Foundations of Movement Launchers

Everywhere he went, Paul shared Christ and left behind leaders. He states in Romans 15:20 that his ambition was to preach the gospel where it was not known so he would not be building on others’ foundations. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul explains the difference between his ministry and the ministry of Apollos by saying that he “planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” He tells the Corinthian believers that they are “God’s field” and then he changes the analogy, “God’s building”. Paul continues to explain that he laid the foundation as an expert or master builder. Others like Apollos came behind him and build on the foundation of Christ to launch a spiritual movement in Corinth.

STINT is about laying a foundation for movements that will bring glory to God. Others will come along and build on what you lay. While foundations are often unseen and rather unglamorous, they are the most important part of the building. It is the part of a building that no one will see but on which the whole structure will be dependant. If the foundation is cracked the building will be faulty. As you labor together this year you probally are asking, ‘What kind of people will we leave behind?’

While this in way is all a disciple of Christ needs, there are ‘foundational’ factors a STINT team needs to focus on when laying the groundwork in making disciples to launch something that will stand the test of time . I call them the Big Six: Evangelism, Follow-up, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, prayer, the Word and the Great Commission.

Go back 1 Corinthians 3:11 where Paul tells us, “no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The Big Six are what we lay on the foundation of Christ. Christ is paramount. These are just areas that will help the disciples you work with grow and give them the skills they need to minister for a lifetime. If you lay a groundwork of the Big Six, in the lives of the students you disciple, your team will be far down the road in seeing a movement launched. Keeping them in front of you will also help you determine if you are working with the right people and will give you parameters for your disciple-making.

Evangelism – We would want a spiritual multiplier in a movement to understand how to lead someone into a relationship with Christ and why it is important for us as believers to be involved in the work of evangelism.

Basic Follow-up – We would want them to know how to lead a new believer in the basics of the Christian faith.

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit – We would want them to understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit and how dependence on Him is key to growth and fruitfulness in ministry. We would want them to know how to communicate these truths to other believers.

Prayer – We would want them to know how to have a vital prayer life and the importance of having both personal and corporate prayer.

How to Study the Word – We would want them to know how to study the word on their own. We also would want them to know how to lead a bible study.

The Great Commission – We would want them to know and understand God’s heart for the world and our role of making disciples of all nations. We would want them to have a greater vision of what God wants to do in the world and how they can play a part in it.