PT513 Eng 48. Planting Healthy Reproducing Churches. Measures of Church Health.
What are the marks of a healthy and growing church? In this section of the lecture "Planting Healthy Reproducing Churches" Craig Ott shares some marks of a healthy church and EFCA's ten indicators of church health. These lists are based on principles we find in the Scripture which are important to those who want to follow Christ. The teacher encourages the students to put together their own list of what they think are the most important signs of health and gives an example of how he worked with other groups to do this.
PT513 Eng 49. Resources for Church Planting. Biblical Guideliness and Worldview.
It is important to know what the Bible says about money, but it is also essential to know how culture views the nature of the resouces and the role of the resources in relationship. In this section of the lecture "Resources for Church Planting" Craig Ott: - shares biblical guidelines on resource sharing in God's mission; - discusses some worldview factors that come to play when we think about resources.
PT513 Eng 51. Resources for Church Planting. Finances.
Strong arguments have been made representing various extremes regarding the use of outside resources in missionary church planting. Some advocate that no financial assistance should be given from the outset, so that the church doesn't become dependent on outside finances and learns to sustain and reproduce itself based on local resources. Others assert that the sharing of wealth between congregations is a Christian obligation. In this section of the lecture "Resources for Church Planting" Craig Ott talks about practical issues connected with finances and he: - gives the list of seven ways that outside funding can hinder church multiplication; - gives the list of seven ways that outside funding can help church planting; - uses examples from his experience to show how to share resources in a meaningful way.
PT513 Eng 52. Resources for Church Planting. Short-Term Teams.
In this section of the lecture "Resources for Church Planting" Craig Ott shares some dos and don't on short-term teams and church planting. Many church plants are not very excited about short-term teams, others are ready to have them even if they are not helpful. How to find the right balance and find the ways of using short team missionaries effectively?
PT513 Eng 23. Church Structures. The Impact on the Church Planting Method.
So how does the desired church structure impact the church planting method? In this section of the lecture "Church Structures" Craig Ott looks at two scenarios: "Launch large" and "Grow grassroots". He compares two types of churches using the categories of structure, focus, location, evangelism, discipleship, ministry, leadership, governance, costs, growth, goal, reproduction, stability and vulnerability.
PT513 Eng 22. Church Structures. Examples of House Church network.
One of the questions which often comes up in regard to cell churches is whether there will be loss of control and other problems such as bad teaching, conflict and bad leadership. In this section of the lecture "Church Structures" Craig Ott: - gives some examples of how the cell churches might look; - talks about the key to making the cell church model work well; - shares the unique example of Xenos Christian Fellowship, which is a house church network in Columbus, OH; - answers the questions, "Is it "church multiplication" if cells multiply, but not celebrations?"; - gives an example of a multiplying hybrid church in Japan.
PT513 Eng 24. Church Planting Models. Pioneer Church Planting.
There are different approaches to church planting. In this section of the lecture "Church Planting Models" Craig Ott looks at the approaches to pioneer church planting and the ways it happens. Pioneer church planting means that you are going to places where there is no church and you start it from scratch. In this section the teacher discusses the advantages and disadvantages of paratrooper church planter, church planting team, short-term church planting, international church planting and indirect church planting.
PT513 Eng 25. Church Planting Models. Cell Division.
When we talk about church reproduction, we are talking about the existent church, which wants to take part in starting another church. So how does an existent church move toward planting another church? There are different ways it can happen. What could be more natural than having a baby? The mother church births a daughter church by sending off some of its members to form the core of a new church. In this section of the lecture "Church Planting Models" Craig Ott looks at cell division method or mother-daughter approach to reproduction and shares the principles emphasized by Hill Country Bible Church in Texas and also shares his own experience in Munich.
PT513 Eng 26. Church Planting Models. Multi-Site.
The approach that has become very popular in the USA is the so called multi-site or satellite church plant. Usually a strong central church starts another venue where they have worship services, but it remains the part of central church. This approach is comparable to a planet with satellites that orbit and remain within its gravitational pull, with the central church venue being the planet. The model has been developed with many variations. In this section of the lecture "Church Planting Models" Craig Ott talks about Community Christian Church in Naperville and how they empower local people and train them for ministry.
PT513 Eng 29. Church Planting Models. Spreading Vine. Dandelion.
Church-planting movements can also grow like vines, by planting one church after another, from one town to the next. Each church planted becomes the launching point for another daughter church in the next city down the road. In this section of the lecture Craig Ott gives examples of how this approach was used in Romania and Africa. Another strategy is called dandelion approach. The seeds of dadelion float on their fluffy parachutes, and randomly land wherever they find a foothold to sprout and become another plant. So two churches may be planted at almost random locations as Christians move about. Sudan is a good example of how war made refugees move to other countries and the Gospel was preached in those refugee camps.