How To Help Daughter Churches Multiply

two that are most neglected are extension and bridging growth!!!

F. Some Pastors hesitate to give daughter churches Local Church Board status for fear that they will lose control. This may indicate that the Pastors, Local Overseers, or Chairman are insecure in themselves. Perhaps, they feel that the Holy Spirit is not adequate somehow to take care of His church?

G. Perhaps, few people have vision for starting new churches.

H. Perhaps, no one offered training like this in starting new churches.

I. Perhaps it is difficult to find a seed family who can take responsibility for holding the prayer meetings in their home.

J. Perhaps, the new area has a great deal of Muslims.

Example - A new church in Jos, was recently started in a Muslim section of town. Despite opposition the Lord used the faith of a few to begin a new fellowship. The Lord used many people who had formerly been overlooked in starting a new church in a predominately Muslim section!

K. Many churches are not being started because leaders are overlooking members, neighbors, and the silent majority.

L. The initiative for starting new churches may come from seminary teachers, evangelists, or other outsiders. Each church must realize that although they may ask for help from outsiders in beginning new churches, ultimately, the responsibility lies with each local church.

M. People must stop thinking that a bigger church is always better.

Example - It would be better to have ten churches of 200 people in all areas of a town, village, or large city than to have one centrally located church of 2,000 members. The church would grow faster in both quantitative and qualitative ways!

N. Some churches have turned tribalistic. They are content with having people from their own tribe. They do not really want new members who might pose a threat to their internal prejudicial ways of thinking.

Example - For seven years, the members of a certain church did not cooperate with their Pastor because he was not from their tribe. When the church got their own man, the congregation became so tribally oriented, that nearly everyone but members of that tribe left the church in disgust! (Gal. 3:28)

O. Fears, suspicions, and doubts are numerous whenever any new church is about to begin. Jesus said, ``Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither be afraid, for lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age!’’ (Jn 14:27; Mt. 28:20)

P. Perhaps, people are so focused on their own problems that they refuse to think about the needs of others for Christ!

Q. Perhaps, members fail to realize that it is God’s central will to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. (Both physically and spiritually with Christians)

Example - Today the growth of Christianity is barely keeping up with the growth of the population. The percentage of Christians in the world has hardly increased in the last 50 years. (Dayton, p.581-586) In order for Christianity to grow, we must start more churches, lead more people to Christ, and disciple those who become Christians so they can influence their entire extended families. Many missionaries must also be sent to unreached people groups where the gospel is yet to be clearly preached!

R. Many churches have no clearly defined goals for