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One of the challenges we’ve faced relating to planting new churches has been the sustainability of the new churches planted.

What causes some churches to be established and others to disintegrate?

Jesus: The Pioneer AND Perfecter

In Hebrews 12:2, Jesus is described as both the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith

The Greek word ‘archegos’ originally meant ‘hero or founder of a city’. It is translated into English as ‘pioneer’, ‘author’ ‘originator’ or ‘initiator’

The second title for Jesus in relation to our faith is ‘teleiotes’. This word originally meant ‘to carry through or complete’ and is translated as ‘perfecter’, ‘completer’ or ‘finisher’

Jesus is the founder and finisher of our faith. He both creates and sustains our faith. So we fix our eyes, keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.

So we focus on how Jesus starts things, and we continue to fix our eyes on Jesus for how he finishes things…

‘And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ’ -Philippians 1:6

What does it mean to follow Jesus’ example as both Pioneer and Finisher when it comes to Church Planting Movements?

Finishing is Better than Starting

‘Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride’ -Ecclesiastes 7:8

Starting off strong is great. But many people don’t finish well because they aren’t patient enough to see their work through.

Jesus is both the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8, 22:13)

He is the one who declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10, 48:3,5)

We are not to despise the day of ‘small‘ beginnings (Zechariah 4:10), but we’re also to begin with the end in mind;

‘Don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, “There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it“‘ -Luke 14:28-30

Completing the Work of Church Planting

So in the work of Church Planting Movements, what does it mean to finish what has been started?

How do we know when the work is finished in a given region?

Acts 14 gives us a window of insight into what the completed work looks like;

‘Finally, they [Paul and Barnabas] returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun. The believers there had entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed‘ -Acts 14:26

What was the work they had completed?

In Acts 13:1-3 at the start of their journey they engaged in prayer and fasting

And in Acts 14:21-23 at the end of their journey, there is a summary of the work they had engaged in during their journey across Galatia;

They had…

Preached the gospel

Strengthened the disciples– (encouraging them to continue in their faith. Reminding them that they must suffer many hardships to enter the kingdom of God)

Appointed elders in every church

With prayer and fasting – (they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust)

We see in the above the 5 Phases of Development of their work in the region;

Prayer – Gospel – Disciples – Churches – Leaders

Later the apostle Paul writes to his protege Timothy concerning finishing the work on the island of Crete;

‘The reason I left you on Crete was to complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you’ -Titus 1:5

Notice that the completion of the work involved the appointing of elders (leaders) in each place

So the work in a given place, begins with prayer/fasting and sharing the gospel, and is completed when elders (plural) are appointed, again with prayer and fasting

[It’s worth also noting that the elders usually come from amongst the people who have been won by the gospel; that is, the disciples who have been made in the new churches that have emerged]

Pioneers AND Developers

Neil Cole makes the distinction between what he calls ‘Start+Go Teams’ and ‘Stay+Grow Teams’ in the work of Church Planting Movements…

On the whole the Apostles, Prophets and Evangelists lean towards Start+Go

These are the Pioneering Gifts

Whilst the Shepherds/Teachers lean more towards Stay+Grow

These are the Developmental Gifts

Are you more a Pioneer or Developer?

Are you better at starting things or finishing things?

In terms of Church Planting are you more inclined to Start+Go or Stay+Grow?

[See more on the duel dynamics of Pioneers and Developers HERE]

Finishing His Work

Thinking about finishing what has been started…

Have you finished the work that God has sent you to fulfill?

Jesus said, ‘I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.’ -John 17:4

Notice that Jesus brought glory to the Father by finishing!

Finishing here also means – finished, completed, having accomplished

What did Jesus mean when he said he had already finished the work?

Bear in mind that when Jesus said this he had not yet died and the resurrection had not yet taken place!

Jesus reveals what he meant by this in several places;

First, he defines what the work is…

‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he hath sent’ -John 6:29

‘And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.’ -John 6:39

‘For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day’ -John 6:40

So the work of God is that we believe in Jesus for eternal life. The work is faith in Christ and in His salvation alone

So why had Jesus finished His work in that regard?

‘Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.’

Jesus now had a group of believers who believed he had been sent by the Father and believed he had the words of eternal life. They had kept His word!

Have you finished the work God has given you to complete on this earth?

Leaving Behind a Legacy

Notice what brought the Father glory?

It was that Jesus had completed the work the Father had given Him to do

When Jesus prayed that prayer in John 17, He was about to leave behind;

A body of people who have faith and a core group of leaders who will continue the work when he’s gone…

The apostle Paul follows Jesus’ example as both a Pioneer and a Finisher in the work he was called to carry out.

We see this when he declares on several occasions when writing back to the churches he had planted in Philippi and Thessalonika;

‘[…] you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work! Stand firm in the Lord’ -Philippians 4:1

‘For what is our hope, our joy or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?’ -1 Thessalonians 19-20

Paul had left behind in these places a body of people who believed on Jesus and had kept His Word! He and his team had also appointed elders in each place to continue the work whilst they had gone

That’s why Paul could say;

‘But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you.’ – Romans 15:23

In the work of Church Planting Movements, the traveling team are the scaffolding whilst the new body of believers are the building.

When the Start+Go teams move on, they leave behind a body of people who know that Jesus is the way to eternal life and have The Word of God living within them (the church) .

They also leave behind from within this body of people a group of elders who will continue the work in that region whilst the traveling team are gone (leaders)

What will you leave behind?