HOPE FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL CHURCH DOCTRINE

The aim of the establishment of Hope for Humanity International’s church plant doctrine is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by remaining faithful to His Word regardless of the passage of time, cultural change or ministerial expansion. As the Lord declared nearly 2,000 years ago in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” With this being said, all Hope for Humanity International church plants shall not by any means deviate or stray from the following foundational doctrinal beliefs. They shall serve as the basis for all churches to be founded under the Hope for Humanity name (and any branches or derivatives related).

1. Jesus is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, fully God and fully man, and Lord of all (John 14:6, Matthew 16:16, Luke 24:44). Any effort related to the Hope for Humanity International name must start and end with this truth; no religion, creed, practice, leadership, guidance nor teaching shall ever distract from nor deny the person and work of Jesus.
2. All humans except Jesus have sinned against God; sin is enmity with God. The only way to be restored to God is by grace through faith in the person and work of Jesus (Romans 6:23, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:8, Acts 4:12). The world’s downplay of the severity of sin and the need for repentance is a sickness that infects all corners of society and has even entered some churches; all Hope for Humanity churches must remain at war against sin as long as they exist. Furthermore, the reality of sin must always be met with the greater truth, which is redemption for all who believe through the precious blood of Jesus. 
3. Humans are saved by grace through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:8). The marriage of grace and faith is a divine mystery not fully known to man, but the scriptures make it abundantly clear that both are required for redemption from sin. In His great mercy, God showed us undeserved grace by sending His Son as a sacrificial lamb for our sins. His Grace continues beyond this, as He Himself calls us to Him by placing within us a heart that yearns for God. It is here that God has given mankind the freewill to come to Him and receive the free gift of salvation through faith, or to die in our sins by rejection of said Grace.
4. The salvation of those redeemed from sin through grace by faith in the Lord Jesus is final, sufficient, and results in eternal life (Heaven). Those who die in rejection of said redemption cannot enter the presence of God and therefore will face eternal death (Hell) (Romans 11:29, Matthew 25:46, John 3:18). The great labor of all Hope for Humanity church plants is to make this truth known throughout the world, in a way made accessible to the illiterate and wise, the religious and irreligious alike. This ultimate truth was clearly explained by Christ, and as such it shall not be tainted, added to, removed from or changed in any way shape or form among all H4H churches. 
5. The faith required for salvation isn’t a passive acknowledgement of God’s existence, but rather a true, total commitment and surrender to Jesus Christ. Such faith will result in good works, but the works themselves cannot and will not save (John 3:3, Matthew 7:16, John 14:24). Becoming more like Christ after salvation (sanctification) isn’t a process that results in perfection, but one that results in true and lasting change. 
6. There is one living and true God who eternally exists in three distinct but co-equal and co-eternal Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each Person shares the exact same divine nature and perfections yet fulfills distinct roles. This is the Trinity (John 1:1-3, Matthew 3:16-17, John 10:30). The Holy Trinity is a divine mystery not made fully known to man. All Hope for Humanity church plants believe and affirm the Trinity.
7. The Holy Spirit is present and active among modern-day believers (John 14:16, Acts 2, Matthew 28:20). The Holy Spirit is to lead all Hope for Humanity churches in wisdom and in truth. Furthermore, Hope for Humanity churches believe in the power to heal, cast out demons, and perform miracles according to God’s will.

CHURCH PLANTING METHODOLOGY

The purpose of the following is to establish useful, replicable guidelines for the planting of Hope for Humanity churches around the world as well as the core beliefs that shall govern all H4H churches. While each church plant will be situated in its own unique context, the elements outlined here shall remain generally applicable regardless of the language, religion, race, culture, and socioeconomic dynamics of each church plant. Furthermore, as Hope for Humanity churches are planted around the world, the core beliefs and practices first directed by Christ in His establishment of the church and reiterated here in this document shall not be changed, modified or ignored under any circumstances.

The Hope for Humanity church planting process (assuming a raw, generally unreached/unministered populus) can typically be divided into four distinct stages. These stages are: initial outreach/evangelism (LOVE stage), baptism/dedication of founding members (FOUNDATION stage), physical church erection/raising up of leaders from founding members   (SOLIDIFY stage) and strengthening of church body/a church on mission (GO stage).

Depending on a variety of factors, including but not limited to: initial leadership, societal contexts, existing religious/spiritual strongholds, etc, the execution and duration of these stages will certainly vary from church plant to church plant. These stages are outlined below.

STAGE 1: LOVE, Key verse: John 13:35

The first stage of the church planting process, otherwise known as the love stage, is typically the most exciting yet volatile stage. As Hope for Humanity churches are almost always planted among some of the poorest people groups in the world, much of the initial momentum in this stage will likely be driven by interest in receiving some sort of economic benefit. While reliance on economic support can be dangerous for a church plant, offering support in these contexts is crucial in establishing initial trust and vulnerability. 

This stage is called the love stage because although love should always inform every effort, it is especially crucial here. The entire first stage must be centered around selflessly loving those in the target church plant area. This love should include, but not be limited to the following: visiting homes, sharing the Gospel in homes and praying out loud for the families living there, holding small gatherings free from expectations, offering spiritual and emotional support, offering economic support (food, medicine, supplies etc) with no strings attached as resources and funding permit, and so on as the Lord leads. Although Christ is the endgame, not the financial support, it is how those we serve will most clearly understand our love for them and ultimately be more inclined to listen to our message (which is Christ). There should be a team of at least two to three founding leaders of great faith and vision leading these initial efforts.

Various examples of this initial support from existing Hope for Humanity church plants include the following: Sponsor a child program in Ecuador, build a home program in Colombia, feeding program in Myanmar, and freedom from slavery program in Pakistan. For those suffering from extreme poverty, there’s no better way to show them they are loved by meeting needs that so often go unmet.

In this stage, it is important not to show preference towards those who glean more initial interest in the ministry. As a people in need that has not yet committed itself to Christ, many will attempt to show genuine involvement in the programs with the sole intention of receiving additional support. For the ministry to advance to stage 2 of the church planting process, it is not necessary to remove the support, but rather clearly establish that more participation does not equal more financial support.

STAGE 2: FOUNDATION Key Verse: Ephesians 2:20

At the beginning of this stage, the target area should have a general awareness of the ministry’s presence. The progress made in the first stage should naturally lead into informal gatherings/Bible studies which meet at least once a week; consistency is key. Ideally these gatherings would include some sort of food support for attendees, whether it be dinner or a snack. The meetings should be held around work and/or school schedules. Most importantly, these meetings should clearly preach the Good News of Jesus at every opportunity and invite attendees into a relationship with Him.

 It is common to see the ministry stall or even shrink throughout the first few months of this stage, as many who showed initial interest may stop attending altogether. It is important to not lose hope during this stage and spend considerable time in prayer, seeking the Spirit’s guidance. The ministry must continue to trust the Lord through all challenges. The growth in this stage will undoubtedly not remain linear, but the Lord rewards the faithful with a great harvest. 

 Lord willing, as the second stage progresses, the first harvest should begin to appear. The timing will vary from ministry to ministry, but individuals will start making decisions to commit themselves to Christ. At this point, the ministry should hold baptism classes for those serious about their faith. The classes should cover essential themes, such as the Gospel, denying oneself to follow Christ, becoming a new creation, and becoming a disciple that makes disciples. Those that complete the baptism course should then be sat down one on one to confirm understanding and commitment.

The baptisms mark an important turning point towards stage three, as the founding members of a future church become established. These founding members should clearly understand their role and importance in raising up a church. At this point, the decision to erect a physical church should be carefully prayed through. Factors to take into consideration when deciding whether to invest in a physical church plant include: commitment and stability of founding members, whether the church will be planted on good ground (amongst a people willing to receive to Gospel), current and future state of church leadership, and financial sustainability. If God grants the green light after much prayer and consideration, the church planting process may continue to stage 3.

STAGE 3: SOLIDIFY Key Verse: Hebrews 12:1-2

The focus of the third stage is to establish a church gathering place and strengthen founding members into equipped, reliable leaders. This stage tends to last longer than the others, as the raising up of competent leaders can be a challenging, slow process. Though this process may be a difficult one, it is absolutely necessary for the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the church plant. 

Constructing a physical church will always have significant legal and financial implications that need to be planned out thoroughly before breaking ground. Ideally, all land and building documentation should be placed under the name of the local Hope for Humanity or the respective partner entity. However, varying geopolitical realities and laws from country to country may make this difficult or even impossible in some locations. In this case, it is permissible to place the documents in the name of well-trusted, appointed local leadership, but never fully in the name of a single individual or family. The ownership should be divided up among said leaders so that it is not possible to sell without the agreement of all involved. Once this is completed, the honor of building a physical church may take place.

Crucial to the health, success and long-term sustainability of the church plant is the development of godly, reliable leadership. At this point of the church planting process, there will undoubtedly have been (hopefully many) disciples made. The key turning point in stage three is developing baby, milk-drinking disciples into mature, meat-eating disciples that lead. This process will most likely prove to be one of the most challenging of all, but it is crucial that the church planter does not depart from the flock until it is complete. The development of church leaders is necessary so that the fate of the church plant does not depend on the physical and spiritual well-being of one single person. The development of these leaders looks like intentional discipleship, teaching, study, accountability and discipline. Books of the Bible that reference church leadership such as 1 Timothy should be studied deeply over months to even years. Potential leaders should be given small amounts of responsibility to begin with that gradually increase over time with proven faithfulness. 

STAGE 4: GO Key Verse: JOHN 20:21

Once leadership has been tested and firmly established, the church plant can begin to evaluate its ability to continue through the final stage (GO). At this point, the congregation should consist of many spiritually healthy believers that truly love the Lord. The church should, without a doubt, be able to successfully continue in the absence of the main church planter/leader. Church members should be well-trained on how to make disciples, becoming more like Christ, and able to discuss more complex faith themes. The spiritual growth of a believer is never completely linear nor the exact same as another believer, but there should be clear, tangible spiritual growth among the church body.

As the church body becomes more like Christ, many will naturally develop a heart for evangelism. This desire should be watered through invitations to serve, outreach events, leadership opportunities and more. After all the steps listed above have been achieved, leaders should begin praying into what it might look like to repeat the process in a new area! 

This church planting guide is not fully comprehensive but rather intended to offer a basic understanding of the H4H church planting process. As questions, doubts and issues that aren’t covered in this guide arise while planting an H4H church, leaders should first lean on the Lord in prayer and then converse with H4H leaders to determine the best path forward.