So why Avant and why Short Cycle Church Planting?

This is a question that i have been trying to answer on paper since we returned from the Urbana missions conference almost two weeks ago! And while in conversation i can articulate it, on paper it is harder!
I was on a roll once already but a runaway dog hindered my progress and caused a brain fart! Then in a swift move i accidentally clicked on a link on the page taking me to a new page and losing what progress i had!
So, now that you have lost interest, here goes.
Avant ministries Short Cycle church planting was conceived and put into place by people who are burdened to reach the unreached with the gospel of Christ. But often missionaries dont have the luxury of years and years to plant and grow a church. Wether they are restricted by the government, or religion, or attrition. Some people groups have small windows of time that allow missionaries to go in and establish a body of believers, who are growing in the Lord and evangelizing their own people!
So it became obvious that a swifter method should be sought out!
In a study of the scriptures, they were amazed to realize that Paul and other members of the early church Planted churches that were growing in maturity, and evangelizing among their own people, and only after a short time!
But can we do this today? After all that was Paul and the Apostles and when they recieved the Holy Spirit their heads lit on fire!
Well why not?
Are we not preaching the same Gospel, has it lost its power?
Now we are not talking weeks or months. But Avant has developed a MODEL for church planting that takes 5 years.
The project begins with, and continues to be soaked in prayer, beyond its completion; after all didn't Paul say he prayed continuously for churches?
First is key, the forming of a team!
A team is usually about 6 to 12 people, and it is not the tossing together of individuals with skills and passion!
But the matching of a group of people to each other, to build and develop a real team!
This team is put together over much prayer, care and deliberation. And they also will attend Avants two week candidate orientation program together to be developed and tried as a team. As well as to learn Short Cycle Church Planting. The End result, prayerfully, is a team that compliments each other and fills up what each other lack in gifts, passions and personality!
Second is learning language and culture, WHILE evangelizing, in country! If God is preparing the way for the gospel wouldn't He bring opportunities even while you don't know the language? How many times have you been overseas surrounded by an unfamiliar language and culture and are surprised as a local pulls you into a conversation in English as soon as he finds you're American? Its happened to me!
What really attracts Eryn and I to this as a model for church planting, is the focus.
You dont have 15 -25 years to plant a church and see it grow! You have 5.
So the project throughout has a sense of urgency that is invigorating! After all isn't it urgent that people are reached!
Every day counts, every week.
It would be important to have a focus in WHO you you reach as well. After all the plan is to plant a church that is reproducing itself! The goal cannot be that you as a missionary will reach the whole area for Christ; That is the responsibility of this fledgling church!
This forces the missionary to place a lot of trust in God, the other team members, and this small body of believers!
The end result is a body of believers that is maturing on their own, independent of the missionaries guiding, and support. And that is expanding the reach of the Gospel among their own people!
After this has been accomplished, the team starts a new work in a new area!
Not leaving the new believers hanging out to dry though! A couple or an individual from the team commits to remain in contact with the fledgling church much like Paul made himself available to the churches he planted!

So, i guess why we like Avant and their method of church planting can be boiled down to one word: Focus.
Focus on God through prayer, to be working in the hearts of those to be reached. And that He will continue to work in them after we are gone from the picture!
And focus on the goal, time is short, every day counts, make it wothwhile!

Learning some about this church planting model has already changed things in our hearts, Realizing that time is short! We don't have long on this earth, and every conversation, meeting, can count for eternity, if we use it.
I am challenged by this every day, the urgency of the Gospel!
How will they hear if we don't speak it to them!

And also a thought brought up by one of the representatives we spoke with: am I a Christian worth reproducing?
Do i live and think in a way that should be reproduced?
I know i dont, and allowing God to work in these areas of my life, allowing him to mold me more like Himself, have been some of the most rewarding things in my life.

Thanks for your time, and for reading this.
These are very exciting times for us. and we are excited to share them with you all, and we are honored that you would share them with us!
There are alot of you that we have not talked with in quite a while! So email us or call us (262 510 3695)
Let us know whats going on in your life, and how we can pray for you and be a part of your life!

God bless!

Grayson and Eryn

The New (years) Resolution!

It is a dangerous thing to approach anything with a completely open mind, but equally as dangerous to approach something with concrete ideas as to what you'll do with what comes.
Since before Eryn and I were married this last summer we had ideas of what we wanted to do in ministry. We hoped to go overseas, probably to Thailand, and to train up local pastors and evangelists, in a more "formal" way. To pass onto them the wealth of doctrine and methodology so readily available here in America. And also to possible start a coffee shop ministry in Thailand.
God in His mercy brought people into our lives to teach us that although these are good plans, they are merely our plans. And thus subject to change-- Alot!
So we went to Urbana with ideas of what we wanted to get into, which provided us with important focus and direction, but we also went with open hands and minds.

At Urbana we met with representatives of OMF (overseas missionary fellowship) Avant ministries, and Pioneer missions.
Impressed and blessed by our time with OMF, which included a long discussion one day, which led to another meeting over lunch, we think time may find us working with them.
But in the meantime, Avant ministries drew most of our time and attention, and the represtantatives were extremely gracious in giving of their time, too!
Their vision is for what they have dubbed: "Short-Cycle Church planting" And this is what has drawn our attention! the VERY basic idea (correct me if im wrong) is to enter an area, share the gospel, and raise up believers; build them up through discipleship, place them in leadership over each other, and all the while conscienciously withdraw our own influence. the motto being: "Do only what only we can do" (the missionaries)
And the idea would be to plant a church and have removed missionary leadership all in only 5 years! Leaving a person or couple to remain in contact with the young church, either through phone calls or email, or even short visits.
We were very impressed with how much thought, guidance and prayer went into their model for church planting, and were relieved to find that since it is only a model, it is flexible. VERY flexible in how they reach people and raise up disciples, but at the same time, how ridgid and ungiving they are about inerrancy of the Scriptures, proper bible teaching, mature church development!
We were most impressed by their focus and urgency for churches to be planted and growing; producing missionaries of their own who are being sent to their own people, in order to expand the reach of the gospel!
Here is a link to their webpage explaining it in more detail:
http://www.avantministries.org/short-cycle

Our plan for life before our experience at Urbana was this:
- Urbana Trip
- Work to save money for college!
- Fall/Winter 2010 Short trip to Thailand to scope out ministry opportunities, living options, and for me(Grayson) to get a feel for the country.
-After trip to Thailand, Grayson to return to school to finish undergrad work in biblical studies over Winter
- Spring: return to work
- Support raising and working in our church this whole time
- Be on field full-time within 4 years

New Plan:
- Apply to Avant Ministries!!!
- Continue working with our Church
-Grayson was asked to teach a series on Colossians for a small group
-Eryn works in the office and will be coaching Upwards basketball!
- Work towards being a part of a Short Cycle Church plant. (5 year duration)
- Return to School with renewed focus on necessary training, as well as culture/language learning. Also possible to continue education while on field! Through correspondence courses or local Universities!
- Return to field full time!

Again, while a fine goal to be sure, these are OUR plans, And thus we subject our lives willingly to God, and what HE has planned for us! Which is very exciting!

Along with our plans, God has also used Urbana to work in our hearts.
God is using the seminars and sessions we attended, books we read, in a mighty way to mold us, to make us more like Himself, as well as draw us closer to Him!
As well as challenging our day to day focus in too many ways to explain!
For me personally it has challenged and is changing how I approach the people I meet on a daily basis, realizing that being friends with someone will not save them, but only faith in Christ's finished work will! And also how I approach our Heavenly Father in prayer.
But most of all it has given us a renewed sense of urgency! And this forces us to boldly walk in the path He is laying for us, not slowing, nor hesitating; not allowing ourselves to be distracted by the things of this world.

So as we walk please join us in prayer!
Pray for our hearts, that they will be molded by the Master's hands!
Pray for us as we apply for Avant
Pray for our current responsibilities in ministry! (coaching/teaching)

Thank you all for being a part of our lives!

In pursuit of Christ likeness,

Grayson And Eryn Lynum