GCR Update – July 2020

Good morning to all Team Members,

With this update, The GCR Support Team wants to give everybody a bit of feedback about the GCR Activation and Mobilization program in terms of progress. It is a lot of work and we have to do it in stages and I am sure that everybody wants to know where we are at this moment. We wanted to manage the implementation as well as we could and as realistic as possible. It is all about making sure that we equip the Teams effectively so that they can go out to fulfill the great commission effectively and plant house churches properly and according to the Biblical principles that govern house church planting.

By the way, the use of the titles “Team Leader” and “Team Member” is merely for administration purposes. In reality, Team Leaders and Team Members are the five-fold ministries. They are the apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers. They plant house churches and they are the itinerant workers that God gave to the church. They visit house churches and they equip the laborers (house church congregations) so that they can do the work of the ministry.

Implementation Program

The first step was to set up and finalize the administration and management structure, the website, and all the necessary aids that we need to implement the program successfully. This step was completed successfully.

The second step was to set up the Re-Forma program where applicable and necessary to assess a potential Team Leader and Team Member. This is done and ongoing and only utilized where necessary.

The third step is to make the practical church planting/activation and mobilizing strategies and aids available. This will be completed by the end of August. This step is all about the necessary practical material which will be used during activation outreaches. It will also be available online in various formats (text, audio, and video) so that the material can be accessed by people who cannot attend a GCR Activation and Mobilization training outreach.

The fourth step is to start with the GCR Activation and Mobilization outreaches as well as the online version of the practical training. This step kicks off as soon as step 4 is completed at the end of August 2020.

The fifth step is to make sure that all Team Leaders/Members are fully aware of all the resources available to them. This will be done through either practical workshops where possible, or teaching videos/audio, or studying a volume of work compiled to understand the basics and foundations of a believer in Christ. Online courses through Lighthouse Ministries Discipleship Bible School or Revealed Word Bible College that ends with a one-year certificate, two-year diploma, and three-year bachelor’s degree is also available for those wishing to study further to be equipped. This is needed to get all Team Leaders and Team Members equipped in sound doctrine.

See also
Study Materials

What are the challenges that are facing us?

I want to bring a statement that was made by one of the Support Team Members under your attention:

To become a team leader as part of the Global Activation and Mobilization Network, there will be times that a potential candidate first needs to be assessed. There are several reasons for this, which excludes a need to control or exert undue spiritual authority. We are living in the days of great apostasy, where a lot of erroneous doctrines are preached, and the church has fallen into the trap of adopting worldly agendas, esoteric teachings, and practices bordering more on spiritism than the move of the Holy Spirit. Thus a team leader needs to be grounded in the Word, preach and teach sound doctrine, and be filled by the Holy Spirit.

– Riaan Engelbrecht

This is why we want to make sure that everybody is properly equipped and that everybody has FREE access to all material and resources, apart from the Online courses through Lighthouse Ministries Discipleship Bible School or Revealed Word Bible College that ends with a one-year certificate, two-year diploma, and three-year bachelor’s degree.

There is always the concern that people all across the world might plant house churches in a way that is contrary to the word and will of God. Many people want to be part of house churches but many people do not know the Biblical principles that govern house churches. Just take a look at the following:

Many people do not know how church leaders are supposed to function in house churches.

Some have heard that the five-fold ministry has no control over the congregation and no say when it comes to church matters. Is this true?

People have heard that the five-fold ministry usually does not take part in church meetings. Is this true?

How should the five-fold ministry deal with the house churches that they plant if this is true? 

Many people do not know how church members are supposed to function in house churches.

What steps must be followed to ensure that the members of the congregation can function without the guidance and assistance of the five-fold ministry during gatherings?

How should the congregation be taught to minister according to 1 Corinthians 14:26?

How should the congregation be taught to live the shared-community life together as the family of God (ekklesia), according to Biblical principles?

Church planters sometimes do not know how to deal with the situation when house churches are starting to break up.

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Want To Become a Team Leader?

People do not know the Biblical steps which should be followed to address strife and dissension when it threatens to destroy the congregation.

Many church planters do not know how to deal with problem-people in house churches let alone guiding and equipping the congregation to deal with such people.

Many house church planters do not know how to deal with the different seasons in house churches. Unlike the institutional church, house church congregations experience seasons. Some of these seasons are challenging and needs to be addressed correctly or it could lead to serious repercussions. What steps need to be followed during such times?

Many people do not know how house church members are supposed to make decisions. How should Team Leaders and Team Members teach the congregation to make decisions in house churches?

Many people do not know the role that everybody is supposed to play in house churches, what is truly Biblical, what is allowed, and what is not allowed, according to the word of God. For instance, the Team Leader is supposed to leave the house church after about 3-4 months to plant a new house church at another location. People do not know this. If he stays and does not leave he becomes a problem and he starts to put the Spirit-led congregation in jeopardy. A Team Leader who refuses to leave the house church becomes a leader similar to an institutional church leader and he will slowly start to convert the house church into a small institutional church even if it was not his intention.

Many people do not know how they should deal with a sudden infiltration from outsiders who want to change the whole dynamics and structure of the house church.

People do not know how to protect the vibrant, independent, control-free, Spirit-led divine interaction of the young church.

People do not know how to deal with the wolves in sheepskins who are hiding around every corner, ready to destroy the work of the ministry? Paul knew all about it and we as Team Leaders and Team Members should also know how to deal with a lot of issues if we want to plant house churches the way that we should.

I think that you all would agree that this is a mouthful. Now I know that we can all attempt to address all these issues the way we see fit. However, the reality is that if we follow our instincts and if we rely on our experiences to address these issues and challenges, we will do the exact opposite of what God wants us to do, most of the time. There is a Biblical way to address all these issues and we need to know what those ways are. This is why we have decided to take the time to do it right. This is why we do not start with the outreaches until the end of August when all the training aids and resources are all in place and available.

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Mobilize and Activate

All the GCR Team Leaders and Team Members have to be equipped and ready to address all hiccups successfully. Remember, each house church that you plant, and each activation outreach that you oversee will result in people following your example. This has consequences. When you as Team Leader realize the multiplication effect that all this have in the body of Christ, you will understand this thoroughly. All of us, we as the Support Team and you as Team Leaders and Team Members, will either be a blessing to the body of Christ or we will cause a lot of damage in the church.

This is why we appeal to you to follow all the steps of the program so that you can be completely and successfully equipped and so that you can successfully equip others. We are al making disciples so that they can make disciples. We need to do it right and according to the instructions of Jesus Christ.

Many hiccups and challenges can appear within days after a house church was planted. This is the reason why we have to implement the GCR Activation and Mobilization program in stages. We have to do it right because we have to make sure that house churches are planted Biblically.

We encourage Team Leaders and Team Members to sign up as soon as possible. Start with step 2 of the Implementation program which is the RE-Forma outcomes. This is only utilized where and when necessary. By the time you have completed this, step 3 will be completed and then nothing prevents us from commencing with the practical outreaches and online training and the planting of house churches. All training and resources will be FREE except for the Lighthouse Ministries Discipleship Bible School or Revealed Word Bible College online training courses, but these courses are not a requirement to be part of the GCR Activation and Mobilizing outreach teams. However, we do require everybody to do the RE-Forma outcomes (if necessary), the practical equipping and activation outreaches, and the online equipping and activation training courses.

Thank you for your support

GCR Support Team

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