Larry

My wife Lillian and I are frustrated.
We have tried to multiply churches as they did in the New Testament,
but we have failed. Can you advise us, Connor?

Conner

I will try, Larry.
Many efforts to start a movement flounder before they start.
Workers fail to apply a few simple New Testament guidelines.

Lillian

Larry and I followed this church planting manual carefully, Conner.

Prompter & Echoes

Every detail!

Conner

That is the problem. Too many details!
It lists many helpful tasks, but fails to discern the
three foundational guidelines that are utterly essential.

Larry

Now wait a minute, Conner!
Lillian and I helped edit that manual!

Conner

You did your best, Larry, with what you knew at the time,
but you included traditions that have led older churches into decline.

Prompter & Echoes

Needless baggage!

Lillian

You want to cut out details, Conner,
but our old church is very conventional.
If we require a lot of changes, few, if any,
will cooperate with us.

Conner

Do not ask all the members to change, Lillian.
There is an easier way. Your congregation must have a few who want to serve Jesus in a more vital way, but find important ministry positions already filled.
Well, let them take the church to those who do not come to it.

Larry

That makes sense! What are those three essential guidelines, Conner?

Conner

The first and most crucial is to obey.
Heed Jesus’ general orders before all else.
Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commands.”

Prompter & Echoes

Obey the King of Kings!

Larry

I remember them.
  Repent, believe and receive the Holy Spirit,
  Baptize,
  Serve the Lord’s Supper,
  Love God, believers, neighbors, and enemies, which is to forgive,
  Pray, which includes healing and spiritual warfare,
  Give
  And make disciples, nearby and afar.

Conner

Very good! The second essential guideline is to simplify.
Require of new churches only what Jesus and his apostles required.
Nothing more!

Prompter & Echoes

Simplify!

Lillian

That goes against the modern current, Conner!

Conner

It does; all movements of God do, starting with the apostles.

Larry

This is helpful, Conner. What is the third essential guideline?

Conner

Model. Have others do what they have seen you do.

Larry

Obey, simplify and model! Yes!
Oh! I see now why even new believers, uneducated and penniless,
are multiply churches in so many lands around the world.
We will have new believers and new leaders follow these guidelines,
before doing any of the more advanced disciple-making activities.

Lillian

Where did you get these guidelines, Conner?

Conner

From Jesus and his apostles.

Prompter & Echoes

Not from books or classrooms!

Larry

Now, a few days have gone by.
Lillian and I are in the home of Khichi who received Jesus yesterday.
Conner comes, and I am eager to see how he deals with Khichi.

Conner

Brother Khichi, now that you know Jesus,
we will lay hands on you and ask God for power
for you to tell your family and friends about Jesus.

Prompter & Echoes

Share your faith!

Conner

Do it just as Larry and Lillian did with you;
pray for them and tell what Jesus did.
Do you remember this?

Khichi

Yes. Jesus died and rose from the dead to forgive their sins
and give them eternal life.

Larry

I will go with you at first if you want, Khichi,
but let them hear it from you first.

Lillian

When should Khichi be baptized, Conner?

Conner

Right away. The apostles did only one thing before baptizing.
Do you recall it?

Prompter & Echoes

Go to the family!

Larry

Another day passes, and we meet again.
Khichi, please tell Conner the news.

Khichi

Larry baptized me in our bathtub, Connor;
only my family was present.

Lillian

It was not public?

Larry

Scripture does not require baptism to be public;
Paul baptized the jailer’s family at midnight,
and Philip baptized the Ethiopian in private out in a desert.

Khichi

Baptism left me really encouraged;
I am ready to go tell my friends about Jesus.
Larry also prayed for my sick aunt.
Now we all trust in Jesus.
Larry had me baptize my own wife and kids, and my aunt.

Lillian

Conner, did Larry do those things too rapidly?

Conner

No. It is impossible to obey Jesus too quickly.

Khichi

I am so glad you did not delay it! We are so happy!
While our hair was still wet, we sat in a circle
and received the Lord Supper. We felt Jesus with us.
We had no bread, so we used corn chips.

Larry

We dipped them into one cup;
there is no need to heed the old protocols
that have no basis in Scripture;
simply obey Jesus.

Khichi

Larry told us that our own church had been born,
right there in our house!

Conner

Khichi, God holds you responsible, as head of your family,
to be its shepherd. Will you lead your baby church
by your word and example?

Khichi

Absolutely! However, I will need Larry’s coaching.

Conner

Yes, and you will need God’s power;
we will lay hands on you now, and ask for it.

Larry

Two weeks go by, and we meet again;
Khichi recalls their first worship time.

Khichi

Larry had us plan to whom we would go and tell about Jesus.
We went in pairs, repeating exactly what Larry and Lillian
had done with us. On a third visit,
I baptized two cousins and three neighbors who repented.

Conner

Now you can start other churches in your own social network, Khichi.
A new church is a baby, unable to do all the vital tasks by itself,
so let several churches form a closely-knit body, as the apostles did.

Prompter & Echoes

A regional church body!

Lillian

But that will take tons of work, Conner!

Conner

Yes, Lillian. That is why we let the new believers do it.
Let them shoulder the main responsibility for their own movement;
you simply coach their leaders.

Lillian

How do we motivate them to go witness to others, Conner?

Conner

Lay hands on them, as you did for Khichi,
and ask God to empower them.
Go with them the first time or two,
to watch and give help if they need it.

Larry

People received Christ in one place,
but in another we just wasted our time.
I am glad Jesus said to shake the dust from our feet,
to leave resistant people.

Conner

Yes, but first make sure that the way you witness for Jesus
fits their background, and that the workers are united in prayer.
Serve in the power of the Holy Spirit;
do not merely work the principles mechanically.
Do it all in an imitable way.

Khichi

Larry teaches us with Bible stories that we recall and pass on at once.
We start by telling key stories about Jesus
that new believers can repeat easily.
Sometimes we get them and their friends to act the stories out;
they love that!

Lillian

Now I see why we must cut out so many man-made customs,
in order to multiply.

Conner

Good, Lillian!
We are eager to do all the valuable activities we have learned,
but we must be patient.
Once churches are multiplying in the normal way,
we can introduce the more advanced stuff.
This restraint requires self-discipline,
and is crucial during a movement’s embryonic stage.

Larry

Yes! We see that plainly now!

Prompter & Echoes

Thank you, Lord!