Mobilise Your CHurch For Am

First Steps
Mobilize Your Church

into God‟s Harvest Fields
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
First Steps
Mobilize Your Church
into God‟s Harvest Fields
e3 Partners Ministry
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Plano,Texas 75074
214-440-1101
First.Steps@e3partners.org
www.e3partners.org/materials
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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.
"NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered trademarks.
01/01/2009
FirstSteps 2
Mobilize Your Church into God‟s Harvest Fields ©2009 e3 Partners Ministry
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 4
VISION: FOR PLANTING NEW CHURCHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 9
ACTION: FIRST STEPS TO PLANT A NEW CHURCH . . . . . . . . . page 28
➤ Pray. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 29
➤ Evangelize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 47
➤ Make Disciples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 67
➤ Gather Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 83
➤ Develop Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 95
➤ Multiply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 111
➤ Lord, Give Me Your Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 121
COMMIT TO CHURCH PLANTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 129
STRATEGY WORKSHEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 139
Church Planting = Vision + Action
Church Planting = God‟s Vision + Action directed by the Holy Spirit
FirstSteps 3
TEACHING TIP
• Hand out seeds as you begin this teaching session
• Ask students to describe the crop cycle – from sowing to harvest
• Read aloud Mark 4:3-9
• Discuss the ideas in ―Parable of the Harvest‖
FirstSteps 4
INTRODUCTION
MAIN IDEAS
• Vision is a clear mental picture of what the future could be like.
• Hopefully, this manual will help you see God‘s vision for your church.
• As you use this manual, answer the ―First Steps‖ challenges in each chapter.
They will help you develop a strategy to see that vision become reality.
• This manual will help you EQUIP the people in your church to EVANGELIZE
new neighborhoods in order to ESTABLISH new churches.
1. P A R A B L E O F T H E HARVEST
Every farmer wants a harvest.
His eyes see an empty field that is overgrown with weeds and covered with rocks.
But his mind sees his field or hillside covered with strong, healthy crops. And the promise
in his mind, not the problems before his eyes, takes him into the field to work.
First, he breaks up the hard dirt, so the seeds can grow easily. Then he plants the seeds.
As they grow, he pulls out the weeds that try to choke the new plants. He makes sure
they have enough water, and he protects them from birds and bugs.
He does his part, knowing that only God has the power to make the seeds grow.
When the time is right, the farmer goes into the field, gathers the fruit of his harvest and
takes it to his storehouse. There, he collects new seeds for the next planting season –
more seeds than he started with. So his harvest grows greater every year. That is what
Jesus was talking about in Mark 4:3-9:
―Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the
path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much
soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants
were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns,
which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on
good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred
times.‖ Then Jesus said, ―He who has ears to hear, let him hear.‖ (Mark 4:3-9)
FirstSteps 5
Here is what the sowing and harvesting cycle looks like.
Expand the Break Up

Harvest Field the Ground
Gather Seed Sow the

to Sow Seed
Bring in Nurture
Harvest Growth
Church planting is similar to the sowing and harvesting cycle. Imagine that your community
is a field. How does it look to you? Is it empty, choked with the weeds of worldly wisdom
and clogged with stony obstacles to the gospel? Does it look like it could never bear fruit?
Or has God put a different picture in your mind? Can you see your neighbors filled with
joy and worshiping God? Can you see them free of the world‘s hold on them? Can you see
them overcoming every obstacle?
What we see in our minds is called vision. Vision is a clear mental picture of what the
future could be like. It must come from God‘s heart to us through His Word and His Spirit.
Vision results in a growing desire to see with our eyes the same picture that we see in our
mind. That causes us to PRAY, which, like a sharp plow, breaks up hard ground in the
spiritual world.
The gospel is our seed, which we plant as we EVANGELIZE. The Bible promises that the
more seeds we plant, the bigger the harvest will be.
When the harvest is ready, we need to GATHER TOGETHER the new believers into
groups called CHURCHES. Churches are people, not buildings – people who know and
love God and who MAKE DISCIPLES and help them become more like Jesus.
Those who are more mature DEVELOP LEADERS in the churches and continue the cycle.
And as a result, churches MULTIPLY! One becomes two. Ten become twenty. Five hun-
dred become a thousand!
Just like in the Book of Acts!
FirstSteps 6
2.1.P PUARRP AOBS LEE OOF FT T
HHI SE M
HAAN
RUVA
ELST
The world is ready for harvest as never before. And the Kingdom of God is advancing.
This manual is for church leaders who, like the Apostle Paul, are determined to be part of
what God is doing today. It will equip you to take the FIRST STEPS to plant new church-
es and see God‘s Kingdom established in your communities. But more important, it will
enable you to train the people in your congregation – as Paul discipled Timothy – to help
plant new churches alongside you.
You learn. You do. They watch you. Then they do. And you mentor them as they do
ministry.
It is not a book for you only to read to your congregation or only to preach on Sunday. In
the Bible, the writer of the book of James encourages us to ―be doers of the word, and not
hearers only.‖ If we hear and do not do, he warns, we deceive ourselves into believing
that we are obeying Christ. Put into practice what you learn in this manual.
3. H O W T O U S E THE MANUAL
Use this manual one on one – Paul to Timothy – like a coach or mentor. Use it in a small
group of leaders who are planting a new church, or use it to train your entire congregation.
The manual first presents the commands of Christ, and then shows how Paul obeyed those
commands.
Each section includes ―First Steps‖ challenges. Those challenges ask questions to help
you think and pray about how you can obey Christ‘s commands and follow the model of
Paul today.
As you work your way through this manual and the Lord
Use the Strategy gives you a response to each challenge, write it down on
Worksheet on the Strategy Worksheet at the end of the manual. When
pages 139-140 you finish, you will have developed a church planting
strategy designed especially for you and your congregation.
as you work
through this manual Remember, it is not what you learn that is most important.
It is what you DO with what you learn.
4. W H A T I S e3 PARTNERS MINISTRY?
e3 Partners Ministry is focused on these three things:

EQUIP God‘s people to
EVANGELIZE His world and
ESTABLISH His church.
This First Steps manual is one of the resources available from e3 Partners Ministry to help
you as a pastor or leader mobilize your church to EQUIP, EVANGELIZE and ESTAB-
LISH. For additional resources, visit our web site at www.e3partners.org/materials.
FirstSteps 7
FirstSteps 8
VISION
FOR PLANTING NEW CHURCHES
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
FirstSteps 9
“If you want to plant something that lasts a season,
plant a flower.
“If you want something that lasts a lifetime,
plant a tree.
“If you want something that will last for eternity,
plant a church.”
David Hesselgrave
FirstSteps 10
VISION FOR
PLANTING
NEW CHURCHES
MAIN IDEAS
When Jesus ascended from the earth, He commanded His people to make
disciples. He will return soon. Will He find you obeying Him?
Paul is a model of a disciple with a vision. That vision led him to obey Christ by
planting new churches.
Your ―Firsts Steps‖ challenge is to obey the commands of Jesus and follow the
ministry model of Paul.
Ask the head of the Church, the Lord Jesus, to direct you to an area that needs a
new church. Pray and plan about planting a new church there.
1. P A R A B L E O F T H E HARVEST: VISION
All farmers have a vision. Vision is the difference between the way things are and the way
they should or could be. Vision looks at empty fields and sees them filled with crops.
Farmers know they will have to work hard to turn empty fields into harvest fields, and they
are glad to make the sacrifice.
Jesus taught his disciples to see the possibilities in everything around them. Can you?
The first step is to look. Walk through your neighborhoods and communities, look around
and talk to the people. If it looks like nothing is happening, look closer. Look with your
spiritual eyes, and dream about the harvest of souls that is possible. Ask God to give you
His vision for expanding His kingdom by using you and your church to plant a new church.
2. R E M E M B E R : I T I S A L L ABOUT JESUS!
Before going any farther, close your eyes and allow your thoughts to drift to heaven over
2000 years ago. Can you imagine Jesus enthroned next to His Father? Can you see the
glory? Can you hear the worship of the angels? (John 17:5, 24)
Then His Father told Him it was time to go. Without hesitation, without objection, Jesus rose
up from His throne . . . and instantly an embryo formed in the womb of a Middle Eastern
teenager named Mary. The Creator of the universe became microscopic and powerless.
Nine months later, the Son of God who laid the foundations of the earth was born helpless
and crying, surrounded by livestock and manure instead of heavenly beings. (Luke 2:4-7)
FirstSteps 11
Under the guidance of a carpenter and his young bride, the Root of Jesse and Offspring of
David, the bright Morning Star, grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man.
(Luke 2:52)
At around 30 years of age, Jesus entered His public ministry. He began by inviting 12 men
to follow Him. And for the next three years, He turned them into disciples – into men of
vision, faith and courage who would one day be used to help transform the world!
(Luke 6:12-13; Acts 17:6)
As Jesus discipled those twelve, He revealed His vision for missions and issued a clear call
to action! So let‘s begin with a short tour through the Gospel of Matthew to look at
some very familiar passages.
3. T H E GREAT DECLARATION
Read Matthew 16:18

18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of
Hades will not overcome it.
3.1 What did Jesus promise?
I – Jesus – not evangelists, pastors, teachers, deacons or elders – promised He would

build an institution.
Jesus never told us to build His church. His vision was much too big for us. He told us to
build disciples, one at a time. When we obey that command, He uses those disciples to
build His church. And the Father is glorified!
Will – Not may or might or hope to. He will. He gave His absolute promise.
Build – This word is active. It is forward-looking. It shouts, ―Progress! Process! Develop!

Advance!‖ Jesus could have quickly created the church, as He did when creating the
universe. But He said He would build it, which is a process that takes time. Later in this
chapter we will look at the process that the Holy Spirit gave to the Apostle Paul to establish
new churches.
This building process has depth – people growing into spiritual maturity. And it has
breadth – more people trusting Christ and coming into the church.
My – Jesus owns the church. He bought it with His blood! It is not the pastor‘s church or
the church of the elders or deacons. The church belongs to Jesus.
FirstSteps 12
Church – The focus of Jesus was to build His church. The church is not a building. It is
the people called and chosen by God. He did not say He would build His denomination,
seminary, bookstore, radio station or missions organization. All of those are good, but they
are to serve Christ‘s church. The church is God‘s method for completing the Great
Commission.
4. T H E GREAT CONCLUSION
Read Matthew 24:14

14
―And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all
nations, and then the end will come.‖
4.1 When did Jesus say the end would come?
Sitting on the Mount of Olives, His disciples asked Jesus when the end of the world would
come. Because He had a big vision, His answer was a lot bigger than their question.
Jesus did not give them a date and time. He gave them a measurement. In short, He told
His disciples, ―As soon as the gospel of the Kingdom has been preached to the whole
world, to all the nations, the end will come. In the meantime, your job is to obey Me so that
it will happen.‖
The words ―world‖ and ―nations‖ do not mean the same thing. In Greek, the original
language of the New Testament, ―world‖ refers to the entire earth, and ―nations‖ refers to all
the ethnic groups of the earth. So Jesus was saying that the end will come when all the
ethnic groups in your country — and all the ethnic groups on earth — hear the gospel.
As we said before, God‘s method for completing the Great Commission is the church—the
Body of Christ spread throughout the world. So God‘s method for preaching the gospel to
the whole world is to start new churches where there are none. When you and your church
plant new churches, the world is one step closer to the return of Jesus!
Just what is this gospel of which Jesus spoke? The gospel of the Kingdom is that Jesus
suffered and died to pay the price for our sins AND that He is alive today and rules God‘s
Kingdom. After He made this promise, Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified! His was not
a terrible defeat . . . it was the greatest victory in history! He died, but He is not dead. He
was raised from the dead by the boundless power of the Holy Spirit. After He arose, He
gave another strategic command to all of us through His original disciples.
FirstSteps 13
5. T H E GREAT COMMISSION
Read Matthew 28:18-20

18
Then Jesus came to them and said, ―All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.‖
5.1 What did Jesus tell His disciples to do?
Go! Make disciples! Baptize! Teach!
These are clear, direct commands. They are not suggestions or recommendations. They
are not great ideas or great opinions. This is nothing less than Almighty God‘s Great
Commission.
Jesus begins by making it clear that God the Father has given Him all the authority, both in
heaven and on earth, over everything we can see and everything we cannot see – unlimit-
ed and unrestricted. This implies that we should pay close attention to what else He has to
say.
5.2 What is the main command in verses 19 and 20?
This passage was originally written in Greek. In that language, words have different
emphases. Most words have normal emphasis – like someone talking in an ordinary con-
versation. Other words have more emphasis – like a person speaking louder to get some-
one‘s attention. Then a few words have great emphasis. They are like a person shouting
loudly!
―Make disciples‖ has the ―shout loudly‖ emphasis. So ―make disciples‖ was Jesus‘ main
command in these verses. We are to do this just as He did – by going, by baptizing and by
teaching people to obey all the things that Jesus taught us.
5.3 What promise did Jesus make in the Great Commission?
He promised that we do not have to go alone to make disciples, baptize or teach. Jesus
did not issue His orders, pat us on the back and wish us luck.
He said, ―Come on, we‘re going together. Step by step. Side by side. Hand in hand.
Everywhere and always.‖
But do not be mistaken. He is not joining our mission. We are joining His!
FirstSteps 14
5.4 Are we really obeying the Great Commission?
The church talks a lot about the Great Commission. But do we really obey it? Let‘s take a
little closer look.
Savior‟s Strategy (Healthy Body) Satan‟s Substitute (Diseased Body)

WHO SOLDIERS SPECTATORS
Employ all available personnel. Only clergy are qualified
1. All believers are at it all the time. 1. Division into clergy and laity
2. Acts 2:42-47 – First 200 years 2. ―Professionals‖ do spiritual work.
Christianity took off like wildfire – 3. ―Laymen‖ support professionals.
through simple disciples, not 4. Church members are spectators.
trained theologians.
WHERE ALL THE NATIONS ME AND MY CHURCH

Enlarge the vision Shrink the vision
1. God wants us to think as big 1. Satan wants us to think as small
as possible! as possible!
2. How big is your vision? 2. How small is your vision?
• All the nations? • Me, myself and I
• Or just my country? • My family and friends
• Or just my city? • Me and my church
• Or just my neighborhood?
WHAT MAKE DISCIPLES ANYTHING BUT MAKE DISCIPLES!

1. Start with evangelism 1. They might say no and embarrass me.
2. Continue with discipleship 2. Too much trouble. I‘m not qualified.
3. Everyone teach someone else 3. I‘m content as a sermon-taster.
4. Great Commission is for 4. I‘m just a Cafeteria Christian. I sample
everybody what I like and leave the rest.
HOW GO AND TELL COME AND HEAR

Make disciples as we go. 1. Satan twists ―Go and tell‖ into ―Come and
hear.‖
2. He gets us to focus on programs inside the
church instead of people outside the
church.
3. Like stopping an epidemic by isolating the
carriers, Satan stops the spread of
Christianity by quarantining believers.
Our prayer for you and your church is that you would make disciples who have an impact
on all the nations and that your church becomes a WORLD MISSIONS TRAINING
CENTER.
FirstSteps 15
6. T H E GREAT PROMISE
Read Luke 24: 46-53

46
He told them, ―This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third
day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my
Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.‖
50
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
51
While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped
him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they stayed continually at the temple,
praising God.
6.1 What did the disciples see during the last moments that Jesus was physically on
earth?
As Jesus lifted up His hands and blessed the disciples, they saw the awful wounds in His
hands. As He was carried up into heaven, they looked up and saw the terrible holes in
His feet – wounds of love and grace.
We are to always remember His love and how much He sacrificed for us. But the disciples
were to remember something else too, which filled them with great joy, overflowing with
praise.
―Remember to wait in the city until I send you the power you need to obey the commands
I have given you.‖ That‘s what they needed to remember.
Luke began his account of the early church in the book of Acts in the same way that he
ended the book of Luke.
Jesus knew that the early church did not have the power to obey the Great Commission.
He knew they needed supernatural power and guidance in addition to vision and obedi-
ence, so He promised that the Holy Spirit would be sent to indwell them and give them
that power.
FirstSteps 16
Read Acts 1: 8-11
8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.‖ 9After he said this,
he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10They were
looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white
stood beside them. 11―Men of Galilee,‖ they said, ―Why do you stand here looking into the sky?
This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way
you have seen him go into heaven.‖
6.2 What was this power going to enable them to do? Where?
The key verse of the book is Acts 1:8. Jesus knew that the early disciples needed super-
natural power and guidance. This power was to enable them to be His witnesses to the
entire world.
We must do the same. We must wait on the Holy Spirit, for the power that comes only
from Him. We must seek to hear from Him. Get direction from Him and join Him in the
work He is doing. When we work on our own, we only see the results that we can
accomplish, which is not sufficient to complete the Great Commission.
After Jesus gave this promise and instructions with what to do with this power, He
returned to heaven.
But then Luke added something that must have thrilled the disciples.
―Jesus is coming again,‖ declared a couple of angels.
That means that although you and I were not there to watch Him leave, we may be here
to see Him return!
First Steps What will YOU be doing when Jesus returns?
We do not want to be watching something we should not be watching when He returns.

We do not want to be saying or doing or reading something we should not be when He
returns. We do not even want to merely be busy when He returns.
We all hope to be obeying His commands, so we can hear Him say those sweet words:
―Well done, good and faithful servant.‖
Now let‘s look at how Christians obeyed Jesus‘ commands in the 1st century.
FirstSteps 17
7. F I R S T C E N T U R Y MODELS
God brought great glory to Himself in the 1st century. The book of Acts is full of stories
of how God worked through His people to advance His kingdom.
Why do we not see His glory now in the 21st century as the people of the 1st century did
in the book of Acts? Is it perhaps that we are not obeying His commands? The challenge
of the church in the 21st century is to be more like the church of the 1st century!
Sometimes we do not need something new . . . but we need to go back to the basics.
In the book of Acts, the writer, Luke, gave us a record of how the Holy Spirit worked in
the early church. We can learn much from the early church. It is the same Holy Spirit
who lives in us and empowers us to be witnesses 20 centuries later!
We have looked at four important Scriptures that represent the vision of Jesus Christ – the
Great Declaration, the Great Conclusion, the Great Commission and the Great Promise.
Now we come to an important place in the story! Here is a good question! ―Having
heard these words from Jesus, how did the early church obey these words?‖ Or another
way to ask it is, ―What did they do under the leadership of the Holy Spirit to put Jesus‘
vision into action in the 1st century?‖
Let‘s look at some verses in the book of Acts that show us how God brought great glory
to Himself in the first century.
Read Acts 1:15

15
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and
twenty)
7.1 How many disciples did Jesus start with?
Only 120 people! What an incredible vision He had! But Jesus could see beyond a small
group of followers to the day when ―this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the
whole world.‖
Read Acts 2:47

47
. . . praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their
number daily those who were being saved.
FirstSteps 18
7.2 Who made the church grow? Who was added every day?
It was the Lord who ―added to the church daily those who were being saved.‖ He worked
through His people; and God, not men, received all the glory!
God first ADDED new BELIEVERS.
How would you feel if He added another new believer to your congregation every day for
the next year? At least 7 every week? Thirty every month? Over 360 new believers every
year? We all would be shouting, ―Hallelujah!‖ But this was only the first step of God
bringing glory to Himself in the first century.
Read Acts 5:14

14
Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their
number.
7.3 How did God show even more of His glory?
Now Luke is talking about MULTITUDES of BELIEVERS being added – multiplying and
magnifying God‘s glory!
Not just one or two a day, but a great many. How many? Perhaps dozens. Hundreds.
Thousands.
Read Acts 6:1

1
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them
complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily
distribution of food.
7.4 Who was increasing now?
God brought even more glory to Himself by increasing the number of DISCIPLES.
Unfortunately, today often there are believers who do not continue to grow as disciples.
They put their faith in Christ, but do not continue to learn and grow and obey.
Disciples are life-long learners and followers of Christ. They live and serve as God
intended. Their commitment to Christ continues to increase. They make other disciples,
as Jesus commanded.
FirstSteps 19
Read Acts 6:7
7
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large
number of priests became obedient to the faith.
7.5 How did multiplication bring more glory to God?

Luke was no longer talking about addition. Kingdom growth began to accelerate at light
speed because ―the number of the disciples was MULTIPLYING.‖
Kingdom growth accelerated as disciples were being multiplied. Multiplication has much
more impact than addition.
7.6 Which option would you choose?

Try to imagine it like someone wanting to give you a gift, and you are given two choices.
The first option is for you to get 3000 grains of rice every single day for one month. The
second option is for you to receive one grain of rice the first day, two the second day, four
the third day and so on – doubling the amount every day for one month.
If you chose 3000 grains of rice a day, you
would receive 93,000 at the end of the month. How Did God Glorify Himself
That would be a huge blessing!
in the 1st Century?
But you would have missed an even bigger
blessing. If you decided to start with one grain Acts 1:15 All this started with
and double it every day for 31 days, you would only 120 people!
receive more than 2 billion grains of rice!
The power of multiplication is far greater than Acts 2:47 New BELIEVERS
addition. A profession of faith is wonderful. But ADDED daily
evangelism is a ministry of addition. Evangelism
becomes a ministry of multiplication only when Acts 5:14 MULTITUDES of new
the new believers are discipled. As they BELIEVERS added
become disciples who evangelize and then
disciple others, God‘s Kingdom expands much Acts 6:1 DISCIPLES increasing
more effectively. And then we are obeying
Christ‘s command to ―make disciples.‖ Acts 6:7 DISCIPLES
MULTIPLYING
Remember what God did in Acts 2:41? 3,000
people were saved the day Peter preached. A Acts 9:31 CHURCHES
big blessing! MULTIPLYING
But God displayed even more of His power Acts 19:10 ALL in Asia heard the
when He began to multiply disciples. word of the Lord Jesus
FirstSteps 20
Read Acts 9:31
31
Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was
strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the
Lord.
7.7 What is multiplying now?
As disciples were multiplied, something else began to multiply! Not only believers and
disciples, but now entire churches were multiplying!
Hallelujah!
God had launched the first Church Planting Movement! What is a Church Planting
Movement? It is a rapid and exponential increase in indigenous churches planting
churches within a people group or population segment. (David Garrison in the booklet
Church Planting Movements)
How do we participate in a Church Planting Movement that is a movement of the Holy

Spirit? We obey and do what God designed us to do. Disciples lead others to Christ and
disciple them. Workers disciple new workers. Leaders multiply new leaders. Pastors
mentor and multiply new pastors. Then Jesus in His grace will use these disciples,
workers, leaders and pastors to build His church as He expands His Kingdom.
God Made You Like a Mango Tree

Mangos originated in East India, Burma and the
Andaman Islands bordering the Bay of Bengal.
Around the 5th century B.C., Buddhist monks are
believed to have introduced the mango to
Malaysia and eastern Asia. Persian traders took
the mango into the Middle East and Africa. From
there the Portuguese took it to Brazil and the
West Indies. Mango cultivars arrived in Florida in
the 1830‟s and in California in the 1880‟s.
Much of Africa and Latin America now are covered with mango trees. How did
so many mango trees grow there? Multiplication! Each mango tree simply did
what God designed it to do. It reproduced seeds, which grew into new trees,
which produced more seeds, which grew into more trees, which . . . .
FirstSteps 21
Read Acts 19:9, 10
9
But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.
So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall
of Tyrannus. 10This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the
province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
7.8 Has the Great Commission ever been completed in any area?
YES! In the first century as Paul was focusing on making disciples, all in that region of the
world heard the word of the Lord Jesus. Some scholars believe that Luke referred to all of
Asia Minor, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, including Asian Turkey!
God had completed the Great Commission in that region at that time.
That is our prayer for your city, country and people! That God would ignite a church
planting movement! That‘s why we call this curriculum ―Mobilizing Your Church into
God‘s Harvest Fields!‖
How sad that the church for so long has settled for a few new believers now and then or
a family that transfers its membership from somebody else‘s congregation. How little glory
God has received, and how happy we have made God‘s enemies.
Do you want to see God‘s glory in the 21st century like in the 1st century?
Then it is time to wake up, to rub the sleep out of our eyes, and to repent for our laziness
and lack of passion and to obey God. The moment we begin to do what He has com-
manded us to do - His way, in the power of the Holy Spirit - God will rush to do His part.
And we will see strong, healthy discipling churches popping up throughout the world like
fruit on a tree.
The key words are ―do‖ and ―His way.‖
And then God will again ignite a Church Planting Movement. He is looking for men
and women eager to throw themselves into the fire so that He can fan the flames out of
our control.
Does this describe you?
It is a good description of a man named Paul.
FirstSteps 22
8. A N O T H E R FIRST CENTURY MODEL
Jesus was a visionary. He saw far beyond anything that was immediately in front of him.
When His natural eyes saw leprosy, His spirit saw clean, clear flesh. When His natural
eyes saw a corpse, His spiritual eyes saw a little girl playing and walking around the room.
Because He had a vision given to Him by His Father, Jesus, ―who for the joy set before
him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God‖ (Hebrews 12:2).
Paul was another man of vision.
Read Acts 14:21-28

21
They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they
returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22strengthening the disciples and encouraging them
to remain true to the faith. ―We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of
God,‖ they said. 23Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with
prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24After
going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25and when they had preached the word in
Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had
been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27On arriving
there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28And they stayed there a long time
with the disciples. (emphasis added)
Let‘s look at Paul‘s model of ministry.
1. PRAY:
Paul prayed and taught his disciples to pray. And as they prayed, God directed
them to new areas. (Acts 14:23)
2. EVANGELIZE:
Paul pointed to Jesus, telling everyone the good news of the gospel of the
kingdom of heaven. (Acts 14:21)
3. MAKE DISCIPLES:
Paul discipled new believers, helping them to live like followers of Jesus, even
when they were persecuted. (Acts 14:21-22)
4. GATHER TOGETHER:
Paul gathered the new believers into new churches. He did not leave them
alone, but always brought them together in community, so that they could help
and encourage one another and establish a lasting witness and presence of
Jesus Christ in the community. (Acts 14:23)
FirstSteps 23
5. DEVELOP LEADERS:
Paul appointed and discipled leaders. He knew he could not do the work alone,
so he always worked in a team, beginning with Barnabas. (Acts 14:23)
6. MULTIPLY CHURCHES:
The church in Antioch planted new churches through Paul and his ministry team.
The Antioch church is a good model of a multiplying church. It even sent its
senior leaders to plant new churches. (Acts 14:26-28)
May God use you and your congregation as powerfully today as He used Paul and his
team in the 1st century. May everyone in your country hear the gospel of the Kingdom
of God and have the opportunity to trust Him as their personal Savior. May God use you
and your church as a World Missions Training Center!
First Steps Is the Lord calling you to follow Paul‟s example and
plant a new church? See question 1 of the Strategy Worksheet.
If your answer is ―YES,‖ the rest of this manual will help you obey the commands of
Jesus and follow the model of Paul by planting a new church. Each chapter focuses on
one of the parts of Paul‘s ministry: prayer, evangelism, discipleship, gathering believers
together into churches, developing new leaders, and planting new churches.
There are many “FIRST STEPS” challenges in this manual. They will help you
develop a practical plan to plant a new church. They are also listed on the Strategy
Worksheet starting on page 139-140. Write down your answers to the ―First Steps‖
challenges on the Strategy Worksheet as your church team discusses them. When
you finish, you will have a plan to put into action!
Change?
Is this vision new?
If this church planting vision is new for you, we thank the Lord that you are willing to
accept the challenge. Of course, you will need to make changes in your ministry to
work within this new vision toward a new goal.
Are you willing to change?
If you continue doing ministry the way you have, you probably will continue having the
same results. If you want different results, you need to do things differently.
May the Lord bless you as you accept this new challenge.
FirstSteps 24
What God Can Do!
John Chen grew up to be a pastor like his father. And, like his father, John planted a new church
and led 50 to 60 people to Christ every year.
In 2000, after two decades of pastoring and church planting in Taiwan, John and his wife, Hope,
answered God‘s call to become strategy coordinators in an urban center on the mainland.
The district we‘ll call Nandong was a greater challenge than the Chens ever imagined. The city
teemed with millions of men, women and children. Factories without number were choked with
workers; every day thousands more poured in looking for jobs.
Overwhelmed, John and Hope entered strategy coordinator training. There, they learned three
principles that changed their lives, their ministry—and the country where they moved.
First, they realized that they could not do the job alone. Second, they learned that training others to
plant churches was better than planting a church. Third, they learned that it is better still to train
trainers to train church planters to plant even more churches.
John knew that not everyone is suited to be a church planter. At the same time, he knew that God
could use anyone.
But how could John tell who would or would not make an effective church planter? Simple. Train
everybody. Those who do, are. Those who do not, are not.
At first, John found only three towns in Nandong with any churches. And these churches had a total
membership of 250 people.
John set an ambitious goal of planting a church in every town in the district—200 new
churches!
Not surprisingly, when John shared his goal with a local pastor, the man shook his head and
suggested that John ―go back home.‖ But John persisted, and the pastor allowed him to teach a
church-planting class to anyone in his congregation that was interested. Most were farmers, so
classes were held at night. Thirty showed up the first week.
John quickly discovered two obstacles that prevented these men from being effective evangelists.
They didn‘t know what to say or who to tell.
So John had them make a list of all the lost people they knew and pick the five that God
wanted them to share with first. Then he taught that each of them had a unique, three-
part story to tell: 1) What they were like before Jesus, 2) How they met Jesus, and 3)
What their life has been like since meeting Jesus.
―We don‘t even call it a testimony,‖ John explained, ―A testimony is for Christians. Non-Christians
don‘t know what a testimony is, so we call it ‗our story.‘― And he had each trainee write his story on
a single sheet of paper. They were a little nervous at first, so John had them read it out loud five
times, then share with one another. And soon the trainees were excited and confident.
FirstSteps 25
In the weeks that followed, John taught them how to establish new converts in the
fundamentals of the faith. Then it was time to send them out.
―Go this week and share your story with the five people at the top of your list. If you can‘t, go to the
next five! When you return next week, we‘ll see what God has done.‖
Only 17 did the assignment. But one farmer had shared with 11 people.
As each trainee told the group about their experiences, they drew insights and encouragement from
one another. After class, John said, ―If you choose not to share with anyone this week, you should
not come to the class next week.‖ This added accountability and focused the trainees on doing and
not just hearing.
The results surprised even the Chens.
After just two months, they had started 20 small groups that were becoming
churches. Seven months later, there were 327 small groups, 4,000 newly-baptized
believers, and churches in 17 towns. The first year ended with 908 house churches
and more than 12,000 new Christians.
Like Jesus‘ disciples, the trainees found that in every village God had prepared a person of peace.
One was an old farmer who had never before planted a church. Within two months, he started a
dozen house churches—110 in a year.
His lifestyle was the key to his effectiveness. Every morning from 5 to 7, he prayed and read his
Bible. Then he worked in the fields until 5 p.m., when he went home for dinner and family time. At
7 p.m., he went back out and ―worked in God‘s fields until midnight.‖
That lifestyle is common in what has become the largest church planting movement in history.
In another town, one year after a 67-year-old woman became a Christian, she had led more than 60
families to Christ.
―I asked her to take me out and show me how she does it,‖ John said. ―She tells people that she
was weak and then Jesus saved her. Then she invites them to a Bible study at her house.
―We teach all the new believers how to have a Bible study and a daily quiet time,‖ he
explained, ―so they can do this forever. Then we teach them what a church is about and
how to organize into a church so that they can grow together in Christ.
―Once, we lost track of a Christian factory worker we had trained. After six months, we found that he
had been transferred to another large factory with 10,000 workers. During that time, he had started
70 small groups and had seen 10 generations of reproduction (churches planting churches).‖
If you ask John the secret of this powerful movement, he will pull up his pant legs and
show you the calluses on his knees. He teaches trainees to pray for the Holy Spirit‘s
anointing, to pray for the lost all around them, to pray as they go into each witnessing
situation, and to pray for the blood of Jesus to protect them from everything Satan will
throw against them.
FirstSteps 26
Every morning after two hours of prayer, John goes into the harvest fields. Everyday he tells his
simple story, looks for those God has called out, and trains others to do the same.
―You never know who God is going to use,‖ he says with a smile, ―so we keep training everybody!‖
Today, the movement is spreading across several districts and shows no sign of slowing.
After 2 months: 20 small groups were started
After 6 months: 327 house churches, with 4,000 baptized
After one year: 908 house churches, with 12,000 baptized
The following year: 3,535 new churches, with more than 53,430 baptisms
First six months of the third year: 9,320 new churches and 104,542 baptisms
End of 3rd year: 15,000 new churches and more than 160,000 baptized believers
The secret is not found in techniques or a new curriculum. It is hidden in the vision, training,
passion, co-laborers and accountability.
Vision prevents confusion. Training yields confidence. Passion drives momentum. A steady supply
of trained co-laborers enables your team to freely embrace every new opportunity. And
accountability produces consistent results.
This true story is adapted from David Garrison‘s book Church Planting Movements. You can buy a
copy of this book online at www.churchplantingmovements.com
NEXT STEPS
Additional materials about having VISION FOR CHURCH PLANTING are available on
the internet at www.e3partners.org/materials.
FirstSteps 27
Weave It Together
Take another look at the diagram on the next page. Is church planting a sequence of
steps? Or do you do it all at once?
Church planting is not a 1-2-3 process to be strictly followed in order. It all works
together.
For example, sometimes discipleship comes before evangelism! Sometimes people

are interested in learning about the Bible and Christianity before they put their faith in
Christ. So you may gather them together and teach discipleship lessons before you
share the gospel.
Do not stop doing one thing to start the next. Do everything together as circumstances
require and the Holy Spirit leads.
Think of a rope. Several strands are woven together, over and under one
another, supporting and reinforcing one another. And the strength of the rope is far
greater than the combined strength of the individual strands.
So too, the strongest church planting ministry results from allowing the Holy Spirit
to weave together the parts of the church planting process like a skilled rope maker.
FirstSteps 28
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
FirstSteps 29
PRAY
TEACHING TIP
There is a hand signal for each of the six parts of the Apostle Paul‘s church planting
ministry. The one for ―Pray‖ is pictured above. Teach your students these hand signals.
They will help your students remember the parts of Paul‘s ministry.
FirstSteps 30
PRAY FOR
CHURCH PLANTING
MAIN IDEAS
Jesus gave us a model prayer. Our prayers will be more effective when we
follow His model. Following His model helps us develop a close relationship
with God.
Jesus was out among the people when He commanded the disciples to pray for
laborers.
You need to identify needs and pray specifically for the harvest field in order to
plow up the hardened spiritual ground.
Your ―First Steps‖ challenge is to have a prayer strategy that gets your people
out among the people they want to reach for Christ as you start a new church
1. P A R A B L E OF THE HARVEST: PRAY
After surveying potential fields for harvest, a farmer selects a place to begin. Usually, the
soil is too hard, has too many rocks or is too thick with weeds to receive the seed. It needs
to be prepared first.
A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along
the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did
not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the
sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no
root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still
other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times
what was sown. (Matthew 13:3-8)
In the parable of the sower, Jesus explained that the success of the harvest is affected by
the quality of the soil. Packed soil must be loosened. Rocks and weeds must be removed.
The farmer‘s tools are plows and rakes and hoes.
The church‘s tool is strategic, Spirit-led prayer.
FirstSteps 31
2. L O R D , T E A C H U S T O PRAY
R e a d M a t t h e w 6 : 9 – 15
9
―This, then, is how you should pray: ‗Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10Your
kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread.
12
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the
glory forever. Amen
14
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.‖
―How do I talk to God?‖ Jesus gave us a model prayer in Matthew 6:9-15. Our hand
reminds us how Jesus talked to his Father. Each finger on our hand reminds us of a
different part of the model prayer of Jesus. But how are our fingers held together? By the
palm of our hand. So let‘s start with that.
FirstSteps 32
1. Relationship
The palm is the foundation of our hand, just as the foundation of our
prayers is our relationship with our Father through Jesus Christ. That is
why Jesus begins by praying, “Our Father in Heaven . . .” (Matthew 6:9).
We begin our prayer time by focusing our attention on our relationship with
―Our Father.‖ Tell Him how grateful you are that you are His child and how
much you love Him.
2. Worship
“This, then, is how you should pray: „Our Father in heaven, hallowed be
your name . . .‟” (Matthew 6:9).
The thumb empowers our fingers. In the same way, worshiping God and
declaring the holiness of His name connects us to His presence and power
for the day ahead. Jesus taught us to worship Him before we ask for
anything.
3. Surrender
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
(Matthew 6:10).
Our first finger is second only to the thumb in importance. It reminds us that
surrender should be our response to worship. He is God and worthy of our
lives, plans, family, finances, future, work—everything. Pray for His
Kingdom to come and His will to be accomplished in your life today. Not
our will be done, but His will be done.
After you surrender, be still and LISTEN. The Holy Spirit probably has
something He wants to say to you. Prayer is conversation, so do not do all
the talking!
4. Ask
“Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).
Our second finger reminds us to ask God to meet our needs. First, ask God
what He wants you to ask for. Listen. Then ask Him to fill those needs.
When we begin with worship and surrender, we honor God and ask more in
His will, not ours.
5. Forgive
“Forgive us our debts (sins), as we also have forgiven our debtors (those
who sin against us)” (Matthew 6:12).
There are two parts of this prayer. First, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to
show us if we have bitterness, unforgiveness or a bad relationship with
anyone. Then, we need to forgive. If we do not forgive others, Jesus said,
God will not forgive us.
FirstSteps 33
Our third finger is weaker than the first two. This reminds us that we need
forgiveness of our sins, our human weakness and failure. Though we may
confess our sins throughout the day, during our time alone with our Father
we should pause to let Him search our hearts and confess any sin He
brings to mind.
6. Protect
“And don‟t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”
(Matthew 6:13, NLT).
Our fourth finger reminds us to pray for protection from temptation to sin.
We need protection from our own sinfulness. He also said to ask for
protection from evil, including the evil one (Satan). Remember that God
and Satan are not equal. And Satan is already defeated!
7. Worship
“...for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen”
(Matthew 6:13).
Oh no! We do not have any more fingers! But the prayer continues. No
problem. We end our prayers the same way we began—by worshiping
God! This builds our faith and encourages us to keep in mind that He is
Almighty God, more awesome and powerful than anything we face.
3. P O W E R OF UNITY
Read Matthew 18:19

19
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for
you by my Father in heaven.‖
3.1 What did Jesus promise if we pray in unity?
Jesus promised there is power as we pray for His Kingdom work, in His will and in
agreement with His people. Follow the model of Jesus as you pray together with others.
As you pray together as a church. As you do prayer walking where you want to start a new
church. As you gather new believers together and teach them how to talk to God.
Now we will look at several strategic things for which to pray during the ―Ask‖ part of our
prayers.
FirstSteps 34
4. P R A Y F O R L A B O R E R S FOR THE HARVEST
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus commanded us to make disciples. He also commanded

us to pray for the Father to use those disciples to go into His harvest fields.

35
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the
good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the
crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, ―The harvest is plentiful but the workers
are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.‖
4.1 What was Jesus doing when He gave this command?
Jesus was not sitting in a boat or on a hillside, teaching principles. He was not lecturing in
a classroom. He was walking among the people – finding out
who they were, what they were like and what they needed. Jesus went.
He saw.
As He went, He ministered to their physical needs. He had He ministered.
great compassion for them. But He saw that there were too He had compassion.
many for one man, even the Son of God, so He turned to His
disciples and gave them an instruction.
4.2 What instruction did Jesus give His disciples?
He told them to pray, and He told them what specifically they were to pray for. Remember
that Jesus never did anything that He did not see His Father doing. So, in effect, He was
telling His disciples: ―My Father wants you to ask Him for more workers so that He can
send them to help us gather these sheep into flocks and provide them with shepherds.‖
The focus of this prayer is church mobilization. It says, ―Get up, Church! Get out to the
fields, and start gathering the harvest. Everything is ripe. Move now, before it dries up and
rots away!‖
What Jesus said then applies today. This great prayer is a foundation of God‘s strategy to
reach all nations! And guess what? We are not only the prayer warriors. We also are the
answer to our prayers. We cry out to God, ―Send someone.‖ In every generation God is
asking, ―Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?‖ He wants us to respond as Isaiah did,
saying, ―Here am I! Send me.‖ (Isaiah 6:8)
FirstSteps 35
4.3 How can we develop the same compassion that motivated Jesus?
He went. He saw the people. And to those whom He saw, He ministered. Then, the
compassion of the Father rose up in Him. Our part is to go, see and help, and then to trust
God to provide the compassion.
5. A S K F O R M O R E L A B O R E R S F R O M T H E H A R V E S T
In the book of Luke, Jesus gave a larger group of disciples the same command. This time
He was talking to the 72 as He was sending them out. Let‘s look at this passage and see
how His command is different this time.
Read Luke 10:1-3

1
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to
every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, ―The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest
field. 3Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.‖
5.1 When did Jesus give this command to the 72? Why is this significant?
Here, Jesus tells the 72 to go out two by two to do evangelism. After he tells them to go
out, He tells them to pray for laborers for the harvest. In Matthew, Jesus gave the com-
mand to pray for laborers before He told the disciples to go out. Then He told them they
would be the answers to their own prayers for laborers.
This difference in timing is significant. We believe that Jesus was telling the 72 that they
should pray that God would give them new laborers from the new believers they would
win to Christ. More laborers were in the harvest! New believers you reach now have the
potential to become new workers and new leaders for future harvests.
We also need to pray that God will give us fruitful new laborers when we do evangelism.
This will only happen if we disciple the new believers!
6. A S K F O R A P E R S O N O F P E A C E
Jesus had more instructions for the 72 when He sent them out.
Read Luke 10:5-7

5
‖When you enter a house, first say, ‗Peace to this house.‘ 6If a man of peace is there, your
peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7Stay in that house, eating and drinking
whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to
house.‖
FirstSteps 36
6.1 Why is finding a person of peace important?
When we join God in what he is doing, there will be a great harvest. One of the ways to
see where God is working is to find a person of peace. A person of peace is a gatekeeper
to the surrounding community.
6.2 Who is a person of peace?

A team in Slovenia met a
Open to the gospel. A person of peace may be an woman who lived in the
unbeliever who has been prepared by the Holy Spirit and village where they were
planting a new church.
is ready to receive the gospel. Or a person of peace may The team traveled for an
already be a believer. But they always are open to the hour each way to get to
gospel. that village. This gracious
woman invited the team to
Reputation. A person of peace is well-known in their
stay in her home. The
community, whether for good or for bad. Some biblical next day, she accepted
examples had a good reputation, like Cornelius. Others Christ. She was a Muslim
were well-known for their bad reputations, like the woman fortuneteller who read tea
at the well. Yet when each accepted Christ, their character leaves and coffee grounds
was radically changed. God gained the glory for this to predict the future.
transformation. Through her circle of
influence, 21 people
Circle of Influence. A person of peace is willing to received Christ. They
introduce his or her circle of influence to Christ. They tell started a house church in
others about the great things Jesus has done for them. her home. After reading
the story of Lydia in the
Helpful. A person of peace is willing to help Christian Bible, this woman
workers. renamed herself “Mama
Lydia.”
6.3 Who are some other persons of peace in the Bible?
“When you work with God
Lydia was a Gentile worshiper of God. She heard the by going to receptive
truths spoken by Paul, and the Lord opened her heart. Not places (or working
only did she believe, but as a woman of influence, she through receptive people)
brought her whole household to believe. (Acts 10:1-48) that He has made ready,
then you are on God‟s
Cornelius began seeking after God before he truly knew agenda. It is important to
who God was. God gave him a vision that he was to go remember to be on His
and see Peter. Cornelius was a man of great influence agenda and not ours.”
and spoken of well among the people. After hearing the Carol Davis
gospel, Cornelius and his household believed. Cornelius
“Often the most fertile
was a person of peace prepared beforehand by God. ground for church
(Acts 10:1-48) planting is found among
The woman at the well was a person of peace with a bad bad people.”
George Patterson
reputation. But many in her town believed in Jesus
because of her testimony. (John 4:4-41)
FirstSteps 37
First Steps Ask God to give you a person of peace to help start your new
church. See question 4 of the Strategy Worksheet.
7. P A U L „ S EXAMPLE
Paul knew that Jesus said He would build and lead His church. He also knew that Jesus
called him to be part of His team. And Paul wanted to make sure that he was doing what
Jesus wanted done, when, where and how. So he prayed.
Read Acts 13:1-5

1
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ―Set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.‖ 3So after they had fasted and
prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4The two of them, sent on their
way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5When they
arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the work of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with
them as their helper.
7.1 What were they doing when the Holy Spirit interrupted their meeting?
The church and leaders at Antioch were focused on the Lord. They were praying and fast-
ing. Fervent prayer and worship always precede powerful plans.
The same was true in the Old Testament. Joshua worshiped. (Joshua 5:13-15)
Then the Lord gave him the plan that conquered Jericho. (Joshua 6:2-21)
The disciples worshiped Jesus on the mountain. (Matthew 28:16-17)
Then Jesus gave them His Great Commission plan to bring God‘s Kingdom down from
heaven to earth. (Matthew 28:18-20)
7.2 What plan did God give to the Antioch church?

The Holy Spirit gave them a clear who, what and where. First, He singled out two men,
Barnabas and Saul. Second, He told them they were being called ―to the work to which
I have called them,‖ which was church planting. Then, He directed them to go to
Seleucia and Cyprus.
How can you follow the example of the early church?

First Steps You begin by answering a few questions:
When will your church begin to pray? See question 2 of the Strategy Worksheet.
Where does God want you to plant a new church?
See question 3 of the Strategy Worksheet.
Who is He calling to be on the team to help start a new church?
FirstSteps 38
What barriers need to come down? In your church?
First Steps
In the area where God is calling you to start a new church?
● Apathy in the church ● Fear

● Stronghold of religion ● Alcoholism
● Drug addictions ● Physical abuse
● Sexual sins ● Materialism
● Greed ● Lack of faith
● Mormonism ● Jehovah‘s Witnesses
● Witchcraft ● Cults
● Islam ● Others?
First Steps Should you start a Lighthouse of Prayer to mobilize prayer

for the new church? See question 7 of the Strategy Worksheet.
7.3 What is a Lighthouse of Prayer?
A Lighthouse of Prayer is a cluster of two or more believers who gather with the common
purpose of going to, ministering to and praying for their neighbors.
14
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. . . .
16
Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise
your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14, 16)
Prayer is a powerful key that enables you to shine God‘s light out of your home and
church, guiding your friends and neighbors to the truth and shelter found only in Jesus
Christ.
7.4 Where should a Lighthouse of Prayer for church planting be started?
The neighborhood targeted for a new church, especially Lighthouse

when members of the mother church live there, is the most Strategy
strategic place to start a Lighthouse of Prayer. Otherwise,
ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the home, school, office or Pray for:
other gathering place He has chosen.
5 blessings for
7.5 Who should be involved? 5 neighbors for
5 minutes a day for
Church members, those who live or work at the Lighthouse
and other neighborhood believers are ideal. As soon as God 5 days a week for
reveals a person of peace in the neighborhood, include that 5 weeks
person in the Lighthouse.
FirstSteps 39
7.6 How does a Lighthouse work?
1. Each intercessor should begin by identifying at least five neighbors, co-workers or

friends in the neighborhood for whom the Lord is leading them to pray. Pray especially
for God to provide a person of peace in the neighborhood. Prayers may also pray
house-by-house for those they have not yet met.
2. Commit to pray for five BLESSings for each of the five people for at least five minutes
a day, five days a week for five weeks (or until the start of a Church Planting
Mission Trip):
Body – health, protection, food

Labor – employment income, good work relationships, productivity
Emotional – inner peace, joy, wisdom, patience
Social – healthy relationships with family and friends, reconciliation with enemies
Spiritual – repentance, salvation, obedience, gratitude, spiritual growth and
opportunities to share the gospel with that person
3. Walk through your neighborhood, praying for your neighbors and watching for
opportunities to meet them. Tell them you are praying for them, and ask if there is
anything specific for which they would like you to pray. Pray for other situations that
the Lord points out to you as you walk.
4. Keep a journal with all prayer requests, and pray through every request. Remember to
thank the Lord for every answered prayer, and record the answers in your journal.
5. Do not be discouraged by an apparent lack of results. When Satan tries to make you
feel fruitless and ineffective, remind him that God loves everyone in the neighborhood
and answers every prayer according to His goodness, wisdom and mercy.
6. Look for opportunities to reveal the love of Christ by demonstrating your love and
concern for your neighbors. Minister to the people for whom you are praying.
7. As you approach the launch of the evangelism and discipleship, look for opportunities
to tell your neighbors about coming events, visit them and share the gospel with them.
When possible, invite them to meetings that will be held in the neighborhood.
This strategy is adapted from How to Start and Sustain a Light-House by Hope Ministries.
For more information, go to www.hopeministries.org.
“God gave us a place to plant a new church. We began by going through some of
the streets praying for the people. We did that for several weeks. When we began
the evangelism, everyone prayed to receive Christ on the streets where our church
had prayed. Almost no one accepted the Lord on the streets where we had not
walked and prayed.”
Pastor in Santa Cruz, Bolivia
FirstSteps 40
FIRST STEPS
These are the prayer tools that follow –
1. ―A Prayer Challenge for Your Country‖ that you can copy and give to your
church members to challenge them to pray strategic scriptural prayers for your
country.
2. ―Five Blessings‖ brochure that you can copy and give to your church members
to help them start Lighthouses of Prayer.
NEXT STEPS
Additional materials about PRAYER are available on the internet at

www.e3partners.org/materials.
FirstSteps 41
A PRAYER
CHALLENGE FOR
TOOL YOUR COUNTRY
Would you like to see God work in a miraculous way in your country? Are you willing to take on
a long-term prayer challenge for your country? Then ask God to work in your country in the 21st
century like He did in the 1st century!
The following verses describe how God worked in the 1st century. Pray one of these verses each
day for a year. Then watch God bring glory to Himself as He radically changes your country.
Day 1: Ask God to bring glory to Himself through how Jesus works in the Church in your country.
Eph 3:21
“ . . . to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for
ever and ever! Amen.”
Day 2: Ask our loving Father to add new believers every day to the churches of your country.
Acts 2:47
“ . . . praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to
their number daily those who were being saved.”
Day 3: Ask our Creator God to add multitudes of new believers every day to the churches of your
country.
Acts 5:14
“more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their
number.”
Day 4: Pray that God would multiply disciples in your country.

Acts 6:1
“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing . . . .”
Day 5: Pray that God would multiply greatly the number of disciples in your country.
Acts 6:7
“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly,
and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”
Day 6: Pray that God would bring glory to Himself by igniting a church planting movement by
planting new churches every day in your country.
Acts 16:5
“So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”
Day 7: Praise God as the One who is able to answer these prayers exceedingly abundantly above
all that we can ask or think!
Eph 3:20-21
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in
Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”
FirstSteps 42
FirstSteps 46
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
FirstSteps 47
EVANGELIZE
FirstSteps 48
EVANGELIZE
MAIN IDEAS
The story of the woman at the well shows us how Jesus witnessed, using
physical needs to turn the conversation to spiritual needs.
The woman at the well is an example of a person of peace who pointed many
people to Jesus.
It is very important to understand the basic points of the gospel.
You need an evangelism tool and training to help your congregation learn how
to share their faith.
1. P A R A B L E O F T H E HARVEST: EVANGELIZE
After a farmer breaks up the soil in his field, he scatters the seed plentifully. A farmer
understands that to see a bountiful harvest he must sow much seed, for not all seed will
take root.
The Apostle Paul taught the Corinthian church this principle when he said ―Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will
also reap generously.‖ (2 Corinthians 9:6) Paul was talking about sowing financially, but
the principle is the same for evangelism – when you put much seed into good soil, you
can expect a great harvest. However, when you put only a few seeds out, you can expect
a small harvest.
From this we learn that to establish a church, you need to sow the seed of the gospel
in abundance. The more seeds you sow – the more the gospel is presented – the more
people you will see come to faith in Christ.
The Lord desires for you to join Him in this work by evangelizing a community that has
little or no gospel witness. By getting out into the community and sharing the gospel
through relationships, you are sowing spiritual seed in expectation of a great harvest.
If you try to plant a church without sowing the gospel seed abundantly, you will reap
sparingly.
FirstSteps 49
2. L I V I N G W A T E R
John‘s gospel gives an account of a woman who met Jesus at Jacob‘s well one day.
Read John 4:7-10

7
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ―Will you give me a drink?‖
8
(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, ―You
are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?‖ (For Jews do not
associate with Samaritans) 10Jesus answered her, ―If you knew the gift of God and who it is
that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.‖
2.1 What did Jesus want from her?
He asked for a drink of water, a pretty ordinary request on a hot, dry day. Yet it amazed
this woman.
2.2 Why was she so surprised?
After the tribes of Israel had split in the days of King David, Samaria was the capital of
Israel, while Jerusalem was the capital of Judah. Through the centuries, the two drifted
farther apart – culturally and religiously, as well as politically. The Jews grew to hate the
Samaritans, and the woman recognized Jesus as a Jew.
Jesus, however, came to save the lost – both Jew and Gentile – and wants us to reach
across cultural barriers.
Read John 4:10 again

10
Jesus answered her, ―If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you
would have asked him and he would have given you living water.‖
2.3 How did Jesus respond to her?
Jesus was more interested in healing her soul than in quenching His thirst. So He took the
first opportunity to redirect their conversation from the physical to the spiritual. As the
conversation continued, the Holy Spirit revealed the woman‘s history to Jesus, and Jesus
revealed His true identity to the woman.
FirstSteps 50
Read John 4:28-30 and 39-41
28
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
29
‖Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?‖ 30They came
out of the town and made their way toward him. . . . 39Many of the Samaritans from that town
believed in him because of the woman‘s testimony, ―He told me everything I ever did.‖ 40So
when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.
41
And because of his works, many more became believers.
2.4 How did she then respond to Jesus?
Perhaps the disciples frightened her off when they returned with lunch, or maybe the
Father revealed the truth to her as He did to Peter. In either case, she ran home and told
everyone about the amazing Man she had met and what He had told her. The city
responded by returning with her to see and hear for themselves. Revival broke out.
2.5 What can we learn from the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan
woman at the well?
Person of Peace. The Samaritan woman is an excellent example of a ―person of peace‖

(see Pray chapter). Because of her testimony, her entire village wanted to know about
Jesus. The gospel spreads more quickly when we begin with a person of peace. Finding
one is a top priority.
Evangelize Groups. Most of the time, it is easier to lead a group to Christ and start a new
church than to evangelize individuals and form them into groups. Look for groups to
evangelize as an important first step to planting a church.
Help New Believers Share Their Testimony. The woman at the well immediately told her
neighbors about her encounter with Jesus. Help new believers tell their own story about
trusting Christ as their Savior. Use the ―Prepare Your Story‖ tool at the end of this chapter.
Immediately Teach New Believers to Evangelize. New believers can have a big impact
for Christ because: 1) they know many non-believers, 2) they are enthusiastic about their
new faith, and 3) people often see change in their lives. Challenge them to make a list of
people they want to tell about Jesus and then teach them how to do it. Encourage them
and hold them accountable.
FirstSteps 51
3. W H A T I S THE GOSPEL?
―Gospel‖ is a religious term that means literally ―good news.‖ Then, ―spreading the gospel‖
simply means ―telling the good news.‖ This simple fact can revolutionize your attitude
toward evangelism.
Yes, but what exactly is this gospel – this good news? Again, there is a simple answer.
Here are the words of the Apostle Paul, explaining what the gospel is:
Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

1
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and
on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the
word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3For what I received I passed on
to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he
was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he
appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred
of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also,
as to one abnormally born.
Paul uses four key words to outline the gospel that he preached:
➤ Christ DIED for our sins.
➤ He was BURIED.
➤ He was RAISED.
➤ He APPEARED.
In short, Christ‘s death, burial and resurrection to pay for our sins is THE gospel or good
news of Jesus Christ. This is the central core of our message. But evangelism also involves
inviting people to place their faith and trust in Christ‘s payment for their sins. So the basic
points to cover in evangelism are:
➤ You are a sinner, and sin separates us from God. (Romans 3:23)
➤ Christ died for your sin and arose. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
➤ You must trust only in Christ for your eternal life. (John 14:6 and Romans 10:9)
The EvangeCube®, the personal witnessing tract, and these training materials are intended
to help you precisely explain this message of salvation. It will also help you in two of the
most challenging aspects of personal evangelism:
➤ initiating a conversation about Christ‘s offer of salvation

➤ confronting a person with the necessity to personally accept Christ as Savior
FirstSteps 52
Too often we tell people about Jesus but neglect to invite them to trust Jesus. As it has
been said:
INFORMATION without an INVITATION is merely EDUCATION.
Conversely,
An INVITATION without INFORMATION is merely EXHORTATION.
But,
INFORMATION with an INVITATION is EVANGELISM.
Biblical evangelism is explaining the death, burial and resurrection of Christ AND inviting
people to trust Christ as the only way to eternal life with God.
First Steps What evangelism method will you use to share the gospel?
When will you train your church to use this evangelism

First Steps
method? See question 9 of the Strategy Worksheet.
FIRST STEPS
1. Immediately help new believers (and everyone else) make a list of the lost
and possibly a list of people to train. Give each person paper and a pen.
Have them write down every person they know who is not a believer. Use the
following tool:
“100 People with Whom to Share the Gospel”
2. Immediately teach new believers (and everyone else) how to share their
personal story. Use the following tool:
“Prepare Your Story‖
3. Immediately teach new believers (and everyone else) how to evangelize.
Use the following tools:
“Learning to Share the Gospel”
“EvangeCube Instructions”
“Evangelism Tract”
“How to Use the e3 Partners Tract”
“5 Things to Accomplish with Each Visit”
NEXT STEPS
Additional materials about EVANGELISM are available on the internet at

FirstSteps 53
100 People with
Whom to Share
TOOL the Gospel
1. _________________________________ 26. ________________________________
2. _________________________________ 27. ________________________________
3. _________________________________ 28. ________________________________
4. _________________________________ 29. ________________________________
5. _________________________________ 30. ________________________________
6. _________________________________ 31. ________________________________
7. _________________________________ 32. ________________________________
8. _________________________________ 33. ________________________________
9. _________________________________ 34. ________________________________
10. ________________________________ 35. ________________________________
11. ________________________________ 36. ________________________________
12. ________________________________ 37. ________________________________
13. ________________________________ 38. ________________________________
14. ________________________________ 39. ________________________________
15. ________________________________ 40. ________________________________
16. ________________________________ 41. ________________________________
17. ________________________________ 42. ________________________________
18. ________________________________ 43. ________________________________
19. ________________________________ 44. ________________________________
20. ________________________________ 45. ________________________________
21. ________________________________ 46. ________________________________
22. ________________________________ 47. ________________________________
23. ________________________________ 48. ________________________________
24. ________________________________ 49. ________________________________
25. ________________________________ 50. ________________________________
FirstSteps 54
100 Names continued~
51. _________________________________ 76. ________________________________

52. _________________________________ 77. ________________________________
53. _________________________________ 78. ________________________________
54. _________________________________ 79. ________________________________
55. _________________________________ 80. ________________________________
56. _________________________________ 81. ________________________________
57. _________________________________ 82. ________________________________
58. _________________________________ 83. ________________________________
59. _________________________________ 84. ________________________________
60. ________________________________ 85. ________________________________
61. ________________________________ 86. ________________________________
62. ________________________________ 87. ________________________________
63. ________________________________ 88. ________________________________
64. ________________________________ 89. ________________________________
65. ________________________________ 90. ________________________________
66. ________________________________ 91. ________________________________
67. ________________________________ 92. ________________________________
68. ________________________________ 93. ________________________________
69. ________________________________ 94. ________________________________
70. ________________________________ 95. ________________________________
71. ________________________________ 96. ________________________________
72. ________________________________ 97. ________________________________
73. ________________________________ 98. ________________________________
74. ________________________________ 99. ________________________________
75. ________________________________ 100. _______________________________
After you have made your list, circle the names of the first 5 with whom you will share.
FirstSteps 55
PREPARE
TOOL YOUR STORY
You will need to prepare your story and be prepared to share it with people when you tell
them about Jesus. Here are some ideas –
Before following Christ: Be general about your life before Christ. You don‘t want the
hearer to dwell on your sins. Describing feelings is helpful (e.g., pain, loneliness,
emptiness, uncertainty of eternity, etc.), but avoid needless sin details. If you say, ―I was
a [thief / etc.]‖, then the hearer may think, ―I‘m not that bad – I don‘t need Christ the way he
does.‖ General descriptions of sin have broader impact. If you say, ―I was rebellious and
sinned all the time,‖ then the hearer may identify by thinking, ―I bet s/he was a drinker, like
me.‖ And finally, don‘t spend 5 minutes on sin versus only 30 seconds on salvation and
your new life!
How I became a Christian: Make sure this section gives the gospel! Your testimony may
be the only chance for someone to hear it! The gospel is: We are sinners who are saved
only when we put our faith in Christ, who died for our sins, was buried, and raised.
Scripture does not say that we were saved by ‗walking the aisle‘, or ‗asking Jesus into our
hearts‘, or other Christian jargon. Be clear. Avoid religious terms.
Today my life as a Christian is: This section should show benefits, not problems!
Tell of the joy, peace, and forgiveness Jesus gave. If you really must mention the
problems, a better approach would be, ―Since I trusted Christ, He has always given me
strength and peace, even when I have had problems.‖
SAMPLE TESTIMONY
Use this as a guide for writing your story. Feel welcome to use some of the same
phrases!
Hello, my name is Joe DeCitizen.

I live in the city of Dallas, Texas, in the U.S.A.
Before following Christ, I tried to become happy by making money, going to parties, and living my way.
But these things only made me feel empty. I knew I was sinning against God.
I realized I needed for God to save me from my sins.
(How I became a Christian) Then some friends showed me that the Bible says that God loved us so
much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay for our sins. Jesus was buried, and
after 3 days, God raised Him from the dead. The Bible says that those who trust in Jesus to forgive their
sins will have eternal life with God. So that day, I put my trust in Jesus alone to forgive me of my sins.
Today my life as a Christian is full of joy, peace, and purpose. I know that God loves me and has
forgiven me. Best of all, I know that I have eternal life with God.
Would you like to know how you can have eternal life with God?
FirstSteps 56
NOW WRITE YOUR PERSONAL STORY!
Your story is a vital tool that you will use as you share the gospel. Write it briefly below.
Then practice saying it to others. God will use His work in your life to draw others to faith
in Himself.
Hello, my name is __________________________________________________________
I live in __________________________________________________________________
Before following Christ, _____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
I realized I needed _________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(How I became a Christian – include a BRIEF gospel presentation) __________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Today my life as a Christian is ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Would you like to know how you can have eternal life with God?
FirstSteps 57
LEARNING TO
TOOL SHARE THE GOSPEL
PICTURE WORD SENTENCE VERSE
GOD GOD loves you! John 3:16

1 John 4:8
YOU! YOU are a sinner Romans 3:23

Rom. 6:23
JESUS JESUS died for your sins Romans 5:8
1 Pet. 2:24; John 3:16
BURIED Jesus was BURIED 1 Corinthians 15:4
RAISED God RAISED Jesus! 1 Corinthians 15:4
(One) WAY Jesus is the only WAY to God John 14:6
FAITH You must put your Ephesians 2:8-9

FAITH in Jesus
John 1:12, 3:16-18; Gal. 2:16
PRAYER: Romans 10:9
FirstSteps 58
FirstSteps 59
FirstSteps 60
ARE YOU
STEPS FOR FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST
SURE THAT
LOVE God and all people.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And a
second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matt. 22:36-40
YOU HAVE
1 Cor. 13; 1 John 4; Col 3:12-14; Eph. 4:15, 5:2
ETERNAL
STUDY the Bible (God’s Word) daily.
Start with the Gospel of John and read 1 chapter each day.
“Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may
LIFE WITH
grow in respect to salvation…” 1 Peter 2:2
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.” Jesus in John 14:23
2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:21-22; Psalm 119; Hebrews 4:12
GOD?
PRAY to God constantly.
In prayer you can thank and worship God, ask for His help, confess your
sins, and pray for others.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving, let you requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6-7
Matthew 6:9-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Colossians 4:2

James 5:16; 1 Peter 4:7
MEET regularly with other Christians.

God commands that Christians meet regularly for worship, prayer, Bible
study and helping each other.
“…not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another…” Hebrews 10:25
Matthew 18:20; Acts 2:42,46; 1 Corinthians 14:26
TELL others the good news about Jesus.
God wants us to tell other people how to have eternal life with God by
trusting in Jesus to save them from sin. You can use this paper when you
talk to others about Jesus!
“And He (Jesus) said to them, „Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to
all creation.‟” Mark 16:15
1 Peter 3:15; Romans 1:16, 10:14; Colossians 4:2-6

HOW TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD SUMMARY
1. Do you believe that God loves you and John 3:16
wants you to have eternal life? LOVE God LOVES you and wants you to live eternally John 3:16
with Him.
SIN But your SIN has separated you from God and Rom. 3:23
earned you eternal punishment.
2. Do you believe that you have sinned? 1 John 1:8, 10
3. Do you believe your sins have separated Romans 3:23
you from God? Only Jesus Christ can save you from you sins.
4. Do you believe that God’s penalty for Romans 6:23 CROSS
sinners is eternal punishment? 1. God’s Son Jesus died on a CROSS Rom. 5:8
5. Do you believe that doing good works can Eph. 2:8,9 for our sins.
save you from your sins? 2. Jesus was buried.
3. God raised Jesus from the dead on
6. Do you believe that Jesus is God’s Son? John 20:31 the third day.
7. Do you believe that Jesus died on a cross Romans 5:8
for our sins?
8. Do you believe that god raised Jesus from 1 Cor. 15:3-4
the dead?
9. Do you believe that Jesus is the only way John 14:6 DECISION You must put your faith in Jesus alone to be saved. Eph. 2:8,9
to come to God? OF FAITH What is your DECISION?
Receive Jesus by faith, or reject Him? John 3:16
(„Record Book‟ Illustration John 3:16 and 18)
10. Only Jesus can save you from your sins and give John 3:16,18
you eternal life. But this good news about Jesus
does not help you unless you put your faith
in Jesus.
Do you want to put your faith
Additional Verses for the Questions
in Jesus to save you?
11. (If the answer is yes) In the Bible, Romans 10:9
says: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus
is Lord, and believe in you heart that God raised 1. 1 John 4:8-10, 16; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:4-9
Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” That is 2. Galatians 3:22; Romans 3:10, 23; Isaiah 53:6
God’s promise to you! 3. Isaiah 59:2; Hebrews 7:22, 26; 1 John 1:5-6; 1 John 3:4-8; Matthew 5:48
4. John 3:36; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 20:14-15, 21:8; James 2:10
Would you like to tell God that you are Hebrews 9:27
now putting your faith in Jesus? 5. Titus 3:5; Galatians 2:16, 2:21, 3:10-11; Romans 3:20, 3:28, 4:5; @ Timothy 1:9;
Matthew 5:20; Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 10:4; James 2:10
12. (If the answer is yes) I will help you talk to God 6. Mark 1:1; Matthew 16:15-17; Colossians 2:9; John 1:1, 14; John 17:1-3;
by leading you in a prayer. Saying the words of Philippians 2:5-8
a prayer does not save you. Only faith in Jesus 7. 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18; Colossians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:10;
saves you. As you pray, God is looking at your Ephesians 1:7; Isaiah 53:5-6; Philippians 2:5-8
heart for faith in Jesus. Now, please pray this 8. Galatians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Matthew 28:5-6; Romans 10:9; 2 Timothy 2:8
prayer to God, saying each part after me. 9. Acts 4:10-12; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; John 10:7-9; Galatians 1:8; Hebrews 10:4, 19
God, / thank You for loving me. / I know that I have 10. Hebrews 4:2; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:22, 28; Galatians 2:16; John 3:36;
Sinned / against You. / I believe that Your Son Jesus Philippians 3:9
/ died on the cross / to pay for my sins, / and that 11. Romans 10:13; John 1:12; Matthew 10:32; Philippians 2:11; 1 John 4:15
You raised Jesus / from the dead. / I now put my faith 12. Romans 10:13; John 1:12; Matthew 10:32; 1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 12:36-37
/ only in Jesus / to forgive me / and save me from my 13. Galatians 3:26; John 1:12, 5:24, 10:27-29, 11:25, 26; 1 John 5:11-13, 4:15; 5:1
Sins. / I confess that Jesus is Lord. / thank you for
Your gift of eternal life. / I pray in Jesus‟ name, Amen To learn more, contact:
13. Now that you have trusted in Jesus, do you John 6:47
believe that God has forgiven your sins and given Romans 10:9
you eternal life?
HOW TO USE THE
TOOL e3 PARTNERS TRACT
1. Ask the question on the tract cover: “Are you sure that you have eternal life with God?”
- If the listener answers ―No,‖ then say, ―May we show you from the Bible how you can have eternal life with God?
- If the listener answers ―Yes,‖ then say, ―What are you trusting in to give you eternal life?‖
- If the answer to that question is not ―Jesus Christ,‖ then say, ―The Bible says there is only one way to have
eternal life. May we please share that one way with you?‖
- If the answer is ―Jesus,‖ the ask the listener when and how he/she trusted Christ.
2. Work through the tract, one question at a time.
- If you have an EvangeCube®, illustrate each question with the pictures on the EvangeCube®.
3. Always show the person the scriptures for the main (bold) verses.
- We want people to know that this is God‘s word, not just a human presentation.
“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17
- Even if the listener answers correctly, he still needs to see the scriptures for reinforcement of these key points.
He may not truly understand, and may have made a ―good guess.‖ Compliment him, saying, ―That‘s right!
Because the Bible says…‖ Then show him the verse.
How to show someone a verse:

- Hold a Bible where the listener can also see the verse, like two people sharing a hymnbook.
- Point at the verse. It is good to highlight the verses in your Bible. You may want to mark those pages in your
Bible for quick access.
- Don‘t force the listener to read – he may be illiterate. If he begins to comfortably read aloud, it is good – so give
him a chance. But if he hesitates or reads silently, then read the verse aloud, tracing it with a finger as you look at
it together.
4. Anytime the person gives a wrong answer, we always need to show him the verse.
- Don‘t say: ―You‘re wrong.‖ We will let the Bible do the talking!
- Instead, say with love, ―Let me show you what the Bible says about that,‖ and then show the verse.
5. The “Summary” and “Additional Verses” sections are for your help as needed.
- Summary:
- If the listener is in a hurry, just make the summary points and share one verse for each.
- Then go directly to part #10 of the tract (the statement and the question).
- Additional Verses:
- These are numbered to go along with the 13 questions of the tract.
- If the listener has trouble understanding or disagrees, use these verses for more help.
- Use only as many verses as you think you need. You don‘t have to use all of them.
6. Saying the prayer (tract part #12)
- First read the prayer in its entirety so the person understands the words of the prayer.
- Then ask the person if the words of the prayer say what they are feeling in their heart.
- If they say ―yes,‖ ask them to repeat the prayer after you.
- Stop at each slash mark (―/‖) and allow them to repeat that phrase.
7. Assurance of salvation (question #13, after the prayer)
- If the person is not sure that he is saved after trusting in Jesus, use the ‗Summary‘ portion to review the gospel,
and use some of the additional verses for tract question #13.
(continued…)
CONCLUDING THE VISIT
FirstSteps 63
If the person makes a profession of faith:
1. Set up a follow-up visit immediately!
2. Get the person‘s name and contact information (address, phone number, etc.) for follow-up.
3. Leave the tract with the person. Encourage the person to review the questions and especially the gospel
―Summary,‖ and also the discipleship points on back. You may review these immediately if the person is
receptive.
4. Invite the person to the evening activity. Write directions, such as location, time, day, phone number of leader,
etc., on the tract.
If the person does not have time to listen, or does not make a profession of faith:
1. Leave a tract with him anyway. Be friendly!
2. Invite the person to the evening activity. Have directions written on back of the tract.
GUIDELINES
The motive for the visit should be love (2 Cor. 5:14). You are there to care about the person, because God deeply
cares about them. You want them to know that God loves them and longs for them to be with Him eternally. Tell them
this and radiate it from your personality. Yes, you will be truthful about sin and hell, but not in a judging tone. Speak the
truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Smile and be friendly.
The tract is not meant to be a cold „yes/no‟ survey. You don‘t need to write down their answers. Use the tract as a
tool to have a natural-sounding conversation, not as a robotic read-only script.
Never argue! With argumentative or resistant people, give answers as the Lord leads you. Let the Bible do the talking by
saying, ―Let me show you what the Bible says about that.‖ If resistance continues, gently thank the listeners for their time
and invite them to the evening activity. Then move on.
Help for tract part #2:

If the listener says he has never sinned, don‘t go to the verse immediately. First explain what sin is: ―Sin is anything God
has asked us not to do, such as being jealous, cursing, not obeying our parents, and lying. Have you ever done any of
these things?‖. If the listener still says he has never sinned, then go to the verse (1 John 1:8, 10).
Help for tract part #10:

If the listener does not want to put his faith in Christ:
- First, check to see if he understood the gospel by using the summary section.
Examples: LOVE: Do you understand that God loves you?
SIN: Do you understand that your sin separates you from God?
- Second, if he still says ‗no‘ to Christ, ask what is preventing him from trusting in Jesus.
Help for tract parts #11 and #12:
- If the listener is embarrassed to pray in front of others, suggest moving to a private place.
- If the listener is still embarrassed to pray, just encourage him to close his eyes and pray silently to God,
repeating the phrases that you pray aloud.
Help for tract part #13 (assurance and clarification of faith)

- Always show one or both of the verses. It is good to teach the verses back to the person.
John 6:47 - Jesus said that whoever…does what?…does good works? prays to Mary? etc. No! He said that
―whoever BELIEVES IN ME‖ has eternal life. Did Jesus say you MIGHT get eternal life? No! He
says you HAVE it right now!
Rom. 10:9 - Did you confess Jesus as Lord? (The listener said this phrase in the prayer.) Do you believe that
God raised Him from the dead? (He said „yes‟ in tract part #8.) The Bible PROMISES that whoever
truly does these things SHALL be saved!
FirstSteps 64
5 THINGS TO
ACCOMPLISH
TOOL WITH EACH VISIT
1. INTRODUCTION
Choose someone as the spokesman. The spokesman should introduce everyone. For
example, “Hello, this is my friend John Doe. We are visiting homes in the community
today. Would you allow us a few minutes for John to share a special story with you?
It is the story of what Jesus Christ has done in his life.”
It is important to review this introduction with your co-workers before you start your visit-
ing. During the introduction, maintain eye contact, smile and seek to shake hands as a
friendly greeting.
2. TESTIMONY
Share your testimony of how you became a Christian. If you are working with someone
who speaks another language, proceed a paragraph at a time through the testimony, alter-
nating between English and the local language. Remember the Scripture says that the
word of your testimony is a spiritual weapon and can be powerfully used by the Holy Spirit.
At the conclusion, ask the person you are visiting if you may ask them several questions
about their relationship with God and Jesus Christ.
3. EVANGECUBE® and TRACT

Use an EvangeCube® and tract to share the gospel, which is the power of God for salva-
tion! Share and show verses from the Bible as appropriate. Pray for the person to whom
you are witnessing as you share the Good News with them.
4. INVITATION TO THE EVENING ACTIVITY

Give the person to whom you are talking information about the location of the evening
activity. Warmly encourage them to bring family and friends as well. Ask them be your
―special guest‖ at the meeting.
5. FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION
Write down the person‘s name, address and telephone number. This information is vital
for conserving the harvest. Be sure to gather complete information.
FirstSteps 65
FirstSteps 66
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
FirstSteps 67
MAKE DISCIPLES
TRAINING TIP
Multiplication Game
Ask for two volunteers to be pastors. Ask each to pick one person from the audience.
This represents evangelism. Then tell the group that Pastor A preaches for a year. But
Pastor B preaches and disciples his convert for a year. At the end of the year, Pastor A
picks one more person. Pastor B and his disciple each pick one more person from the
audience. Next round, Pastor A goes and picks one more person from the audience.
Pastor B and each of his disciples go pick one person from the audience. Do this for
several generations until all the people in the audience have been chosen. After 5 or 6
generations, disciple-making Pastor B‘s group will be much larger than the group led by
evangelistic Pastor A.
Addition: 1 + 1 = 2 + 1= 3 + 1 = 4 + 1 = 5+ 1 = 6 + 1 = 7+ 1 = 8
Multiplication: 1 + 1 = 2 x 2 = 4 x 2 = 8 x 2 = 16 x 2 = 32 x 2 = 64 x 2 = 128
Generation: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
What does this multiplication game show us?

Evangelism is a ministry of addition.
Disciple-making is a ministry of multiplication. Changes in the first few
generations are not very different. The difference grows greater and greater with
each additional generation.
Everyone wants a ministry of multiplication, not addition.
FirstSteps 68
MAKE DISCIPLES
AIN IDEAS
Jesus commands us to make disciples.
Jesus and Paul made disciples through relationships, not in teaching a class.
Your ―First Steps‖ challenge is to make disciples who love and obey Jesus Christ
and who make more disciples of their own.
1. P A R A B L E O F T H E H A R V E S T : MAKE DISCIPLES
The most critical time for a plant is just after the seed breaks through the soil. Because its
root system is immature, too much sun and too little water can cause it to wither and die.
On the other hand, too much rain can wash away the soil and uproot the seedling. During
this season, young plants need close observation and careful tending.
In Matthew 13, Jesus warns that new believers, too, are vulnerable to lack of understand-
ing, trouble and persecution, the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth. But He
also gives us a glimpse of the wonderful fruitfulness of disciples:
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and
understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
(Matthew 13:23)
We observe and nurture new believers by investing our time and energy, cultivating their
hearts and preparing them to bring forth the richest possible harvest.
2. W H A T I S A DISCIPLE?
Read Luke 9:23-25

23
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up
his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or
forfeit his very self?
2.1 How would you define a disciple?
FirstSteps 69
A disciple is a believer whose top priority is to be a life-long learner
and follower of Christ. “A disciple is
a life-long
Jesus was never so desperate for disciples that He compromised
His standards for disciples! He expected nothing less than that His learner and
disciples sacrifice everything in order to finish well! follower of
Christ.”
Are your disciples prepared to give up everything to follow Jesus?
Are you? If not, the standard of Jesus has been lowered.
3. S E L E C T D I S C I P L E S
Read Luke 6:12-13

12
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to
God. 13When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he
also designated apostles. . . .
3.1 When was Jesus‟ first step in making disciples?

Jesus wanted to select exactly the right disciples, so He spent the entire night praying.
During that time, His Father showed Him the men who were to be chosen, in whom Jesus
was to invest His greatest time and energy. In light of the Great Commission, making
disciples must be our priority. Be careful not to look only at the external qualities of a
person when selecting a disciple. The best disciples are those the Holy Spirit has prepared
to obey Christ.
First Steps How will you immediately disciple new believers to find out
who is obedient? See question 10 of the strategy worksheet.
4. I N V E S T T I M E
Read Mark 3:14

14
He appointed twelve....that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach…
4.1 What was Jesus‟ primary way of making disciples?

This verse says that Jesus‘ strategy was to ―be with‖ them. When Jesus called these men,
He said, ―Follow me,‖ not ―Read my book‖ or ―Take good notes in my classes.‖ Discipleship
is most effective in a personal, loving relationship. The disciples lived with Jesus, traveled
with Him, listened to and watched Him and eventually went out and did the same things
they had seen Him do.
Jesus gave them information. But most importantly, He gave them Himself and His time.
FirstSteps 70
First Steps How will you invest time in your disciples and build a
relationship with them? See question 11 of Strategy Worksheet.
5. T E A C H DISCIPLES TO OBEY JESUS
Read John 14:15

15
‖If you love me, you will obey what I command.‖
5.1 What did Jesus say was the test of His disciples‟ love for Him?
Jesus made it clear that our love for Him is best shown through our obedience to Him.
The believers we disciple will learn to obey Him by watching our obedience. So, teaching
our disciples to obey the commands of Jesus is very important. You will need a curriculum
or plan to teach your disciples the commands of Jesus. See the ―Next Steps‖ section at
the end of this chapter for ideas.
What discipleship materials will you use to teach your disci-

First Steps ples how to obey Jesus? See question 12 of the Strategy Worksheet.
6. D E M O N S T R A T E E X A M P L E S OF MINISTRY
Read John 13:2-5

2
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of
Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and
that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his
outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin
and began to wash his disciples‘ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ―Lord, are you going to wash my feet?‖ 7Jesus
replied, ―You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.‖ 8―No,‖ said
Peter, ―you shall never wash my feet.‖ Jesus answered, ―Unless I wash you, you have no part
with me.‖ 9―Then, Lord,‖ Simon Peter replied, ―not just my feet but my hands and my head
as well!‖ 10Jesus answered, ―A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his
whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.‖ 11For he knew who was
going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12When he had finished
washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ―Do you understand what I
have done for you?‖ he asked them. 13―You call me ‗Teacher‘ and ‗Lord,‘ and rightly so, for that
is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should
wash one another‘s feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for
you.‖
FirstSteps 71
6.1 What was the main method Jesus used to teach His disciples how to do
ministry?
Whenever possible, Jesus gave His disciples an example or illustration. Sometimes he
taught through stories or parables. But most often – and most effectively – He taught by
modeling it Himself.
They would never forget the image of the promised Messiah, the Son of God, stripped to
the waist and washing their filthy feet like a humble servant.
He taught them about prayer by praying, evangelism by preaching the gospel of the
Kingdom and ministry by meeting the needs of the people.
 FELIPE„S STORY
Felipe was an elder in his church when they asked him to help plant a new church.
He joyfully hosted a team to do this. Day after day the team went door-to-door in
Breña, a suburb of Lima, sharing the gospel. Every day people accepted the
forgiveness and reconciliation bought for them by God‘s Son. And every evening the
team met with the new believers in one of the homes.
At the end of a week of work, the team returned to their home city, and Felipe began
pastoring this new little flock.
Eight months later the team leader returned to visit this new church. The house they
were renting was overflowing. Sixty people crowded into the room, lining the walls and
filling the doorways. About 20 had received Christ during the mission trip, and the
harvest had continued.
―I just did what you told me,‖ a beaming Felipe told Mike, the team leader. A couple of
months before the mission trip, Mike had taught these First Steps principles at a lead-
ership conference for Felipe and other pastors and workers. Felipe immediately used
the information. He began to disciple five men with the materials he received. These
five men learned how to disciple others by being discipled by Felipe.
After the week of evangelism, Felipe took those disciples with him to start discipling
the new believers. The five disciples then began returning by themselves to visit the
new believers as they showed faithfulness.
On average, Felipe recalled, they had to return to each new believer ten times before
they would come to a meeting. But their persistence and prayers paid off. They had
helped plant a church that is now self-sustaining and kindling a flame that could
spread into a church planting movement.
FirstSteps 72
6.2 Why did Jesus wash His disciples‟ feet?
Leading by example, He wanted to teach them that authority is not to be abused, that
being a servant is greater than lording it over people, and that an important principle of
His Kingdom is that the least will be considered the greatest.
What ministry activities can you share with your disciples to

First Steps help them learn by watching you?
See question 13 of the strategy worksheet.
7. D E L E G A T E MINISTRY
Read Luke 10:1-7

1
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to
every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, ―The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest
field. 3Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4Do not take a purse or bag or
sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5When you enter a house, first say, ‗Peace to
this house.‘ 6If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.
7
Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his
wages. Do not move around from house to house.‖
7.1 After He demonstrated how to do ministry, what did Jesus have His disciples
do?
Just as school teachers use workshops and field trips to strengthen their students‘
understanding of their lessons, Jesus sent out His disciples to practically apply what they
had learned. On-the-job-training and apprenticeships are the most effective ways to learn.
They had seen Him do evangelism. Now He told them to go do evangelism (v. 1). They
had listened to Jesus pray. Now He told them to pray for more help (v. 2).
What ministry tasks can you delegate to your disciples so

First Steps
they can grow? See question 14 of the Strategy Worksheet.
FirstSteps 73
8. S U P E R V I S E W O R K
Read Luke 10:17-20

17
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ―Lord, even the demons submit to us in your
name.‖ 18He replied, ―I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to
trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will
harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names
are written in heaven.‖
8.1 How did Jesus teach an important lesson based on the disciples‟ apprenticeship
experience?
The disciples experienced great success, which tempted them to be proud and rob God of
His glory. So Jesus gently guided them to gratitude by reminding them that their joy should
be based upon the fact that God chose them to be His own. Jesus supervised His disciples
as they began to do ministry. He did not leave them alone to do ministry. He supervised
them so they would do a better job.
Do you need to supervise your disciples about something

First Steps now? Do you need to help them with a problem?
9. V I S I O N T O M U L T I P L Y

18
Then Jesus came to them and said, ―All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.‖ Amen.
9.1 What was the main thing Jesus expected from His disciples?
Jesus knew that multiplication was the key to growth, and He expected His disciples to
make more disciples. First, He modeled it. Then He commanded them to go out and do
the same things.
FirstSteps 74
Read 2 Timothy 2:2
2
‖And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable
men who will also be qualified to teach others.‖
9.2 How many “generations” of disciples does Paul mention?
Paul had the same vision of multiplying disciples that Jesus had. We see that in 2 Timothy
2:2. Paul speaks here of four generations of disciples: 1) Paul taught 2) Timothy, who
committed the things he learned from Paul to 3) faithful men, who were able to teach 4)
others also.
The word used in this verse – ―entrust‖ or ―commit‖ – is a banking term that means
―to invest.‖
When we invest in our disciples, we should expect them to multiply by making other
disciples. As we invest our time, knowledge, wisdom, love and passion in reliable men,
an ever-increasing workforce emerges and God‘s Kingdom receives a huge return on our
original investment.
Others
Faithful Men Others
Others
Paul Timothy Faithful Men Others
Others
Faithful Men Others
Others
1 2 3 4
G e n e r a t i o n s
9.3 In what type of men did Paul tell Timothy to invest?
Paul told Timothy to focus on reliable men. Just like Jesus who came before him, Paul did
not choose the perfect, just the reliable!
Is it time for your disciple to get a disciple of his own?

What changes are needed to make disciple-making the top
First Steps
priority in your ministry?
FirstSteps 75
10. L E A R N B Y E X A M P L E
When Jesus commanded us to teach our disciples to obey, He meant that we should model
and impart a lifestyle, not just provide information.
7 Basic Commands. Everything that Jesus Discipleship Chain

commanded can be summarized in seven
areas. Use ―The Basic Commands of Jesus‖ Here‟s a fun way to teach about the
tool to teach your disciples that spiritual importance of having generations of
maturity is measured by obedience, not just disciples. Ask everyone to stand
knowledge. and link their hands together
forming long chains throughout the
Teach Them How to Teach Themselves. training area. Now walk up to
Teach new believers how to study the Bible, someone in the middle of the chain.
so they are able to feed themselves the Break his link, and ask all those
spiritual food they need to become a disciple, who came behind him to be seated.
and then a leader. As soon as someone Explain that when one disciple fails
learns something, ask him to teach it to to invest in others, he breaks the
others. chain of grace that extends through
the ages. His disobedience
Teach Evangelism Immediately. New prevents the discipleship of all
believers need to start developing the habit of those who would have come after
obedience without delay. Immediately teach him! A chain of grace runs
them to share their personal story and the throughout history. Its links are
gospel with family, friends and neighbors (see obedient disciples sharing the
Evangelism chapter for helpful ideas and gospel and reproducing
useful tools). themselves. Each link has two
sides – one to hold and another to
Do and Teach. Disciple-makers in one be held on to. When we fail to
country use a one-on-one approach. Each disciple reproducing Christians, we
―Paul‖ teaches a lesson to his ―Timothy.‖ The rob them of the joy of ministry, and
disciple cannot move on to the second lesson we rob the church of its most
until he has taught the first lesson to his valuable resource.
disciple. So the disciple is not only learning
himself, but also obeying as he teaches
others.
Then, when the Timothy receives the second lesson, he must again teach it to his disciple
before he is able to receive the third lesson. The second disciple must follow the same
pattern. And so on, level after level, disciple after disciple.
FirstSteps 76
Watch and Do. In another country, one pastor uses an apprenticeship approach. He
takes new believers along with him to do outreach ministry so that they learn first by
observing. Over time, he gives them more responsibility until many become pastors of their
own house churches.
Everyone a Leader. In one Church Planting Movement, a head of household disciples his
own family as a leader coaches him. In this way, whole families are discipled and
strengthened, and new leaders emerge naturally through on-the-job training. As each head
of household wins others in his relational network, he becomes a coach and follows the
same model.
Small Groups. Some leaders throughout the world use small groups, home groups and
cell groups to disciple new and maturing believers. Others use listening groups that listen
to a recorded chapter of the Bible and then discuss what they hear.
Everyone Can Lead

Think of a duck leading her ducklings to water. They usually walk in a single
file. Only the first duckling follows the mother. The rest follow another
duckling. Each duckling does not need to be a mature duck in order to lead the
one behind it. It needs only to be one step ahead of the next duck.
The same is true of our spiritual lives. Jesus is the only One who is totally
mature. We each follow and learn from someone one step ahead of us in
maturity. And even the newest disciple can lead someone who is at least one
step behind him.
As the apostle Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 11:1)
FirstSteps 77
FIRST STEPS
These are the disciple-making tools that follow –
1. “The Basic Commands of Jesus” (excellent first discipleship lessons for new
believers)
2. “How Fast Could the World Come to Christ . . .” (Multiplication vs. Addition)
NEXT STEPS
Additional materials about MAKING DISCIPLES are available on the internet at

FirstSteps 78
FirstSteps 79
THE
BASIC COMMANDS
TOOL OF JESUS
Jesus taught many things during His time on earth. The Apostle John says that if all that
Jesus did was recorded, then all the books in the world could not contain it. (John 21:25)
So how then do we as leaders obey Jesus‘ command to ―teach everything that I have
commanded‖?
Although that seems like an impossible task, all of Jesus‘ commands fit into seven
categories that we call ―The Basic Commands of Jesus.‖ Train your disciples to
memorize, apply, and reproduce these seven basic commands. Discuss the importance
of the commands and work through the Scriptures together. You can reinforce this
teaching by showing how any of Jesus‘ commands recorded in Scripture fall into one
of these categories.
1. Repent, believe, and receive the Holy Spirit for conversion:
Discuss what Jesus commands in the following verses: Mark 1:15;
John 3:16; 20:22
2. Be baptized and confirm repentance and new life in Christ:
Discuss what Jesus commands in the following verses: Matthew 28:18-20
3. Love God, fellow disciples, neighbors, the needy, and your enemies:
Discuss what Jesus commands in the following verses: Luke 10:25-37;
John 13:34; Matt. 6:14-15
4. Break bread through Communion, and worship the Lord:
Discuss what Jesus commands in the following verses: Matt. 26:26-28
5. Pray at all times through intercession, family and private devotions, healing,
and spiritual warfare:
Discuss what Jesus commands in the following verse: John 16:24
6. Give as a stewardship of your time, treasure and talents:
Discuss what Jesus commands in the following verse: Luke 6:38
7. Make disciples by being a witness, teaching God‟s Word, shepherding new
believers, and training leaders:
Discuss what Jesus commands in the following verses: John 21:15-17;
Acts 1:8
* Adapted by permission from George Patterson‘s material on www.mentorandmultiply.com.
FirstSteps 80
HOW FAST COULD
THE WORLD COME
TOOL TO CHRIST . . .
ADDITION of 3,000 Christians per day takes over 5,480 years to reach 6 billion people!
For this method to work, some people need to STAY ALIVE FOR 5,480 YEARS,
and the population of the world CANNOT grow!
So, the ADDITION method is IMPOSSIBLE! It will NEVER get the job done!
But, MULTIPLICATION reaches 10.5 BILLION PEOPLE IN ONLY 21 YEARS!
MULTIPLICATION is the only way to reach the world!
This means that EACH of us must follow the command of Jesus in Matt. 28:19, which is to
MAKE DISCIPLES!
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FirstSteps 82
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
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GATHER
TOGETHER
FirstSteps 84
GATHER
TOGETHER
MAIN IDEAS
Healthy churches multiply.

A church is ―a group of believers with one or more leaders, regularly gathering
together to obey the commands of Christ.‖
You need a plan to strengthen weak areas of your church.
You need a plan to launch a new church.
1. P A R A B L E OF THE H A R V E S T : G A T H E R T O G E T H E R
The day the farmer envisioned from the start has come – the vision that kept him working
hard day after day in the scorching sun, trusting the Lord for growth when he could see
no movement.
The crops are ripe. It‘s time to harvest! And he dare not delay:
He also said, ―This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the
ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows,
though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk,
then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he
puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.‖ (Mark 4:26-29)
The time for the harvest is as soon as the grain is ripe. Any delay risks the crops and is
poor stewardship of the seed the Lord has entrusted to us.
Once harvested, the crops are brought into the storehouse. A church is a storehouse that
conserves the harvest. Leave the newly harvested crops lying in the field, and they will
wither and dry out, rot or be eaten by pests. Leave a new believer alone in the world after
he accepts Christ, and he will dry up and fall away or be devoured by God‘s enemies.
2. J E R U S A L E M C H U R C H MODEL
The first century church in Jerusalem is a great example of a healthy, effective church.
Let‘s see why.
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Read Acts 2:42-47
42
They devoted themselves to the apostles‘ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs
were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they
continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate
together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
2.1 What would you like best if you were a member of this church?
Just imagine! Everyone around you is steadfast in the faith. You are taught by the very
men who were with Jesus from the beginning all the things that Jesus taught them. Your
church is like a close and loving family, eating and praying together. You all fear the Lord,
which Scripture says is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. You all have everything
you need, in addition to the joy of being able to share with others. You don‘t argue over
doctrine or trifles. You are all hospitable, spending time together in one another‘s homes.
You enjoy praising and worshiping God together and have the favor of everyone around
you. And your church just never stops growing!
2.2 How can we recognize a healthy church?
We know a plant or tree is healthy because it grows and bears fruit. It‘s the same with
the church. The members were growing in grace, strength, favor and maturity. And the
membership was growing in size.
2.3 Let‟s take a short quiz: According to this passage, what did this healthy, rapidly
growing church in Jerusalem have?
1. Believers Yes No
2. Leaders Yes No
3. Fellowship Yes No
4. Worship Yes No
5. Evangelism Yes No
6. Discipleship Yes No
7. Ministry Yes No
8. Lord‘s Supper Yes No
9. Seminary-trained leader Yes No
10. Money Yes No
11. Church building Yes No
12. Paid pastor Yes No
13. Minimum membership Yes No
(*Answers found on page 88)
FirstSteps 86
2.4 Are these things necessary? Or merely helpful when available?
Seminary Trained Leaders – Leaders must be teachable and should always be learning.
But a seminary degree is not a New Testament requirement. To Jesus and to Paul,
character and obedience were much more important.
Church Building – The early church met in public buildings, like the temple, and in private
homes. These types of meeting places are good for church planting, since there is no
reliance on massive loans, no need for governmental permits and no constant fundraising.
Paid Pastor – Having the money to pay a pastor and staff may
Based on
be a blessing, but it is not a command. A flock is a flock when it
Acts 2:42-47,
has a shepherd, not a Chief Executive Office. Lots of pastors
we can define
have to work second jobs, and they manage just fine (espe-
a church as
cially when they understand and practice the principles of
“a group of
discipleship).
believers with
Minimum Membership – To paraphrase, Jesus said that one or more
where two or more are gathered in His name . . . there is leaders, regularly
church. They may be too small to support themselves, but they gathering together
are never too small to reproduce! to obey the
commands of
2.5 How healthy is your church? Christ.”
(Circle an answer for each one)
Evangelism 1 2 3 4 5
Discipleship 1 2 3 4 5
Worship 1 2 3 4 5
Fellowship 1 2 3 4 5
Ministry 1 2 3 4 5
Growth 1 2 5 4 5
2.6 What does the word “church” mean in your culture?
In the Bible, the concept of church was simple. It was a group of believers with one or
more leaders regularly gathering together to obey the commands of Christ.
Unfortunately, in many cultures the word ―church‖ now means
much more. Often a group is not considered a ―church‖ if it “Most people need
does not have a building, or a paid pastor, or a certain number to raise their
of members. These things are good, but not necessary. These expectation of what
requirements are not in the Bible. a disciple is and
lower their
Sometimes it is helpful to change the name of new churches to requirement of what
something that is more culturally acceptable. Sometimes this is a church is.”
necessary so the new groups can be free of these extra Neil Cole
requirements.
Leaders in one country decided to call new simple churches ―New Life Fellowships.‖ This
helped people accept these new groups of believers meeting in homes, even when the
groups did not have their own buildings.
FirstSteps 87
What steps do you need to take to strengthen weak areas
First Steps
in your church? See question 17 of the Strategy Worksheet.
How will you gather new believers together to begin a

First Steps new church? What will you call these groups?
We all want to be part of a church that is as wonderful as the first century church in
Jerusalem. So you and your ministry team need to discuss and decide how to create that
loving, learning, joyful, growing atmosphere in the new church you are planting.
You need to use the tools that work best in the area where you are planting a new church.
In some areas, home Bible study groups work best. Or maybe cell groups will do the job.
Some start what are called ―listening groups‖ where members listen to the Bible on audio
tape and discuss what they have heard.
Where will the new group meet? A house?

First Steps Another place? See question 19 of the Strategy Worksheet.
How often will the new group meet? What days?

First Steps What time each day? See question 19 of the Strategy Worksheet.
FIRST STEPS
These are the tools that follow to help you gather together new believers –
1. “Benefits of Starting a New Church” from an existing church
2. “How to Plant a Simple Church” which you can use to implement many of
the principles in this First Steps manual
NEXT STEPS
Additional materials about GATHERING NEW BELIEVERS TOGETHER are available

on the internet at www.e3partners.org/materials.
Answer to Question 2.3 on page 86: According to this passage, only items 1 through 8 are
needed. Items 9 through 12 may be helpful, but are not necessary.
FirstSteps 88
FirstSteps 89
BENEFITS OF
STARTING A
TOOL NEW CHURCH
First, we must answer questions that every pastor and leader first asks: Why start a new church?
Why don‘t we grow our own church?
Yes, God does want your existing church to grow! Every healthy church continues to grow. But
this goal, by itself, is incomplete. There are at least 7 biblical and strategic reasons for an existing
church to start new churches rather than only continuing to expand:
1. It is GOD‟S METHOD. God has a mission, and the church is His tool to complete that
mission.
• ―I will build My church,‖ states Jesus‘ Great Declaration in Matthew 16:18.
• The account of the early church in the book of Acts shows clearly that the apostles
and believers obeyed and implemented Jesus‘ commands by preaching the gospel and
assembling themselves into new local churches.
• While the epistles do indeed teach individuals how to lead the Christian life, nearly all of
these letters are addressed to churches.
2. It fits the CULTURAL CONTEXT.

• New churches must be relevant to the local culture. This is best accomplished when they
are started by an existing church within that culture.
• New churches that share the local culture and language are much more effective and
successful in evangelism and church planting than those launched from the outside.
• New churches that are planted by existing churches naturally inherit the vision of multiplying
themselves by starting new churches.
3. It creates a biblical OUTREACH FOCUS for the existing church.

• Many existing churches tend to focus on their own needs and ministry, whereas Jesus calls
us to ―open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.‖ (John 4:35)
• Jesus modeled a ―going ministry‖ by coming from heaven and continually going to the towns
and villages. (Luke 4:43; Matthew 9:35)
• An outreach focus helps prevent stagnation in existing churches.
• An outreach focus promotes mobilization of believers in existing churches.
4. It is a good way to IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP NEW LEADERS.

• New churches provide unique on-the-job training for new and maturing church leaders.
Often young and potential leaders are not given adequate responsibility to lead and grow in
their church. New churches provide a place for them to develop and for their ministry to
expand.
• When new churches are planted by existing churches, new leaders benefit by the support,
encouragement and direction of experienced leaders in the mother church.
FirstSteps 90
5. It is the most effective and efficient way to CHANGE SOCIETY and evangelize the world.
• Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 5:17, ―If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has
gone, the new has come!‖
• Communities surrounding new churches are changed as these ―new creations‖ obey
Christ‘s Great Commission to make new disciples and plant more new churches.
6. It produces LASTING FRUIT that glorifies God.

• Rather than leaving individual Christians scattered throughout the community, assembling
them together into new local churches helps to sustain ministry and produce fruit that lasts.
• New churches continue to grow as they are nurtured by their mother churches.
• Ongoing discipleship of new and maturing believers in newly-planted churches enables
spiritual fruit to remain.
7. It is the mechanism for MULTIPLICATION and development into a self-accelerating

Church Planting Movement.
• Thousands of neighborhoods, towns and villages do not yet have an evangelical witness.
• Because of limited transportation, the church must be taken to them; we cannot wait for
them to find their way to the local church.
• We must accelerate the spread of new churches into these areas under God‘s sovereign
leadership, provision and direction.
• This expansion must not wait for the construction of new church buildings.
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HOW TO PLANT A
TOOL SIMPLE CHURCH
FROM LUKE 10
Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent
them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was
about to go.
Find out where and to whom Jesus is sending you. Jesus sent them out 2 by 2, so work
with a partner. And know that Jesus will be there waiting for you.
Luke 10:2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are
few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Labor shortage is the problem, not the harvest. Prayer is the solution. Prayer walk your
target area. Repent for the sins of the people, pray blessings over them and bind demonic
strongholds over the area (make sure others are praying for your protection). Some of the
new laborers you pray in may already be disciples. Others may not yet be believers, but
they will help you establish strategic relationships.
Luke 10:3-4 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry
neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.
Jesus said, ―Go,‖ not ―Invite people to your church.‖ He assures us that, as lambs among
wolves, we can rely on our Shepherd for protection and provision. But we must remember
that our harvest field is a war-zone. In order to plunder the strongman‘s goods (the lost), we
must first bind him. Jesus will provide for us—from the harvest. And we must not allow
ourselves to be distracted by others in our search for a ―person of peace.‖
Luke 10:5-6 But whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house.” And if a
son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
We‘re to make disciples, not just converts. The main follow-up to evangelism is done by a
―person of peace,‖ who usually will be someone of influence (good influence, like Lydia in
Acts 16, or questionable influence, like the woman at the well in John 4). Our aim is to start
a church, initially made up of family and friends, in their home. When invited into a home,
speak peace to it. If the person of peace responds to your friendship, your peace has been
received.
Luke 10:7-8 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they
give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.
Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.
Don‘t go from house to house. Once you find a person of peace, work with him or her and
those you meet through them. Eat and drink whatever is set before you. This is so
FirstSteps 92
important that Jesus says it twice, because it‘s not about food, it‘s all about relationship,
friendship and acceptance. Up to this point there is only friendship, not loud meetings.
Luke 10:9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has
come near to you.”
Look for opportunities to bring people face to face with a supernatural God. Does anyone
have problems or needs? Pray for them. Is anyone sick? Pray for healing with the authority
you received directly from Jesus. When people encounter the God who heals, delivers and
answers prayer, they want to know more. And you can tell them that this same Jesus also
will forgive their sins, free them from guilt and shame, and bring them into His Father‘s
Kingdom as sons and daughters.
WHEN YOU GET TOGETHER
These new believers need to start meeting together regularly for discipleship as a new
house church (not at your home church). It is easy to reproduce something simple, but
difficult and discouraging to try to copy anything complicated. If we want to have rapidly
multiplying simple churches, then what we do when we come together needs to be very
simple. Then many people will think they are able to start a church, too.
Forget big church models in which a skilled musician leads worship and a knowledgeable
teacher preaches a sermon. Teach new believers how to hear and respond to the leading
of the Holy Spirit through His Word and in their hearts. Encourage everyone to take part.
The biblical model: “They devoted themselves to the apostles‘ teaching and to the
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer‖ (Acts 2:42). ―When you come together,
everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.
All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church‖ (1 Corinthians 14:26).
When you meet, share food together. Ask what the Lord has done in each person‘s life
during the week. Make time to study Scripture, perhaps beginning in Mark‘s gospel and
moving into the Book of Acts. Be alert for three symbols: 1) a question mark—something
they don‘t understand, 2) a lamp—something that sheds light on their life or a Bible
passage, and 3) an arrow—something specific God is saying that they need to apply to
their life. Don‘t answer their questions yourself; point them back to Scripture. This helps
establish that God‘s Word is the authority, not a person. At the end of the meeting, pray for
one another and for the lost.
AS THE CHURCH GROWS
Don‘t let a house church grow too large. As new people become disciples, start a new
church in one of their homes. Teach those in your group to look for more people of peace
through whom they can make more disciples and plant more churches.
If you are a church planter, don‘t stay to lead the new church for more than a few weeks.
Pass the baton to the person the Lord reveals as the leader. Then, go plant more churches.
Thanks to Tony and Felicity Dale at www.house2house.com, from which this material was adapted.
FirstSteps 93
FirstSteps 94
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
FirstSteps 95
DEVELOP
LEADERS
FirstSteps 96
DEVELOP LEADERS
MAIN IDEAS
There are many privileges and responsibilities of spiritual leadership.
We want to develop servant leaders like Jesus.
You have an urgent need to identify and grow future servant leaders.
Your ―First Steps‖ challenge is to mentor new leaders by including them on a
ministry team.
1. P A R A B L E OF THE H A R V E S T : D E V E L O P L E A D E R S
When the time is right the farmer goes into the field, gathers the fruit of his harvest and
takes it to his storehouse. There, he collects new seed for the next planting season – more
seed than he started with, so his harvest grows greater every year.
The larger the harvest, the more workers that are needed. Fortunately, those additional
workers are in the harvest! Today‘s new believers grow in Christ through discipleship.
They continue to grow into workers, leaders and pastors through mentoring.
Good leaders do not just happen. They are called by God, yes, but they cannot fulfill their
divine calling until they are trained.
A Church Planting Movement will never outgrow its need for new leaders who have been
identified and trained by existing leaders. Leadership training, therefore, is one of the most
important challenges in planting new churches.
2. W O R L D L Y LEADERS . . . GODLY LEADERS

25
Jesus called them together and said, ―You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over
them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever
wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must
be your slave - 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give
his life as a ransom for many.‖
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2.1 What are the two kinds of leaders Jesus describes here?
Worldly leaders, described by Jesus as ―the rulers of the Gentiles,‖ lord it over them.
They are proud, detached and aloof – a privileged aristocracy that delights in exercising
its authority and rules with an iron fist. In the world‘s model, the leaders are at the top of
the pyramid and most of the people are at the base.
Kingdom leadership is the reverse. Jesus, the Leader of leaders, is the foundation, the
base. He supports and lifts up everyone else. The government ―is on his shoulders‖
(Isaiah 9:6). He is the Servant Leader, and He is to be our leadership model.
Let‘s first look at an example of a worldly leader.
Read 3 John 9-10

9
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.
10
So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not
satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so
and puts them out of the church.
2.2 What kind of leader was Diotrephes?
Diotrephes was dominant, exercising tight control over the people. He was proud. He loved
to be first and wanted to have nothing to do with some of the other Christian leaders.
Worse yet, he was a malicious gossip. He only spread information that was not his
business, and he sowed slander for personal gain.
He didn‘t lead the people; he drove them. He wasn‘t in front of them with a staff in his hand;
he was behind them with a whip.
He was led by ambition, not the Holy Spirit, and therefore doomed to fail.
We do not want to be a leader like Diotrephes, do we? Nor do we want to produce new
leaders like him.
In contrast, on Jesus‘ last night before His crucifixion, He gave His church a clear illustra-
tion of a servant leader.
A man who knows he is about to die chooses his final words very carefully and speaks of
the things that are heaviest on his heart and uppermost in his mind. Let‘s look at those
words.
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Read John 13:1-17 again
1
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave
this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed
them the full extent of his love. 2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had
already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father
had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
4
so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples‘ feet, drying them
with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
―Lord, are you going to wash my feet?‖ 7Jesus replied, ―You do not realize now what I am
doing, but later you will understand.‖ 8―No,‖ said Peter, ―you shall never wash my feet.‖ Jesus
answered, ―Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.‖ 9―Then, Lord,‖ Simon Peter replied,
―not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!‖ 10Jesus answered, ―A person who has
had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not
every one of you.‖ 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not
every one was clean. 12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and
returned to his place. ―Do you understand what I have done for you?‖ he asked them. 13―You
call me ‗Teacher‘ and ‗Lord,‘ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and
Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another‘s feet. 15I have set you an
example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater
than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know
these things, you will be blessed if you do them.‖
2.3 What did Jesus do to help His disciples learn about servant leadership?
Before their amazed eyes, the promised Messiah transformed Himself into the likeness of
the lowest of slaves. Then He performed the lowest of servant functions – washing other
people‘s dirty feet.
He gave them an image that would stick with them the rest of their lives, despite the
horrible sights their eyes were about to witness.
It was too much for Peter. His feet were calloused and filthy and stunk of fish. And who
was he, anyway, that the Man whom the Father had personally revealed to a fisherman
as the Son of God should perform such a service?
It‘s too much for some of us, as well, when we remember that Jesus also washed the feet
of Judas, the betrayer.
Mostly, it was a sweet example of His gentle love for us. He knew that once we got past
the outrage of seeing Jesus washing feet, it would be a little easier for us to do the same
thing. And that was the whole point. It is one thing to ―know these things.‖ But Jesus says,
―You are blessed if you do them!‖
FirstSteps 99
3. BARNABAS & SAUL: M U L T I P L Y I N G BY M E N T O R I N G
Paul was a great Christian leader. Let‘s look at one of the men God used to grow Paul into
leadership – Barnabas.
Read Acts 4:36-37

36
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of
Encouragement), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles‘
feet.
Read Acts 11:22-24

22
News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23
When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged
them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy
Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
3.1 What type of leader was Barnabas?
Barnabas was an encourager, a man who saw potential in people and helped them reach
it. His attention was on others, not on himself. His efforts were to help them succeed, not
to make himself a success.
Barnabas was generous. Again, caring more for others than for himself, he gladly and
voluntarily parted with what was rightfully his to help meet the needs of others.
He was not a selfish leader. He encouraged other people. He sold his land and gave it as
a contribution to the church.
Joses is the Greek form of Joseph, meaning ―may Jehovah add.‖ But the apostles saw that
his true character was not bent on receiving from God; it was devoted to lifting up others.
So they changed his name to Barnabas to reflect his nature.
It is truly said that ―you teach what you know, but you reproduce who you are.‖
The first step in mentoring new leaders is to become a strong, godly, Christ-like leader
yourself.
FirstSteps 100
Who comes first in your life? You? Or God and your
First Steps disciples? What changes do you need to make to be
a better mentor for new leaders?
Read Acts 9:26-28

26
When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not
believing that he really was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the
apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had
spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28So
Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the
Lord.
3.2 How did Barnabas help Saul?
Christians everywhere feared Saul, the persecutor. When they heard that he had trusted
Christ as his Savior, they did not believe it. They thought it was a clever trap to lure them
out and arrest them.
But Barnabas saw the evidence of what God had done in Saul and persuaded the other
leaders to accept their new brother. Barnabas became Saul‘s champion.
Read Acts 11:25-30

25
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to
Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great
numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. 27During this time
some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them, named Agabus, stood
up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman
world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29The disciples, each according to his
ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their
gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
FirstSteps 101
3.3 How did Barnabas help Saul grow as a leader?
As soon as Barnabas was given a leadership role in the new church, he recruited Saul.
Working alongside Barnabas, Saul learned how to minister to the believers. Barnabas
gave Saul opportunities to minister. He gave Saul more responsibility so he could grow
as a leader.
This ministry team had a tremendous impact on the city of Antioch. The people saw such
a dramatic change in the lives of the believers that they described them as ―Christians,‖
which means ―little Christs.‖
Who will you champion as a new leader? Who are potential

First Steps new leaders that you should invite to help plant the new
church? See question 21 of the Strategy Worksheet.
Read Acts 13:1-7

1
Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2While
they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ―Set apart for me Barnabas and
Saul for the work to which I have called them.‖ 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they
placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy
Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5When they arrived at Salamis,
they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their
helper. 6They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a
Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7who was an attendant of the proconsul,
Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he
wanted to hear the word of God. (emphasis added)
3.4 What was the relationship between Barnabas and Saul?
Scripture refers to the two together, as a team. They were called by God as a team,
separated out of the other leaders as a team, sent out as a team, and they worked as a
team.
Note also that Barnabas is listed first, as the leader of the team. But all of that is about to
change.
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Read Acts 13:8-16
8
But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the
proconsul from the faith. 9Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked
straight at Elymas and said, 10―You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is
right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways
of the Lord? 11Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time
you will be unable to see the light of the sun.‖ Immediately mist and darkness came over him,
and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12When the proconsul saw
what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. 13From
Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return
to Jerusalem. 14From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the
synagogue and sat down. 15After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue
rulers sent word to them, saying, ―Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the
people, please speak.‖ 16Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: ―Men of Israel
and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!‖ (emphasis added)
3.5 What transition takes place?
First, Saul‘s name was changed to Paul. It was not unusual then, as it is common even
today in some cultures, to change a person‘s name when he became a Christian. The
Hebrew name, Saul, means ―asked for.‖ While he was called by God, Saul was asked for
by Barnabas. His Roman name, Paul, means ―little;‖ and some historians suggest that the
great apostle wanted to be known as the ―little one.‖
The second transition was positional. Now Paul, not Barnabas, is the spokesman. He is
also more prominent in ministry. Verse 13 now refers to the team as ―Paul and his party.‖
Paul the disciple is becoming Paul the leader.
Read Acts 13:43, 46, 49-52

43
When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism
followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of
God....
46
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you
first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the
Gentiles.
49
The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50But the Jews incited the God-fearing
women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against
Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51So they shook the dust from their
feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52And the disciples were filled with joy and
with the Holy Spirit. (emphasis added)
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3.6 What is the relationship between Barnabas and Paul now?
The team reference has changed again. Now Paul appears to be the leader. As Luke‘s
account continues, Barnabas disappears altogether; and we follow the trail of Paul.
Paul began as a disciple of Barnabas. Eventually, however, the disciple surpassed his
mentor. Such was the grace and selfless character of Barnabas. Unconcerned with his
own position, Barnabas poured out his life to expand God‘s Kingdom.
Are you willing to mentor new leaders who are gifted,

First Steps perhaps even more gifted than you? Are you willing to
mentor them so well that they may surpass you and become
an even more effective leader than you?
Read Acts 14:19-26

19
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul
and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20But after the disciples had gathered
around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
21
They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they
returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to
remain true to the faith. ―We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,‖
they said. 23Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and
fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24After going through
Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went
down to Attalia. 26From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to
the grace of God for the work they had now completed. (emphasis added)
3.7 How did God use this team?
The Lord presented Paul and Barnabas as a powerful model for planting new churches
that bring great glory to our Father. This ministry team:
➤ prayed and fasted,
➤ evangelized by preaching the gospel,
➤ made many disciples,
➤ gathered new believers into new churches,
➤ appointed elders in every church
➤ multiplied churches as missionaries were sent from the church in Antioch.
Someone said truly that ―there is no limit to what God can do with someone who does not
care who gets the credit.‖
FirstSteps 104
Do you have a team that is ready to plant a new church?
First Steps Are you developing new leaders by including them on your
ministry team? See question 22 of the Strategy Worksheet.
4. PAUL & TIMOTHY: M U L T I P L Y I N G B Y M E N T O R I N G
Read 2 Timothy 2:2-6

2
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable
men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of
Christ Jesus. 4No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please
his commanding officer. 5Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the
victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6The hardworking farmer should be
the first to receive a share of the crops.
4.1 What did Paul teach Timothy about multiplying leaders?
As we saw in the Make Disciples chapter, Paul mentions four generations in this verse.
Paul mentored Timothy, and he expected Timothy to mentor others.
Your salvation and mine are good, but they are not enough. They‘ll get us into heaven,
but they won‘t bring anyone else along.
We are responsible to be part of a chain of disciples, linked together through many

generations.
If you are a disciple, disciple others to disciple. If you are a servant-leader, disciple others
to lead by serving and discipling other potential servant-leaders – all to the glory of God!
In a single sentence, Paul handed Timothy the key to the ministry of multiplication. Let‘s
look at an important diagram of this verse again (see next page).
Paul also cautioned Timothy that developing new leaders was not easy. There would be
hardships. He would have to have the right priorities and not allow himself to get distracted
by worldly things. Paul challenged Timothy to run the ―race‖ of ministry according to biblical
principles. But Paul had good news, too! If Timothy worked hard,
he would see God bring in a wonderful harvest!
FirstSteps 105
Others
Faithful Men Others
Others
Paul Timothy Faithful Men Others
Others
Faithful Men Others
Others
1 2 3 4
G e n e r a t i o n s
Read 2 Timothy 3:10, 11

10
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love,
endurance, 11persecutions, suffering—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium
and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
4.2 How did Paul mentor Timothy?
As Barnabas discipled Saul, Paul discipled Timothy – by ministering together.
There were ―classroom‖ times in which Paul taught ―doctrine.‖ But Timothy‘s lessons
extended much further. He studied Paul‘s ―manner of life‖ – learning to do as Paul did, not
just as he said. He suffered persecution alongside Paul, deepening his faith and growing
the fruit of the Spirit.
Discipleship happens mostly on life‘s roads, not in church pews or classroom seats. And
we keep our lessons only by putting them into practice, entrusting them to others and
making disciples.
As Paul made disciples, he used the same principle he saw Barnabas use: ―Never Do
Ministry Alone.‖
First Steps How will you apply the principle of “Never Do Ministry
Alone?” See questions 13,14,15, and 22 of the Strategy Worksheet.
 Always ask yourself who you can take along.

 Look for people with whom you can share your heart and vision.
 Find out who is willing to walk with you in the yoke of servant leadership.
 Remember that new leaders learn best from life experiences, not in classrooms.
FirstSteps 106
Do you have these kinds of people in your life?
First Steps See question 23 of the Strategy Worksheet.
If not, ask God to give you your own:
Barnabas – someone to encourage you, and whom you can encourage

Paul – someone to disciple and mentor you
Timothy – someone you can disciple and mentor into leadership
5. L E A R N I N G B Y EXAMPLE
5.1 How have others developed leaders, following the model of Jesus and Paul?
When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he pointed and said, ―Look, the Lamb of God.‖ And his
disciples chased after Jesus. That is the kind of leadership God is looking for, the kind of
leaders we are to make for Him.
Here is how leaders in one Church Planting Movement help move new believers to ministry
as a lifestyle.
MODEL – Show others how to lead by modeling biblical life patterns.

ASSIST – Give new leaders responsibilities. Then help them as needed.
WATCH – Oversee from a distance, making sure new leaders train more new leaders
properly.
LEAVE – Entrust your new leaders to God, and move on to other ministry.
5.2 What are other ways this training cycle can be used?
This training cycle can be used for:
Making disciples
Planting churches
Multiplying ministry
5.3 How many churches should a leader be part of?

If you are successfully using the training cycle, you may be part of three churches:
Generation 1: Modeling church—your home church, where you model ministry for new
believers. You probably will attend one or more meetings every week.
Generation 2: Assisting church—where you assist disciples who are beginning to lead.
You will want to attend most of the meetings to assist your disciple.
Generation 3: Watching church—where you watch disciples who have some leadership
experience. You may only attend once a month as you watch them lead.
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5.4 Who do we train?
We begin by training new believers. Their hearts and actions show they are ready for
more. New believers are like rich soil in which God plants the spiritual seeds to grow His
family.
Next, we train those who have the heart but need the skills. Some believers, while
willing to work, need to learn how to grow God‘s family by living and sharing the gospel.
Finally, we train those who are already using what they‟ve been given. We want to do
what Jesus did—take note of those who are good stewards of what they have received and
give them more.
Training is like learning to ride a
5.5 How do we train? bicycle.
We use God‟s Word, a little at a time. Children see parents and others riding
Jesus never gave His followers everything at bikes, which helps them to understand
once. To hear at one time all that God has what the activity involves. The parent is
planned, all the changes we have to make, modeling.
all the things we have to learn—would be too
much. We share a little and then watch to When she is old enough and big
see if they obey. When they do, we teach enough, Mom or Dad helps her mount,
them more. holding onto the seat and handlebars,
so she can learn to balance, pedal and
navigate. The parent is assisting.
5.6 When do we train?
We train all the time. God told Moses, Eventually, Mom or Dad lets go of the
―These commandments that I give you today bicycle. The child may fall and skin a
are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on knee, but she gets up and gets back
your children. Talk about them when you sit on. The parent gets her going and then
at home and when you walk along the road, lets go again. She may fall again. And
when you lie down and when you get up‖ the pattern continues, until finally the
child is able to maintain her balance
(Deuteronomy 6:6-7). That says it all.
and ride the bicycle successfully. Now
Disciples are like children. We use every the parent is watching.
opportunity to train them. Riding the bus with
another believer may be an opportunity to When Mom and Dad are satisfied that
share God‘s truth about fellowship. Caring the child can do this by herself and that
for a sick family is an opportunity to she understands the basic rules of
demonstrate God‘s love. We need to safety, they go back in the house and
leave her on her own. Finally, the
intentionally look for opportunities, not just
parent is leaving.
wait for them to happen.
5.7 Where do we train?

We train everywhere – in our home, at work, at school . . . everywhere we go with
someone can be an opportunity to teach them how to obey and serve God.
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NEXT STEPS
Additional materials about DEVELOPING LEADERS are available on the internet at

FirstSteps 109
Weave It Together (a reminder from p. 28)
Take another look at the diagram on the next page. Is church planting a sequence of
steps? Or, do you do it all at once?
Church planting is not a 1-2-3 process to be strictly followed in order. It all works
together.
For example, sometimes discipleship comes before evangelism! Sometimes people

are interested in learning about the Bible and Christianity before they put their faith in
Christ. So you may gather them together and teach discipleship lessons before you
share the gospel.
Do not stop doing one thing to start the next. Do everything together as circumstances
require and the Holy Spirit leads.
Think of a rope. Several strands are woven together, over and under one
another, supporting and reinforcing one another. And the strength of the rope is far
greater than the combined strength of the individual strands.
So too, the strongest church planting ministry results from allowing the Holy Spirit
to weave together the parts of the church planting process like a skilled rope maker.
FirstSteps 110
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
FirstSteps 111
MULTIPLY
FirstSteps 112
MULTIPLY
YOUR CHURCH
MAIN IDEAS
Every disciple has a role in multiplying the church
Your ―First Steps‖ challenge is to decide how you will obey Acts 1:8.
1. P A R A B L E OF THE HARVEST: MULTIPLY
Everything in the world was created to multiply – Adam and Eve, the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, the fish of the sea and every seed-bearing plant.
The Church was designed by God to multiply, too.
From a room in Jerusalem on Pentecost to your church in your town today, God instilled
the potential to multiply.
Like Adam and ants and apple trees, the Church is a living organism. It is not a building,
an institution or denomination, although man has often tried to tame God‘s plan by trying
to make it so. The Church, like everything else that God created ―very good,‖ is intended
to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
The resources for church multiplication are in the harvest. Every believer should be a
disciple. Every disciple‘s home can be a church. And every church should be a training
center!
2. IS Y O U R VISION GOD-SIZED?
― . . .Open your eyes and look at the fields!‖ Jesus said. ―They are ripe for harvest.‖ If you
believe Him, you will change the way your church functions.
Read Acts 1:8-11 again

8
―But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.‖ 9After he said this,
he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10They were
looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white
stood beside them. 11―Men of Galilee,‖ they said, ―why do you stand here looking into the sky?
This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way
you have seen him go into heaven.‖
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2.1 What does this tell us about church planting today?
These verses were not exclusively for the saints in Jerusalem 20 centuries ago. Jerusalem
is where you live. Judea and Samaria are further away from where you live. And ―the end of
the earth‖ is still the end of the earth.
More important than the modern application, though, are the main points Jesus made.
First, He warns us, as He warned His first disciples, that our ability to fulfill God‘s kingdom-
expanding plan depends upon our receiving the power of the Holy Spirit.
Second, the Great Commission will always compel us, both geographically and culturally,
to go beyond our homes.
Third, Jesus is coming back; and we want to be obeying His commands when He returns.
His commands are imperative and immediate. They are not maybe or later. And if we want
Jesus to return to an obedient Church, we had better stop standing around looking into the
sky like His first disciples (Acts 1:10-11) and get busy!
Throughout this manual we have been praying and discussing the ―First Steps‖ challenges.
Hopefully, you have been filling in the Strategy Worksheet at the end of this manual.
Now we want to challenge you to ask God if the vision you have is big enough! Most of
our visions are too small. Ask God to reveal His biggest vision for you and your church,
expecting that it will be much bigger than you can imagine or think you can accomplish.
2.2 Is church planting biblical?
The term ―church planting‖ isn‘t even in the Bible. How do we know it is biblical?
Good question. There‘s nothing in Scripture that commands us directly to ―plant new
churches.‖ But how can we hope to obey Christ‘s Great Commission without planting
new churches?
Try to imagine one single church since Pentecost whose members spoke thousands
of languages and spanned 50 generations and hundreds of cultures, spread out through
scores of nations across more than half a dozen continents.
How would you like to be the pastor?
Impossible!
FirstSteps 114
So if Jesus commands us to be His witnesses and make disciples all over the world, He
clearly intends that we gather these disciples into churches – just as when He fed 5,000,
He gathered them into groups of 50 in order to be more manageable.
More disciples require more churches. To multiply disciples, plant churches. And to
multiply churches, make disciples.
Read Acts 1:8 again

8
‖But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.‖
2.3 To whom was Acts 1:8 given?
This verse bears repeating because God gave it to you personally. Two thousand years
ago, He spoke directly to you and said, ―Make disciples who will change the world! Begin
in your town, and just keep going.‖
He also spoke specifically to your church, not just to the worldwide body of Christ or even
to a single denomination or association. Jesus wants to use your church – big or small – to
prepare leaders and laborers to go throughout your town and then continue on to further
places.
3. T H E A C T S 1:8 CHALLENGE
3.1 Step One: Where is God sending you?
Jerusalem – Any strategic location within the daily sphere of influence of your church.
Take a moment right now to pray for God to give you His vision for you and your church.
Determining your Jerusalem is usually the easiest. Ask God to confirm the boundaries of
your personal Jerusalem. Write them on the Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart on page 117.
Judea – Any location close to the daily sphere of influence of your church and sharing a
common worldview. Ask God to confirm where your Judea is. It could be outside your
city, but in your state or province. Write the name of your Judea on the Acts 1:8
Challenge Chart.
FirstSteps 115
Samaria – Any location outside the daily sphere of influence of your church that has a
different worldview requiring cross-cultural communication, but shares some common
traits. This level can be either near or far. Take a moment now and ask God to confirm
where your Samaria is. It could be:
➤ outside your state or province, but inside your country

➤ a group near you that speaks another language or has different customs
➤ a socio-economic group that is much different than yours
➤ a group of people that is rejected by your culture, including drug addicts, prostitutes,
homosexuals, prisoners or gypsies
Write the name of your Samaria on the Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart.
End of the Earth – Any location outside the daily sphere of influence of your church
that has a radically different worldview with few, if any, common traits. This level is often
geographically far away. When Jesus said ―the ends of the earth,‖ He showed that
Kingdom expansion has no limits; and your church has no limits when God leads. Big
or small, rich or poor, He leads and provides – and you need only follow. Do not let fear
or doubt shrink your church‘s vision. Write the name of your ―end of the earth‖ on the
Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart.
First Steps Where will you multiply your church?

3.2 Step Two: Where are you today?
Down the left side of the Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart are four categories:
Prayer – For what ongoing ministries in each area are you praying? You may be praying
for ministries in which you are actively involved. Or you may be praying for other ministries
that you only have heard about. Write this information on the Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart. If
you are not praying on an ongoing basis for a ministry in a particular area, leave it blank.
Projects – Projects are one-time events. Mission trips and evangelistic events are
examples of projects. In what ministry projects are you involved? Write this information
on the Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart. If you do not have a ministry project in a particular area,
leave it blank.
FirstSteps 116
Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart
Where Jerusalem for us is: Judea for us is: Samaria for us is: End of earth is:
What
Prayer
Projects
Partnerships
Leaders
for each
area
FirstSteps 117
Partnerships – Partnerships are ongoing ministry relationships that continue for a period
of time. Your church may plant a new church and help it grow — that is a partnership. Your
church may send or support missionaries in your Judea, Samaria or end of the earth —
that is another type of partnership. You may work with another church, denomination or
mission agency to plant churches in another part of the world — that is an ongoing
partnership. If you have any types of partnership now, write this information on the
Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart. If you do not have a ministry partnership in a particular area,
leave it blank.
Leadership - What leaders do you already have in these areas? Which areas still need
leaders? Write this information on the Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart.
3.3 Step Three: What is your plan to multiply?
This is the Big Question! Lord, how do You want to stretch us into new ministries and
new areas?
Take a few minutes to write on the Acts 1:8 Challenge Chart how you believe God is
leading you to expand your ministry in the future. You should also appoint various leaders
within your church to champion the cause for their assigned area. Ask yourself:
➤ Who will lead?

➤ Where will we focus?
➤ What will we do?
➤ How will we do it?
The book of Acts doesn‘t really have an ending. The story begins there, but we don‘t learn
how it comes out until we get well into the book of Revelation, where we read:
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could
count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne
and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm
branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to
our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9-10)
Where did they come from? From churches that reflect every nation, tribe, people and
tongue!
The book of Acts is still being written. You and your church are among its authors.
FirstSteps 118
Get together with the other leaders present today from
First Steps
your church, and begin to envision your church‟s role in
completing the book of Acts. Let the following questions
guide your discussion:
What would your community look like if everyone heard the gospel?
Many leaders believe that one church is needed for every 1,000 people.
How many churches of this size will it take to reach your community?
How many are there now?
Considering the culture(s) represented in your harvest field, what should a church
look like if it is going to reach your target audience?
What obstacles can you foresee to planting churches that will multiply in that harvest
field?
Where are resources located in your harvest field? Keep in mind that the resources
for reproduction are within the harvest. Also keep in mind that the best soil for
church planting is often bad people.
How will you impart a vision for reproduction that compels each church to obey Acts
1:8?
You will be most successful if you work on many levels at once, instead of one at a time.
Begin by finding people in your church to lead Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria Teams, as
well as an ―End-of-the-Earth Team.‖
Each of the four teams will then identify ways your church may already be involved in their
target area and move the church toward multiplication in that area. Begin where you are,
and move outward. Soon, you will have a clear and effective church planting vision.
NEXT STEPS
Additional materials about MINISTRY MULTIPLICATION are available on the internet at

FirstSteps 119
FirstSteps 120
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
FirstSteps 121
LORD, GIVE ME
YOUR HEART
MAIN IDEAS
God‘s heart is jealous for His glory.
God loves people and wants everyone in the world to hear His Good News.
Jesus met the needs of people as He shared the gospel with them. This brings
glory to God and people to Christ.
1. P A R A B L E OF THE HARVEST
Read Mark 4:3-9

3
"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along
the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have
much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the
plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among
thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed
fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a
hundred times." 9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Let‘s return one last time to the farmer who wants a harvest. All he sees are weeds and
rocks. He imagines a field lush with strong, healthy crops. But his vision — an abundant
crop — is shaped by his heart, not his eyes or his mind, because in his heart he wants to
feed and support his family.
If we want God‘s vision, we need God‘s heart. If we let our own heart shape our vision, we
will work toward the wrong goals.
2. W H A T I S GOD„S HEART?
Read Isaiah 42:8

8
"I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols.
God is jealous for His glory. Everything He does is to bring glory to Himself. We need to
ask God to give us a heart for His glory.
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Read John 3:16
16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
God loves people so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins. Jesus loves us so much
that He went to the cross to pay for our salvation. We must ask God to give us this same
loving heart for people who have not yet trusted Christ as their Savior.
Read Acts 1:8

8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Read Revelation 5:8-10

8
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before
the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are
the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to
open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from
every tribe and language and people and nation. 10You have made them to be a kingdom and
priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
God has a heart for the nations. He promised that He will save a great multitude from
every nation, tribe, people and language. He told us to go to our Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria and ends of the earth. We must ask God to give us His heart to reach every
ethnic group on earth – first in our own country, then in other parts of the world – with the
glorious news that Jesus died so they can have eternal life.
Read Ephesians 2:10

10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do.
God has a reason for creating us. He has a plan for every life. We must ask God to give
us a heart to follow His plan and not run after our own. We also must ask God how He
wants to prepare each of us to carry out His plan.
FirstSteps 123
3. H O W D I D J E S U S S H O W G O D „ S H E A R T ?
Read Luke 7:11-23

11
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went
along with him. 12As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the
only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.
13
When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." 14Then he went up
and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get
up!" 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16They
were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said.
"God has come to help his people." 17This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the
surrounding country.
18
John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19he sent them to the
Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" 20When
the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one
who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'" 21At that very time Jesus cured many
who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22So he
replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The
blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead
are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 23Blessed is the man who does not fall
away on account of me."
3.1 What was the first thing Jesus did? (verse 13)
The Bible says simply, ―the Lord saw her.‖ This is important. We often see people with our
eyes instead of our heart. We are more likely to notice people who can benefit us than
those who have nothing to offer. But Jesus saw a woman in great need. As a widow in that
culture, she was undoubtedly poor. With no husband to care for her, she was probably a
beggar. But Jesus saw her.
Jesus saw her grief. He saw a woman whose only son had just died and whose hope of
support died with him.
We must ask God to give us His heart to see people and their needs as He does.
3.2 How did Jesus respond when He saw the woman? (verse 13)
Jesus had compassion for her. Jesus had many reasons to overlook her. His disciples
were with Him. A large crowd followed, waiting for Him to preach. But the heart of Jesus
saw past it all and was moved by compassion to take action.
We must ask God to give us His heart of compassion for people and their needs.
FirstSteps 124
3.3 What did Jesus do? (verses 14 and 15)
Jesus saw her, had compassion, and then did what He was able to do. He restored her
son to her from the dead. In fact, every time the New Testament says that Jesus had
compassion, He always took action to help.
Everyone has needs. We must ask God to help us see and understand the needs of other
people. Then we must ask for His heart to do whatever He enables us to do to meet those
needs.
3.4 What impact did this have on other people? (verses 16 and 17)
They glorified God! They understood that Jesus was working among them. They told
others about Him. They focused on the Savior, not just on the good work. The good work
directed their attention to Jesus, confirming Him as the One sent from God.
We need to ask God to give us His heart for using good works to draw people to Jesus and
spread His glory.
3.5 What did Jesus say He was doing? (verse 22)

Jesus said He was meeting needs and sharing the gospel. His good works helped people
and gave Him the opportunity to reveal that He is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus
modeled this strategy —
Good Works + Gospel = Glory to God
4. L E A R N B Y EXAMPLE
Everyone has needs. The question is NOT ―should we help people?‖ The question is ―how
will we help people?‖ The following are a few ideas others have used to meet needs, share
the gospel, plant new churches and give glory to God:
Water. Local church leaders asked a water ministry to dig a well in front of a new church.
As it provides safe drinking water to the community, the church gains a good reputation and
people are receptive to the gospel. In one community, people say they are going to ―the
Jesus well.‖
HIV/AIDS. Many local churches now use the HIV/Hope Cube to educate people about
HIV/AIDS. Church members are invited to speak to schools, businesses and other groups.
Often, this opens the door to share the gospel. Sometimes, a new church is planted after
evangelizing members of local HIV/AIDS associations.
Literacy. Church leaders teach their neighbors how to read, sometimes using the Bible as
their textbook. As literacy increases, opportunities arise to share the gospel, and hearts
are open to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
FirstSteps 125
Jobs. Many prostitutes came to Christ in one city. They wanted to follow Christ and leave
their profession, but they needed help or else they and their children would starve. The
pastor of a new church won a contract to clean three local hospitals. This provided the
women with jobs to support themselves and their children.
Gangs. A Christian leader started a soccer club. Several gang members, street kids and
drug addicts were saved as they found love and purpose playing soccer for Jesus.
Children. One group starts children‘s clubs in which most of the children are from another
religion. The children are taught from the Bible and discipled. The children share with their
parents what they learn in their clubs, and many parents have accepted Christ. The parents
love these clubs. They are happy because their children have become more respectful and
attentive at home and are doing much better in school.
What needs do people have where you want to start a new

First Steps church? How can you help people in the area so they will
be open to hear about Jesus?
FirstSteps 126
FirstSteps 127
FirstSteps 128
COMMIT
PRAY
MULTIPLY EVANGELIZE
DEVELOP MAKE
LEADERS DISCIPLES
GATHER
TOGETHER
FirstSteps 129
FirstSteps 130
COMMIT TO
CHURCH PLANTING
MAIN IDEAS
God is sovereign, and He will accomplish His purposes whether or not we obey.
When we disobey, He may thrust us into obedience. Or we may miss His
blessings, as He chooses others to accomplish His purposes.
Your ―First Steps‖ challenge is to take the first steps of obeying God‘s
commands by acting on what you have learned.
1. D I S O B E D I E N T MISSIONARIES
Read Acts 1:8 again

8
‖But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.‖
1.1 Was Jesus unclear about where the disciples were to go?
Jesus left no doubt where the disciples were to go. He said they were to be His witnesses
―in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.‖ But for the first
seven chapters of Acts, they stayed in Jerusalem. So God helped to motivate them.
Read Acts 8:1b, 4-8

8:1
. . . On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all
except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
4
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5Philip went down to a
city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the
miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7With shrieks, evil spirits
came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8So there was great joy in
that city.
FirstSteps 131
Read Acts 8:14 & 9:31
8:14
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God, they
sent Peter and John to them, . . .
9:31
Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was
strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the
Lord.
1.2 How did God force the disciples to accomplish His plan?
When the disciples did not obey the Great Commission, God used persecution to motivate
them. Without warning, they became involuntary missionaries to Judea and Samaria.
God used disobedient people to accomplish His plan. His plan was not stopped even
though His people did not obey.
1.3 What was the result?

Once the disciples got where God had told them to go and did what He had told them to do,
they had peace, were made stronger, and the number of churches multiplied.
Read Acts 11:19-26

19
Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled
as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20Some of them,
however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also,
telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord's hand was with them, and a
great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22News of this reached the ears of the
church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the
evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord
with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number
of people were brought to the Lord. 25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and
when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met
with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first
at Antioch.
1.4 Who planted the Antioch church?
When the ―involuntary missionaries‖ in Jerusalem fled, some went north 200 miles to
Antioch and started a church with new believers. Then the ―mother church‖ in Jerusalem
sent Barnabas to lead it. But Barnabas didn‘t work alone. He, in turn, went to Tarsus to
recruit Saul for his leadership team.
FirstSteps 132
2. O B E D I E N T M I S S I O N A R I E S
Read Acts 13:1-5

1
Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ―Set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.‖ 3So after they had fasted and
prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4The two of them, sent on their
way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5When they
arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with
them as their helper.
2.1 Were Barnabas and Saul obedient or disobedient missionaries?
Barnabas and Saul both listened to God and obeyed immediately. They went beyond
Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria to ―the end of the earth‖ for them.
3. P E N A L T Y FOR DISOBEDIENCE
3.1 What happens when we disobey God‟s call?
Sometimes He forces us to obey through things like persecution.
Other times, He allows us to disobey and have a ―normal life,‖ just as He did with the
Israelites when they refused to go into the Promised Land. They had waited for 400 years
to return to Canaan and witnessed incredible miracles. Nevertheless, when it came time to
take the land, they refused.
Read Joshua 5:4-6

4
Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—
died in the desert on the way after leaving Egypt. 5All the people that came out had been
circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not.
6
The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of
military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the
LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly promised
their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.‖
FirstSteps 133
3.2 What were the consequences of the disobedience of the Israelites?
Instead of a relatively short trek from Egypt to Canaan, Israel wandered in the desert for
40 years. Their shoes and their clothes did not wear out. God fed them and gave them
fresh water. They lived what became a ―normal‖ life for them. God answered their prayers
– but as a punishment, not as a blessing.
And by the end of 40 years, almost every soul that had left Egypt died and was buried
under the sand. As someone once said, ―Sometimes the worst thing that happens to us is
not what DOES happen to us, but what does NOT happen to us.‖
The ―No Generation‖ missed every one of God‘s Promised Land blessings. Those He
saved for their children, the ―Yes Generation.‖
What about you? You know God‘s will and His plan for expanding His Kingdom. What is
your answer?
Read Mark 4:24-29

24
―Consider carefully what you hear,‖ he continued. ―With the measure you use, it will be
measured to you — and even more. 25Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not
have, even what he has will be taken from him.‖ 26He also said, ―This is what the kingdom of
God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up,
the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28All by itself the soil produces
grain — first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29As soon as the grain is
ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.‖
3.3 What does Jesus promise if you use what you have learned? And what if you
don‟t?
The principle in God‘s Kingdom is: Use it or lose it. In other words, the more I use, the
more I will receive.
If I use what I learn, I get even more knowledge. But if I am just a hearer and not a doer,
I lose what I received.
3.4 Who is responsible for success?

God is into teamwork. We do our part; He does His.
We are responsible to take action and follow His orders. Sow seeds. Work hard. Bring in
the harvest.
But we are also responsible to rest in the Lord, assured that He takes care of everything
else.
Only God is responsible for success.
FirstSteps 134
First Steps What are you willing to commit to today?
EQUIP - Will you use this material to equip and coach others?
EVANGELIZE - Will you share the gospel with a least two people each week for the
next year?
ESTABLISH - Will you plant at least one new work (church, mission church, mission
point, annex, extension, etc.) during the next 12 months?
A commitment form follows this chapter. Please fill it out, and return it to your coach or
trainer.
When you use this manual to coach or train others, ask them to fill out a copy of the
commitment form, too. Then, you can give the completed form to one of the e3 Partners
leaders in your country.
We rejoice with you as God uses you to expand His Kingdom! May the Lord bless you
richly as you continue to serve Him.
NEXT STEPS
Additional materials about COMMITMENT to obeying what you have learned are
available on the internet at www.e3partners.org/materials.
FirstSteps 135
FirstSteps 136
MY COMMITMENT
(Fill this out and give it to your trainer or coach)
Your Name ______________________________________ Today‘s Date _____________
Your Address ______________________________ Phone Number(s) ________________
_________________________________________ Your Email ______________________
Your Church‘s Name _______________________________________________________
Church Address ___________________________________________________________
e3 Partners Ministry desires to glorify God by making our training as useful as possible.
Please help us by answering the following questions:
1. What did you like about these materials and the training?
2. What can we do to make them better?
3. EQUIP: Will you commit to teach others what you learned from these materials?
How many people do you hope to train during the next 12 months?
Please check one:
 10 people  50 people  100 people _____ people (fill in number)
4. EVANGELIZE: Will you share the gospel with two people each week for the next
year?
5. ESTABLISH: Will you plant at least one new work (church, mission church, mission
point, annex, extension, etc.) during the next 12 months? How many? ___________
Thank you for your comments. Please pray for us as you return home! God bless you!
FirstSteps 137
FirstSteps 138
FIRST STEPS STRATEGY
WORKSHEET
1. Is the Lord calling us to plant a new church?  Yes
Vision  Not now
2. When will our church pray for God‘s will about Date:
church planting?
3. Where is God calling us to plant a new church? Place:
4. Who is a possible person of peace in that place? Names:
5. Who is God calling to be on the team to help Names:

start a new church?
Pray
Break up 6. What barriers need to be overcome? In our church?
the ground
In the area where God is calling us to start a new church?
 Apathy  Materialism
 Fear  Greed
 Stronghold of religion  Lack of faith
 Alcoholism  Witchcraft
 Drug addiction  Mormonism
 Physical abuse  Jehovah‘s Witnesses
 Sexual sins  Other cults
 Islam  Others _______________
7. Should we start a Lighthouse of Prayer to Location:
mobilize prayer for the new church?
8. What evangelism methods will we use?  EvangeCube

 Witnessing tract
 Jesus Film
 Other ___________________
Evangelize 9. When will we schedule evangelism training for our Date:

entire church?
Sow the Seed
10. How will you immediately disciple new believers

to find out who is obedient?
11. INVEST TIME: How will we invest time in our disciples  One-on-one discipleship
and build a relationship with them?  Head of family disciples family
 Cell groups / small groups
 Listening groups
 Other method _____________
Make
Disciples 12. OBEY: What discipleship materials will we use to
Nurture teach our disciples how to obey Jesus?
Growth
13. EXAMPLES: What ministry activities can we share

with our disciples to help them learn by watching us?
FirstSteps 139
14. DELEGATE: What ministry tasks can we delegate
to our disciples so they can grow?
15. SUPERVISE: Do we need to supervise our disciples

about something now? Do we need o help them
with a problem?
Make
Disciples 16. MULTIPLY: Is it time for my disciple to get a disciple
Nurture of his own? What changes are needed to make
Growth disciple-making a top priority in my ministry?
17. What steps do we need to take to strengthen weak  Evangelism

areas in our church?  Discipleship
 Worship
 Fellowship
 Ministry
18. How will we gather new believers together in the new  New Life Fellowship
 Cell Group
Gather church area? What will you call this new group?
 Listening Group
Together  Other __________________
Bring in
the Harvest 19. Where will they meet? When will they meet? Place:
Day(s):
Time(s):
20. What changes do I need to make to be a better mentor

of new leaders?
21. Who are potential new leaders that we should invite Names:
to help plant the new church?
22. What will we do to mentor more leaders? What ministry  Ministry Team
 Bible Training Center
Develop
Assignments can we give to new leaders to help them
grow? What additional training do they need?  Omega Course
Leaders  Other ___________________
Gather Seed
to Sow 23. Who is the: Names:
 Paul who mentors me?
 Timothy whom I disciple?
 Barnabas who encourages me?
24. Where will we multiply our church? Where are these areas for us?
 Jerusalem
 Judea
 Samaria
 End of the earth
Multiply 25. How will we multiply our ministry?  Equip others with this material
Expand the  Evangelize our neighbors
Harvest Field  Establish a new church
26. What are the needs of the people in the area where we Needs:
are starting the new church?
How can we help the people in the area so they will How can we help?
Heart be open to hear about Jesus?
FirstSteps 140
FirstSteps 141
e3 Partners Ministry
600 Development Dr., Suite 120
Plano,Texas 75074
214-440-1101
www.e3partners.org/materials
© 2009 e3 Partners Ministry
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First Steps

Mobilize Your Church

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VISION: FOR PLANTING NEW CHURCHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 9

ACTION: FIRST STEPS TO PLANT A NEW CHURCH . . . . . . . . . page 28

➤ Make Disciples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 67

➤ Gather Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 83

➤ Develop Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 95

➤ Multiply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 111

➤ Lord, Give Me Your Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 121

COMMIT TO CHURCH PLANTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 129

STRATEGY WORKSHEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 139

Church Planting = Vision + Action

Church Planting = God‟s Vision + Action directed by the Holy Spirit

Every farmer wants a harvest.

Expand the Break Up

Gather Seed Sow the

Just like in the Book of Acts!

e3 Partners Ministry is focused on these three things:

“If you want something that lasts a lifetime,

“If you want something that will last for eternity,

Read Matthew 16:18

3.1 What did Jesus promise?

I – Jesus – not evangelists, pastors, teachers, deacons or elders – promised He would

Build – This word is active. It is forward-looking. It shouts, ―Progress! Process! Develop!

Read Matthew 24:14

4.1 When did Jesus say the end would come?

Read Matthew 28:18-20

5.1 What did Jesus tell His disciples to do?

Go! Make disciples! Baptize! Teach!

5.2 What is the main command in verses 19 and 20?

5.3 What promise did Jesus make in the Great Commission?

Savior‟s Strategy (Healthy Body) Satan‟s Substitute (Diseased Body)

WHERE ALL THE NATIONS ME AND MY CHURCH

WHAT MAKE DISCIPLES ANYTHING BUT MAKE DISCIPLES!

HOW GO AND TELL COME AND HEAR

Read Luke 24: 46-53

―Jesus is coming again,‖ declared a couple of angels.

First Steps What will YOU be doing when Jesus returns?

We do not want to be watching something we should not be watching when He returns.

Read Acts 1:15

7.1 How many disciples did Jesus start with?

Read Acts 2:47

God first ADDED new BELIEVERS.

Read Acts 5:14

7.3 How did God show even more of His glory?

Read Acts 6:1

7.4 Who was increasing now?

7.5 How did multiplication bring more glory to God?

7.6 Which option would you choose?

7.7 What is multiplying now?

How do we participate in a Church Planting Movement that is a movement of the Holy

God Made You Like a Mango Tree

The key words are ―do‖ and ―His way.‖

Does this describe you?

It is a good description of a man named Paul.

Paul was another man of vision.

Read Acts 14:21-28

Let‘s look at Paul‘s model of ministry.

The results surprised even the Chens.

For example, sometimes discipleship comes before evangelism! Sometimes people

51. _ 76.