part0078

If you believe in prophecy, you’ll consider that the Lord pictured our church as a coconut tree sitting high on a hill, reproducing itself as it gave off fruit. That tree is enormously significant to our church family. We use it in our logo. We also view it as a metaphor for growth stages within the church.

But, before we get into the tree as a metaphor for Christian life development, I want to share a humorous story. The move to the new church campus in Kaneohe underscored our use of a coconut tree as a teaching tool. When we cleared and leveled our land, we discovered a large coconut tree, which had grown for several years shrouded by the dense forest covering the plot. Someone suggested that we should leave it standing in hopes of transplanting it into the landscape of the finished facility .

We never transplanted it. Our architects had no knowledge or consideration of that tree. Unknowingly, they situated our auditorium and courtyard around its location and elevation. As the buildings went up, the tree stood guard a few feet from what would become the front door to the auditorium. When you consider the 12 acres and a couple of hundred foot of elevation the possibility that the tree would have found its way to that particular spot was a remarkable coincidence—or was it? By the way, there were no other coconut trees on the land when we acquired it. Sadly, a few years later its roots failed, and we lost it, but the metaphor still stands.

The tree speaks of five stages of Christian experience. The idea is to grow to maturity. Most Christians talk about “growing in the Lord.” Few think in terms of a destination for that growth.

In all life forms, reproduction is the one element that announces maturity. Plants and animals reach maturity when they attain reproductive ability. Of course, much development continues after reproductive functions commence, but that is another subject.

For our discussion, an organism that never gains the ability to reproduce is not yet mature. This is true in the spiritual world as well as the physical. If our church exists to equip God’s people to do his work, we must ask, “What is his work?” His work is making disciples and teaching them to obey his directives. The New Testament believers accomplished this by disciplemaking and church planting .

Reproduction is necessary to the basic arrangement. Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19 KJV ). Individual Christians fish for people when they reproduce themselves in others. Later Jesus commissioned the apostles to “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). You disciple people into a relationship with Jesus. The apostles got off to a great start, and today’s church leaders labor to complete the task. If you read the Book of Acts as a picture of normal church life, you can’t escape noticing the successful church in Antioch. It intentionally reproduced itself across the Mediterranean world.

A coconut tree often surrenders its fruit to the ocean as a means of transport. This allows a tree to reproduce itself wherever the tides and currents flow. A church should operate in a similar fashion. It needn’t be a coconut tree for the metaphor to hold. Think about whatever trees grow where you live. Like those trees, every church needs to reproduce. The fruit of reproduction may occur close to home or the winds of change may cause it to take root on another continent. Whatever the case, we should individually and corporately plant seeds of the gospel in whatever soil God provides. This calls us to mature until we can do so. Growth moves through five stages:

The first step is surrender to the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Just as roots emerging from a seed, salvation and water baptism are starting points for the most basic growth in the Lord. Without roots into a healthy church, most people will shrink back and lose the joy of life in the Lord. The parable of the sower suggests that much seed falls on less than productive soil. A healthy church and an open heart coalesce into good soil. Churches foster growth in a living and personal walk with God through the Scriptures and fellowship with other Christ-followers. Joining a local church requires commitment, which naturally feeds and nurtures healthy growth. This is healthy root growth. Without it, everything fails.

Every tree needs a strong trunk to withstand the storms of life. Healthy disciplemaking introduces newly minted Christians to the awesome power of God’s word—the Bible. Knowledge of the Bible becomes the trunk which supports a successful life and future.

This requires that a church teaches the word of the Lord. The Scriptures explain that faith grows by our hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17 KJV ). In churches I’ve pastored, we’ve not only taught the Scriptures on the weekend, we’ve examined our lives for authentic Christianity in MiniChurch. This happened as we held our lives up to the measuring-stick of scripture. Faithful participation in both weekend worship celebrations and MiniChurch grow a healthy “trunk” to support our spiritual tree.

It is a mistake to stop growing when you achieve a measure of Bible knowledge. God designed some form of ministry for every Christ-follower. Mobilizing every member for ministry is crucial to a congregation that intends to multiply.

As coconut branches (actually they are leaves) gather light from the sun, we should gather light from the Son in the form of Holy Spirit giftedness. We should help our disciples discover their personal spiritual gifts, which mostly happens as they respond to need. Church leaders can guide believers toward more skillfully exercising these gifts. This is learned behavior. Spiritual gifts are Holy Spirit born abilities that God invests in each of us (Romans 12:1-11). It is our calling to learn to use them effectively. Specialized classes and seminars can abet this process. Some classes teach people how to share their faith. Others enhance teaching skills. Some develop counseling or coaching abilities for helping others. Still others learn to reach out to homeless people or join a prayer team.

In our churches, people learn cross-cultural ministry along with the necessary knowledge to plant new churches. However, each individual must be willing to gather whatever knowledge and experience is offered. It is up to the individual Christ-follower to grow branches, which will take in light, speeding fruitful service.

Healthy Christians participate in ministry.

Jesus said we should testify of him in our hometown, the nearby region and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The process usually starts with those closest to us: our family and friends. To make a disciple suggests that you help a person become a learner.

This important task is simple when you possess the right tools. Therefore, branching out in knowledge is so important.

However, knowledge gained must become functional. It is at this fruit bearing stage that the church generates its greatest growth. Normal Christianity should include ongoing discipling for every person. We should all have someone we are learning from, and we should have a few people we teach in some manner.

Apart from church, I try to stay in touch with several non-Christians with whom I can share my stories about Jesus and answers to prayer. I also maintain relationships with a few young Christ-followers to teach about successful living. Finally, I spend much of my time mentoring MiniChurch pastors, staff and other pastors.

An older pastor once coined a meaningful slogan: “Every member a missionary.” That’s a good starting place, but I think every member should be equipped to equip others. You will not achieve full joy in the Lord until you join with others in sharing the good news of God’s love. This can occur in a structured setting like a Bible study. It may happen over cups of coffee among close friends. You may find opportunity while surfing or on the golf course. However, it happens, bearing fruit through active ministry is the earmark of a healthy Christian.

Hope Chapel is more than a church. It’s a movement made up of churches on every continent. Our church is like a coconut tree reproducing itself through many young, sprouting coconuts.

The model is biblical. The New Testament saints left Jerusalem on a threefold mission: (A) They preached the gospel wherever they went. (B) They made disciples of their converts. (C) They completed the process by planting new churches. We carry on their vision.

Many years ago, we assumed our church was unique in its calling to plant churches. Today, we understand that church multiplication is the task of every congregation. We can’t be satisfied reproducing ourselves only in individual people. We must reproduce the church.

Some will say that is a task best left to larger churches. My reply: “We launched our first church plant with a base of only 125 people in our congregation. The new church began with a core group of 25, but 50 showed up the first Sunday.” You don’t need to be large to do this. In fact, few churches larger than 500 people have ever planted another church. A full 20 percent of new churches in the United States come from congregations numbering fewer than 200 people. This is even more true outside the U.S. There is a growing “simple church” movement around the world. These congregations often measure fewer than two dozen people. They also reproduce themselves with ease.

Aside from direct reproduction, a church can contribute to the cause. By giving to mission outreaches or supporting our friends who leave us to plant churches, we can do ministry in places we will never visit. We can indirectly help evangelize people we will never meet. Christ-followers should grow toward maturity. The mark of that maturity is reproduction. Without reproduction, we could never evangelize the world and certainly would not meet the spiritual needs of emerging generations.

As we reproduce our church (and our MiniChurches) in other places, we can be sure we are living out the will and mission of God for our lives.

As you read this, perhaps you may sense a call from God to do something more with your life. You might begin to pray about the possibility of helping start a church. If you are a pastor or church leader, I trust that you will do more than pray about this. You are positioned to fulfill the Great Commission through the lives of those who follow you (you’re also perfectly positioned to hold up the process). Whatever you do, at the end of the day, we know that new churches are the best tool for evangelism that we have. At this point in our dialogue you need to consider whatever actions lay before you. What will you do about what you’re reading?

Several of my friends have taken to planting churches in homes by gathering friends for a Sunday afternoon barbeque or pizza coupled with worship and an interactive Bible study. No one even preaches—they simply discuss a previously agreed on text, asking, “What did the Holy Spirit speak to you through this passage?” A couple of those “house churches” have grown into something far larger.