LEAD THE WAY
Continuing Ed
REPLICATE

Replicate

Replicating Disciples, Leaders, MicroChurches and Networks

Why Replication?

• We use the word replicate because it focuses on both quantity and quality, rather than the word multiply, which focuses primarily on quantity, regardless of the quality.

• Replication is about passing on the essential genetic material (DNA) so that the movement keeps going and growing.

• This DNA is made up of the Truth, the relationship and the ministry of our faith. (See below.). It includes learning certain ministry skills, but it’s more about the heart—our relationship with Jesus and His people.

1 Samuel 16:6-7 (NLT)

6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

• The key to replication is passing on who we are and what we do so that someone else can be it and do it WHEN WE ARE NO LONGER WITH THEM.

• Keep in mind, you can replicate good genetic code and not so good genetic code. But you’re always replicating something.

• How can we ensure healthy replication?

Entrust

2 Timothy 2:2

(Timothy,) what you heard me sayin the presence of many witnesses ENTRUST to faithful people who will also be competent to teach others (emphasis added).

• What does it mean to entrust something to someone?

• Give an example of when you entrusted something to someone. How did go? How did they do?

• Why is entrusting so important to replication (ensuring quality and quantity)?

Entrust What?

2 Timothy 2:2

(Timothy,) WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD ME SAYin the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will also be competent to teach others (emphasis added).

2 Timothy 2:2 (AMP)

The things [the doctrine, the precepts, the admonitions, the sum of my ministry] which you have heard me teach in the presence of many witnesses, entrust [as a treasure] to reliable and faithful men who will also be capable and qualified to teach others.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 (NLT)

20 Timothy, guard what God has ENTRUSTED to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. 21 Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness (emphasis added).

2 Timothy 1:14 (NIV)

Guard the good deposit that was ENTRUSTED to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us (emphasis added).

Jude 1:3 (NIV)

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all ENTRUSTED to God’s holy people (emphasis added).

• What has been entrusted to God’s holy people? What did Paul say in the presence of many witnesses? What was Paul calling Timothy to entrust to faithful people who would also be competent to teach others?

• All of this can be summed up by “The Faith”, which is made up of:

1. The Truth of The Faith - The Good News of Jesus Christ found in the Bible (both Old Testament and New Testament)

2. The Relationship of The Faith - A saving relationship through faith in Jesus Christ and a life of faithfulness to Jesus Christ

3. The Ministry of The Faith - How to share The Faith and build up the faithful

Entrust Who?

2 Timothy 2:2

(Timothy,) what you heard me sayin the presence of many witnesses entrust to FAITHFUL PEOPLE who will also be COMPETENT TO TEACH OTHERS (emphasis added).

• Why does Paul highlight entrusting The Faith to 1) faithful people who will also be 2) competent to teach others?

• What’s NOT on Paul’s list that would be expected in today’s church? Why?

The Faithful - Faithfulness to The Faith

• What does it mean to be faithful to the Truth of the Faith?

• What does it mean to be faithful to the Relationship of the Faith?

• What does it mean to be faithful to the Ministry of the Faith?

The Competent - Competency to Teach Others The Faith

• What does it mean to be competent teach others the Truth of the Faith?

• What does it mean to be competent teach others the Relationship of the Faith?

• What does it mean to be competent teach others the Ministry of the Faith?

• Why does Paul use the future tense “will be” regarding people’s competency to teach others? Can people be trained to train others?

Entrust Why?

2 Timothy 2:2

(Timothy,) what you heard me sayin the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will also be competent TO TEACH OTHERS (emphasis added).

• What happens if we don’t ENTRUST The Faith to faithful people who will also be competent to teach others?

• Consider these sobering statistics about people who go to Evangelical churches in the USA?

  • 53% believe the Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.

  • 43% don’t believe that Jesus is God.

  • 35% believe God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

From The State of Theology.

• What do these statistics say about the health of our entrusting The Faith in the Evangelical church?

• What does 2 Timothy 2:2 say about the problem and the solution?

• Here are some questions.

  • Do our worship services and sermons entrust The Faith to the next generation?

  • Do our Sunday Schools and youth groups entrust The Faith to the next generation?

  • Do our small groups entrust The Faith to the next generation?

  • Do our Christian schools, colleges and universities entrust The Faith to the next generation?

  • Why or why not?

Entrust How?

• If the regular means of entrusting The Faith aren’t working, how can we more faithfully and competently entrust The Faith to the next generation?

  • It doesn’t just happen. We must be intentional and strategic.

  • It doesn’t happen easily. We must be willing to sacrifice and put in the hard work.

  • It doesn’t happen fast. We must be willing to take our time.

  • It doesn’t happen in crowds. We must be willing to focus on a few.

There’s no microwave to entrust The Faith. There’s only a crockpot.

The Way’s Way of Entrusting The Faith

The following have already been covered in Lead The Way. What follows, therefore, is just a summary.

1. Discipleship

• Entrusting The Faith to the next generation rises and falls with discipleship. Why?

• Holistic discipling is a relational, Biblical and intentional process of helping someone toward Jesus by first becoming a disciple of Jesus, then maturing as a disciple of Jesus, including discipling others toward Jesus.

• Follow The Wayhas been designed to holistically disciple people.

1. Follow - 1-week introduction to following Jesus and Follow The Way

2. Faith - 11-week guided tour of the main events, characters and storyline of the Bible

3. Fruit - 9-weeks on how to Join Jesus in mission by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle

4. Filling - 8-weeks on how to be filled with the Spirit and live an everyday supernatural life

5. Foundations - 8-weeks on the basic building blocks of your identity and maturity in Christ

6. Freedom - 12-weeks on how to personally and practically embrace your freedom in Christ

• For a deeper dive into discipleship see Lead The Way - Mission (Part 2).

2. MicroChurch

• Building on discipleship, entrusting The Faith to the next generation is best done in MicroChurches.

• Our Pathways

• Our Priorities

  WORSHIP - Our Relationship with Jesus

  • Devote yourselves to connecting with and following after Jesus.

  DISCOVERY - Our Relationship with the Bible

  • Devote yourselves to taking in and living out God’s Word..

  COMMUNITY - Our Relationship with Each Other

  • Devote yourselves to loving one another as a family of brothers and sisters in Christ.

  MISSION - Our Relationship with Others

  • Devote yourselves to joining Jesus in discipling others toward Him by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle.

• Our Gathering Guide

• For a deeper dive into MicroChurch see Be The Way.

3. Leadership Formation

• Building on discipleship and active participation in a MicroChurch, entrusting The Faith to the next generation depends on the formation of faithful leaders who will also be competent to teach others.

• The key to leadership development is to start early—usually earlier than you think. That’s why both Follow The Way and Be The Way end every session with the question: Who will facilitate the next meeting? As quickly as possible, start sharing leadership responsibility. This is the best way to raise leaders and discern who has leadership giftings.

Only those who are given leadership responsibility can become responsible leaders.

• So give manageable and controlled amounts of leadership away and see how people do. Don’t dump them into the leadership deep end. Let them test the water in the shallow end.

• The added benefit of sharing leadership is that it clearly communicates that everyone gets to play!

• On top of that, those who get to lead become better followers. That’s because as they experience leading (the responsibility and even the difficulty), they learn how to better support those leading.

• Use the MAWL pattern of leadership training …

  • MODEL

    I Lead / You Watch / We Talk

  • ASSIST

    (Part 1) I Lead / You Help / We Talk

    (Part 2) You Lead / I Help / We Talk

  • WATCH

    You Lead / I Watch / We Talk

  • LAUNCH or LEAVE

    You Lead / We Keep Talking / I MAWL Someone New & Someday You Will Too

(The last step can either be LAUNCH or LEAVE, depending if you’re sending the new leader(s) to start a new MicroChurch or if you’re giving them the leadership of the MicroChurch they’re currently involved in.)

• Use the 3/3s Format when MAWLing your apprentice leader …

  • Connect - Care, prayer and loving accountability for previous I will statements

  • Discover - Training using Be The Way / Lead The Way

  • Live / Lead - “I will …” statements flowing from the training

• Commission a new leader, launch a new MicroChurch and continue to support these leaders and MicroChurch.

• Our Leadership Community Zoom Calls provide ongoing training and support of our leaders.

• The Way believes the following Leadership Sequence best ensures that we entrust The Faith to the next generation of faithful leaders who will also be competent to teach others. Why?

Faithful Disciples First
Faithful Disciplers Second
Faithful Leaders Third

4. Leadership Affirmation

• Finally, we ask our leaders to sign the following Leadership Statement of Affirmation

LIVE / LEAD

• What did you discover in this training session?

• What is your “I will …” statement flowing from this training?

Extra Material

• Read Launching Leaders from VineyardUSA. It’s short, sweet and insightful.

For homework read through the following:

• Read The Vineyard Statement of Faith.

• Read The Way’s Theological Distinctives.

• Read Leadership Statement of Affirmation.