BACKGROUND The banner over the entire conference was that the advancement of the church is the hope of the world. The leadership held out a beautiful, robust vision of church planting in America with a view to the nations both in our midst and beyond our borders--all undergirded and motivated by the supremacy of God's glory in Christ, the One who is building His church. The importance of church planting today is clear: Even the USA, once assumed Christianized by many, has now become one of the largest, most fertile mission fields in the world. Since 1990, when there were 27 churches for … [Read more...] about Steve Childers – The Main Thing – GCA Conf
Mike Tilley – Strategic Planning – GCA Conf
INTRODUCTION This is an Essentials Track workshop. Tilley spoke yesterday about leadership, describing that leadership had four roles: Coach/Motivator, Change Agent, Spokesperson and Direction-Setter. Leadership comes with four responsibilities: Vision-Casting, Strategy Formulation, Aligning and Motivating. Today, he will talk about setting direction. Strategic planning in church planting can feel like "building a plane while trying to fly it." OBJECTIONS TO PLANNING 1. It is not spiritual to plan. False dichotomy. 2. Plans tie people down. We become enslaved to a plan. [What Tilley is … [Read more...] about Mike Tilley – Strategic Planning – GCA Conf
Church Planting & Match Making: A GCA Testimony
This is a guest post from freelance writer Cindy Sawyer, who is also covering the GCA National Church Planting Conference: There are a lot of reasons for couples to change the date of their wedding. I know of a woman who married early in order to allow her dying aunt to attend the wedding, and during World War II many couples got married sooner rather than later because in that intense atmosphere it seemed imperative that their love be declared publicly while they still had the chance. Let it never be said that the GCA Church Planting Conference is akin to World War II, but one couple did … [Read more...] about Church Planting & Match Making: A GCA Testimony
Randy Pope – The Journey (Discipleship) – GCA Conf
Pastor Pope suggests contacting Bill Wood. Wood, a former GE executive, is on their staff and his entire job is to help pastors who ask for help. Pope, Wood and others are now trying to make this material available to others. LIFE LEARNING REGARDING DISCIPLESHIP 1. The importance of investing in faithful followers of Christ. 2. The need to equip apprentice leaders. 3. The advantage of multiplication. You sign up to go to the Discipleship Group for one year. If your leader finds you faithful, you are allowed to go for a second year (if you agree to do so). It is meant to last three … [Read more...] about Randy Pope – The Journey (Discipleship) – GCA Conf
Randy Pope – Life on Life Missional Discipleship – GCA
Randy Pope is the Founding Pastor, Lead Teacher & Directional Leader of Perimeter Church in Duluth (Atlanta) Georgia, a church of 6000 devoted to reaching the unchurched of North Atlanta and the world. Perimeter has helped plant twenty-four churches in the Atlanta area and has helped start 6 training centers worldwide to facilitate church planting. Perimeter also has partnerships with nationals in 8 countries to help train leaders for the church. Randy is a graduate of the University of Alabama and Reformed Theological Seminary. He moved to Atlanta in 1977 to plant Perimeter Church, a … [Read more...] about Randy Pope – Life on Life Missional Discipleship – GCA
Al Guerra – Hispanic Ministry – GCA Conf
Al Guerra was born in Cuba in 1955 and came to the United States in 1968. He grew up in New York City and attended Southern Connecticut State University. He attended the Emmaus Bible School, and after marrying Mónica, a native of Argentina, began studying at Talbot Theological Seminary in southern California. In 1986 Al began to pastor a Southern Baptist Church made up of only seven families. During the next ten years, the church grew to 350 people. In 1995, Guerra also began teaching part time at a Southern Baptist Seminary. In 1996, the Association of Southern Baptist Churches asked him … [Read more...] about Al Guerra – Hispanic Ministry – GCA Conf