"Z" thinking and saturation church planting

If Christian leaders were to ask themselves the question, "What is the ultimate end toward which God is working in history?" or "What does God want for the people in the place where I serve Him?"… how would it affect the way they minister there? The answers to these questions should describe the vision and define the tasks of their ministries.

Leading with Spiritual Authority

True leadership and influence flows out of spiritual authority.

Spiritual Authority is the influence God grants to a leader. In a classic Kingdom paradox it is also something in which every leader must participate.

In many ways it is part of the “inside-out” nature of the Kingdom leadership. Spiritual authority is the by-product of a life of intimacy and dependency on Christ.

God grants to a leader spiritual authority, it is not something that is produced or gained through self promotion. Intentional character processing of a leader helps contribute to spiritual authority.

Casting a compelling vision

In Acts 1:1-8, we find Jesus’ disciples thinking in terms of what is best for their country; they totally misunderstand the nature of the Kingdom of God and what Jesus is about to do through them to advance His kingdom. They asked Jesus, “When will you restore the kingdom to Israel”? They are in a defensive mindset, thinking about how to protect Israel from Roman rule. Jesus wanted them to be in a offensive mindset, not to fight political battles but to battle for the broken hearted and bring the good news to the poor. To stir their hearts with faith and inspire them for with a bigger dream for their lives, Jesus paints a compelling vision of the future. The vision Jesus casts to them is an obedience based vision – what God will do if they as men and women obey Him.

Why Missions?

Seven reasons to go

That part of the world we call the 10/40 Window is covered in spiritual darkness. Hundreds of millions of people are lost without Christ, separated from Him by spiritual darkness and deception. There are reasons, biblical reasons, why it is the will of God for every Christian to be part of lighting the window for the Lord Jesus. I have listed seven of those reasons below.

Making disciples like Jesus did

"And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach." (Mark 3:13)

Setting an example

Jesus showed His disciples how to live. Jesus invited them to participate in His doctrine, not to study it in theoretical isolation. He proved the relevance of what He taught by doing truth. Class was always in session. Discipleship was a way of life. Jewish disciples were expected to observe their teachers/rabbis and to learn by asking questions and then applying to their own lives what they observed. People do what they see and hear. First came heart connection then ministry responsibility.

The true fruit of an apple is ...

What’s the true fruit of an apple? Another apple . . . an apple tree?
No, the true fruit of an apple is an apple orchard!

This simple picture shows the potential God has placed in one single apple: it can bear fruit that continues to multiply itself until an entire apple orchard is thriving where in the beginning one single apple fell into the ground.

If this is true in the physical world, then how much more potential has God placed in His children and in His church! The challenge for us is to release that potential so we can multiply ourselves and become that thriving orchard.

Why plant churches?

It spreads the worship of Jesus: it is God’s mission on earth to exalt the supremacy of His glory and grace by having a people for himself.

It is God’s way of announcing the arrival of his kingdom on earth.

It reveals the incarnational mercy of God: He has come to dwell with and in fallen human hearts.

Creating a church planting culture in the local church

The traditional approach of training our future leaders in Bible College or seminary is counter-productive to raising up leaders within the local church. Exporting young leaders out of the local church to learn about leadership in a formal educational environment by-passes the most qualified people to train future pastors and elders, and that is pastors and elders themselves.

Emerging leaders will reproduce what they see, not what they are taught. If they are sent to seminary to learn about church life, they will emulate their professors, not their pastors and elders back home. They will want to teach in classrooms, not plant or pastor local churches. Is it not ironical that we teach courses on pastoring? Should not shepherding God’s people be learned through on the job training rather than reading about it in a textbook? By being mentored by a pastor rather than a professor?

The passions and practices of apostolic people

Are you prepared to lead your followers on a journey of pioneering passion? If so, then this issue has to be settled: are you certain that you want your followers to be apostolic people? Here are some of the apostolic passions and practices of the church in Antioch and in the lives of Paul and Barnabas: