NINE FREEDOMS OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
Common to all church planting movements

Copyright © 2003 George Patterson & Galen Currah

Assignments: In your prayer & planning groups, write down your plan
for how you will enact each of these nine freedoms.
  1. Freedom for young churches to start newer churches as soon as the Lord makes it possible. (Epaphras)

    2. Assignment: Start drawing a map showing where God may want to start churches. Show your map and give a brief report at the end of the workshop. Determine to keep new church work free from required use of building and salaries.

    For churches to start newer ones, they need the following freedoms:

  2. Freedom to obey the commands of Christ and his apostles above and before all religious rules and traditions. (Christ and Jews).

    3. Assignment: Hold a workshop or a series of meetings to enact this freedom. Plan how to practice seven basic commands of Jesus. Pray for discernment about which your church now neglects and what cherished evangelical traditions hinder your church’s obedience.

  3. Freedom to enter the homes of unconverted seekers, evangelizing them and making disciples within their own cultures and families. (Peter & Cornelius)

    4. Assignment: Write plans for how you will introduce in your churches intercessory prayer for families, friends and social groups. In which homes will you introduce Christian teaching and worship?

  4. 3. Freedom to baptize new believers without delay, and to celebrate the Lord's Table wherever they meet. (Early church)

    5. Assignment: Write plans for how you will delegate pastoral authority to others to perform the sacraments in a CPM.

  5. Freedom to serve one another in the Body of Christ as intimate, loving churches and cells, using all the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given to them.
    (1 Cor 14:24-26)

    6. Assignment: Write plans to train apostles and shepherds to ensure group interaction, letting the Holy Spirit work powerfully.

  6. Freedom to provide pastoral leadership by those who meet the NT qualifications of elders with or without salaries. (Timothy)

    7. Assignment: Write plans to commission publicly your church’s apostles and shepherds. When and where will you do so.

  7. Freedom to apply any New Testament method of preaching and teaching God’s Word according to each group’s size and its leaders’ maturity. (Timothy)

    8. Assignment: Plan to train your apostles and shepherds to lead small groups that hold Bible discussions and role-lays including children and adults. Plan to write Bible application lesson outlines.

  8. Freedom for pastoral trainers to respond to immediate needs of new churches and leaders. (Titus)

    9. Assignment: Write plans to choose or develop a menu of resources to train your church’s apostles and shepherds. Write plans to introduce the one-another practices and essential NT ministries into new churches.

  9. Freedom to provide regional coordinators who supervise new and immature churches and pastoral leaders. (Titus)

Assignment: Identify the men whom you will train as your church’s apostles and shepherds. Identify men in your denomination whose passion is to keep a CPM on track.

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