Basecamp was a weekend training conference for those who felt called to church plant. Hosted and lead by New Frontiers it included excellent teaching, council and fellowship. The videos of the training have just been uploaded you can view them here:-  http://www.vimeo.com/album/72147

We had an excellent time on the weekend (click on basecamp in the cloud to the right to see my thoughts on it) and I hope these video are a help to all those who were not there.

The final session of the Saturday was a questions and answer session where the delegates got to grill the hosts on various aspects of church planting. There was a great deal discussed that holds true not only for church planting but also for any church which wishes to be missional into their community.

Here are a handful of the questions and some of the answers……

1. How can you birth a church in the supernatural
   1. Are you doing it
   2. What do you have faith for
   3. Preach baptism in the spirit

1. How do you set the church ‘mode’ to “the longer you stay in this church the more non Christian friends you will develop”
   1. Must be encouraged
   2. It’s a continuous battle
   3. YOU have to model it and the leadership team HAS to model it
   4. Who do you make heroes? People will emulate those who are shown to be a good example
   5. The church ‘filter’ needs to be set to mission, nothing gets through if it is not missional
   6. when having events have a competition to see who can invite the most people
   7. Really think your small groups through and make them missional

1. One of the health checks of a good church is that they plant out new churches, how do we invest in church planting
   1. Focus on raising up leaders
   2. Get healthy first
   3. Reproduction is the goal not just church planting

1. Getting from 0 up to 50 people is the hardest part of church planting how do you do it
   1. Cast vision, be able to give it well as

                                                              i.      30 second version

                                                            ii.      3 minute version

                                                          iii.      30 minute version

1. Constantly cast the vision
2. Meet people where ever you can
3. Draw people in with “God is Good, and I am Ok” events

1. How do you choose you launch site in your location
   1. Population Groups
   2. Who is not being reached
   3. Where can YOU reach the most
   4. What are your past successes
   5. Be clear on who you are called to reach
   6. Where should the core team live

                                                              i.      NOT TOO CLOSE TO YOU!!!!!

The final session of the weekend was a look at the type of church we are to plant. This was based on Isaiah 61. There is sooo much good stuff in there that it would take a few blog posts t go through it all which I don’t have the time for right now, but I may come back to it at a later date.

However here are the verses used in ESV. They are amazing. This is the type of church we are to raise up for Jesus and how He will in his sovereign grace and mercy work in and through us.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion– to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.

The emphasis is mine and if you add those up you get the role of the church in our community.

There were two words of caution given in all this

1. Don’t do too much too soon
2. Do what you are able to do well

Wise words I think, next post will be on what our next steps are on our journey, following n from BASECAMP and will be the last Basecamp post