Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART I: D EVELOPING U RBAN C ONGREGATIONS • 59

fellowship. World Impact staff homes can serve as a temporary starting point for the initial cell groups, but, to avoid dependency, other World Impact facilities will normally not be used. 100 The meeting time should be selected to coincide with the availability of the new converts. Leaders should be sensitive to the group regarding the most suitable length of meetings. Cultural perceptions of time (e.g., whether the group has event- centered time orientation) must be taken seriously in organizing the meeting and deciding how flexible starting and ending times should be. Church planters must have an outline of lessons so that the teaching in the early meetings is directed and effective. Because the church is “a fellowship of believers committed to obeying the Lord Jesus Christ,” George Patterson advocates a focus on “obedience oriented teaching” that stresses practical accountability in order to verify application of what is learned. He suggests that the following scripturally prescribed areas be the foundation of the curriculum.

1. Faith and Repentance from sin 2. Baptism 3. Love 4. The Lord’s Supper (Communion)

5. Prayer 6. Giving 7. Witnessing 101

The centrality of the Kingdom of God, social justice, spiritual warfare and identity in Christ should also be taught early in this process.

As the initial fellowship group is taught and nurtured it is important to leave the door open to new converts. “Adjust the program of evangelism so as to encourage both converts from the world and converts from nominal Christian backgrounds to enter the new fellowship.” 102 Such openness will encourage members to witness by inviting their friends to Christ and to the fellowship.

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100 If special circumstances make the use of other World Impact facilities necessary, this should only be done with prior financial and phase-out agreements.

101 George Patterson, Church Planting Through Obedience Oriented Teaching , (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1981), p. 1

102 Hesselgrave, 1980, p. 271