Well Grounded Church Planters

The church starters who came from Jerusalem contributed to the church start in Antioch in at least three ways:

1. They were especially suited to reach the Jewish people,
2. They were knowledgeable of the inception of the Jerusalem church and how it operated, and
3. They had been good students of "the Apostles' doctrines" and were now ready to pass on that doctrine to the new Christians at Antioch.

The church starters who came from Cyprus and Cyrene made a very vital contribution to the Antioch church. Some of them had a strong doctrinal foundation and others had an ability to communicate the Gospel to that culturally pluralistic city. All of them were brought together here for the same purpose" (Daniel R. Sanchez, Ebbie C. Smith, and Curtis E. Watke, Starting Reproducing Congregations (Denton: Moonlight Studios, 2001), 33).

 

Today the church planter (ordained or laity) must be a good match for the ministry focus group as well as having a keen understanding of how the church functions. He must also be firmly grounded on Biblical doctrines before launching into a community to proclaim the gospel message.