Biblical Perspective on Movement Maintenance

By Richard Chowning 1990

A. What did Jesus demonstrate or teach about maintaining a movement?

Sources:Gospels

Procedure:

1.Search through the parables on the Kingdom.

2.Look at the orders Jesus gave his disciples about preaching the Kingdom........................ 3.There the multitudes are present what did Jesus do to keep them coming? What did Jesus do when some turned away?

B. Why did the church grow so rapidly in the beginning?

Source: Acts

Procedure: Read through Acts looking for the answers to the following questions.

1.What was the message that the disciples preached? Why?

2.What did the disciples do to keep their numbers increasing? What attention did they give to maturation in the beginning?

3.What did the disciples expect of the new converts concerning evangelism?

4.In terms of evangelism, what was the natural reaction to conversion by the new converts? What brought such a natural reaction about?

Evaluation of All of Our Activities:

1.Each member of the team list what he has done in the churches over the past two months.

2.Where has he been going?

3.What has been done and what has been taught?

Each activity is then evaluated against criterion similar to the following:

1.Was the activity specifically evangelistic? Did have a secondary effect only on evangelism? Did it have to do with other than evangelistic purposes?

2.What from the activity could be borrowed by those witnessing or participating in it? What long term effects to evangelism did it have?

3.What was the response? How many were converted? How many were motivated toward evangelism by the activity?

Each lesson could be evaluated by criterion such as the following:

1.How evangelistic was the lesson?

2.What reasons did you give for becoming a follower of Christ? Were the reasons up front, were they the main point(s) of the lesson or just tacked onto a lesson that other than evangelistic purposes?

3.What type of illustrations were given? Did they illustrated the reason why one should become a follower of Christ? Were they Kalenjin illustrations?

Overall evaluation of the activities:

1.What proportion of the activities were specifically evangelistic? What proportion were secondarily evangelistic? What proportion were not evangelistic at all?

2.What proportion of the lessons had a direct intention to motivate others to be evangelistic?

3.If a movement is to be maintained, there must be extreme concentration on evangelism. Over emphasis on maturation, problems or organizational efforts, if over emphasized, can slow a movement down. Eighty percent or more of the activity must center on the preaching that leads to conversion or motivating evangelism. If that is not the case with the activities evaluated, then some adjustment should be made as to the type of activities in which we engage.

Responsibility, Requirements and Expectations of members and Congregations:

A movement can gain momentum by new converts feeling that they are responsible for sharing the gospel with other very soon after their conversion.

A research study could be taken to see what are the expectations the older members have for the younger members.

Some basic questions to be answered are the following - A great deal of what is expected must be demonstrated by the older Christians.

1.What percentage of the congregation are involved in evangelism?

2.What rate of growth is there in the congregation?

The participation by new converts is essential.

1.How soon after conversion do new converts begin to share their faith?

2.What are the results of the preaching of new converts?

Research and test ways to heighten the expectation of prolonged involvement in evangelism by eighty percent of the congregation.