Reviewing the SOFM: Week 6

Earlier in the SOFM we had spent a week digging into principles of church planting movements.  This week we focused on developing a biblical view of the church.  One of the most important aspects of this, in my opinion, is developing a clear understanding of the varying levels of authority regarding church practices seen throughout church history.  The first and most important are New Testament commands.  These are the non-negotiables, things all believers are expected to do ie. sharing the Lord's Supper together.  The second level are New Testament practices.  These are things we see the church doing in the New Testament that are permissible for the church, but are not commanded ie. greeting each other with a holy kiss.  The third level are human customs.  These are things that aren't bad for a church to do, but are open for each church to be led by the Holy Spirit whether or not to follow ie. only using grape juice for the Lord's Supper.  The reason this is such a vital concept to grasp is that it helps prospective missionaries unpack their own culture's expectations of what a church should look like, which is incredibly freeing. The goal is not to transplant our childhood church in a far away locale, but rather to see a church started that is true to who the locals are, while still being honoring to God.   This might mean the setting, worship style, order of service, etc. look very different from what we're used to.  But that's not a bad thing.