First, all that we do will be defined by the East and the South – Phillip Jenkins and countless others have written on this.  We know it – but we don’t act like it.  If anything we show up, learn from them, package it with our names on it and redistribute it globally.  Often, we miss the nuance that all cultures have and then it doesn’t have the impact we expect.  It is no longer enough to package and market – we must learn, apply, understand, adjust, and be humble in all that we do.

Second, it is polycentric.  Especially being a Texan, I grew up thinking I’d start a church and do what no one else had done – win the whole world to Jesus!  God is already at work all over the world.  I need to connect with what he is doing – and not show up with my Western proven models, books, ideas – but to show up as an equal, a student.  I’m in a group of global pastors – and one thing I’ve learned is that I have to give and receive.  If all I do is give – that’s a mark of arrogance and cultural superiority – but if I receive I not only value other cultures – but I also believe that God has taught them things for me that I must learn.  Connecting the whole body of Christ globally is the only thing that will spread the gospel.  Western driven initiatives that invite the world to join and adjust to make space are coming to an end.  Eastern driven initiatives that value the whole body of Christ are and will continue to emerge – but the West will be a part only as they are willing to be equal partners – nothing more.  If anything, those of us in the West may have to be the most humble of all partners.  Our multiplying rate doesn’t come anywhere close to what God is doing around the world.

Third, all that is done must be collaborative.  One thing I’ve learned about collaboration – merely connecting is not collaboration.  Collaboration takes place only when there are equal partners, each with value, working towards a common goal.  There are some core values that are critical for collaboration to work.  First, we need each other.  Second, we respect each other.  Third, humility.  Fourth, an attitude of learning non-stop.  Fifth, willingness to change approach based on unexpected results from outcomes of collaboration.  Lots more – those are just some.

Fourth, to engage globally we have to be city-centric.  The mission field has move from the church to the city.  The grid most of us operate on is the church.  We send religious workers to do religious work to connect with religious leaders.  The idea is if we get enough conversions then we will change the city.  That simply hasn’t proven true historically anywhere in the world so far.  The Gospel of Salvation focuses only on getting people saved.  The Gospel of the Kingdom focuses on the “reconciliation of ALL THINGS.”  The kingdom restores what Satan stole and continues to destroy.  If we go to serve the city – we are welcomed anywhere in the world.  If we serve the city, people in the most extreme places begin to trust and want to know who we are, what we believe, and why we came.  The best missiology books are urban studies and international relations and global affairs – why?  They help us understand the world and the city.  When we focus on the city – we bring value to all of humanity, not just our tribe.  I like Bonhoeffer’s idea that the church at herself exists not for herself but those outside herself.
 

Fifth, to engage globally we have to mobilize the whole body of Christ.  The primary reason we do religious work with religious people around the world is because those of us who focus on “religious affairs” are driving the work.  Most pastors and churches don’t need the people in the church – just preachers and missionaries.  That isn’t true if the grid of the city.  Everyone owns the Great Commission.  Everyone has a role.  Everyone can reconcile something where there are someones in need of reconciliation!!!  Until the Great Commission breaks out of the “religious vocation” we will never see the Great Commission fulfilled.  It tried really hard towards the end of the 20th century – it will happen in the 21st century.  Starting in 1792 “missions” was the story of religious biography.  In 2092 it will be the story of “vocational” biography of all domains of society – not just religious.

Sixth, to engage globally we have to be exceptional at social media and technology.  Platforms will be the key – they are the key.  But the challenge will not be building the platform, but how to use it and how it communicates.  Many people are using new platforms but with old communication.  Twitter is the best example I know – most religious people tweet their religious followers with tribal language not realizing the whole world is listening or how that sounds to the world world.  You should never compromise what you understand truth to be – but how do you communicate in a way that is clear, unoffensive socially, but truthfully doctrinally.  That leads to another question – who is your audience?  How does that impact how you tweet.  A bigger question is – how do we live and communicate on the global stage?  Most of us don’t have a clue.  Only because I have Muslims, Communist, Jews, Hindus, Agnostics reading my blog has that made me think about what I say and how I say it.

Bob Roberts is the founder and Senior Pastor of NorthWood Church. Through his leadership, NorthWood has planted 130 churches in the US. Bob is an international speaker and thinker in transforming people, churches, communities and the world. He has led NorthWood and other churches to provide international development projects which include building schools, clinics and hospitals, micro-businesses, water systems and exchange student programs. He frequently teaches courses on church planting, church growth, church multiplication, community transformation and international development at seminaries and universities around the globe. Bob is a graduate of Baylor University (BA), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div), and Fuller Seminary (D.Min). Bob is married to Niki and they have two children, Ben and Jill.

Make sure to check out Bob’s blog  www.glocal.net.

Follow Bob on Twitter: @bobrobertsjr

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” the older man with unrefined graces yelled at me. “These people can’t even understand a word you are saying.” Other men hurled insults at me attacking my philosophy of ministry and questioning my motives. It was another day as a church planter.

When I left that meeting I was dazed, hurt and confused. Internally, my head was screaming. Externally, I walked with a limp demonstrating the burden of the community upon my shoulders. Ministry wasn’t supposed to be like this. Seminary did not prepare me for bad days.

In the midst of the storm though, God appeared to me.

“So you say you don’t want to be here? Where else would you go? This is the place I have established for you and your family.”

In that moment, everything changed. I was able to shake off the pain and realize that the men who had hurt me needed a touch from God just like I did, perhaps even more.

I felt renewed. My call was refreshed. I understood in a new way, a more committed way than before, that God had placed me in that community. That I was a difference maker. That the message I had to share was significant and that God had made me a genuine bearer of his message.

I felt again that I was in the place where I was supposed to be. That there was nowhere else in the world that I would rather be.
How grateful I was that God had allowed me to experience that persecution. It opened the door to my heart to receive a fresh word from the Lord that I was his, that he had a purpose for me and that he would fulfill that purpose.

Are you where God wants you to be today? How do you know?

Author: Brian Stankich | Missionary Care for Converge Worldwide

“Whoever  exalts himself
 will
 be
 humbled,
 and
 whoever
 humbles
 himself
 will
 be
 exalted.”
Matthew 23:12 (ESV)

 

  One
 of
 the
 constant
 paradoxes
 we
 see
 in
 the
 Gospel
 story
 is
 how
 those
 who
 are
 first
 will
 ultimately
 be
  last.

 

 This
 is
 a
 difficult
 concept
 to
 understand
 in
 a
 celebrity-­‐laden
 culture
 in
 which
 we
 live,
 particularly
 in
  North
 America.

 

 Individualism
 and
 consumerism
 have
 fed
 into
 a
 media-­‐driven
 push
 that
 everybody
 has
 to
  be
 somebody.
 
 Unfortunately
 this
 obsession,
 even
 lust,
 for
 power
 and
 fame
 has
 slipped
 in
 somewhat
  unnoticed
 into
 North
 American
 Christian
 culture.
 
 It
 has
 entered
 the
 culture
 to
 the
 degree
 that
 pastors,
  ministry
 leaders,
 and
 church
 leaders
 are
 constantly
 working
 to
 make
 themselves
 and
 their
 ministries
  known.

 

 
Sometimes
 we
 confuse
 Gospel
 proclamation,
 and
 even
 evangelization,
 with
 the
 proclamation
 of
 ourselves
  and
 our
 ministries.

 

 They
 are
 not
 the
 same
 thing.

 

 
 Evangelization
 is
 the
 proclamation
 of
 Jesus
 Christ
 as
  Lord
 and
 King,
 particularly
 to
 those
 who
 do
 not
 know
 Jesus.

 

 While
 making
 our
 ministries
 known
 may
 have
  a
 secondary
 effect
 of
 advancing
 the
 Kingdom,
 it
 also
 can
 have
 the
 negative
 effect
 of
 making
 it
 all
 about
 us.
 
  As
 pastors
 and
 leaders,
 we
 must
 greatly
 consider
 our
 motivations
 and
 ambitions
 in
 growing
 our
 churches
  and
 ministries.
 
 This
 is
 especially
 prominent
 in
 social
 networking
 –
 Facebook,
 Twitter,
 as
 well
 as
 on
 church
  websites.

 

 Who
 are
 we
 announcing
 as
 Lord?

 

 Who
 is
 receiving
 the
 glory,
 and
 is
 ultimately
 the
 hero?

 

 Those
  of
 us
 who
 are
 not
 pastors
 and
 leaders,
 to
 whom
 are
 we
 subscribing
 the
 most
 honor
 and
 respect?

 

 We
  need
 to
 be
 careful
 not
 to
 confuse
 the
 messenger
 as
 the
 hero.
 
 Jesus
 is
 the
 hero.

 

  I
 have
 some
 human
 “heroes”
 as
 well,
 but
 they
 are
 not
 well-­‐known
 by
 others.
 
 If
 I
 would
 have
 an
  opportunity
 to
 write
 a
 book
 about
 my
 experience
 in
 Brazil,
 I
 would
 simply
 name
 it
 “Unsung
 Heroes.”
 
 The
  book
 would
 chronicle
 the
 lives
 of
 maybe
 a
 dozen
 pastors
 who
 work
 in
 the
 slums
 of
 Brazil
 on
 a
 daily
 basis.
 
  Ministering
 to
 the
 poor.
 
 These
 pastors
 have
 very
 little
 in
 every
 sense
 of
 the
 word,
 but
 have
 a
 keen
  understanding
 of
 the
 Gospel.
 
 They
 do
 not
 have
 podcasts,
 websites,
 videos,
 or
 large
 ministries.
 
 They
 are
  not
 a
 part
 of
 a
 conference
 speaking
 circuit.
 
 They
 are
 not
 known
 by
 many,
 and
 will
 never
 reach
 celebrity
  status.
 
 Part
 of
 our
 work
 is
 to
 find
 small
 ways
 to
 resource
 them
 and
 their
 work.

 

 
 
  Should
 it
 be
 God’s
 will,
 I
 hope
 they
 will
 remain
 “unsung.”

 

Jay Bauman
 
Restore Brazil (A V360 ministry in Brazil)

www.restorebrazil.com

To Learn More About “Restore Brazil” Watch This Video:

The Lausanne Covenant

Section #11: Education and Leadership

We confess that we have sometimes pursued church growth at the expense of church depth, and divorced evangelism from Christian nurture. We also acknowledge that some of our missions have been too slow to equip and encourage national leaders to assume their rightful responsibilities. Yet we are committed to indigenous principles, and long that every church will have national leaders who manifest a Christian style of leadership in terms not of domination but of service. We recognize that there is a great need to improve theological education, especially for church leaders. In every nation and culture there should be an effective training program for pastors and laity in doctrine, discipleship, evangelism, nurture and service. Such training programs should not rely on any stereotyped methodology but should be developed by creative local initiatives according to biblical standards. (Col. 1:27,28; Acts 14:23; Tit. 1:5,9; Mark 10:42-45; Eph. 4:11,12)

Let’s spend the next few blogs discussing the importance of expanding your own influence.

Whether it’s because we insist on maintaining control over every facet of ministry or we don’t recognize the treasure house of gifts God’s Spirit has invested in the people around us or we somehow think sharing ministry with others steals approval we want for ourselves, there is room to repent when we refuse to leverage the gifts, talents, experience, and wisdom of others.

Positively, there are few things more exciting than to watch the awakening of dormant gifts in unsuspecting leaders. Surprise is just another area of God’s expertise.

We begin the discussion with “Why?”.

Why is it so important that I multiply leaders?

1. The Bible. The Apostle Paul charges Timothy, “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2). Church Planting Movements around the world see this as their template for action. Their understanding of the Great Commission extends beyond simply seeing people come to faith in Jesus. They understand Christ’s mandate to include training these new believers to train others. All disciples are expected to make more disciples who will make still more disciples. It’s not optional but expected from the beginning of one’s new life in Christ.

2. My limits. None of us is designed to carry the responsibilities of a church alone. Even the most gifted among us is still only one part of the body of Christ. We need others serving alongside us—compensating for our weaknesses, complementing our strengths, and extending our impact. Acts 6:1-7 demonstrates that people are hurt when I overextend. The same text provides an example of God raising up others who are full of the Spirit and wisdom to share the responsibilities. The result? “The word of God continued to increase and the number of disciples multiplied greatly…” (v. 7).

3. Missional reach. Becoming effective in producing leaders within my church multiplies my impact. Robert Whipple writes, “The best leaders spend 30-50% of their time trying to enhance the caliber of leaders on their team. Why is this? When you improve the capability of leaders working for you, the whole organization is improved. You are leveraging your leadership.” This is what identifying, training, and mobilizing leaders will do for a new church. It will allow us to leverage our leadership; expand our production capacity.

Reflect: If you were going to leverage your leadership by investing in others, with whom would you begin? Schedule the first step.

Post Written By: Gregg Heinsch, Chief Learning Officer at Vision360 Global

You see we planted a church over in Davenport, Florida (located in the backyard of Disney World) The Roots Community, and my kids were amazingly acclimated to their schools and friends over there. Then God moved us to a new church in Lake Nona, CrossPointe Church. No Prob. ‘Cept one thing. I may be one to adapt easily, but it doesn’t mean I want make my kids try.

I did not want to move my kids out of their comfort zone. Especially my oldest. Now, don’t get me wrong, he’s a resilient kid, real socially adept. The only thing is… he’s starting the 6th grade.

Middle school.

Now, what do you think of when you reminisce on your middle school experience? The land of pure awkwardness. Between raging hormones, pizza faces, and amazingly keen body odor for kids who have not yet discovered the healing joys of deodorant, it’s practically a social minefield. Here was my son, about to enter this, and instead of me sending him along with all the friends he knew into this new stage of life, I take him out of that comfortable environment and plop him in the middle of a school where he knows NO ONE.

What are we doing? Oh, yea. Following God.

So that’s it. I have to completely trust God to take care of and rely on the fact that He loves my child so much more than I can or ever will.

Fast-forward to a couple days ago, I’m sitting on the couch with my oldest child, and he is somewhat emotional regarding his first week in this new atmosphere. “Basically, mom, unless you were from one of the elementary schools around here, you have no friends.” His hurt and pain were extremely evident. He missed his friends, and the comfort he had in our old neighborhood. The only thing I could say was “Did God move us here? Then He will take care of you.” I went on to pronounce our new mission. “Pray for friends.” We were going to pray nonexistent friends into existence.

I left the conversation feeling somewhat satisfied, and I believe my son was trying desperately to cling to God’s promises. I wanted my son to know that he could rely on God, even if He was his ONLY friend and trust him no matter what his circumstances revealed around him.

The next morning I was in prayer time at work and it was asked if there was anything specific we could pray about. I said “Yea, my son,” and went on to shortly explain what had happened the previous night. I was ok, kinda matter-of-fact, nonchalant, but truly concerned. Others then spoke of the first week experience their children were undergoing. Then we started praying. At this point I don’t know what the freak happened other than I was immensely gripped by the Holy Spirit. Fully intending to pray aloud I couldn’t mutter a word. Tears and snot were flowing in freakish abundance from my face. Somewhat shocked by my public display, and seriously caught off guard at my emotion, I just sat there and bawled, poorly attempting to mop up my face with the backs of my hands.

So what happened? Was I so broken over my child feeling pain that I outwardly displayed hurt for him? Was I angry with God for moving my children out of their comfort zone that I suddenly felt the need to completely evacuate all make-up from my face? Had someone kicked me so viciously under the table that my eyes and nose sprung leaks?

No. Not that. I was hit by the notion that the intense love I feel for my very own flesh and blood child’s hurting is NOTHING in comparison to how God feels about me, one of His children. That pang of soreness felt deep in my chest is only magnified infinitely in the pain God feels in His chest when we hurt. When we cry out in pain for our situation, and brokenness He understands it with us. As a Father, pouring out His emotion in pure Love, wanting to comfort and be there for us. God is sovereign and all-knowing so He doesn’t react to my child’s pain the way I do. We freak out, but He’s there in our midst wanting to be our comfort and strength in our time of struggle.

There’s a saying, I personally always thought it to astronomically cheesy, “To become a Mother, is to forever decide to have your heart walking around outside your body.” Pssh, oozing cheese. (Sorry to all of you moms with bracelets, lockets, tattoos, etc. with this particular inscription lovingly honoring your kids).

Ok, Ok, I have a bracelet too; my mom-in-law gave it to me. Not the point, but God brought this quote to me during this time of prayer, and communicated this love for me. I am His CHILD. I am His heart walking around, beating, eating, communicating, living, and breathing, outside of His chest. When I hurt, when I stumble, when I fudge up: He sees it. He’s there. Loving me. The mila-fraction of the way I love my child is nothing in comparison to His adoration for me. Oh, what did I do to deserve this from almighty God? Nothing. He did it all. I did nothing. I’ve done nothing. He chose me to become one of His precious children, and I did nothing to attain it. Man, do I love my kids, but Wow, does He love us as His children so much more. God, who is able to do more than we ask or imagine.

There are some good kids in that school that God is lovingly preparing to be the perfect friends for my kid, and I’m still praying for my child to make meaningful relationships this year. Most of all I want him to know that God is his comfort and salvation in the midst of all his pain and trials, but for now I’m basking in the seriously immense unadulterated love of my Daddy in the process.

Post written by: Anitra Carbo Staff Assistant at Vision360 Global Collaboration Center and Church Planter with her husband and 4 kids.
You Can Follow her on Twitter @anitracarbo

At the risk of offending friends and colleagues who are doing a lot of good ministry, I’d like to share the 1 Step Guide to Church Planting.

Step #1 – Go where the church isn’t.

Church planter – are you planting the church where it isn’t?

Tell me about your ambition…

The Apostle Paul put it this way: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation” (NIV, Romans 15:20).

Church planter – are you building a fresh foundation or baking stale bread?

We talk these days about being missional and creating reproducible movements but sometimes I think it’s all chatter that disguises our false motives. A good friend of mine who is a church planter told me two weeks ago that he was unwilling to move his family halfway around the world, where most of the unreached peoples are. So he is planting in a community where dozens of other churches already exist.

If we are starting a church down the block from three other churches, what is so missional about that? If there are 30 churches in our county or 125 in our city or 500 in our state, do we think that our church is going to be better, more glorifying to God, than the others? Based on what? Our theology? Our interpersonal skills? Or has God specifically pointed out your location to do something new, relevant, ground breaking in the Kingdom?

Here are some questions for every church planter to ask of himself and herself:
-How did you pick the location of your church plant?
-Why is that location strategic?
-What has God done noticeably in history and sociologically in that neighborhood, suburb, town, city, state or nation that
influences how you plant the church?
-Is your location ripe for harvest? How do you know?
-How many churches have failed in your location and for what reasons? How many have succeeded?
-What does the government say – what do the people think – about Jesus, about church and about you (your ethnicity,
citizenship and background) in that location?
-Have there been ANY attempts in planting a church in that community? In the last ten years? Fifty years? Five hundred years?
-Is God using you to do something new (fresh foundation) with his age-old gospel or are you planting a church that will die in
fifteen years (stale bread)?

Few of your churches will be around in 50 years, even fewer after 100 years. What are the elements that make a church last a century or more? Is the nature of the soil one of those elements?

Slate magazine suggests that North Americans “want others to believe they are more religious than they really are.” How does that influence our church-planting in the United States and Canada?

Should we ignore the fact that thousands of churches close their doors in the US every year while millions of people around the globe don’t even know who Jesus Christ is? Maybe a lot of Americans never heard the name of Jesus in those dying churches either.

None of the Apostle Paul’s churches remain. But his passion that built churches that planted the gospel that built additional churches that planted the gospel that one day reached you and I is alive.

Will your church plant, your movement make that kind of impact? Maybe selecting a field that is ripe for harvest would help. Or being invited into the area by government and political leaders. Or taking a risk (or 10) that could break the ground in an area where Christ has not been named.

Ed Stetzer encourages us to “live a holy and pure life among those who do not know God.” If three out of ten of our neighbors know God while in a neighborhood in Libya zero of ten knows God, shouldn’t we go to Libya to plant a church rather than our own neighborhood?

As it is written, “those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand” (NRSV, Romans 15:21). Or will they?

Only if we go. Only if we send. Only if we plant the church where it is not.

Brian Stankich ministers at the intersection of ‘passion for Christ/support raising/missionary care/sanctification’ as the Director of Ministry Partner Discovery for Converge Worldwide. Brian joined Converge in 2009 after serving with PIONEERS for 15 years church planting among Gypsies in Macedonia, providing leadership in North Africa and the Middle East while living in Cairo, Egypt, and serving hundreds of missionaries worldwide in member care from Orlando. He works to help missionaries be effective in life and ministry and is married to Dona with three sons aged 12-18. Brian earned a BS in Economics at Purdue University and a MDIV from Denver Seminary.