ORDERING MY CHURCH ORDERING MY CHURCH ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORDACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD

GUYANA DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2013

REV MARK J. LAWRENCE

MISSION PARTNER

Assisted by the lovely Mrs. Carolyn Lawrence – Mission Partner!

Matthew 16:18-19 Who’s church?Matthew 28:18-20 Great CommissionActs 1:6-8 Promised power for witnessingBiblical theology relating to ‘church’.

– The Church Visible– The Church Invisible

Its Unity Its Universality Its Perpetuity

FIVE ATTRIBUTESFIVE ATTRIBUTES

1.1.A healthy church loves Jesus and studies His Word (2 A healthy church loves Jesus and studies His Word (2 Tim.3:16)Tim.3:16)

2.2.A healthy church is filled with people who pray (Eph.6:18)A healthy church is filled with people who pray (Eph.6:18)

3.3.A healthy church worships in Spirit and in truth (Jn.4:24)A healthy church worships in Spirit and in truth (Jn.4:24)

4.4.A healthy church is filled with people who love each other (1 A healthy church is filled with people who love each other (1 Jn.4:7-8)Jn.4:7-8)

5.5.A healthy church is an evangelising church (Lk.19:10)A healthy church is an evangelising church (Lk.19:10)

* Parable of the Life-Saving Station (Carolyn)

DELEGATE EXERCISE – PART 1DELEGATE EXERCISE – PART 1

On individual post-it notes write down all the On individual post-it notes write down all the church activities that occur during a typical church activities that occur during a typical week either as a corporate body or as week either as a corporate body or as individual members.individual members.

DELEGATE EXERCISE – PART 2DELEGATE EXERCISE – PART 2

Now sort the post-its out into 2 categories:Now sort the post-its out into 2 categories:

1.1.Those activities/ ministries for the membersThose activities/ ministries for the members

2.2.Those activities which specifically reach out to those who, as yet, don’t know Those activities which specifically reach out to those who, as yet, don’t know Jesus.Jesus.

“The church has nothing to do but to save souls; therefore spend and be spent in this

work… bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance.”

(John Wesley 1703-1791)

1. Preach and visit in as many places as you can.

2. Go most where they want you most.

3. Start as many classes as can be effectively managed.

4. Do not preach where you cannot enrol awakened people into classes.

Early Methodist Church Growth Early Methodist Church Growth Strategies and their relevance Strategies and their relevance

for todays church.for todays church.

Wesley’s rationale relating to the process of Wesley’s rationale relating to the process of disciple-making.disciple-making.

1. Awaken people to the fact of their lostness, their sins, their need for God.

2. Enrol awakened people in a class (and, in 3 months, in a Methodist Society)

3. Teach awakened enrolled people to expect to experience their justification.

4. Teach justified people to expect to experience their sanctification in this life.

“The devil himself desires nothing more than this, that the people of any place

should be half awakened and then left to themselves to fall asleep again. Therefore, I determine by the grace of God not to strike

one stroke in any place where I cannot follow the blow.”

(Rev John Wesley’s Journal Entry 1743)

Contemporary Class System – Contemporary Class System – a.k.a. Cell Churcha.k.a. Cell Church

Cell ValuesCell ValuesJesus at the centreJesus at the centreEvery member maturingEvery member maturingEveryone in ministryEveryone in ministryEveryone involved in witnessEveryone involved in witnessCommunities of trust and honesty marked by Communities of trust and honesty marked by sacrificial love.sacrificial love.

Meets weekly – no more than 12 membersMeets weekly – no more than 12 membersComprises of the following elementsComprises of the following elements

1.1. WelcomeWelcome

2.2. WorshipWorship

3.3. WordWord

4.4. WitnessWitness

The Class/ Cell MeetingThe Class/ Cell Meeting