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Roadmap for Church Cultivation in 21st
Century India
By
Jay Caven - Foreign Mission Foundation
Published
on October, 2006 in Global Missiology, Contextualization section
“The harvest is plentiful, but
the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs
among
wolves.” Luke 10:2-
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Harvest Time
With these words Jesus Christ began sharing a plan
of action for reaching the lost that
is still reaping a harvest today. In India, there is a man who has studied and lived out that plan as much as anyone in the
country – Dr. Victor Choudrie. Often referred to as the “Grandfather of Church
Planting” in India, Dr. Choudrie left his
successful
medical practice and career in 1992 to devote his life to full-time church
planting. His wife Bindu is also a masterful equipper
and trainer for women house church planters in
India and abroad.
In his article Roadmap for Church Cultivation,
Dr. Choudrie gives us a powerful and practical perspective on the purpose of the
Church. His insight challenges all of
us involved in Christian service to consider the true meaning behind Christ’s
command to "make disciples of all nations (peoples).” Our Western,
traditional models are never comfortable in the light
of Dr. Choudrie’s piercing viewpoint through a Biblical perspective. After reading his
writings, or hearing him speak, it
is inevitable that I must adjust
my thinking. We hope you find Dr. Choudrie’s words
to be inspiring and challenging as well.
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About the Author --
Dr. Choudrie:
Victor
Choudhrie is a cancer surgeon by profession. He is a
senior Fellow of the American and
British colleges of surgeons. He quit his job as the Director (CEO) of the Christian Medical college,
Ludhiana in Punjab, India in 1992 to take up full
time Church planting ministry in central India. His wife Bindu
is also in full time church planting
ministry, equipping women to be house church leaders and trainers. God has blessed this ministry
abundantly. Large numbers of grassroots level leaders have been trained who have planted thousands of house
churches all over India as a result.
ROADMAP
FOR CHURCH CULTIVATION BASED ON MATTHEW &
LUKE TEN
Church Planting Vs. Cultivation:
On India Independence Day there
is an epidemic of tree planting ceremonies by the
VIPs. We do not know what happens to those saplings but if all would have survived,
India would have been the Garden of Eden by now. Church planting is no
different. The attrition rate at the present moment is anywhere from 20% to
60%, which is a major concern.
A farmer, even before putting the plough to the ground, does all his
mathematics with the harvest in mind. Church planting is an event, whereas cultivation is a process, which
includes, preparing the soil, weeding,
sowing seed, watering, fertilizing, protecting and reaping immediately when the harvest is ready. The steps, the risks,
and the financial, human and other investments
are well thought out so that the sower may have a
thirty, sixty and even hundredfold
return on investment.
Research: Jesus’ statement in the first few verses
of Luke 10, requires an information based strategy.
(“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send
out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among
wolves.”
1.
Harvest
Field:
The harvest is ready but we need information
about it. Moses and later Joshua sent
people to spy out the Land of Canaan and gather as much information as possible about the people, which included the
demographics of the people groups (few
or many) and anthropology (small or big), the lay of the land, the defense
system and even about the crops and fruits (Numbers 13:1, 2; 17- 20).
2. Spiritual Mapping:
Before entering into any town or village, it must
be remembered that the domain at that
time is under the Devil who has put his strongman to defend it until somebody stronger than him comes and plunders him
(1John 5:19; Luke 11:21, 22). Without clearly understanding this and factoring
in an information-based strategy,
there is a strong possibility of a backlash and failure.
3.
Harvest Force
(Laborers):
Without a well- equipped labor force it is
impossible to reap the harvest. There is a huge unequipped harvest force available in the church, which is non-
functional at the moment. People need
to be transformed into their real identity as Royal Priests to be harnessed for
the harvest.
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First Release the Harvest Force: Jesus never
asked us to plant churches and start a worship service on Sundays. He commissioned us to
make disciples. Ecclisia is the by-product of discipling, and it is the job of Ecclisia
to then make more disciples. Sadly we
make it the end product and worse still, abandon discipling
and turn it into a Sunday worship
ritual, thus defeating the mandate of the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations, and baptize, equip
and send them to the ends of the
earth as His witnesses” (Mat. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Jesus’ plea is that the harvest is ready, therefore pray
to the Master of the harvest to send forth
laborers (Mat. 9:37-38).
Go Two by Two:
Jesus has promised that He is present where two or
three congregate in His name, thus
constituting a mini congregation. However, let not its size mislead us as she has all the power in heaven and on earth. It is
an authentic church (Bride) that is going
with all the power and authority it needs, to reproduce herself.
(Matt. 18:18- 20). Just like only a whole sheep can reproduce
sheep, similarly only the whole church
(Bride) can birth a church. Apostles and prophets lay the foundation and others can build on it but finally it is the whole
Bride, who has the capacity to reproduce
(Eph. 2:20; 1 Cor. 3:10-15). Be encouraged if you have a small flock but do
make sure that you are rapidly multiplying by sending them out two by two.
HYPERLINK "http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs028/1101102644492/img/25.jpg?a=11013621620 78"Prayer for Man
THE PERSON OF SHALOM
Find the Person of Shalom: This is the core of the
core in the whole strategy for Saturation
Church Planting because this “Shalom Bayit” the House
of Peace will be the “Discipling Hub” and not just a “Worship Center”. The key to
finding the House of Peace is by
persistent prayer walking and blessing the houses in the community with, “Shalom Aleikhem
- Peace be with you,” (Luke 10:5; John 20:21),
until the “House of Peace” welcomes you and provides hospitality. This is where signs and wonders, followed by repentance,
baptisms and discipling will take place (Luke
10:5-9). The purpose of discipling however, is not
just to turn people into members of the local church (laymen) or even simple
believers but equipping them to be
Royal Priests so that they will also have an inheritance among the saints (1Pet. 2:9; Acts 26:19; Eph.
3:6).
Priestly Functions:
The Primary Function of the priest in the OT was to
offer animal sacrifice. This function has not ceased in
the NT except that instead of animals we offer Gentiles
as a living sacrifice (Rom. 15:16; Isa 66: 20, 21). We are now in the new dispensation
with the priesthood of all believers, hence every one has to bring lost sheep
as an offering (Mal. 1:11). The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite
heart, these He will not refuse (Psalm 51:17). Therefore, the first function of
the priest is finding and bringing together the lost sheep who are not yet in
the fold and equip them until there is one Fold and one Shepherd (John 10:16).
The Second Priestly function is not to turn the
sheep into members of their own church
but to equip them into Royal Priests. We do not become priests by going to seminaries but by the blood of the Lamb, which
makes us Priests and Sovereigns (Rev.
5:10). And, the Final Priestly Function is to scatter them to the ends of the earth. The benchmark of well equipped
priests is the same as the Elders of
the church. This includes character traits, being hospitable, sound in doctrine (this education is not available in
theological seminaries but can be acquired
only in the school of hard knocks), a good manager of his own household (Titus 1:5-9; 1Tim. 3:12; Mal. 1:11;
2:7) and finally, prayer with an awareness
that God’s army marches on its knees and a clear understanding that He will heal this nation only when His people will
repent, fast and pray (2 Chron. 7:14).
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Royalty Functions:
The ultimate purpose of
preaching, teaching, discipling and church planting
is to bring in the reign of Jesus here on planet earth. The Sovereign
of sovereigns and Master of masters, died to make
us priests and sovereigns. Sovereign is gender neutral and therefore a better
term, unlike king, which is gender specific. Jesus is the
head of the Ecclesia and we are the Body, His hands, feet and shoulders (Eph.1:22,
23). Hence the government is really upon us. The Ecclesia is not just a worship
group but an authentic government, a legal assembly (Acts 19:39), responsible
for the wholistic transformation of the society and
bringing in the righteous reign of Jesus Christ.
If you would like to write to Dr.
Choudrie you can contact him at: vchoudhrie@gmail.com
You
can also read more about Dr. Choudrie's ministry and
the House Church movement at HYPERLINK
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