There are many ways to plant microchurches, and we recognize that within the pulse network that churches will be started in several ways.  Here is the process that we will, as a rule, stick to as we seek to expand the kingdom of God in Greenville and beyond.

First, we believe that multiplying disciples will result in churches that multiply.  We will make disciples first, and churches will sprout.  While this may take longer, there are several advantages:

1. The church will rise out of the culture.  A church that meets in a bar will, and should, look different than a church that will meet in a coffeehouse or in a home.  The basic DNA and practices will be the same, but there will be a different feel and approach.  To take one approach to planting churches and apply it to all settings would be less organic and more forced, almost like the church is grafted into the culture.
2. The “lowest common denominator” of the kingdom is, not the church, but the disciple.  While church planting is vital to the spreading of the kingdom, we believe that making and multiplying disciples must take place before a church is “planted.”  As disciples are made and multiply, churches will sprout.
3. Starting with disciple making first allows for relationships to form and trust to build.  Many churches have developed assimilation strategies for helping new people get connected.  When, however, we start with disciple-making first, new people will already be connected via the relationship that is formed with the disciple that helped disciple them.  Will there need to be explanation of what is expected of disciples and churches in the pulse network?  Sure, but these will take place in the context of the community.

Here is the “as-a-rule” process:

1. Establish “ground zero.”  Where is God leading the church planter to make disciples and form a church?  A bar, a coffeehouse, a bookstore, a home, etc.?  It should be a place that the planter is familiar with-a place he spends time.
2. Form relationships and build trust.  The planter must seek to build relationship with those at “ground zero”, whether it be his neighbors, his co-workers, patrons of the bar, etc.  The planter builds trust through Christ-motivated service to those he wants to introduce to Jesus.  As trust is built, the planter must pray for and watch for opportunities to share Jesus.
3. Establish a routine.  A planter shouldn’t try to tell everything about Jesus to those who are open in one sitting.  They should “give a taste” and try to set up a later time to chat some more.  That routine can become the meeting time for the new church.
4. Disciple the “person of peace.”  When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach, he told them to find a “person of peace” in the villages they would preach.  That person of peace would provide shelter for them during their stay in the village.  As a planter builds trust and relationships, he must identify the person[s] most open to the gospel, and begin to disciple them.  A person of peace will be someone who is open and who has influence with others.  The planter needs to pray that God will help him to find this person from the beginning of the process.
5. Multiply disciples, and a church sprouts.  As more people become disciples-and all it takes is 2-3-a new church sprouts in “ground zero.”  The planter continues to stress the DNA-love God, love people, serve the world-and equips those in the new church to live out the DNA in their own lives.
6. Multiply leaders to multiply churches.  The planter needs to stress the value of multiplication immediately.  Each disciple is called to multiply disciples; each church is called to multiply churches.  The planter needs to look for either a person to replace himself with as leader of this church so that he may go and start another, or for a person[s] to be sent from the church to go plant others.

We recognize that churches can be started through different processes, but as a rule, we will try to stick with this one… unless a new process emerges.

Here is a simple circle.  Let’s let each circle represent a microchurch.

Each church in the network must have multiplication as it’s goal–to multiply disciples and thus multiplying churches.

As disciples multiply and churches sprout up, groups of churches will be planted in relatively close proximity to each other in the city.

As disciples multiply and churches sprout, clusters of churches will form.  Each church should have the capacity for 20 people (this may be less depending on location, but it should not be more).  Within the DCC network, at least one elder would oversee and shepherd each cluster of churches (with no more than five churches per cluster).  In the early stages, before the first cluster gels, should elders be developed, there would need to be at least two appointed.

As disciples continue to multiply and churches sprout, clusters can multiply new clusters.  Each cluster is overseen and shepherded by an elder… and thus there are now a plurality of elders with the city where these churches are located. 

As clusters continue to multiply (and elders are appointed to oversee each cluster)…

…zones are formed.  A zone is a group of clusters of churches, all of which are found within or around a city.  The elders over the clusters in each zone (in each city) collectively oversee and shepherd the church collective in this city.  Thus, there are a plurality of elders overseeing and shepherding the church of this city.

As disciples multiply and churches sprout within cities, clusters will form and zones will form within cities.  Elders will oversee and shepherd the churches in their cluster, and the elders from each zone will collectively oversee and shepherd the churches in their city.  Each zone is independent of othre zones–each zone is overseen by their own leadership team of elders and evangelist.  What is networked is the DNA (love God, love people, serve the world).  Zones can also network with each other (resources, time, skills) for regional service and global service. 

You can also extrapolate that out–networks can birth other networks in other cities.  They are loosely connected via the DNA (love God, love people, serve the world), and they can work together on common regional and global efforts.

SUMMARY
So, as our network grows–disciples are multiplied, churches sprout in each city, clusters of churches form–elders will oversee and shepherd the churches within their cluster (via communication with the church planters).  The elders within each zone in our network (each zone is organized around a city) oversee and shepherd the churches in their zone.   Therefore, each zone (city) will have their own elders.  Elders from different zones can certainly communicate to network together to share resources, plan regional and global service, training sessions, etc.

And when they (Paul and Barnabas) had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.  Acts 14:23

For this reason I (Paul) left you (Titus) in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.  Titus 1:5

American churches that subscribe to the elder model for leadership have taken these scriptures to mean that each congregation is to have a plurality–several–elders over each congregation.  If that’s the model of church we used, it would certainly be the leadership model we would adopt.  However, as a microchurch network (which looks like what the early churches were–networks of simple churches organized around a city), this presents a question:  does each church in a microchurch network need multiple elders, or does the network as a collective whole need multiple elders?

As you look at how the early church seemed to be structured–networks of microchurches in a city–it would seem that each network had a multitude of elders over it, and not neccessarily each individual church (although it could be the case, depending upon how big each church was).  So, in Acts 14, it would seem that Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each church–and the context shows that each church would be the network of churches in Lystra, the network of churches in Iconium, and in the network of churches in Antioch.  This gives some clarity on what Paul wrote to Titus–ordain elders in every city.  The churches were networked in the city they were located in, and a plurality of elders would oversee and shepherd those churches within their respective network.

So, in the next post, we’ll look at how eldership is structured in the DCC network (and any networks that will be birthed from DCC):  a team of elders who oversee the network of churches in their city.

First, teaching includes exhortation in sound doctrine. An elder must always be a Bible student so that he may teach others correctly and be able to answer questions that may come up. A serious and humble Bible student will find the answer if he does not know it.  Also, teaching includes refuting those who contradict sound doctrine. In a society steeped in religious pluralism, this may seem harsh at times. It is, however, required of elders that they lovingly refute those who contradict the teachings of the Scriptures.

• …holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. Titus 1:9 (NASB)

Second, teaching includes equipping the church for ministry. Along with doctrinal teaching that takes place, the eldership and the evangelist are God’s equipping team for the church. This involves helping people discover, develop, and distribute their ministry.

• And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16 (NASB)

What are some innovative ways that elders can carry out their teaching responsibilities in the church?

First, shepherding includes guarding all the church. The elders must intimately know the sheep of God’s flock, being aware of their spiritual condition so that they can respond to the need at hand.

• Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.Acts 20:28 (NASB)

Second, shepherding includes guarding the church from false teachers, both from outside and inside the church. One of Satan’s biggest tools is to twist the truth ever so slightly. There will be those who come in the name of Christ that are not really His, teaching false doctrine. There will be those within the church-Christians-who will teach false doctrine. Both may be sincere, but sincerity is not a substitute for truth. Both must be exposed and dealt with so that others within the church are not drawn away.

• “…savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert…”Acts 20:29b-31a (NASB)

Third, shepherding includes helping the weak and needy. This would fall under the qualification of hospitality. The church, especially her leaders, must be ready and willing to help those who are truly in need within the church.

• “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”Acts 20:33-35 (NASB)

What are some innovative ways that elders in our network can shepherd their churches and the churches in their city, and the entire network?

First, good elders deserve double honor.  Elders who practice good oversight of the church deserve two things: respect and monetary pay. Those who work hard at teaching and preaching are especially deserving. Oversight includes teaching the flock of God.

• Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.1 Timothy 5:17 (NASB)

Second, elders watch over the souls of the church and will give an account to God of their oversight. Elders watch over the souls of the congregation and will give an account to God for their oversight. The congregation must be instructed to love their elders so that oversight is a joy and not a burden.

• Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)

Third, oversight includes instructing, correcting, and encouraging the church. The elders must carry out church discipline, instruction, and encouragement for whoever needs it in the church.

• ¨ But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men.1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 (NASB)

 Fourth, oversight includes ministering to the sick of the congregation. Contrary to the popular model, the evangelist is not the one to make hospital calls. The elders are to minister to the sick and pray with them.

• Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.James 5:14-15 (NASB)

Looking at the oversight responsibilities, comment on some innovative ways that elders can oversee the churches in our network.

• And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders. Acts 11:29-30 (NASB)
• And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And now the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. And after he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. Acts 21:17-19 (NASB)

As representatives of their church, the elders act as ambassadors between other churches that they are networked with.

What are some ways that you, as an elder, could represent your microchurch, the microchurches in your city, and the entire network?

1. Representing the church.
2. Overseeing the church.
3. Shepherding the church.
4. Teaching the church.

The remaining four posts will go more into detail in each of these areas of responsibility.

At Discovery Christian Church, we try to follow the Bible’s pattern as closely as possible in this area.  Therefore, the process for selecting elders is as such:

• The evangelist finds the candidates.  Candidates will be assessed and evaluated for their personality and gifts. 
• The evangelist trains and equips the candidates.  There are several steps in the process of training the candidates.
  • Education.  The candidates will be educated on what the Bible says concerning the eldership.  As they learn about biblical elders, they will be asked to honestly examine themselves to see if they meet the necessary qualifications and can handle the duties of eldership.
  • Testing.  The candidates will go through a period of “on the job” testing.  This will give the candidates an opportunity to work together with the existing elders to see how they work as a team.
  • References.  Since one of the qualifications for an elder is to have a good reputation in the community, each candidate will be required to provide three references of people who are not Christians and are not immediate family.  This will allow the evangelist to talk with those who know the candidate to see if he meets this qualification.
• A period of prayer and fasting for the church.  The evangelist will inform the network of the progress of the training, and will determine a period of time that the congregation should fast and pray for all concerned (Acts 14:23).

The evangelist ordains the elders.  After the period of prayer and fasting, the evangelist will ordain the elders during a Network Celebration.

 Answer the following questions in the comment section:

1. Are you empowering others to become sold-out followers of Jesus Christ through how you live your life, starting with your family?  What parts of your life need to change in order to do so? 
2. What are your honest motives for wanting to lead in the church?