Name: Marilou N. Cruz Course: B.S.

Social Work

Professor: Victor Amore Subject: Theology 3

1. Development and Growth of the Church

The goal is to find the heart of the church, what has God called us to do and why!

This includes the focus of our purpose and direction, things to avoid, and methods to make it
work. This Primer is not necessarily about numerical church growth, but growth in the faith, and
growth in Christ, leading to the prime directive for church, which is to worship Christ! When a
church becomes strong in the disciplines of the faith and is contagious with Christ, then people
will be attracted to that church. The result will be real growth and glory to our Lord.
The church does not exist in and for itself. It is the vehicle to lead and manage the people of
God through discipleship, evangelism, missions, spiritual growth, and other programs all
pointed to His glory and worship. The quintessential reason for the church to exist is to worship
God. Worship is not just to be done during the Worship Service, but is to be a lifestyle.
Distilled from over thirty years of carful research!
44 Church Growth Principles that are real and Work!
Your church, call and profession might need a review to get back on God's track. Growing a
church is Biblical, and an imperative from our Lord. However, we also need to discover what it
means to "grow a church." Most people consider numerical growth, but...

The Key Effective Resources for Real Church Growth

Hospitality Fruit of the Spirit Prayer

Accountability Character Devotional Life

Curriculum's for pastors, lay ministers, elders and church leaders to guide them in the process of
developing a leadership plan and how to implement it.
Preparing the Pastor and Church Leadership to Grow!
A Primer Designed For Use In Leadership Training. This Primer will direct you through the basics
of how to prepare your church for growth, and to be your best for His glory. You may use this
personally, to train your leaders, or use with your people to reveal Biblical precepts and ideas on
how to run your church effectively.
Questions to Determine Your Church's Health
Here is a tool to help you assess your church's health. For each question, have your
congregation and leaders be open and honest and be in prayer. Consider giving copies to the
leaders first, then to the rest of the church.
How to Determine the Needs of the Church
This is where you do an honest assessment of what is needed in your church, whether it is
spiritual growth, programs, facility improvements, leadership training, discipleship, or
teaching
How to Determine the Needs of the Community
What do you think God placed your church in this neighbourhood to do? Now, brainstorm what
needs are evident and how you can meet them! Determine the type of programs that can meet
those needs.
How to Determine the Purpose of Your Church
The purpose of the church is God's purpose, not personal whims, or desires! That purpose will
be revealed solely through Scripture and prayer. The core of your purpose will be what Christ
has called all churches to as found in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission in
Matt 22:36-40; 28: 19-20!
How to Write Your Complete Purpose Statement!
Your Purpose Statement, sometimes called a Mission Statement will encompass all of the
precepts we talked about, arranged in a logical and systematic order. Remember, God is the One
who guides us, and this Purpose Statement is the mechanism of communication to convey His
call to you and the rest of the church.
How to Develop and Cast your Vision
A vision is the comprehensive statement that tells the leaders of the organization what direction
they should move, and what they should accomplish so they can motivate the people under
them. The church should be and strive toward a preferred future, not just to a dream!
How to Go From Purpose to Practice
Keep the Biblical principals in mind and never replace what we think we need over what He calls
us to do! This step clarifies the steps taken to this point, and suggests strategies on how they
can be implemented. Pastors and Elders can do this once a year to make sure you are still on the
right track.
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Leadership
The Problem with Most Church Growth Paradigms
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those
who love... The Church Growth movement has made major contributions to the Church over the
years. It has also given us some major problems! Some church growth thinking that has done
the opposite to the church. This thinking has caused churches to...
Church Diseases!
The Most Common Diseases That Infect the Church! A Healthy church needs to develop an
immune system to resist disease; else the church will get sick and perhaps even die. We do not
mean the diseases of viruses, such as whooping cough, but ones that are even more destructive
to our soul and future in eternity! It is much more sensible in our physical health to eat right,
reduce stress, and exercise to prevent illness and live a longer, better quality life. If we do not,
we get sick and miss one too many sick days and are fired from work, or get that one disease
that may...
What Makes a Church Grow?
What creates church growth? Are members responsible for growth of the body of Christ? Jesus
used an analogy from farming to explain the manner in which the kingdom of God grows (Mark
4:26-29). Once the farmer plants the seed, it grows by itself. Although fruit comes through the
miracle created within the seed, the farmer has to work hard to prepare the ground for
productivity.
So it is with church growth. The apostle Paul explained that he had planted churches, Apollos
had watered, but it was God who gave the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). So how do Christians
plant and water so Gods kingdom can grow?

Church-Growth principles:

Empowering leadership provides nurturing for Christians to attain their spiritual potential.

Pastors focus on discipleship, delegation and relationships to empower members to attain their
spiritual goals. Lay members are not helpers to simply promote the pastors goals, but rather
they collectively establish goals for the church. Greatness in leadership comes through a
genuine heart of service (Matthew 23:11-12).
Gift-oriented ministry enables members to serve where their God-given spiritual gifts can best
flourish.

Joy in daily living was found to be closely related to being freed to serve in areas of ones
strengths. It is important that pastors provide appropriate training for volunteers to enable their
success. In this way members become the priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2:9).
Passionate spirituality ignites from hearts on fire for Jesus Christ.

Enthusiasm sparks their personal commitment to love the Lord their God with all their heart,
soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Gods grace inspires serving, not the legalism of just
doing ones duty. Prayer is an inspiring experience as a life of faith represents a genuine
relationship with Jesus.
Functional structures provide order so productivity can thrive.

Adjustments are made as needed so everyone can function effectively to do the right things (1
Corinthians 14:33). Pastors focus on the continuous need to balance tradition with the need for
change to enable beneficial growth. Department heads are appointed to coordinate each area
of ministry so that groups function well. Each leader develops more leaders.
Inspiring worship services exalt Jesus as Lord and Savior.Corporate worship nourishes the body
of Christ, the church members (Ephesians 4:11-16). Attending church is enjoyable, not laborious
or done out of legalistic requirements. An appropriate setting for the service frees members to
worship and praise their King. A friendly welcoming team greets members of the body, a
competent worship leader facilitates collective praise and prayer, and a meaningful order of
service highlights the gospel message.

Holistic small groups meet regularly to apply the Bible to the reality of living in todays society.

Collective prayer and discussion promote communion with God and reflection on his will. As cell
groups grow, they split to enable continued effectiveness. As in the example of the early church,
members gather in fellowship to praise God (Acts 2:42-47).
Need-oriented evangelism proclaims the gospel message of the kingdom (Acts 1:8).

Christians spread this special message to friends and acquaintances in existing relationships.
The focus of evangelism is on the needs of non-Christians, showing them how Jesus fulfils our
needs.

Although each member of the body of Christ should share with non-Christians, by example and
by sharing their story, only about 10 percent of members appear to have received the gift of
evangelism. Pastors assist in identifying those members who have received the gift and
empower them to serve God.

Loving relationships come through sharing in thought and action, caring for one another
(Matthew 25:37-40).

Friendships are developed and maintained through commitment of time, talents and emotion.
True, unfeigned love fills their time together, even during times of hardship. Joyful laughter
highlights those churches alive in Jesus.

Christian Schwarz concludes that interplay of all eight characteristics is vital if growth is to occur.
When all eight were at least at a 65 percent level, that church grew. This goal, although difficult,
is attainable by focusing on qualitative growth within the present membership, leaving
quantitative growth to God (1 Corinthians 3:6). Ministers provide leadership to facilitate the
growth of each member and the corporate body (Ephesians 4:11-13). But leadership is not
limited to the ministry.
What should each member do?

Consider these eight characteristics:

1. Lead by empowering other members to grow.

2. Use your God-given gifts to serve God and your neighbour.
3. Be passionate, on fire, with joy and enthusiasm for the body of Christ.
4. Enable structure in the church to function effectively.
5. Participate as your gifts allow and pray for inspiration in worship services.
6. Join or form a small group to apply weekend worship to daily living.
7. Evangelize by sharing your Christian life by example and story.
8. Practice sincere love by sharing your joy with other members.
Which of the eight characteristics is your weakest? Ask God for strength and allow Jesus to lead
you to grow. Which are your strengths? Use them to serve Jesus and his church.

he Churchs Origin, Foundation, And Mission

April 18, 2015

2. Source of the Churchs Mission

Sacred Scripture reveals a rich and diverse tapestry of images to describe the Church. Each of
these symbols enables one with faith to gain additional insights into the various complementary
aspects which are present in this great mystery which the Fathers of Vatican Council II refer to
as the universal sacrament of salvation (Lumen Gentium, n. 48 2).
As we saw last week, these biblical images are drawn from pastoral life (sheepfold, flock,
sheep), from agriculture (field, olive grove, vineyard), from construction (dwelling place, stone,
temple), and from family life (spouse, mother, family) (Compendium of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, n. 149).
New Testament symbols of the Church most often link her in some way to the image of the
Body of Christ, where Christ is the Head and the faithful are members of His Body. The Old
Testament, on the other hand, favors those images which are bound to the people of God
(Compendium, n. 149), an image that is prominent in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.
The close linkage of these two images is evident, for the laity are gathered together in the
People of God and make up the Body of Christ under one head (LG, n. 33 1).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) now examines the origin, foundation, and mission
of the Church founded by Jesus Christ, a task it begins by meditating on her origin in the Holy
Trinitys plan and her progressive realization in history (CCC, n. 758). It is significant that the
Holy Trinitys plan is the first thing mentioned in this 12-paragraph section of the Catechism.
Pope St. John Paul II speaks profoundly of this during the course of a series of 137 catecheses
that he gave on article 9 of the Creed from July 10, 1991 to August 30, 1995.
The mystery of the Church, says St. John Paul, is rooted in God the Trinity, and therefore has
this trinitarian dimension as its first and fundamental dimension, inasmuch as the Church
depends on and lives in the Trinity from her origins to her historical conclusion and eternal
destination (general audience, October 9, 1991).
Similarly, Lumen Gentium closes the opening part of its exposition on the Church with the
words: The Church has been seen as a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit (St. Cyprian, De Oratione Dominica, n. 23) (LG, n. 4 2). Indeed, as the
councils Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church teaches: It is from the mission of the
Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she [the Church] draws her origin, in accordance with
the decree of God the Father (Ad Gentes, n. 2).
The trinitarian dimension of the Church and her mission has a clear biblical basis. The final
instructions of Jesus to the apostles before returning to His Father were: Go therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Thus, by means of the Sacrament of Baptism, all people are invited
and called to enter into the mystery of the divine life of the Holy Trinity through the Church of
the apostles and their successors.
Likewise, St. Pauls final greeting in his Second Letter to the Corinthians invokes the blessing of
the Most Holy Trinity: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God [the Father] and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Cor. 13:14).
The celebrant at the Sacred Liturgy of the Mass greets the congregation with words similar to
those of St. Paul. As John Paul II explains, It expresses the wish that Christians may all become
sharers in the gifts which are ascribed to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: the love of the
Creator Father, the grace of the Redeemer Son, the unity in communion of the Holy Spirit, the
Trinitys bond of love, in which the Church shares. The faithful are also sent forth after Mass
with a blessing in the name of the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity.
The Catechism goes on to explain that the Fathers plan for the Church was born in His heart
from all eternity. The eternal Father, teach the Vatican II Fathers, by a free and hidden plan of
His own wisdom and goodness, created the whole world. His plan [from all eternity] was to
raise men to a participation of the divine life. . . . He planned to assemble in the holy Church all
those who would believe in Christ (LG, n. 2).
Biblical evidence of this can be seen in a Pauline text cited by St. John Paul, one that refers to
the Church as part of the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things;
that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the
principalities and powers in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose
which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph. 3:9-11).
The Church, whose growth throughout the whole world began with the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit on Pentecost Sunday, is gradually formed and takes shape during the stages of human
history, in keeping with the Fathers plan (CCC, n. 759). In fact, already from the beginning of
the world the foreshadowing of the Church took place (LG, n. 2).
This can be seen in Gods response to the sin of our first parents in the Garden of Eden. Rather
than abandoning Adam and Eve, who rejected His love after being clothed with resplendent
grace and justice,[the all-loving Father] buoyed them up with the hope of salvation (CCC, nn.
54, 55).
As expressed by Vatican IIs Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, His promise of
redemption aroused in them the hope of being saved (see Gen. 3:15) and from that time on He
ceaselessly kept the human race in His care, to give eternal life to those who perseveringly do
good in search of salvation (see Romans 2:6-7) (Dei Verbum, n. 3).
The Catechism makes reference at this point to a remarkable pair of texts from early in the
Churchs history. Christians of the first centuries and St. Epiphanius of Salamis, a fourth-century
bishop and Church Father, respectively, are cited as saying: The world was created for the sake
of the Church, and the Church is the goal of all things. St. Clement of Alexandria, a Greek
theologian and Church Father who died in the early third century, is also cited: Just as Gods
will is creation and is called the world, so his intention is the salvation of men, and it is called
the Church (Paedagogus 1, 6, 27).
One can conclude that God permitted such painful upheavals as the angels fall and mans sin
only as occasions and means for displaying all the power of his arm and the whole measure of
the love he wanted to give the world (CCC, n. 760).

Remote and Immediate Preparation

Following the creation of our first parents and the fall, then, Gods preparation for the Church
manifests itself in the writings of the Old Testament. In fact, as we just saw, the gathering
together of the People of God began at the moment when sin destroyed the communion of
men with God, and that of men among themselves. The gathering together of the Church is, as
it were, Gods reaction to the chaos provoked by sin (CCC, n. 761).
The Church was prepared in a remarkable way throughout the history of the people of Israel
and by means of the Old Covenant (LG, n. 2). Her remote preparation can be especially seen in
the Book of Genesis when the Lord called Abraham and said: Go from your country and your
kindred and your fathers house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great
nation (Gen. 12:1-2).
Abrahams descendants, in the divine plan, would be the trustees of the promise made to the
patriarchs, the chosen people, called to prepare for that day when God would gather all his
children into the unity of the Church. They would be the root onto which the Gentiles would be
grafted, once they came to believe (CCC, n. 60).
Later in the Old Testament, the Churchs immediate preparation begins with Israels election as
the People of God,the sign of the future gathering of all nations (CCC, n. 762). The Lord
promised the Israelites that if they would obey His voice and keep His covenant, they would
become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). However, as attested to by the
prophets, the people rebelled against God and broke His covenant, behaving like a prostitute
(CCC, n. 762). As the Israelites progressively became aware of Gods plan through the
revelations of the prophets and the facts of history, the concept of the kingdom of God
gradually became clearer (John Paul II, general audience, September 4, 1991). They announced
a new and eternal covenant to be instituted by Christ (cf. CCC, n. 762).

3. The Role of the Laity in The Catholic Church

The Catholic Church operates on a hierarchy with the pope at the top and laity at the bottom.

Despite the bottom-rung status, the laity compose the majority of the Church.

Even though not of the clergy, lay people in the Catholic Church are still expected to strive to

embody the teachings of the Church and to share the gift of the Catholic faith; lay men and

women should be active members of their own parishes and in the greater world. Lay people

can act as everyday ministers of the faith, bringing the principles of Christianity and Catholicism

to work, school, and home.

Lay people can also take part in some of the sacred rituals of the Church by being altar servers,

lectors, and lay ministers who can help distribute the Holy Eucharist during Mass and bring Holy

Communion to shut-ins and those in hospital.

Members of the laity belong to the same religion and reap the same benefits through living a

life of faith and devotion as do members of the clergy, even if they occupy a lower rung in the

sacred hierarchy.

As for clergy, their job is to guide, nurture, and guard the laity the clergy is the shepherd of

the flock that is the laity.

4. Cause of Luthers Reformation.

Many people might answer that question by pointing to Martin Luther and his 95 Theses.
But if you were to ask Luther himself, he would not point to himself or his own writings. Instead,
he would give all the credit to God and His Word.

Near the end of his life, Luther declared: All I have done is put forth, preach and write the Word
of God, and apart from this I have done nothing. . . . It is the Word that has done great things. . .
. I have done nothing; the Word has done and achieved everything.

Elsewhere, he exclaimed: By the Word the earth has been subdued; by the Word the Church
has been saved; and by the Word also it shall be re-established.

Noting Scriptures foundational place in his own heart, Luther wrote: No matter what happens,
you should say: There is Gods Word. This is my rock and anchor. On it I rely, and it remains.
Where it remains, I, too, remain; where it goes, I, too, go.

Luther understood what caused the Reformation. He recognized that it was the Word of God
empowered by the Spirit of God preached by men of God in a language that the common
people of Europe could understand and when their ears were exposed to the truth of Gods
Word it pierced their hearts and they were radically changed.

It was that very power that had transformed Luthers own heart, a power that is summarized in
the familiar words of Hebrews 4:12 : The Word of God is living and active and sharper than
any two-edged sword.

During the late middle ages, the Roman Catholic Church had imprisoned Gods Word in the Latin
language; a language the common people of Europe did not speak. The Reformers unlocked the
Scriptures by translating them. And once the people had the Word of God, the Reformation
became inevitable.

We see this commitment to the Scriptures even in the centuries prior to Martin Luther,
beginning with the Forerunners to the Reformation:

In the 12th century, the Waldensians translated the New Testament from the Latin Vulgate into
their regional French dialects. According to tradition, they were so committed to the Scriptures
that different Waldensian families would memorize large sections of the Bible. That way, if
Roman Catholic authorities found them and confiscated their printed copies of Scripture, they
would later be able to reproduce the entire Bible from memory.
In the 14th century, John Wycliffe and his associates at Oxford translated the Bible from Latin
into English. Wycliffes followers, known as the Lollards, went throughout the countryside
preaching and singing passages of Scripture in English.

In the 15th century, Jan Huss preached in the language of the people, and not in Latin, making
him the most popular preacher in Prague at the time. Yet, because Huss insisted that Christ
alone was the head of the church, not the pope, the Catholic Council of Constance condemned
him for heresy and burned him at the stake (in 1415).

In the 16th century, as the study of Greek and Hebrew were recovered, Martin Luther translated
the Bible into German, with the New Testament being completed in 1522.

In 1526, William Tyndale completed a translation of the Greek New Testament into English. A
few years later he also translated the Pentateuch from Hebrew. Shortly thereafter he was
arrested and executed as a hereticbeing strangled and then burned at the stake. According to
Foxs Book of Martyrs, Tyndales last words were Lord, Open the King of Englands Eyes. And it
was just a couple years after his death that King Henry VIII authorized the Great Bible in England
a Bible that was largely based on Tyndales translation work. The Great Bible laid the
foundation for the later King James Version (which was completed in 1611).

The common thread, from Reformer to Reformer, was an undying commitment to the authority
and sufficiency of Scripture, such that they were willing to sacrifice everything, including their
own lives, to get the Word of God into the hands of the people.

They did this because they understood that the power for spiritual reformation and revival was
not in them, but in the gospel (cf. Rom. 1:1617 ). And they used the Latin phrase Sola
Scriptura (Scripture alone) to emphasize the truth that Gods Word was the true power and
ultimate authority behind all they said and did.

It was ignorance of Scripture that made the Reformation necessary. It was the recovery of the
Scripture that made the Reformation possible. And it was the power of the Scripture that gave
the Reformation its enduring impact, as the Holy Spirit brought the truth of His Word to bear on
the hearts and minds of individual sinners, transforming them, regenerating them, and giving
them eternal life.

5. Second Vatican Council

21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church (196265), announced by Pope John
XXIII on Jan. 25, 1959, as a means of spiritual renewal for the church and as an occasion for
Christians separated from Rome to join in search for reunion. Preparatory commissions
appointed by the Pope prepared an agenda and produced drafts (schemata) of decrees on
various topics. In opening the council on Oct. 11, 1962, the Pope advised the council fathers to
try to meet the pastoral needs of the church. Those summoned to the council included all
Catholic bishops and certain other church dignitaries. Invited to the council sessions, but
without the right to vote, were a number of observers from the major Christian churches
and communities separated from Rome and a number of Catholics called auditors.

The work of the preparatory commissions had been done by members of the Curia (the papal
bureaucracy); once the council had been opened, however, council fathers from diverse parts of
the world were added to the commissions. The revised decrees that grew out of the council
discussions and the work of the enlarged commissions tended to have a more progressive
viewpoint. The work of the council continued under Pope Johns successor, Paul VI, and sessions
were convened each autumn until the work of the council was completed on Dec. 8, 1965.
Sixteen documents were enacted by the council fathers.
The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church reflects the attempt of the council fathers to utilize
biblical terms rather than juridical categories to describe the church. The treatment of the
hierarchical structure of the church counterbalances somewhat the monarchical emphasis of
the first Vatican Councilsteaching on the papacy by giving weight to the role of the bishops. The
teaching of the constitution on the nature of the laity (those not in holy orders) was intended to
provide the basis for the call of lay people to holiness and to share in the missionary vocation of
the church. By describing the church as the people of God, a pilgrim people, the council fathers
provided the theological justification for changing the defensive and inflexible stance that had
characterized much of Catholic thought and practice since the Protestant Reformation.
The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation attempts to relate the role of Scripture and
tradition (the postbiblical teaching of the church) to their common origin in the Word of God
that has been committed to the church. The document affirms the value of Scripture for
the salvation of men while maintaining an open attitude toward the scholarly study of the Bible.
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy establishes the principle of greater participation by the
laity in the celebration of mass and authorizes significant changes in the texts, forms, and
language used in the celebration of mass and the administration of the sacraments.
The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of Today acknowledges the profound
changes humanity is experiencing and attempts to relate the churchs concept of itself and of
revelation to the needs and values of contemporary culture.
The council also promulgated decrees (documents on practical questions) on the pastoral duties
ofbishops, ecumenism, the Eastern-rite churches, the ministry and life of priests, the education
for the priesthood, the religious life, the missionary activity of the church, the apostolate of
the laity, and the media of social communication. Furthermore, declarations (documents on
particular issues) on religious freedom, the churchs attitude toward non-Christian religions, and
on Christian education were produced. These documents reflected the renewal in various areas
of church life begun decades before Pope Johnbiblical, ecumenical, liturgical, lay apostolate.
The impulse of the documents and the council deliberations in general had by the early 1970s
been felt in nearly every area of church life and had set in motion many changes that may not
have been foreseen by the council fathers