Dealing with Fear # 3: While casting vision to traditional church leaders to help their people to start low key Bible Studies in the homes of people who are far from God, they often respond. "We can't let new believers teach the Bible! They will surely drift into some heresy as the groups multiply as you are suggesting. Bad doctrine will creep in and destroy our church."
They most often quote I Tim. 3:6 he (an elder) must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil."
First of all we do not appoint people as "elder" in home bible studies we do identify who the potential facilitators are and appoint them as shepherds much later. What is the difference between a facilitator and a leader? Which one is more difficult? Facilitators in Discover Jesus Groups (DJG) ask a set of 8 questions that we have helped them to internalize.
The main purpose of these post on dealing with Fears was to reveal the barriers in the minds of most pastors and church leaders in regards to seeing a Disciple Multiplication Movement and not to attack pastors or other church leaders. When working through church leaders in pioneer areas it is important to understand their common fears. Not all pastors or leaders have the same fears or barriers. Asians, Africans and Latinos have a fear of letting others become leaders.
The fear of syncretism (dual-lordship, or the blending of two opposing beliefs) and bad doctrine creeping in to tiny obedience focused house churches ignores the origins of heresy in Church History. The most destructive heresies that have destroyed mission sending churches did not come small multiplying house churches but from dead disobedient churches and seminaries.
Yes, error always creeps into tiny house church networks but this is the reason why the backbone of the movement are Paul-Timothy mentoring chains, 2 Timothy 2:2. I have seen error creep in, but it was harmless. The new believers were telling seekers that Moses took the animals on board the ark instead of Noah. This is easily corrected when the facilitators are in fellowship with their mentors and other leaders. "The wind blew and beat against the house and the water rose but it did not fall because it's foundation was on the rock." Matthew 7:24-28. The foundation of a Disciple Multiplication Movement is obedience to all of the commands of Christ.
First of all we do not appoint people as "elder" in home bible studies we do identify who the potential facilitators are and appoint them as shepherds much later. What is the difference between a facilitator and a leader? Which one is more difficult? Facilitators in Discover Jesus Groups (DJG) ask a set of 8 questions that we have helped them to internalize.
The main purpose of these post on dealing with Fears was to reveal the barriers in the minds of most pastors and church leaders in regards to seeing a Disciple Multiplication Movement and not to attack pastors or other church leaders. When working through church leaders in pioneer areas it is important to understand their common fears. Not all pastors or leaders have the same fears or barriers. Asians, Africans and Latinos have a fear of letting others become leaders.
The fear of syncretism (dual-lordship, or the blending of two opposing beliefs) and bad doctrine creeping in to tiny obedience focused house churches ignores the origins of heresy in Church History. The most destructive heresies that have destroyed mission sending churches did not come small multiplying house churches but from dead disobedient churches and seminaries.
Yes, error always creeps into tiny house church networks but this is the reason why the backbone of the movement are Paul-Timothy mentoring chains, 2 Timothy 2:2. I have seen error creep in, but it was harmless. The new believers were telling seekers that Moses took the animals on board the ark instead of Noah. This is easily corrected when the facilitators are in fellowship with their mentors and other leaders. "The wind blew and beat against the house and the water rose but it did not fall because it's foundation was on the rock." Matthew 7:24-28. The foundation of a Disciple Multiplication Movement is obedience to all of the commands of Christ.
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