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Yes, but what does the Bible say about CPMs?

by David Garrison

It’s true. You can search your exhaustive concordance and you just won’t find “Church Planting Movements.” At the same time, the first century world was swirling with new converts and multiplying indigenous churches planting churches, a.k.a. Church Planting Movements. Let’s take a look at some of the chief characteristics of Church Planting Movements and see what the Bible has to say about them.

All Peoples Will Be Reached
Psalms 67 (Let all the peoples praise you.)
Matthew 14:3, 14 (…and this gospel shall be preached to all peoples.)
Revelation 5:9 (..you purchased men for God from every tribe…)
Revelation 7:9 (…a multitude that no one could count, from every nation…)
Revelation 15:4 (All nations will come and worship before you.)
Psalm 96 (Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations…)

God Will Do It
Philippians 1:6 (He who began…will do it.)
1 Peter 4:11 (…do it with the strength God provides.)

God’s Word
Acts 17:11 (…examined the Scriptures every day to see if…)

House Churches
Acts 5:42 (…from house to house…)
Acts 8:3 (Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house…)
Acts 12:12 (…the house of Mary…where many people had gathered…)
Romans 16:5 (Greet also the church that meets at their house.)
1 Corinthians 16:19 (…the church that meets at their house.)
Colossians 4:15 (…the church in her house.)
Philemon 2 (…the church that meets in your home.)

Lay Leadership
Psalm 119:97-100 (I have more insight than my teachers…for I obey…)
Jeremiah 1:7 (Do not say, ‘I am only a child…’)
Luke 8:39 (…so the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus…)
Acts 4:13 (…they were unschooled, ordinary men.)
1 Corinthians 1:26 (…not many were wise by human standards…)
2 Corinthians 3:4-5 (Not that we are competent in ourselves…)
1 Timothy 4:12 (Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young.)
1 Peter 2:9-10 (…you are a royal priesthood…)
1 Peter 4:10-11 (Each one should use whatever gift he has…)

Indigenous Leadership (Model, Assist, Watch & Leave)
2 Timothy 2:2 (…entrust to reliable men…)
Titus 1:5 (…appoint elders in every town…)

Multiple Church Leaders
1 Corinthians 12:7 (Now to each one…the Spirit is given for the common good.)
1 Corinthians 14:26 (…everyone has a hymn, or a word…a revelation…)
Ephesians 4:11-16 (…some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some…)

Oikos Evangelism (Community Implications to Evangelism)
Acts 16:15 (…she and the members of her household were baptized.)
Acts 16:31 (…you will be saved—you and your household.)

Paradigm Shift
Habbakuk 1:5 (…you would not believe even if you were told.)
Matt. 9:17 (…new wineskins)
Romans 12:1 (Be not conformed to this world…)
Jonah 1-4, (the reluctant missionary)

Persecution and Suffering
Matthew 10:17-25 (A student is not above his teacher.)
2 Corinthians 11:23-29 (I have known hunger and thirst.)
1 Peter 4:12-13 (Do not be surprised [that] you are suffering.)
Revelation 6:9-11 (How long [until] you avenge our blood?)
Revelation 12:10-12 (He is filled with fury, he knows his time is short.)

Prayer
Psalms 2:8 (…ask of me and I will give you the ends of the earth.)
Luke 5:16 (…Jesus often went off to a lonely place and prayed.)
Luke 6:12 (…Jesus…spent the night praying to God…)

Rapid Spread of the Gospel
Acts 2:47 (…the Lord added to their number daily those…being saved.)
Acts 19:20 (In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.)

Rapid Assimilation of New Believers
Acts 2:41 (Those who accepted his message were baptized…that day.)
Acts8:26-39 (Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?)
Acts 16:5 (…the churches…grew daily in numbers.)
Acts 18:5 (…grew daily in numbers.)

Remove Obstacles
Luke 3:4-6 (…make straight the way of the Lord…)

The Man of Peace, Opening New Work
Luke 10:1-18 (…when you enter a town…)

Unreached People Groups
Matthew 18:12-13 (Parable of the Lost Sheep)
Romans 15:20-23 (…my ambition to preach where Christ was not known)