Encounter Quarterly: Summer 2005
Encounter Elements
Part I: A Biblical Foundation
“Encounter Strategy”, “Encounter
Movement”, “Encounter with God Churches”. CMI uses
these terms regularly, but what exactly is Encounter
with God? EQ goes back to the basics with a new
featured series outlining the core elements of this
distinctive missions movement.
Whether you have personally visited
them or not, it is likely that you have seen
pictures of skyscrapers like the Sears Tower or the
Empire State Building. These colossal structures
tower above the skyline, dominating the other
buildings around them. On any given day, hundreds of
people will come to marvel at the heights to which
they stretch. They are truly amazing sights.
But while nearly everyone would want
to ride to the top to take in just how high these
man-made marvels reach, very few consider going down
to look at their foundations. In truth, as
impressive as they are, they are only as good as
their supports.
In the same way, to truly understand
Encounter with God, we must look at its foundation.
Essential to the Encounter Movement is its deep
connection to three biblical foundations that guide
and undergird all other concepts and principles.
1. Great Commission Oriented
First and foremost, Encounter is
Great Commission oriented (Matt. 28:18-20). The
intent of the Encounter with God Strategy is to, as
the Commission states, “make disciples of all
nations.” This demands a balance of evangelism and
discipleship. Reaching new people with the gospel is
essential, but there must also be a commitment to
maturing each new believer if we are to keep the
Lord’s command.
2. Local Congregation Centered
Discipleship is best done in the
context of the local body of believers. In fact,
this is the one institution that Christ established.
Likewise, when the Apostle Paul conducted his
missionary efforts his primary method was the
establishment of local congregations that were
responsible for furthering the cause of the gospel
in their city and region. Social and educational
missionary work is valuable, but CMI believes that a
strong local church will be able to provide these
same types of ministry to its own community more
effectively, thereby enhancing its testimony and
drawing more people to make decisions for Christ.
3. Pauline Model of Missions
If you were to get a map of the
ancient Roman Empire and then note the cities where
Paul initiated ministry, you would find several
commonalities between them. In almost every case,
Paul concentrated ministry in cities of significant
influence. Locations such as Lystra, Derbe, Ephesus,
Philippi, and Corinth were centers of commerce,
transportation and education. Paul focused his
efforts in planting churches in the major urban
centers of the Roman world, ultimately moving toward
the city of cities – Rome itself. Analyzing Paul’s
strategy, Roland Allen writes that “in his hands
[these strategic centers] became the sources of
rivers, mints from which the new coin of the Gospel
was spread in every direction.” Similarly Encounter
with God is a strategy that seeks to maximize the
crossroads of culture, planting churches in those
locations that will have the greatest impact in
spreading the Gospel message.
EQ Summer 2005
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