeYoung and Gilbert, What is the Mission of the Church? (Crossway, 2011)
David Hesselgrave, Planting Churches Cross-Culturally (Baker, 2000)
J.D. Payne, Discovering Church Planting (Paternoster, 2009)
Sherwood Lingenfelter, Ministering Cross-Culturally (Baker, 2003)
Patterson and Scoggins, Church Multiplication Guide (William Carey Library, 2002)