Introduction To Believers Church We are a church which is different from what you may be used to. We don't try to be different, we just try to do what God leads us to do. Still, our approach is different, and our vision takes in the entire world.
Please keep an open mind and pray about what I share with you, before you condemn or criticize.
Why We Are Different We don't try to be different -- we just try to do what God leads us to do.
The Lord raises up different ones to minister to different segments of society. Some people will respond to a certain approach; others require a different approach. God is not willing that any should perish; He wants to help all people as much as they will allow Him.
The New Testament uses the figure of a human body to illustrate what believers in Jesus Christ are like: we have various parts that do various jobs.
Remember that God must love variety: why else would every snowflake and every fingerprint be different?
Why Is This Approach Necessary?
MANY ARE UNREACHED The world has not been reached yet with the message of Jesus Christ and His redemption. The majority have never heard the message. Even in the cities of America, most people are not part of a church.
I challenge you to find out the population of your city. Then estimate the number of active members in the churches which really proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, and determine what percentage that is of the total city population. The answer will probably shock you by being so small.
Our plan is designed to reach those which present approaches are missing.
If the present approach of the church was enough, by itself, to get the job done, I wouldn't want to change to something new, because, just like you, I am familiar and comfortable with things as they are.
Jesus said, "New wine must be put only into new wineskins." Luke 5:38 CEV (See also Matthew 9:17.)
"Behold, I will do a new thing..." Isaiah 43:19.
Should we be surprised that the God of creation would ever do something new or different?
MATHEMATICS The world population in 1991 was 5.384 billion people. It is projected that by 2000 the population will grow by nearly another billion people. That means an increase of more than a quarter million people each day.
It is impossible to reach the world by addition. Only by continuing multiplication is it possible.
The multiplication approach -- or making disciples, is the approach Jesus used and taught. Making converts is the addition approach. Jesus told us to make disciples of all the nations, and to teach them all that He taught. Second Timothy 2:2 tells us to commit what we have learned to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Using the addition approach, it would take more than 14,750 years of reaching 1,000 people each day, to reach the present population of the world, if the population never increased. But, multiplying by 2 for just over 32 cycles will reach it.
Which approach do you want to spend your time doing?
PERSONAL TOUCH People need personal contact. The mass approach is not enough. I rejoice at what Christian television and radio are doing, but they are not the whole answer. Statistics show only a small percentage of unbelievers tune in to Christian programs.
Babies, whether natural or spiritual, will not do well without personal attention. It is too easy for the devil to deceive a new Christian when they are off by themselves, without anyone to help or encourage them.
PRESENT STRUCTURE INADEQUATE The present structure of the church is unable to contain and care for a mass inflow of new converts, and turn them into disciple-making Christians.
The prevalent organizational structure is not capable of maintaining care of people and contact with them as the church grows large. Even at our present size, too many people are neglected and allowed to wither away.
What would happen to the converts if tens of thousands of people were reached today in your city? What if God began healing the sick and raising the dead in such a spectacular way that multitudes were converted today?
The present approach, with its emphasis on church buildings, is a bottleneck to fast growth. Not only will our approach using homes save enormous amounts of money, but it will make it possible to have tremendously fast growth, without any limit on size.
We are not against church buildings. We just think they are not necessary for what God has called us to do, and use up too many resources. They also often seem to encourage Christians to spend too much time in activities behind the church-building walls, instead of reaching out to those in need outside the church. Buildings should be tools to help us, but too often they become the entire focus of all our time and money.
It shocks most people to learn the New Testament Church had no church buildings. Nothing in the Bible teaches that a building is, or has to be, any part of a church. But many verses in the New Testament mention churches meeting in houses.
Are You Against Other Churches? We are not against other churches, and thank God for the people they have reached. We just believe this is the way God is guiding us. It seems reasonable that the God who makes every fingerprint different, could lead some of us to use different approaches to reach different people.
What Is Your Plan? We have a plan to reach masses of unreached people in the large cities for Jesus Christ. Not only to reach them -- but to turn them into disciple-makers who will reach others in a continuing process. We are an international mission church -- committed to doing our part in fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
What Is Your Approach? Because Jesus commanded us to proclaim His Good News to the entire world, we choose not to limit ourselves to the walls of a church building.
Our methods may differ from others, but we are firm believers in God's Word, the Bible. In all we do, we try to follow the Bible.
Jesus commanded us to spread His message to the entire world. His method is to multiply disciples -- not just make converts. So, our church structure encourages, and accommodates, continuing multiplication of disciples.
Jesus desires to help people where they are, and we are here to do His will. So we help people where they are, as they are. People are not forced to change their schedule, quit their job, or move, to receive our help.
Instead of all meeting at one time and one place every week, our church cells meet throughout the city at various times.
We take the ministry to the people, where they are, instead of insisting they come to where we are to receive. Most people won't, or can't come to a church building at our regular worship times.
Our structure ensures people will receive personal pastoral care and attention. They will not be just a number in a computer, or a face sitting in a crowd.
What People Are You Targeting? We are targeting the unreached: those the present church structure has not reached. So, we don't see ourselves as competition to other churches, but feel our outreaches will indirectly cause them to grow also.
Our society has changed -- and we must adapt to reach people where they are, and when they can listen. Round-the-clock-work schedules, increasing numbers of single parents, and more women working outside the home, are some of the changes we must face.
God loves these people. Should we insist on them conforming to our schedule and coming to our location, before we will give them the Word of Life? That is like expecting a harvest before you have planted the seed.
We need to give people the Word where they are, and it will change them.
Many approaches to evangelism yield large numbers of converts. But the harder part has been to incorporate those converts into an active, functioning, local church. We believe our plan will accomplish this at a much higher percentage rate than other approaches we know of.
We believe God will fulfill His Word to pour out His spirit on all flesh. We must be ready to preserve the harvest from such a great move of God. Jesus, who said in John 6:12, to gather up the fragments of food, so that nothing is lost, surely does not want us to lose people.
Jesus said we should go and bear fruit, and that our fruit should remain (John 15:16). We must be ready!
Where Will You Do This? Our plan is to do this in all the large cities of the world, as the Lord raises up the laborers to do it. Over 50% of the population of the United States now lives in just 39 cities. It is the same the world over -- large cities are where most of the people are. Our strategy is to target those cities, knowing that people who live in them have ties to people living everywhere else.
Why Will This Work? Habits are not easy to change. Christians are in the habit of "going to church" on Sunday mornings, but sinners are not. To change this habit of either group is not easy.
So, we do not insist on the people we reach, all meeting at one location every Sunday morning. We allow for flexibility in both time and location, to keep from having limits on who we can minister to.
Our goal is to have every member actively involved in multiplication. We will not restrict ministry to those professionally schooled. We will train people to train others, all within the structure of a local church.
We will be giving away fifty percent of our tithes: 30% to our workers, which we call cell leaders, and 20% to international missions and other ministries.
Our cell leaders will not only have additional motivation to do what is in their heart, to obey God and reach out to people, but the money they receive will enable them to spend time ministering, instead of having to get another job.
WHY WILL THIS WORK -- COMPARED TO OTHER MULTIPLICATION STRATEGIES? 1. Integral part of a church.
This is not a para-church organization. The mission of the church is missions, and the mission of missions should be a church. Our plan involves not only reaching people, but also incorporating them as an active member of a functioning local church.
2. Healing miracles, and Holy Spirit-filled people.
Our approach connects healing the sick and evangelism within the structure of a local church in an organized way -- a scriptural, yet revolutionary approach.
3. Three-generation pay incentive.
We also have a three-generation pay incentive plan for our workers. Money is a great motivator and a great enabler.
For the church to grow, workers are needed. Paying Cell Leaders will allow those who desire to do more for God to be able to do so.
4. Easy to be a cell leader: video approach -- quality control and shorter time to multiply groups.
We make it easy to be a cell leader: with the video approach we have quality control and shorter generations.
To have rapid, continuing multiplication you need quality control in every area and abundance of workers. Using videos will help with both. Cell Leaders will not require years of schooling and preparation, because they will not be required to teach, but only to lead the meeting and the discussion following the teaching by video.
5. Part of a big vision which will be visible in a city.
People don't get excited about little projects which have little impact. Our vision is to reach the world, and we think we have a God-given plan which He will use to help accomplish that task.
Our plan involves reaching huge masses of people in a city, yet being able to maintain communication and the personal touch.
With the structure there to take care of them, we believe God will give the increase.
How Will It Work? Our plan is to use video tapes, audio tapes, and written materials, in the hands of trained disciples, to take the message to the people, wherever they want to meet.
Every member will belong to a Church Cell. Every cell is led by a Cell Leader. Every cell has at least one assistant Cell Leader. Church Cells meet weekly, at a time and location determined by the Cell Leader. Cell Leaders may have more than one cell, with each Cell meeting at a different time.
After a period of time, the Assistant Cell Leader will split off, and start their own Church Cell. This is how we will grow and reach an entire city -- by multiplication.
Cell Leader compensation will be determined by the results of their ministry for three generations. This will allow and encourage continued multiplication.
How Is This Different? We are a Church without walls. We take the church to the people, instead of making them fit into our time and place.
We believe in the scriptural admonition not to muzzle those doing the work, so we pay our Cell Leaders, not just our Pastoral staff.
We fully expect to impact each city we are in: to give everyone in that city a good opportunity to receive Christ, and to build from new converts a large church in that city, which will never stop growing and reaching out with a world vision.
Imagine a church with no limits. What you come up with is Believers Church.
We are using the same principle as franchising, multiplication by repetition of a successful approach. Why should each pastor have to reinvent the wheel? Our plan allows each church to be sovereign and independent, yet enjoy the benefits of cooperation and others' experience.
Where Did This Plan Come From? We think this is a God-given plan. We don't think we know it all, but are trusting God to bring people to us who will help in the areas where we need it. We are beginning now. As God leads, and raises up workers, we will continually expand to other cities.
Now You Must Make A Decision What would you do if Jesus personally commissioned you to reach your whole city with the message of His redemption? We believe this plan is an answer to that question.
If you knew Jesus was coming back in a few years, would you continue with your present approach to reaching your city?
We need to be like the children of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32), who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.
I don't want to waste the time I have left. I desire my time to be spent wisely in the most productive way for the Kingdom of God.
Our plan is to walk with Jesus day by day, keep Him central, and watch Him change the world -- one person at a time, as He builds His church!
If what you are doing in God's Kingdom is not scriptural, and bearing fruit, I suggest you pray about what changes God would have you make -- right where you are.
We're not interested in building a church by transfer growth. We actively encourage people to bloom where they are, if they are already active in a local church.
Thank you for reading this. May God bless you abundantly!
E-mail: pastor@believers.org
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