The wisdom of Barney
These insights came in from “Barney”. In understanding the West, Barney has the advantage of living and serving outside of it in. For security reasons Barney is not his real name and he doesn’t look anything like Barney Rubble.
1.Kairos time
God has a time for each specific people group and nation. At the moment as an example Chinese people are coming to the Lord in all parts of the world, not just in Mainland China
2.Sociological situation
History often shows that when there is political unrest or a political situation that causes a spiritual vacuum people are open to another answer for life outside of the leadership and political ideology of their country.
3.Persecution
Persecution seems to be closely associated with Church Planting Movements. This was true in Acts.
4.Materialism
When people are poor or do not have much materially they are much more open to God than those who have a lot or a comfortable. Even in China there is a big difference between what is happening in rural areas compared to cities re the gospel. By in large, in China all the big moves of God have predominately happened amongst poor rural people. Chinese cities (bar the odd exception) often do not look too much different than any other city in the world regarding church growth.
5.Worldview
Those who are “educated” often do not have a strong belief in spiritual things. Often where Church Planting Movements have happened is where there is already a belief in the spiritual world, it just needs to be channeled in the right direction. This is also true regarding signs and wonders which often occur with Church Planting Movements—though not always.
6.Methodology
Where the church has existed for many years (often centuries) tradition often sets the tone for how to do church. Generally speaking where Church Planting Movements occur there are not many examples of church. Therefore new believers are not easily influenced by models of church that do not reproduce. Rather they can be easily molded and shaped to do church differently. Church Planting Movements use reproducible models of the church.
7.Leadership models
Church Planting Movements have a very reproducible model of leadership. In many countries being a leader requires much training and the bar is set extremely high. This will slow down leadership training and therefore slows down church growth. Balance must be taken in this as it is not wise to put someone into leadership too soon but often we go the other way and wait too long. In Church Planting Movements leaders of churches are usually bi-vocational and not paid professionals. In our case we have two people who oversee the Church Planting Movement who are paid but none of our local church leaders receive a salary. Most churches in the West have a paid pastor (I am a paid professional so I am not totally opposed to this!)
8.Church buildings
Church Planting Movements do not stress church buildings as the meeting place. Therefore churches can meet anywhere. Finances too are freed up to be invested into evangelism and not building programs.
“Barney”
