Front Matters

F RONT M ATTERS : P REREQUISITE R EADINGS FOR THE E VANGEL S CHOOL OF U RBAN C HURCH P LANTING • 47

Acts 20.28 (ESV) – Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20.32(ESV) – And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Empower

Source: Ripe for Harvest, pp. 54-64

VI. Transition: Release the Church

2 Tim. 2.2 (ESV) - and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

A. Principle: Make ready the release of cross-cultural church planters to pass the baton to indigenous leadership.

B. Elements of Transition

1. Commission faithful indigenous leaders to be deacons, elders and pastors.

2. Commission the church to be part of a self-governing, self- supporting and self-reproducing movement.

3. Join a denomination or association for fellowship, support and joint-ministry activity.

4. Begin reproducing a new church plant.

PREPARE: Be the Church

Evangelize

• Seek God’s leading to select an unchurched target area or population. • Form a church-plant team, the initial church which community believers can join. • Select a reproducible model to contextualize standard Church practices. • Initiate discussions about associations, denominations or other affiliations.