Skip To Content

THE SOURCE | E-CONNECTED

E-Connected Archive - October 2011


WHY EVANGELISM IS NOT ENOUGH!

The work of Frontiers is all about Muslims and all about Church Planting. These have been distinctives from day one. Here we reflect again on these basics, and consider why evangelism on it's own is not enough.

Pic of guy with this thumb up


"Nowhere in the New Testament do we find the command to plant churches. However, a cursory reading of the book of Acts indicates that the early church, and especially Paul the apostle, understood the command to “make disciples of all nations” in terms of church planting. In the New Testament, there were no disciples apart from believing communities; there was no evangelism without church growth.

Evangelism is not enough. To rescue the perishing or to reach Muslims is only the first step toward an even greater goal. We want to build committed, growing communities – communities of the King. To make disciples of all nations (in Greek, panta ta ethne – all the ethnic groups of the world), we must establish churches within each of these ethne. Jesus’ implication in Matthew 28:19 is clear, and the rest of the New Testament provides us with a model.

A concise summary of church planting in the New Testament is found in Acts 14:21-23 (NASB):

And after they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.' And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Picture of group in AfricaThis passage highlights a number of important points regarding the process of church planting. The various steps that Luke mentions in each city draw a composite picture of the process of church planting: first evangelise, next build up the body, then appoint elders to lead the body, and finally, move on."

The text above is an extract from the book “Muslims, Magic and the Kingdom of God” by Rick Love.

Copies of this book are available from the Frontiers office, priced £8.00.

“Even before Muslims confess Christ as their saviour, they must be instilled with the notion that commitment to Christ must include and involve commitment to the community of believers” Greg Livingstone.