One network of churches in Kenya set a goal of 2,000 new baptisms for 2011. They missed the mark, baptizing 'only' 720 people. Undaunted, and knowing that God wanted to set free many people living in the oppression of victimization and poverty, they set their new goal for 2012: 4,000. They have learned some lessons and believe they should aim high!
Another young man began planting churches in Western Kenya and has seen 200 new churches (over 100 baptisms) in the past two years.
In both cases, the focus is not on 'church planting' but on seeing disciple-making movements take place. New believers are apprenticed in the process of prayer, discovering Jesus through His Word, and obeying what He shows them. As part of this obedience, they are shown how to reach out to others quickly who are then brought into this same discipleship process. When the focus is on every person learning how to know and hear Jesus themself and then to follow in obedience, the transformation personally comes naturally and numerical growth takes placey.
If there is 'training' that takes place to initiate this type of movement, it largely involves removing the barriers of traditional thinking around discipleship and church planting so that the natural power of the seed of God's Word can take root, grow, and reproduce naturally.
National leaders, who are passionate about following Jesus, are the ones most able to take the principles of discipleship movements and implement them in their culture. Rad Zdero has put together a short video showing how a national Myanmar leader caught the vision of these type of movements and is seeing success.
Because of your partnership, we are currently partnering with five key leaders throughout East Africa committed to working with their leaders (dozens) to see hundreds of churches planted every year.
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