East-West is dedicated to multiplying the kingdom of God in creative ways and in the world’s spiritually darkest regions. Often our ministry’s work results in church planting movements in some of the least likely places.
A church planting movement is, according to David Garrison, author of Church Planting Movements, “a rapid multiplication of indigenous churches planting churches that sweeps through a people group or population segment.”
We have found that evangelism is only the beginning of finishing the mission that Christ gave to us all in the Great Commission. Training new believers to reach out to their own people has proven to be extremely effective in multiplying disciples and producing a church planting movement.
Mission Frontiers magazine recently published an entire issue dedicated to church planting movements, and two members of East-West’s staff had a chance to share their insights on the subject. You can read these articles about how church planting movements are changing individual lives and entire countries in the March/April edition of the Mission Frontiers magazine online [link to magazine pdf http://www.missionfrontiers.org/pdfs/33-2.pdf ].
East-West President, Kurt Nelson, teamed up with Dr. Bob Garrett of Dallas Baptist University to write an article called “A Church Planting Movement in Cuba?” This brief article offers us a glimpse of God’s work in the oppressed country of Cuba.
“Despite continued Communist efforts to repress Christianity in Cuba, the Church continues to proliferate. Although comprehensive statistical reports are largely unavailable, indications are that since 2000 Protestant churches in Cuba are growing at an annual rate of over six percent.” —Nelson and Garrett, “A Church Planting Movement in Cuba?,” Mission Frontiers magazine http://www.missionfrontiers.org/pdfs/33-2.pdf (page 25)
East-West VP of Church Planting, Bill Smith, also wrote a brief article that discusses the elements of rapidly growing church planting movements called “Church Planting Movements: What Have We Learned?”
“Whatever ministry witness generated must lead to church formation and multiplication. The gates of hell may prevail against every other ministry and institution, but not against the Church. The Church must be viewed as people, not facilities, organizations or a place of worship.” —Smith and Mims, “Church Planting Movements: What Have We Learned?,” Mission Frontiers magazine http://www.missionfrontiers.org/pdfs/33-2.pdf (page 5)
We have the incredible joy of partnering with God in his life-changing work of lost people coming to Christ through church planting movements worldwide. We hope you are encouraged by seeing the Lord’s Hand at work through East-West and church planting movements.