MentorNet #15

COORDINATORS OF NEW CHURCH WORK

Copyright © 2003 by Galen Currah and George Patterson

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I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. Titus 1:5 NLT

Paul left Titus in Crete to "coordinate" the new church work by appointing elders in each town and instructing them in faith, conduct and responsibilities. Paul did the same during earlier church planting trips (Acts 14:23). In both cases the churches had been planted before elders were appointed, and were functioning as the Body of Christ, although immaturely.

Whether you are the coordinator for such church planting for your region or you mentor such coordinators, you should know the essential tasks of a regional coordinator for new church work. He plans for the churches to do what the New Testament requires of a church, and ensures that they get done. The coordinator's duties include the following:

  1. Research who and where are the neglected people groups in your region, and make plans for church planters to enter every one of them.
  2. Build up new church leaders by mentoring them, helping them to understand and obey the instructions of the Lord and his apostles.
  • One easy way to mentor new leaders is to use a "menu" to select topics, activities or materials to fulfill what a new church is still lacking. For menu-driven materials we recommend:
    1. Demonstrating the skills and conduct that the new leaders must acquire.
    2. Develop their churches by planning with the new leaders to introduce all the ministries required by the New Testament.
    3. Plan with church planters, leaders, elders and regional coordinators, the specific steps they will take so that their churches reproduce by winning new believers and preparing new pastoral leaders to serve them.
    4. God seems to be pleased to add to his church increasing numbers of believers wherever we, his servants, lay plans by faith to empower churches and leaders to multiply.
    5. Help these pastoral leaders to identify and mentor apprentices who lead new churches.
    6. Provide training materials that are geared to mobilizing new leaders of new churches. Keep supplies of training materials available to all participants in the mentoring chains throughout your region. This may require recruiting helpers.
    7. Because of the rapidly growing number of churches in many fields where workers follow these New Testament guidelines, the task of procuring, copying, stocking, and distributing training materials to leaders who mentor others soon becomes an immense challenge.
    8. Arrange occasional training seminars for leaders and elders, to supplement the mentoring chains and to build a sense of joyful unity among the older and newer leaders.
  • In parts on northern India, regional coordinators are very busy men who, in addition to mentoring new leaders, lead training seminars for them twice a month. That is because there are so many new churches being planted, an average of one a day in many regions.
  • Our prayer is that you will give all needed diligence to implement these duties of regional coordinators, either by being one or assisting one or more.

     

    Available materials that facilitate the raising up of new leaders by mentoring them:

    Pastor’s Storybook (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Hindi). Fast-paced story of a new church led by a novice shepherd who find help from Bible stories. Some versions include an index of Bible stories. Evangelism, 8 units, commands of Jesus, 7 units, New Testament ministries, 14 units. Visit <http://www.Paul-Timothy.net>.

    "Paul-Timothy Training Menu" 100+ lesson outlines with a menu. Free. English only. Visit <http://www.Paul-Timothy.net>.

    Train and Multiply® a menu of training lessons with 62 well-proven booklets. Many languages. For explanations and licensure, visit <http://www.TrainAndMultiply.com>.

    "Come, Let Us Disciple the Nations" a past-paced, interactive, electronic novel on CD-ROM, suitable for private study or as a course textbook. Downloads, discs, and instructors guide available from <http://www.AcquireWisdom.com>.

    To view or obtain many other downloadable resources from George Patterson and others, visit <http://www.MentorAndMultiply.com>.