Hungary Budapest, Wed 10 October 2011 Kiegyensúlyozottság és teljeskörűen növekedő gyülekezett

A local church should grow according to biblical criteria and therefore in a balanced way.

Biblical Growth Has at Least Three Essential Elements: 1. Quantitative growth or evangelism (number of those saved). 2. Qualitative growth or edification (spiritual growth of believers). 3. Structural growth (the infrastructure of the church as a body)

QUANTITY QUALITY STRUCTURE

Quantitative Growth is Important “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41 ESV,,A kik azért örömest vevék az õ beszédét, megkeresztelkedének; és hozzájuk csatlakozék azon a napon mintegy háromezer lélek.” Apostolok 2:41 (Károli)

Quantitative Growth is Important “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. “ Acts 2:47 (ESV),,Dícsérve az Istent, és az egész nép elõtt kedvességet találva. Az Úr pedig minden napon szaporítja vala a gyülekezetet az idvezülõkkel.” Apostolok 2:47 (Károli)

Quantitative Growth is Important “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.” Acts 11:21 (ESV),,És az Úrnak keze vala velök; és nagy sokaság tére meg az Úrhoz, hívõvé lévén.” Apostolok 11:21 (Károli)

Qualitative Growth is Important And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42 (ESV) És foglalatosok valának az apostolok tudományában és a közösségben, a kenyérnek megtörésében és a könyörgésekben. Apostolok 2:42 (Károli)

What is Qualitative Growth? 1. PRIORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD 2. TRUE DISCIPLESHIP 3. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 4. SPIRITUAL GIFTING VALUED 5. BIBLICAL WORSHIP 6. EFFECTIVE SMALL GROUPS 7. EFFECTIVE EVANGELISM 8. LOVING CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER. 9. REPRODUCTION BY CHURCH PLANTING. 10. WORLD MISSIONS VISION

Structural or Organic Growth is Important Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. [2] And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. [3] Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. Acts 6:1-3 (ESV)

Structural or Organic Growth is Important 1 Azokban a napokban pedig, mikor a tanítványok szaporodának, támada a görög zsidók közt panaszolkodás a héberek ellen, hogy az õ közülük való özvegyasszonyok mellõztetnek a mindennapi szolgálatban. 2 Annakokáért a tizenkettõ egybegyûjtvén a tanítványok sokaságát, mondának: Nem helyes, hogy mi az Isten ígéjét elhagyjuk és az asztalok körül szolgáljunk. 3 Válaszszatok azért, atyámfiai, ti közületek hét férfiút, kiknek [jó] bizonyságuk van, kik Szent Lélekkel és bölcseséggel teljesek, kiket erre a foglalatosságra beállítsunk. Apostolok 6:1-3 (Károli)

What is blocking? What should we do? DYNAMIC GROWTH OBSTACLEOBSTACLE

Find out what is blocking, solve it and move ahead. GREATER GROWTH MULTIPLYINGMULTIPLYING G O D’ S A N S W E R GREATERMULTIPLYINGGREATERMULTIPLYING ACTS 6:1a ACTS 6:7 ACTS 6:1b-6

Key Principles First, these three elements are linked together and you cannot separate them. For example, is it true that God is more interested in quality than in quantity?

QUANTITY QUALITY STRUCTURE

Key Principles Second the tendency is that when we have seen quantitative growth, we emphasize qualitative growth at the expense of continued outreach and evangelism.

QUANTITY QUALITY STRUCTURE

Key Principles Third, but to do evangelism (quantitative growth) without following closely with discipling brings superficiality. The result is this:

Key Principles Fourth, but preoccupation with quantitative and qualitative growth without caring for structural growth creates difficulties. Acts 6:1 to 17.

QUANTITY QUALITY STRUCTURE

Key Principles Fifth, but creating structures in the local church without evangelism creates a kind of smothering and institutionalism that creates deadness. The principle is to create structures to help growth and as growth occurs.

QUANTITY QUALITY STRUCTURE

Key Principles Sixth, structural growth (organic growth) means creating daughter churches as a means of better quantitative and qualitative growth.

TODAY’S EXPERIENCES PARIS ORLY

TODAY’S EXPERIENCES FIRST CHURCH PLANT PARIS ORLY Longjumeau 1968

TODAY’S EXPERIENCES 2 ND CHURCH PLANT PARIS ORLY Longjumeau 1968 Creteil 1971

TODAY’S EXPERIENCES 3 rd CHURCH PLANT PARIS ORLY Longjumeau 1968 Creteil 1971 Val d’Yerres 1973

TODAY’S EXPERIENCES 4 th CHURCH PLANT PARIS ORLY Longjumeau 1968 Creteil 1971 Val d’Yerres 1973 Savigny-le-Temple 1981

TODAY’S EXPERIENCES 5 th CHURCH PLANT PARIS ORLY Longjumeau 1968 Creteil 1971 Val d’Yerres 1973 Savigny-le-Temple 1981 Vigneux 1982

6 th CHURCH PLANT & 1 st Granddaughter Church PARIS ORLY Longjumeau 1968 Creteil 1971 Val d’Yerres 1973 Savigny-le-Temple 1981 Vigneux 1982 Bretigny 1986

Key Principles Seventh, the Holy Spirit is at work in all three of these areas. Can you give any biblical examples of this? Personal experiences?

QUANTITY QUALITY STRUCTURE

Key Principles Eighth, if the qualitative growth does not result in effective evangelism leading to quantitative growth, then it is a “building up” that kills.

QUANTITY QUALITY STRUCTURE

Key Principles Ninth, quantitative growth is often a thermometer of qualitative growth.

QUANTITY QUALITY STRUCTURE

Questions 1. How much time does your church give to evangelism? Of all the meetings, how many have the goal of winning lost people? 2. How can you have a better qualitative growth? Do you have a plan for this? 3. What do you do to avoid the problems that can come from a lack of adequate infrastructures? 4. How important is it to rework structures as growth comes?

Challenge Put into place a team that has as its goal the thinking through of these three elements of balance and then comes up with clear planning to put this plan into use.