Lead the church to understand and embrace the strategies and values identified
in the We Build People philosophy.
1. Involve leadership in understanding the Diamond of Spiritual Growth,
core values, and Circles of Commitment that form the heart of the We Build
People philosophy.
Have your leaders read the book We Build People. An additional
resource that will prove helpful is The Purpose Driven Church by
Rick Warren.
Help your leaders see the three key components that
capsulize the We Build People philosophy. These are (1)
the diamond philosophy with its bases and base paths,
(2) the non-negotiable values, and (3) the circles of
commitment. Let's examine the basic elements of each.
The first component is the Diamond of Spiritual Growth.
This illustration is adapted from materials
developed by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church for his book The
Purpose Driven Church, Growth Without Compromising Your Message &
Mission, and is used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
The bases in the Diamond of Spiritual Growth represent the four stages
of spiritual development.
Four Stages of a Disciple's Development
Commitment to Membership (Personal and accountable
relationship with Christ and the local church)
Commitment to Maturity (Life-long spiritual growth
and development)
Commitment to Ministry (Discovering and developing
ministry gifts and calling)
Commitment to Mission (Investing in the global
mission of God and the mission of the Church)
The base paths of the Diamond of Spiritual Growth represent the commitments
a church makes to people and their development.
Four Commitments Of Disciple Making Churches
Commitment to Include (Enfolding the unchurched
unconverted in our circle of care and love, bringing
them to a commitment to Christ and the local church)
Commitment to Instruct (Teaching believers to
apply the habits, disciplines, and principles of
a true disciple)
Commitment to Involve (Training believers to
discover and develop their unique God-given gifts
and callings)
Commitment to Invest (Mobilizing believers by
investing them in ministry, leadership, and mission)
The second component is the Non-negotiable Values.
The central philosophy statement of We Build People says: Every person
is valued and is the focus of our ministry.
Christ values people and their needs above programs
and religious activity (Matthew 9:36; 12:11,12).
We serve Christ best when our service involves
meeting the needs of people (Matthew 25:40).
The church exists to serve God by serving people
(James 1:27).
Rising from this central philosophy, we recognize four
universal biblical values. The four value statements
relate to each of the four bases or stages of spiritual
development just referred to in the Diamond of Spiritual
Growth. A more detailed study of these values is found
in chapters 1, 2 and 8 of the We Build People book.
Value 1 Every person has a right to a presentation of the
Gospel at his or her level of understanding. (Base 1)
The timeless message of the Bible is the answer
to human need (Psalm 19:8).
The priority of Christ and His Church is the
salvation of each individual (Luke 19:10; Matthew
28:19,20).
We influence first by our character and caring,
then by what we communicate (Mark 6:33, 34).
Value 2 Every person needs a biblical moral compass to
guide and protect him or her throughout life. (Base 2)
Personal growth is a life-long process (1 John
3:2).
Parents are their children's first and primary
teachers (Deuteronomy 6:6--9).
Acceptance, caring, and learning occur best in
small groups (Luke 6:13).
Value 3 Every believer has unique gifts to be developed
and used to strengthen the church. (Base 3)
Obedience is the essence of discipleship and
the highest form of worship (John 14:23).
Responsibility for equipping the believer is
vested in the Church (Ephesians 4:11--13).
Biblical leadership requires servanthood and
godly character, as well as, ministry skills (Mark
10:42--44).
Value 4 Every believer has a purpose in advancing the global
mission of the Church of Jesus Christ. (Base 4)
Every believer is commissioned by God to make
disciples (Mark 16:15,16).
Spirit baptism is a priority for Great Commission
service (Acts 1:4,5).
Awareness of need is the primary motivation for
Great Commission service (John 4:35--38).
The third component is the Five Levels (Circles) of Commitment.
This illustration is adapted from materials
developed by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church for his book The
Purpose Driven Church, Growth Without Compromising Your Message &
Mission, and is used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Each circle represents a different audience or group a church works
within the people building process. Everyone who attends a church is
represented by one of these circles. An effective church learns to manage
the spiritual development of its people. It designs ministry strategies
that move people progressively toward the inner circle of commitment
which results in increased spiritual development.
One way to identify the particular circle a person
fits into is by listening to the types of statements
that he make. You can use the following chart as an identification
tool.
Five Levels of Commitment
Community
"I think I'll go to church. It is Christmas."
Crowd
"I think I'll go to church. I've haven't gone the last few weeks."
Congregation
"I know that I will be missed if I don't go to Bible Study."
Committed
"I want to grow in my faith and relationship with God."
Core
"I want to please God, serve others, and achieve His purpose for my
life."
2. Lead the church in understanding how a church builds people.
A key function of church leaders is managing the spiritual
development of people in their care. In partnership
with the Holy Spirit, church leaders can help people
become disciples if they intentionally design "events"
and "processes" to guide and assist people in making and maintaining
commitments to follow Christ.
Base 1 Base 1 of the Diamond of Spiritual Growth
represents the first stage of spiritual development.
Here the individual commits to a personal
relationship with Christ and accountability
to the local church. WBP identifies this stage as "commitment
to membership." At
this stage, the church implements strategies/ministries that include
the unchurched unconverted person. It does this by building bridges
of relationships, enfolding individuals in its circle of care and
love, and leading people into a personal and accountable relationship
with Christ and the church (membership). Some practical ways a
church accomplishes this is through (1) identifying needs and ministering
to them, (2) building informal relationships with individuals,
(3) including the unchurched person in church-related groups, and
(4) sharing the gospel with the unconverted.
Base 2 Base 2 of the Diamond of Spiritual Growth
represents the second stage of spiritual development.
The person at this stage becomes committed
to life-long spiritual growth by developing
the disciplines, values, characteristics, and
life-style of a true disciple. WBP identifies
this stage as "commitment to maturity." At
this stage, the church implements strategies/ministries that
instruct the believer. It does this by helping individuals develop
the basic habits, disciplines, character, and life-style of a
true disciple (maturity). The church can instruct the believer
helping him or her move toward maturity by (1) enrolling the
believer in a discipleship group, (2) teaching spiritual disciplines,
(3) establishing a mentoring relationship, and (4) modeling a
biblical life-style.
Base 3 Base 3 of the Diamond of Spiritual Growth
represents the third stage of spiritual development.
People at this stage become committed to discover
and develop their God-given gifts and calling.
WBP identifies this stage as "commitment to
ministry." At
this stage, the church implements strategies/ministries that
involve the believer in discovering and developing his unique
God-given gifts and callings (ministry). These ministries involve
the believer in ministry by (1) helping identify the person's
ministry gifts, (2) establishing a ministry apprenticeship, (3)
providing leadership training, and (4) modeling servant character.
Base 4 Base 4 of the Diamond of Spiritual Growth
represents the fourth stage of spiritual development.
Here people invest themselves in the global
mission of Christ and the church, fulfilling
their life's purpose. WBP identifies this stage
as "commitment to mission." At
this stage, the church implements strategies/ministries that
invest the believer in ministry and leadership, mobilizing the
believer in the global mission of Christ and the local church.
The local church can invest in believers by providing (1) cross-cultural
experiences, (2) leadership experiences, (3) opportunities to
disciple others, and (4) continued leadership training.
3. Communicate the strategies and values of the purpose driven church
in multiple ongoing ways.
Be creative as you communicate the strategies you have
developed to instill the values and purposes of your
church. Each situation will demand different methods
of communication, but there are a few methods that will
work anywhere.
Use graphics such as the Diamond of Spiritual Growth,
the Five Levels of Commitment, the WBP logo, or your
own logo.
Use success stories of other churches and ministries
that have implemented a people building process like
We Build People.
Use testimonies of people who have found Christ and
grown through the implementation of the We Build People
vision.
Use metaphors and illustrations regularly to convey
the mission. One church turned their fellowship hall
into a baseball diamond with bases to communicate the
WBP philosophy.
Use promotional resources that communicate the vision.
The We Build People philosophy is supported by promotional
resources available from the Gospel Publishing House
which include lapel pins, name tags, bulletin inserts,
posters, pocket cards displaying the WBP vision and values,
and polo shirts to assist churches in communicating the
vision.
At
this stage, the church implements strategies/ministries that include
the unchurched unconverted person. It does this by building bridges
of relationships, enfolding individuals in its circle of care and
love, and leading people into a personal and accountable relationship
with Christ and the church (membership). Some practical ways a
church accomplishes this is through (1) identifying needs and ministering
to them, (2) building informal relationships with individuals,
(3) including the unchurched person in church-related groups, and
(4) sharing the gospel with the unconverted.