Mission
The Midwest District church planting ministry exists to lead and equip people and churches to multiply healthy, reproducing congregations across Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri by …
Values
#1. Obeying the Great Commission by mobilizing our congregations for His harvest
The churches of the Midwest District plant churches because they know that establishing new churches is the most effective evangelism method available to the Church. Existing churches are part of the harvest force of God reaching out with the gospel of Christ into his harvest fields of Nebraska, Kansas and the greater Kansas City Metro area (Acts 1:8). Great Commission fulfillment occurs when churches work together as partners in planting new churches which reach new people and people groups (Matt. 28:18-20). The Midwest District as an organization of churches exists to mobilize and equip its churches to fulfill the Great Commission through planting healthy, disciplemaking churches.
#2. Trusting God to do though us what we cannot possibly do on our own
Scripture declares that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). Church planting is always a work of faith that depends on the power of God (Acts 1:8). Therefore, the Midwest District as an organization seeks to mobilize and encourage local churches and church plants to place the highest value on intercessory prayer and the ministry of proclaiming the Word of God. Depending on prayer and the power of the Gospel, the churches of the Midwest District in planting new churches are trusting God to do "immeasurable more than all we ever ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Eph. 3:20-21). The Midwest District as an organization of churches exists to multiply churches by faith.
#3. Leading our congregations in the advancement of His kingdom
Jesus commissioned his disciples to go into all the world and proclaim the kingdom (Matt. 24:14). When churches partner together to evangelize and make disciples of new people and people groups, new churches are planted resulting in new people entering the kingdom of God. By providing leadership to church planting resulting in the multiplication of new churches, the spiritual rule of God expands in an exponential manner (Lk. 13:20, et. al.). Those who are saved enter the kingdom and come under the rule of the King. Likewise, when saved individuals are gathered in new congregations, new communities of the King are established. The Midwest District organization serves as a catalyst for kingdom expansion by providing leadership to our churches in the ministry of church planting. The ministry staff, church planters and church planting team members of the Midwest District exist to provide leadership to churches and individuals participating as partners in establishing healthy disciplemaking churches that will advance the kingdom of God.
#4. Developing and releasing kingdom leaders and resources from our congregations
When accomplished in an intentional, strategic manner in dependence on the Spirit of God, church planting becomes a crucible for leadership development in local churches and in broader kingdom ministry. Church planting calls out potential leaders into the harvest fields of the Lord (Matt. 9:36-38). The Midwest District organization seeks to recruit and develop godly, kingdom leadership and release these workers into new churches and new ministries. Churches in the Midwest District are also called to develop and release other resources for church planting including financial support, material resources, physical resources and most of all, spiritual resources (Matt. 6:38). The primary means of realizing this value is the development and use of strategic church planting support systems including launching, recruiting, assessing, training, coaching, funding and reproducing. The Midwest District as an organization of churches exists to encourage and equip its churches to develop and release kingdom leaders and resources.
#5. Helping our congregations connect with each generation and people group
Every generation needs to be evangelized on its own terms. While the Word of God and the Gospel of Christ never change, methods do, and new methods are needed to reach each new generation. Since the Gospel of Christ is cross-cultural, it is effective and powerful in reaching the lost from every generation. The Midwest District organization of churches comes along side of churches as a primary home missions agency to help encourage, equip and mobilize for culturally relevant evangelism and disciplemaking. This is also true of assisting churches to reach and plant new churches among different ethnic and culture groups. The Midwest District church planting ministry helps churches to multiply churches in their own Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Matt. 28:18-20).
Guiding Principles
Church planting is the most effective method of evangelism. The Midwest District is passionate about evangelism, about seeing God change lives who change their communities. It is a proven fact that new churches are far more effective at winning the lost than either established churches or other methods of evangelism.
Spiritual preparation is foundational for church planting. Prayer must be a priority in planting churches in the Midwest District. The church planter, the new church core group, the growing congregation and the parent or partner churches must mobilize for fervent, intercessory prayer if church planting ministry is to be effective. Along with prayer, all involved must give attention to Bible study and the spiritual disciplines of the devoted follower of Christ. Prayer must saturate all church planting efforts.
A systems approach to church planting greatly increases the effectiveness of church planting. The Midwest District, in conjunction with the EFCA church planting movement, seeks to develop and deploy seven critical interdependent systems to support a vital church planting ministry: launching, recruiting, assessing, coaching, training, funding, and reproducing or multiplying.
Effective church planting is purpose-driven. Church planters and new churches are asked to give priority to developing a statement of mission, vision, and values that will drive the methods and strategies used. They are also encouraged to plan and evaluate everything they do on the basis of their purpose as encompassed in their mission, vision, and values.