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