Summary
Jeff Reed said it best in the forward of this new edition of
Hesselgrave’s book, “In going back to the New Testament model for missions,
Hesselgrave is in essence calling us to return to the biblical paradigm, which
unfolds in the Book of Acts.”[1] Planting Churches Cross-Culturally is
written just for that reason. Though more lengthy than a manual, it is a manual
for those seeking to plant churches and to conduct missions. As a manual, he
gives a lot of emphasizes on the need to plan out the work of church planting
and missions. He stated, “Too often missions is undertaken haphazardly and
without thinking it through.”[2]
The book has five sections: first sections contains chapters one through three,
section two has chapters four through seven, section three only contains
chapter eight, in section four chapters nine through sixteen can be found, and
finally section five only contains chapter seventeen.
After stating what the primary mission of the church is,
Hesselgrave gave a good thesis of the book, “Few of these objectives will be
realized unless new believers are constantly added to local churches, unless
new local churches are being added to the universal church, and unless existing
churches are growing up into the fullness of him who is their head.”[3] Planting Churches Cross-Culturally is
sectioned into five parts and each part builds upon the theme of adding new
churches, new believers, and the current local churches glorifying the Lord by
continuing the mission that He commissioned in Matthew 28; The Great
Commission. The thesis serves as a great statement for the book. In section one
Hesselgrave goes on to state that the believer’s purpose is to proclaim the
gospel and gather in local congregations. The following sections and chapters
are practical ways of doing missions and planting churches. Missions in a sense
of “evangelism” whether in our own backyards or abroad with a strategy of
follow-ups in order to help new believers grow in their new faith.
In chapter two Hesselgrave emphasizes planning the task of
church planting. He states, “The Bible has abundant evidence of God’s plan. God
is the greatest planner of all!”[4] In
this chapter there is a great sense of urgency of using God’s plan rather no
plan at all as there seems to be in times past. Hesselgrave illustrates how
that plan should look by using a chart and giving information on missiology. He
ends the chapter by reflecting on past experience.
Chapter three opens the book up to the Pauline Cycle.
Hesselgrave points out that there is no greater example to be found for
missions and church planting than the Apostle Paul. This section discusses the
argument of whether or not Paul had a strategy or not. Much controversy and
debate has been over this particular subject. Hesselgrave gave an analysis of
both sides of the argument and concluded with, “If by strategy is meant a
deliberate, well-formulated, duly executed plan of action based on human
observation and experience, then Paul had little or no strategy; but if we take
the word to mean a flexible modus
operandi developed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and subject to His
direction and control, then Paul did have a strategy.”[5]
With that noted, Hesselgrave points out that today’s Christians can formulate
with human observation and experience however, the mission should first and
foremost be duly guided by the Holy Spirit.
There are four chapters that is packed into section two. This
section is titled “The Christian Leader and the Christian Message”. In these
chapters Hesselgrave points out that there should and must be a solid leader
selected to conduct missions and church planting. In speaking of the leaders,
Hesselgrave states that there must be local sending churches. We cannot afford
to be “renegades” in the business of missions. In chapter five Hesselgrave is
concerned with target areas in which to best use the sending churches
resources. Culture, socioeconomics, and demographics are all factors that
should be considered when considering the target group.
In Chapter six Hesselgrave discusses the deployment of
resources to the target area. Resources pointed out in this chapter include
those that Christ has gifted in the area of missions and church planting along
with the appropriate information of the target area. Chapter seven concludes
this section by discussing the importance of growth analysis. Careful planning
can aid in future efforts for the church ministry.
Section three only contains chapter eight which highlights established
churches that form the bases for future outreach. Hesselgrave points out that
the Holy Spirit chooses the missionary, separated for the work, and sent forth
to do the work. It should be noted that all of this is the first action plan in
the Pauline Cycle. The local church is an important element in building up the
mission or evangelist and supporting him/her in the mission field. This is such
an important element that Hesselgrave will touch upon this subject more.
In section four, “The Emerging Church and the Christian
Mission”, Hesselgrave demonstrates more in-depth the Pauline Cycle that has
been discussed in the foregoing chapters. Chapter nine begins this chapter
which discusses the audience contacted; step two of the Pauline Cycle. During
this step a survey should be conducted before evangelism begins in the target
area. In step three evangelism begins by communicating the Gospel in the target
area. Step four is when those who hear the Gospel are converted as believers in
the faith. In step five, new believers are gathered as a congregation while in
step six their faith is confirmed.
Hesselgrave reminds the reader the strategy that Paul used
was not a method of staying as the congregation’s pastor. Hesselgrave noted, “Paul’s
ministry was a temporary one.”[6]
There should be a withdraw of the church planter while new church leadership is
put in place. This is step seven in the Pauline Cycle. The new congregation
should have the option to appoint a new pastor and new church leadership. Along
with this comes training that is suited for the new church that is planted in
the target area. The consecration of the leaders and the seamless transition of
leadership from church planters to church leaders is eight.
In step nine the churches have a common bond of evangelism
and should encourage that fellowship of evangelism. In speaking of “Paul and
Interchurch Relationships Hesselgrave comments, “There was a relationship of koinomnia in the body of Christ. Mutual
obligations were urged upon the churches as the proper expression of their
oneness in Christ (Gal. 6:10).”[7]
There are some obligations that could be spoken of, but the one that is of
relevance here is the Great Commission. It is important to commend those who do
the work of missions and church planting and encourage them to do it even more.
This will grow the body of Christ.
In step ten, chapter seventeen, which is the last section of
the book Hesselgrave discusses the continuation of the church’s mission. He
wrote, “Here, then, we have the mainspring of the actual participation in God’s
great program for His church on earth.”[8]
Christ did not intend for His church to stand stagnant and never reach another
soul. He intended for each church, out of love, to spread out to preach the
Gospel as He and His Apostles did. That would include the Apostle Paul to which
this book and its model is demonstrated throughout.
Critique
One of the strengths of this book is that Hesselgrave
demonstrated true commitment to the biblical model of missions and church
planting. It was outstanding to read such commitment that was not based on
bias. Hesselgrave gave the foundation of the missions which was the Great
Commission. He also used the Apostle Paul as the great example for his
demonstration of church planting. Though he did use the Apostle Peter which was
also a great example as it was an example of Christ speaking to Peter about
building His church. Everything that Hesselgrave wrote about was backed
biblically and was not packed with liberal bias.
Another great strength of the book is that the instructions
in the book are very detailed. He used the Pauline cycle which has ten easy to
follow steps in it. When Hesselgrave made a point in his book about missions or
church planting he backed that point up with facts and/or Scripture. This makes
it almost impossible to argue any of the points that he made. Concerning the
Pauline Cycle, he devotes the first three sections of the book giving some
insight to it.
As far as critiques go on this book, there cannot be enough
said about the strengths. On the other side of the token there is little to say
about the negatives. It is a well-researched and well written book. As
Hesselgrave wrote in the preface, “This book, therefore, grows out of fifty
years of pioneering and pastoring, reading, and learning and lecturing in
company with literally thousands of people who have been my instructors and
inspiration in service for Christ and his church.”[9] It
is hard to find a negative critique with such experience and research such as
that.
Evaluation
Planting Churches
Cross-Culturally is by far one of the most extensive books on missions and church planting
combined. As this is a second edition, Hesselgrave out did himself with this
work. There are a lot of books on the market that claim to be extensive works
on church planting, but none such as Hesselgrave’s. This book contains a wealth
of knowledge for anyone who is called to the mission field or called to church
planting. The information in this book could work in either field or as done in
the book, in both.
Hesselgrave packed this book with a lot of information and
tools. The Pauline Cycle can be used as it is with its own diagram by the mission-evangelist.
He also included a survey that can be used for biblically based church
planting. This book is truly a scholarly approach to missions and church
planting that should be recommended to any one entering into the field.
Conclusion
Planting Churches
Cross-Culturally is a book that is written by David J. Hesselgrave. It is a five section,
seventeen chapter book that discusses in detail missions and church planting.
This paper served as a summary, critique, and an evaluation of the book. It is a
book that derived from fifty years of research and ministry of Hesselgrave and
was well written. This book should be in the hands of any one who is called to
the field of missions and church planting.
Bibliography
Hesselgrave,
David J. Planting Churches
Cross-Culturally: North America and Beyond. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker
Academic, 2000.
[1] David J. Hesselgrave, Planting Churches Cross-Culturally: North
America and Beyond, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2000), Kindle
Loc. 68.
[2] David J. Hesselgrave, Planting Churches Cross-Culturally, Kindle
Loc. 476.
[3] Ibid., Kindle Loc. 167.
[4] Ibid., Kindle Loc. 473.
[5] Ibid., 663.
[6] Ibid., Kindle Loc. 5146.
[7] Ibid., Kindle Loc. 5470.
[8] Ibid., 5784.
[9] Ibid., Kindle Loc. 127.
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