Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART I: D EVELOPING U RBAN C ONGREGATIONS • 47

the apostolic gift. I fervently and regularly pray . . . that God will raise up apostles, gifted men and women, who can gather churches.” 71

Finally, “The team leader must see himself primarily as an enabler to the team. . . . He helps them reach their goals. When a team leader is primarily concerned with what he personally is going to do, the team is often less successful.” 72 In filling out the remainder of the team, it is important to select men and women who have the same high standards of Biblical character as the team leader. However, their gifts need not (and in most cases should not) be exactly the same as the team leader. It is in the diversity of the team that its primary advantages are seen. Balanced teams possess not only relational and evangelistic gifts but also administrative gifts and the gift of teaching. A varied background of culture and experiences among team members is usually helpful in cross-cultural church planting. World Impact’s teams will normally form around a core of two full-time church planters. These members commit to staying through the entire church-planting cycle. They may be either singles or couples. They will be supplemented by up to four support team members. 73 The support members may be World Impact staff who volunteer part-time to serve the church-planting effort. Alternatively, these staff may be assigned to the church-planting effort full-time for a specified period. They may be indigenous community members who have been discipled and are ready to support the effort. Seminary students or other volunteers may be used to supplement the team by assisting in research or other specialized tasks. Many combinations of staff, community and volunteer support team members may be used. The goal is to build teams that provide the support, giftedness and cross-cultural ability to accomplish the church-planting objective. Flexibility in adapting to the specific situation is essential. Team members should see themselves as servants: first of Christ, then of the indigenous community and of each other. Loyalty to the team and its leadership, along with the disciplines of mutual submission and accountability, are commitments that need to be made and nurtured during the training process.

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71 Chaney, p. 75

72 Dyer, p. 127

73 If church planting teams are too large, they become inefficient and incohesive. Large church planting teams may also inhibit indigenous leadership development.