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Lay Driven Team Church Planting. Creating disciple-making faith communities using the laity. by Bruce Redmond. Lay Driven - What is the motivation?. It’s the GOSPEL Intentional disciple-making process; multiplication Create a supportive environment for people to gather
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Lay Driven Team Church Planting Creating disciple-making faith communities using the laity. by Bruce Redmond
Lay Driven - What is the motivation? • It’s the GOSPEL • Intentional disciple-making process; multiplication • Create a supportive environment for people to gather • Gathering people in groups for placing a pastor/leader • Create a higher level of ownership among the laity • Create an expectation to a district vision of interdependency and commitment
Lay Driven–Defining what it means… • Lay teams beginning the new church start up process without a pastor or church planter identified. • Keeping people connected until a planter is located • Creating agenda harmony and a loving environment • Building a foundation of expectations (district) • Developing disciple making process and emphasis • Not necessarily a lay-planter who stays (only one)
Lay Driven - Where to begin… • INDENTIFY: 1. Looking for where God is working in the heart of at least one lay couple in a community 2. Looking for a spiritual entrepreneur 3. Looking for the community mobilizer 4. Looking for the Primary Perseon of Peace – not necessarily the most spiritually mature person; networker vs. moblizer
Lay Driven - Process and Principles • Focused discussions on process, sample timeline • Discuss “do” church vs. “be” the church; delay the start as long as possible; missional, incarnational, etc. • Areas of agenda harmony – mission, values, identify relational process, expectations, etc. • Stay principle focused not issue driven • Prepare the group for the pastor; leadership hand off, district choses; affirmed by the PLT.
Continued - process and principles • Reconciliation, refreshment and restoration • Critical mass – starting too soon. (50-60 adults) BIG QUESTION: When can we start Sunday services?
How and where do we start? • Indentify initial people, place and timing • Informational meetings (2) • Pull together relationally • Pull together through marketing process • Training Events (3 to 5); Fri-Sun am; covenant signed • Tax ID, bank accts, governance (no members-district oversight) • Timing – DEVELOPING: Agenda Harmony; place, procedures, gathering events; fun; incarnational lifestyle;
Training - Key Focus in this process • Rethink church – why do we need another one in this community? • Defining church – Christ-o-centric • Develop disciple–making process • Think multiples – small groups; gathering, incarnational steps; ministries; new churches • Role of pastor, district ethos, EFCA
Primary focus through complete process… • Developing, gathering and keeping a group together until a pastor/leader can be recruited, assessed and relocate. • Establishing Agenda Harmony based around being value driven. • Directive Coaching Approach
Lay Driven – What is in the Training • Lay Church Planting Workshop Manual – EFCA CP Boot Camp material; Sonlife • Subjects-prayer, disciple making, mission, values, critical ministries, gathering, incarnational events. • Being rewritten so it is transferable
Lessons Learned • Truly a relational, messy and unpredictable process • Do NOT do too much for the group (sound, resources, network with other churches, etc.) • Gathering, incarnational lifestyle, pilot small groups • Bad hand off’s and surprises • Committed, communicating, connected • Assessment of pastor/leader; Assessment of group, can they gather a crowd for a launch team • Don’t cheat the process and training
Lessons Learned • Lay driven starts seem more committed to district staff, vision and ethos. • 50-50 in evangelism efforts • If “churched” then difficult to think process in making disciples; think discipleship and growth • Easier conflict resolution for a new start – ask to leave • Church people are under challenged, not using gifts and want the church to look and feel different • Ownership is HUGE!
Making our work easier:What the local Church can do differently? • Intentional equipping of layman in the established church – internships, etc. • Creating a Culture of Permission for the laity • Letting layman follow their passions and use their gifts. • Educate on a relational process in making disciples; develop leaders