Comments on: Church Plants and Missions: Failing Missions, Better Approaches, Part 1 http://oneinjesus.info/2009/11/church-plants-failing-missions-better-approaches/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=church-plants-failing-missions-better-approaches Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Prescription without Diagnosis = Malpractice « Fumbling Towards Eternity http://oneinjesus.info/2009/11/church-plants-failing-missions-better-approaches/#comment-9727 Prescription without Diagnosis = Malpractice « Fumbling Towards Eternity Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:48:16 +0000 http://oneinjesus.info/?p=7245#comment-9727 [...] I was reading Jay Guin’s blog, and he quoted one of his fellow elders as saying, “Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.” And then I thought of a [...] [...] I was reading Jay Guin’s blog, and he quoted one of his fellow elders as saying, “Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.” And then I thought of a [...]

]]> By: Jay Guin http://oneinjesus.info/2009/11/church-plants-failing-missions-better-approaches/#comment-9726 Jay Guin Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:15:40 +0000 http://oneinjesus.info/?p=7245#comment-9726 tlutke, "The three-year rule"? It's Jesus' rule, and I'm sure that it's truth ... for fig trees. I think the time you wait for other kinds of fruit will depend on the kind of tree at issue, right? And it may depend on what you call "fruit"? A mission field may not see fruit for years, but we should certainly see evidence that the missionary is working hard at it, making necessary course corrections, seeking advice, learning the culture -- growing in his ministry and skills set -- long before 3 years has run. And we should take the trouble to benchmark our work. If the Baptists and Christians Churches are having great results and we are not, the solution isn't likely to be patience but retraining. But I entirely agree that we should be patient -- just patient in a way that's consistent with good oversight and stewardship. tlutke,

"The three-year rule"? It's Jesus' rule, and I'm sure that it's truth … for fig trees.

I think the time you wait for other kinds of fruit will depend on the kind of tree at issue, right? And it may depend on what you call "fruit"?

A mission field may not see fruit for years, but we should certainly see evidence that the missionary is working hard at it, making necessary course corrections, seeking advice, learning the culture — growing in his ministry and skills set — long before 3 years has run.

And we should take the trouble to benchmark our work. If the Baptists and Christians Churches are having great results and we are not, the solution isn't likely to be patience but retraining.

But I entirely agree that we should be patient — just patient in a way that's consistent with good oversight and stewardship.

]]> By: tlutke http://oneinjesus.info/2009/11/church-plants-failing-missions-better-approaches/#comment-9725 tlutke Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:00:15 +0000 http://oneinjesus.info/?p=7245#comment-9725 Adoniram Judson worked in Burma for 6 years before the first convert. If the three-year rule had been applied to him, he would have been terminated. Soon after his death, the government of Burma completed a census that showed that there were 210,000 converts in the country. Adoniram Judson worked in Burma for 6 years before the first convert. If the three-year rule had been applied to him, he would have been terminated. Soon after his death, the government of Burma completed a census that showed that there were 210,000 converts in the country.

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