The Practical Missions Podcast
Pod #104 How Do You Do Church Planting If You Don’t Know What The Church Is?
Looking to the Bible to understand the doctrine of the church
Today on the Pod, we work through a clear, biblical definition of the local church and why that clarity matters for missionaries and cross-cultural workers who have been shaped by unhealthy church experiences.
We connect church membership, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and congregational authority to everyday discipleship.
Topics
• confusion created by saying “the church isn’t a building” while ignoring the need for a covenanted body
• the value of expositional preaching versus preacher-driven topical proof texting
• a practical definition of a church as a baptized, covenanted congregation that gathers weekly
• baptism and the Lord’s Supper as covenant signs that shape membership and accountability
• why leaving a church during conflict reveals a thin view of covenant commitment
• the “keys of the kingdom” and the church’s authority over doctrine, membership, discipline, and leadership
• moving from “what do I get?” to “how do I love and build up others?”
• what to do in frontline ministry with only a few believers and no established church
• the dividing line between a Bible study and a church gathered around the ordinances
Timeline
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:00 From Arabic Study To Pastoring
- 04:00 Expositional Preaching Made Simple
- 06:40 Why The Church Matters In Missions
- 09:30 A Clear Definition Of Church
- 18:40 Covenant Commitment When Conflict Hits
- 21:15 Baptism And The Lord’s Supper
- 29:20 Keys Of The Kingdom And Authority
- 41:10 When Church Feels Like You Get Nothing
- 44:15 Planting A Church With Few Believers
- 49:00 Bible Study Versus A True Church
- 51:15 Slow Faithful Work And Closing Charge
Listen on: Apple Podcast | Spotify
What is a church? “A church is a congregation of baptized Christians who have covenanted to gather weekly for preaching the Bible, celebrating the ordinances, loving the saints, witnessing to the lost, and, in all this, glorifying God.
Pod #104 How Do You Do Church Planting If You Don’t Know What The Church Is?
Looking to the Bible to understand the doctrine of the church
Today on the Pod, we work through a clear, biblical definition of the local church and why that clarity matters for missionaries and cross-cultural workers who have been shaped by unhealthy church experiences.
We connect church membership, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and congregational authority to everyday discipleship.
Topics
• confusion created by saying “the church isn’t a building” while ignoring the need for a covenanted body
• the value of expositional preaching versus preacher-driven topical proof texting
• a practical definition of a church as a baptized, covenanted congregation that gathers weekly
• baptism and the Lord’s Supper as covenant signs that shape membership and accountability
• why leaving a church during conflict reveals a thin view of covenant commitment
• the “keys of the kingdom” and the church’s authority over doctrine, membership, discipline, and leadership
• moving from “what do I get?” to “how do I love and build up others?”
• what to do in frontline ministry with only a few believers and no established church
• the dividing line between a Bible study and a church gathered around the ordinances
What is a church? “A church is a congregation of baptized Christians who have covenanted to gather weekly for preaching the Bible, celebrating the ordinances, loving the saints, witnessing to the lost, and, in all this, glorifying God.
Listen on: Apple Podcast | Spotify
Timeline
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:00 From Arabic Study To Pastoring
- 04:00 Expositional Preaching Made Simple
- 06:40 Why The Church Matters In Missions
- 09:30 A Clear Definition Of Church
- 18:40 Covenant Commitment When Conflict Hits
- 21:15 Baptism And The Lord’s Supper
- 29:20 Keys Of The Kingdom And Authority
- 41:10 When Church Feels Like You Get Nothing
- 44:15 Planting A Church With Few Believers
- 49:00 Bible Study Versus A True Church
- 51:15 Slow Faithful Work And Closing Charge
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