4.4 ACOP’s Church Planting Strategy

[Caleb]

Technically no, if a church does not self-propagate then it is not an indigenous church because the church has only been discipled by someone foreign. It isn’t until the church takes the great commission for itself and practices it in its own indigenous culture that it becomes an indigenous church.

Part of the beauty of the Gospel is that its pervades all social, ethnic, cultural, and class differences. Every church should strive to spread the Gospel into the culture around them and even other cultures, because we are all God’s Children and every human being is made in His image. Every church plant should be taught to disciple others in their own culture and spread it to their own people.

[Kylie]

By that definition it would not be. It is easy for churches to place visions and goals for their own growth and stabilization and temporarily or more consistently forget about the important step of church planting, of making disciples who make disciples. There will always be more on the checklist of “things to be done before thinking of expansion” but the truth is our call is not to just make one pretty building and fill it with Christians but to go out and make disciples.

[Charla]

It may be an “established” church in that it is rooted but it would not be considered an indigenous church. This is an area where many churches are lacking maturity and action. (Speaking to myself as part of the church, as well). I believe that growth in church planting is a healthy and necessary next step for many “established” churches. It is part of the multiplication strategy but on a church level.

[ECO]

@smythc1 right! Multiplication has become a difficult goal to aim at when often churches feel like they are declining and not attracting new members. I heard that before COVID, 33 percent of churches are in decline, 33 percent are maintaining, and 33 percent are growing. But how many are reproducing? This is a big challenge for the modern evangelical church.

[Micah]

With even those pre-COVID numbers, how many of the “growing” churches are growing in new believers and how much is people leaving other churches? Cal’s vision for churches being planted by those who aren’t even saved yet excites me because of this, as they will be bringing in their unsaved friends and new circles in the churches they plant, allowing for fresh growth.

[Jenn]

According to this definition, if a church doesn’t self-propagate then it isn’t an indigenous church. Every church should have a mind towards replacing itself. Not only must an indigenous church be self-sufficient, but it must also have something to export to the community.