Unreached, but not unreachable

Church planting is the key to evangelizing the least-reached peoples of the world.

It is the process of establishing a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ through biblically and culturally effective methods under local leadership with a vision to reproduce itself.  Phases in this Process:

The Foundation – Prayer (Psalm 127:1)
In looking at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, it is apparent that He prayed often. He wanted to make sure that He was in step with the Father’s will. If Jesus, who was God in flesh, needed to pray, how much greater is our need to seek God’s direction? In early church days, as well as in more recent history, we know that every great missionary movement and every great revival began with a group of Christians meeting together in prayer. The work of Hope and Help is no different. We know that prayer is foundational for our Church Planting endeavors, in fact, for all of our endeavors.

Phase One – Equipping and Discipleship (Ephesians 4:12)
In what we know to be the Great Commission, Jesus commands His church to make disciples of all nations. This can be done only through training. The church today is looking for better methods while God is looking for better men. We must take the time to invest in the lives of dedicated faithful men if we are to see the church fulfill its task. Many evangelists and national pastors have little education or Bible training. Most live in remote areas, and in order to equip these men, we must take the training to them. Hope and Help International is doing this through the Timothy Leadership Institute.

Phase Two – Evangelizing and Establishing (2 Timothy 2:2)
Many methods are employed in church planting and development. For encouragement and effectiveness, national evangelists often go into unreached areas in teams. Others develop friendships and witness one-on-one. The use of Christian music, films and the preaching of the Word are keys in sharing the Good News of the Gospel. Those who believe become the foundation for establishing fellowship groups and house churches.

This principle was modeled in the lives of the Apostle Paul and young Timothy, as he instructed in 2 Timothy 2:2. “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Phase Three - Edifice
Throughout many countries of the world the church functions today much like it did during New Testament times, meeting in the homes of believers. Hope and Help International recognizes that a body of believers can function very well without a formal church building, however the presence of such a building becomes a visible symbol of God’s presence in that place. A building also breaks down local resistance to the Gospel when the building is used to help the entire community – as a school and nutrition center for children, as a medical clinic, and as a community meeting place.

It is becoming more difficult for churches to meet in homes because of the opposition of local and national government leaders. They believe that meeting in homes is proselytizing. However, when believers meet in a recognized church building, there is less resistence. A church building with a small two-room apartment for the pastor can be built for $7,000 - $12,000, depending on size and location.