13 The Good Shepherd

As we are sent out to plant, it can be overwhelming when priorities are unclear. In this session, we take a practical look at what some of the non-negotiables are for a church plant, and how to ensure that the work will be fruitful.

Building on what we see in the book of Acts, we know that the church has always been intended to be a community of devotion. Likewise, let us continue to fervently devote ourselves to the vision and the ways of the Lord Jesus today.

A church cannot exist without people. Therefore in church planting, it is crucial to understand that in order to build God's house we need to build into the lives of His children, focusing on serving them instead of benefitting ourselves.

Throughout history, God has made numerous different promises. As believers and church leaders it is vitally important that we understand the specific context of each promise as well as how His promises affect the church today.

As leaders in God's church, we function as under-shepherds of God's precious flock of sheep. In this session, Andrew takes a practical look at some of the everyday functional needs of any church and how to be an effective and bold shepherd of the Lord's people.

As church planters and leaders, it is important to remember that we must always be on the watch for newcomers to the fellowship. In this session, Andrew looks at some of the practicalities of showing the love of Jesus to visitors in the church and making them feel welcome.

Since the creation of the world, God's plan for mankind has always been for us to reflect Him and partake in His nature. Furthermore, the church is God's vessel through which He executes His plan to save a lost and dying world.

The Bible says in Psalm 23 that the Lord is the Good Shepherd, leading and caring for His sheep well. In our hopes of ever caring for the church in a way that honours the Lord, we have to start by taking a look at how God is a shepherd, and then imitate Him in this.

God has chosen us as His people to preach His Gospel and spread His love to all the world, and He has given us a new identity and new "DNA" in order to do this.

There are visible signs that can show us the health of a particular church. In this session, we discuss what some of these signs are, as well as their implications.