Seize the opportunity of the Great Leap Forward of the Gospel

church team operations

In the third issue of KRC magazine, the author discussed that the twenty-first century is as important to the expansion of the kingdom of God as it was in the first century; God will do great and wonderful things in this century. The author also mentioned that the way churches preach the gospel today, so that people can experience the love of the Lord, is more important than the transmission of knowledge and persuasion; the stable life of love in the church is more important than the fluency and advantages of the pulpit; the focus of church growth , should focus on the operation of the fellowship of churches, rather than pursuing the growth of a single church.

In other words, I hope that one day when Christians meet, they will not only ask each other: "How many people are there in your church?" but also learn more: "How long has your church been established? How many churches have you planted? Which church team are you on? "How is the love among brothers and sisters?" or "What is the proportion of people who believe in the Lord in the city where you live? How many people live in the church?"

Because what Jesus cares about is not just the number of people in the church you and I participate in (we can join a big church at any time), but whether you and I love each other, the urban and rural situation, and the ethnic group situation where you and I live - Jesus cares about the entire kingdom of God. situation.

▲[Figure 1] The information in each figure in this article comes from the author’s comprehensive collection.

The third opportunity for the expansion of gospel ministry

Looking at the growth and decline of gospel ministry throughout the ages (see Figure 1), there were two periods of rapid growth in the proportion of Christians in the global population: the first was from the first to the fifth century A.D., and the second was the 19th century. It lasts a short time. Since the 20th century, the proportion of Christians in the world's population has declined slightly. (As for the factors that have caused the growth and decline of gospel ministries in the past, the author has a concise discussion in the second issue of this journal. Interested readers can refer to it).

Whether it is the first to fifth centuries A.D. or the 19th century, these two periods of rapid growth in gospel ministry are closely related to the operation of church teams. The author explained in the third issue of this magazine that the next twenty years will be a critical period for completing the Great Commission, and whether this Great Commission can be completed depends on whether we can properly utilize the church team. In other words, whether the gospel ministry can have a third turning point in rapid expansion depends on whether the church team is generally accepted and used in the kingdom of God.

Characteristics of the church team

A church team is a group of multiple (or multiple) churches. It usually starts with one church and then multiplies and grows, focusing on the relationships between people and churches. The church team focuses on the reproduction of the Body of Lord Jesus (regional church). It does not just focus on the growth of a single church (member), but is concerned about the overall development of the entire church team, the urban-rural gap, and even the overall situation of the kingdom of God.

Let’s talk about several characteristics of church teams:

1. The initial obedience and blessing of the church team

Throughout the ages, God has accomplished great things through His people, and the operation of church teams is no exception. The first church team recorded in the Bible was the team led by Peter, James, and John.

John and Andrew were the first to follow Jesus. When John the Baptist pointed out that Jesus was the Christ, they immediately followed Jesus obediently. Andrew also brought his brother Peter to see Jesus (see John 1:35-42 ). They followed the Lord’s Great Commission without hesitation. The teams led by Peter and John established churches around Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.

It is worth noting that John and Andrew were originally disciples of John the Baptist (refer to John 1:35). When they went to follow Jesus, John the Baptist did not prohibit them, but instead blessed them (refer to John 3:30) ─When someone obeys and someone blesses, the Lord’s work will be easily accomplished.

The same was true for the team led by Paul, Timothy, and Titus. At that time, Paul was the last of the five pastors of the church in Antioch (see Acts 13:1). The Holy Spirit sent Barnabas and Paul out "to do the work to which I have called them." Later, church teams in Turkey and Greece were established, including the churches in Galatia, the church in Ephesus, the church in Philippi, and the church in Colossus. Western Church, Thessalonian Church...etc.

We also see that the establishment of Paul’s team was greatly blessed by Barnabas. Barnabas was the first to accept Paul after he repented and believed in the Lord. Barnabas later took Paul from Paul’s hometown of Tarsus to Antioch to learn how to shepherd the church. He also took him to start apostolic ministry and went to Barnabas’ hometown of Cyprus (today’s Cyprus) to start a church─When someone obeys and someone blesses, God's will is easily accomplished.

When it comes to submission, the author thinks of the “DOVE International” church team that is an hour and a half drive west of where I live.

"I was originally a farmer who ran a chicken farm, and I also shared youth ministry in my father-in-law's church."

On a quiet winter afternoon in rural Pennsylvania, Larry Kreider shared with me, "In my spirit, I clearly heard God saying to me: 'Are you willing to participate in the underground church for me?'"

Larry, who only has a high school education, is the founder and international director of the "DOVE International" church team. He originally thought that God wanted him to go to a communist country to start a church. When Larry burst into tears and answered obediently, "I do," he knew that God wanted him to start a small group church near Lancaster in rural Pennsylvania.

They encouraged each group to worship on Sunday and become a house church. The mother church grew to more than 2,000 people, and dozens of house churches also multiplied. Later, hundreds of churches were opened abroad. Brian Sauder, who is chatting with us, is responsible for supervising and caring for the Canadian Church Network. He is also the founder and principal of the DOVE church team's "School for Church Planting and Ministry".

When I asked why he was responsible for this important education and training mission, Shao Laian shyly replied: "I am the only person in our team with a degree."

There are five apostolic leaders in the DOVE church team. Shao Laian is the only one with a bachelor's degree. He grew up in the "DOVE International" church team and studied industrial engineering.

"Only I know how to arrange classes better." Shao Laian said.

I felt very ashamed for a moment. I explained to them that not only the church led by the author, but also many Chinese churches have masters and doctorates, and there are also some with theological training. But few Chinese have the courage to open dozens or hundreds of churches, and we don’t even have the courage to participate in the pastoral care of one church. A group of farmers started hundreds of churches in rural Pennsylvania, which reminded me of a group of fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They were obedient and brave.

2. Courage and discernment in leadership of the church team

God uses courageous people to lead His church teams. Although most of the leadership team in the DOVE church team only have a high school degree, each one has practical experience. Not only can they start and pastor a group of churches, they also have their own writings, and they can all lead camps to help people.

God uses obedient people, and unless we are brave, it is difficult for us to obey God. God said:“One man chases a thousand, and two chases ten thousand.” (See Deuteronomy 32:30)In the church team, God uses brave people to raise up and lead the team.

Peter made mistakes from time to time, but basically he was a brave man. When Jesus said, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter got it right:"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."Next, Peter tried to stop Jesus from going to the cross, but Jesus rebuked him:"Get behind me, Satan." (Matthew 16:13-23)But Peter still followed the Lord.

Although Peter later denied the Lord three times, he still turned around and strengthened his brothers (see Luke 22:32). It can be seen that in addition to courage, discernment is also important.

James and John were also brave men. They were nicknamed "sons of thunder" and Jesus corrected them because they had suggested that Jesus send down fire from heaven to destroy those who did not accept them (see Luke 9:54). After Jesus was arrested, the only one who closely followed the Lord was John; when Jesus was crucified, the only one who guarded the Lord except a few sisters was John; and James was the first to be martyred for the Lord.

In the Old Testament we see a similar situation. After the Israelites left Egypt, they did not immediately enter the Promised Land of Canaan and wandered in the wilderness for forty years. It was precisely because ten out of twelve people in the leadership team led by Moses were timid. God uses His people to work with Him, and the most effective way is through "a leader and his team." Without a leader, it is difficult for a team to operate; without a team, it is difficult for a leader to be effective (see "The Magical Use of Team Leadership," by George Barna, Flying Eagle Publishing).

And don’t put timid people in your leadership team. They will hinder God’s bold and wonderful works. No wonder Revelation 21:7-8 says: "He who overcomes will inherit these: I will be his God, and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers , whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake of fire that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:7-8) God’s words are so surprising.

William. A team led by William Carey

As mentioned above, the gospel ministry expanded rapidly. In addition to the first to fifth centuries, the nineteenth century also achieved great results. Church historian Kenneth Scott Latourette called the nineteenth century "the great century." As for the brilliant achievements of this century, William cannot but be mentioned. William Carey and his team.

William. Carey was a British bivocational pastor. He was a cobbler and pastor of the Baptist church. At that time, ocean navigation technology was developed (in the first century, land and coastal transportation was developed), and many new fields were discovered. William. Carey was distraught when he saw people forming major companies to go to untouched lands to do business and make money, but they did not work hard to save people's souls. He gathered a group of friends to serve as backup, and personally became the first missionary of the team. After a five-month voyage, he took his family to India in November 1793, ushering in the pioneering of modern missionary work.

William. Carey later became known as the "Father of Modern Missions." He established the team's first church in Malda and worked in a dyeing and printing company to provide for the needs of his family and team. Many people came to the meeting, but for seven years no one believed in the Lord. The team’s second church was established in Serampore, and more people believed in the Lord. William. Clifford established a school in 1819 to train local Indians to open up churches. In 1834 William. When Carey died, one hundred and twenty-six churches had been established.

3. Outreach of the church team to establish new churches

The church team focuses on outreach ministry, and this outreach ministry is mainly focused on establishing new churches, connecting with, and pastoring existing churches. The author refers to William. One of the reasons why Carey's team was listed as a church team is precisely because he focused on the establishment of the church.

There was another great missionary in the 19th century, Hudson Taylor. Hudson Taylor's missionary work in China was unprecedented and unprecedented, and his achievements are obvious to all. The "China Inland Mission" he founded had more than 800 missionaries during his lifetime. After Taylor's death, the mission continued to develop and still has a significant influence on the gospel ministry in China.

However, Hudson Taylor and William. Carey's strategy was obviously different. Taylor was determined to let every Chinese hear the gospel, basically using the gift of "evangelism"; William. Carey focused on the establishment and cooperative operation of the church, which was the gift of "apostolicity."

Taylor arrived in China in 1832. He wore Chinese clothes and had a Chinese hairstyle. He practiced medicine and preached the gospel (he was also a dual-vocational pastor). The author’s missiology teacher David. When discussing missionary strategies, David Spruance mentioned that if Hudson Taylor had used the model of building churches and pastoring church teams as his main strategy, would there have been different results?

Historical confirmation is different from experiments in natural science. Natural science can change factors at any time to test the results; historical confirmation often takes decades or even hundreds of years to see the results. However, the question of the effectiveness of this gospel strategy can be traced back to John. John Wesley and George. We can see the clues in the comparison of George Whitefield.

They originally served on the same team, but later separated due to different views on "predestination." Wesley focused on building churches. He trained lay leaders to lead groups (Classes), several groups became local churches (Society), and itinerant pastors were responsible for caring for dozens of churches (Circuit). The Methodist team has become a model for modern church teams.

In 1777 Wesley sent Francis. Francis Asbury went to America and used the same model to open up churches, becoming one of the most important groups in promoting American evangelization. Whitefield was a preacher who traveled widely throughout his life and preached countless sermons. He could preach to 30,000 people outdoors at a time.

At that time, Whitefield's influence was no less than that of Wesley. However, as time passed, Whitefield's preaching became a thing of the past. The church founded by Wesley developed into the second largest church group in the world at that time, and it is still the third largest denomination after Catholicism and the Southern Baptist Convention (see Figure 2).

▲[Picture 2]

Interestingly, after the Methodist Church (Methodist Church had approximately 10 million members at the time) and the Evangelical United Brethren (Evangelical United Brethren had approximately 760,000 members at the time) merged to form the United Methodist Church in 1968 , the number of people decreases every year.

A church body that loses its pioneering spirit and attempts to merge will shrink, especially if it values organization more than relationships. Wesley's model church group has now become a main line denomination in decline.

Another key to a Methodist team becoming a denomination is leadership succession. Unlike Paul's relationship with Timothy and Titus, Wesley did not cultivate or hand over the reins to his right-hand man, Thomas. Thomas Coke, or Asbury, the apostle of America.

In 1884 (he was 81 years old; he died in 1891), Wesley summoned one hundred itinerant ministers, the so-called "Legal Hundred" (the Legal Hundred), to hold an annual meeting and declare that he and his brothers would After Charles's death, the annual meeting exercised its powers. After his death, the annual meeting elected a chairman and secretary and began to operate like a sect.

4. The strengths of the church team value long-term relationships

The strength of church teams is their focus on long-lasting relationships. In May 2000, I went south to North Carolina for work and took the opportunity to open a third pioneer church. I flew back and forth between Pennsylvania and North Carolina (see the February 2003 issue of "Chinese Church Today", "From the perspective of modern technology" "Preaching the Gospel" article). I came into contact with a church team called Grace International.

Pastor Jerry Daley, who founded the Grace Team, established the team's first church in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He spent ten years leading Mike. Michael Fletcher. From the age of sixteen to twenty-six, when Mike was mature enough to take charge of pastoral work, Jerry went to Thailand to continue to open a second church.

After Jerry returned to the United States, he and Mike continued to plant more than twenty churches in North Carolina, and also established dozens of churches in Romania. When I was in and out of North Carolina, Pastor Jerry took time to meet with me every week without asking for anything in return, and shared his experience with me without reservation. He was truly apostolic. Much of my concept of church teams was formed during that time.

The practice of maintaining a long-lasting relationship is consistent with Paul. Paul cared for and pastored the church he pioneered, either writing letters, visiting, or staying for a long time, "with tenderness, as a mother nurses her own child." ” (1 Thessalonians 2:7) Paul led the team and valued the development and pastoral care of the entire church team, rather than the growth of a single church. He said: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gives the growth…You are God’s field…” (1 Corinthians 3:6, 9)

After three and a half years of dual-career pastoring in a small denomination, the author determined that church propagation is the most effective way to spread the gospel (see the author's "Pioneering New Churches" in the July 2001 issue of the China Christian Evangelical Association's newsletter "Way" ” article), at the same time, I also discovered that it is not easy to propagate churches within denominations.

In August 1999, the author, his wife Li Li, another young couple and several relatives visiting from out of town started worshiping in the living room of their home in Aaron City. At that time, I did not know who would come next week. On the third day, the author received a call. A new student in Philadelphia was looking for a church. Therefore, the Lord led several students from the University of Pennsylvania to drive more than an hour to be among us every Sunday. For the convenience of students, we started a second church near Pennsylvania University in Philadelphia in November of the same year. We met in Atlanta on Sunday morning and worshiped the Lord in Philadelphia in the afternoon.

In 2000, students were baptized and graduated and returned to Taipei one after another. The author occasionally returned to Taipei to worship on irregular Sundays. Two weeks before the September 11 incident in 2001, the author and his wife were accompanying the author of "Wind and Fire", Pastor Jamie Xin and his wife, and the Brooklyn Choir Group. Leads vocal group and leads spiritual ministry seminars.

After the 911 incident, planes were grounded. That Sunday was our third consecutive Sunday worship in Taipei. When I announced the establishment of Christian Pioneer Taipei Church that day, everyone except Jesus and me was probably shocked. Some of the students who returned to Taipei returned to the churches they attended before going abroad. Among them were two law graduates who were baptized at Christian Pioneer Church in Philadelphia. They led small groups and studied preaching, and stayed as co-workers.

With that rudimentary training (Christian Pioneer Leadership College had not yet been established at that time), I, my eldest sister, teacher Yang Chumei, and my friends bravely led small groups every week and took turns preaching every month. Nowadays, many people have been baptized in the Taipei church. Although the church is still small, it can go to Taoyuan to worship once a month and develop the Taoyuan church. The second generation who was baptized also started a small group in Kaohsiung, worshiped on irregular Sundays, and opened up the Kaohsiung church.

Brothers and sisters who have returned to mainland China and those who have gone to Europe have also started family churches there. God’s grace is so great that unless brothers and sisters value lasting relationships, these wonderful things will not be possible. As I write this, my heart feels warm and warm. This rare friendship with the Lord is worth a lifetime.

Channels of God's Blessings

There is no clear distinction between a church team and a denomination composed of a single church. Because the church team is bred from one church, it focuses on long-term relationships and has a high degree of mutual trust between people and between churches. On the contrary, they are often more efficient in making decisions and executing them.

However, when focusing on the operation of the church team, efficiency is secondary, and the most important thing is to consider the Lord’s will. The author’s biggest gain from participating in the church team is to experience the Lord’s great grace. In my personal experience, the church team is a channel for God’s blessings, through which the Lord’s grace and anointing pour down.

Author profile

Yang YongqingThe doctor is the founding and senior pastor of the Christian Pioneer Church team, the head of the Christian Pioneer Leadership Academy, and the CEO of Flying Eagle Publishing.