What are the progressions in growing a healthy church among the urban poor? What culture, teaching, emphases are critical at each phase?

1. Goals of the Four Seasons of an
Emergent Faith Community
Viv Grigg,
Oct 2002, rev 2006, 2008
Based on chapter 13 of Cry of the Urban Poor

2. Dicipleship
Can this be accomplished without
Individual discipleship
Extended family discipleship
Small group Discipleship
Congregational Celebration

3. The Goal of the Great Commission
(Matt 28:18-20)
Disciple the Nations
Bring the Nations under
the authority of the King
The Means: Evangelize,
Teach, Baptize
Context: Group of
Disciples
Intermediate Goals:
Groups of Disciples
Gatherings of Disciples =
Churches
What is Discipling?
(1 Thes 2:1-7, John 17:1-5)
What is Churchplanting?
Social structuring
of the fruit of evangelism

4. What is a Church?
Acts 2:42-44 Antioch? Converted Synagogue
Conversion
Baptism
Meetings in Houses
Use Central Temple
Teaching, Preaching
Leadership
Regular Gathering
Worshipping
Prayer
Outreach
Economic Sharing
(see diagram on overhead)

6. What is a Churchplanter’s
Definition of a Church?
Depends… on culture
1. A Bible Study
Small group
Meets weekly
2. A House Church
meets weekly
Bible is preached/
discussed
12 or more adults (1-3
families)
Care for each other
Worship together
3. A Fellowship
all the above
meets weekly for worship /teaching
Up to 30 adults (2+ cells + kids
ministry)
4. A New Church
All the above
30+ adults (or 5 + families), 4-6 cells
Recognised leaders
Legalised
May / may not have pastor / building
Small Group, Large Group,
Leadership
Cell, Congregation, Celebration,
Coordination

7. Four Season of Growth
How to get from evangelism to a fellowship
to a multiplying movement.
For each season we need to know
our goals
the focus of teaching
the type of group culture.
Read 1 John 2:12-14 and define three
phases of growth and their characteristics
Based on the Focus Chart of Gene Tabor and the Philippine Navigator and
Reach, Lakas-Angkan movements. © Viv Grigg, Oct 1989

8. Growth-Oriented Theology
1 John 2:12-14
CHILDREN YOUNG PEOPLE FATHERS &
MOTHERS
Know the Father Strong Have spiritual
children
Word of God
abides
Companionship
with the Father
Have overcome the
evil one

9. Four Seasons of Growth
EVANG
-ELISM
SECURITY COMMITMENT QUALITY CALLING
1. With God 1. To Christ as Lord 1. Of character
 Faith
 Hope
 Love
1. Discernment
2. With the Body 2. To God’s Family
relating in love
2. Of Ministry
Devotion
Knowledge
Skill
2. Development
3. Self-
Acceptance
- Deliverance
- Healing
3. To the word as
food and authority
3. Deployment

13. Teaching at Each of the
Four Seasons
EVANG
-ELISM
SECURITY COMMITMENT QUALITY CALLING
The Nature of
God
1. Faithfulness,
Love, Grace,
1The Nature of God
Holiness etc
The Character
of God – Gal
5:22,23,
Sermon on the
Mount
Leadership
Large Group
Leadership
The Basics of
Christian Living
Word, Prayer,
Fellowship etc
Discipleship:
The Response of
Obedience
7 Areas
Ministry training
Devotion
Knowledge
Skill
Ministry
Experience
Reflections
Evangelism,
Discipleship
Small group
Leadership
Economic
discipleship
Economic
Leadership

14. Goal for Each of the Four
Seasons
EVANG
-ELISM
SECURITY COMMITMENT QUALITY CALLING
Disciple Basic
Labourer Complete
Labourer
Convert Beginning
Disciple

15. 7 Characteristics of a Slum
Disciple?
Puts Christ first in all areas of life (Luke 14:26-33; Matt 6:33), and
separates from sin.
Spiritually
Socially (Luke 14:26)
Economically (Luke 14:33)
The Word of God is food and authority (John 8:31)
Fellowships regularly with other believers showing love and unity
(John 13:34,35)
Growing in devotion to Christ, and developing a prayer life (John
15:7)
Growing in Christlike character (John 15:16)
Witnessing regularly (John 15:16)
A learner, open and teachable (Matt 28:18-20)

16. What is a Basic Labourer?
Christlike Character
Essentially healed
Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22,23)
Healthy marriage
Skill in Ministry
Able to lead someone to Christ
Able to disciple
Able to lead a small group and
larger group
Able to teach
Heart for Ministry

17. Group Discussion
Determine at which season your church is
at and join that group.
Work together on a work plan for
churches at this season

18. Strategic Issues in
Discipling
The Purpose of Discipling
Rom 8:29
Col 1:27-29
Eph 5:27
Everyone mature in Christ
Discipling Damaged
People
Discipline Needed
Create trouble, grace
needed
Lots of counseling time
needed
Healing by Holy Spirit
Urban Poor Issues
Anger
Debt
Those who oppress
Fatherless families
Envy
Demonic activity….
The Centrality of an
Open Home

19. Pastoral Issues
3 Structures for Poor
Peoples’ Churches
Multiplying web of small
churches
Gang structured discipling
movement (prison, gang,
drugs…)
Central hotel church and
daughter churches in the
slums
Breaking the Property
Barrier
Creating Momentum
A rhythm of events
A simple pattern of Bible
study, of worship, of
discipleship
Becoming both social and
spiritual leader
High commitment - 3-5
nights per week.
Developing Self-
Supporting Pastors

20. Why do People Move
Churches?
Sensitivity
Economics
People want feeding, theygo where they are fed
Opportunities
Disappointment, based on false expectations
that God will instantly do miracles
Leadership divisions, spirit of bitterness
People can’t pay rent, they are mobile

21. Reference Works on
Churchplanting
Brock, Charles
(1994) Indigenous
Churchplanting. Church Growth
International, Missouri.
Simson, Wolfgang
(1998) Houses That Change the
World. OM Publishing.
Walker, Andrew
(1985) Restoring the Kingdom:
The Radical Christianity of the
House Church Movement. Hodder
and Stoughton.
Schwartz, Christian
(2000) Natural Church Growth
Development
Hesselgrave, David
(2000) Planting Churches
Cross-Culturally, Baker Books
Neighbour, Ralph W., Jr.
(1990) Where Do We Go
From Here: A Guidebook to
Cell Group Church, Touch
Publications
Stephan, Tom
Passing the Baton
Grigg, Viv
(1994) Cry of the Urban Poor,
MARC
British Church Growth Magazine