Name: Building the Church
Availability: InStock

What This Free Course Covers

Building the Church is a short question-and-answer course about planting, gathering, and strengthening kingdom-minded churches, especially in places where there seem to be few like-minded Christians. The lessons focus on three practical concerns: how to think about the essentials of a church plant, how children should be discipled in the life of the church and home, and how to keep looking for faithful fellowship after Bible studies or house church attempts have failed.

The course emphasizes obedience to the commands of the New Testament rather than redefining essentials according to convenience or context. It also places a strong emphasis on family worship as the core setting for children’s discipleship, with the church gathering serving as an important supplement.

The final lesson encourages students to look for one or two like-minded singles or couples, build credibility through shared life, and patiently find a regular “fishing pond” for connecting with others.

Church planting essentials New Testament obedience Kingdom-minded fellowship Family worship Children’s discipleship Family-integrated gatherings Bible study and house church Finding like-minded believers Patient outreach

What You Will Study

How to define the essentials for planting and gathering a local church
Why the course connects church planting with the commands of the New Testament
The danger of calling difficult teachings “non-essential” simply because they are hard
The importance of teaching disciples to obey everything Jesus commanded
Why family worship is presented as central to the discipleship of children
How children can participate in the main meeting and discuss the sermon afterward
How to think about finding one or two like-minded people before broader outreach
How the idea of a regular “fishing pond” can help someone keep looking for contacts

Questions This Course Helps Answer

What are the essentials for gathering a church where there are few kingdom-minded Christians?
How should church planters define “essential” teachings?
Why is it not enough to pick only some New Testament commands to emphasize?
How does Matthew 28 shape the task of disciple making and church planting?
What risks come with neglecting commands that feel difficult or inconvenient?
Should children in a church plant join the main meeting or be separated into Sunday school?
What role does family worship play in discipling children?
How can parents help children understand and respond to the sermon?
How should ministry and church planting relate to the care of one’s own children?
What can someone do after several failed Bible studies?
Why might it help to find one or two like-minded singles or couples first?
How can someone look for like-minded people in a Roman Catholic or Protestant setting?

Lesson-by-Lesson Guide

What are the essentials for planting and gathering a church in areas with few kingdom-minded Christians?

This lesson argues that the essentials for church planting should be defined by the commands of the New Testament, not by whatever a local context finds convenient. It stresses the mandate to teach disciples to obey everything Jesus commanded, while also warning against neglecting commands that may be easy to overlook.

How should the essentials of a church plant be defined?
Why can the phrase “essentials and non-essentials” be difficult to apply?
What does Matthew 28 require of disciple makers and church planters?
How can believers avoid being selective about New Testament commands?

What's a good way to facilitate the discipleship of children in a church plant?

This lesson presents family worship as the core setting for discipling children and favors children joining the main meeting rather than an age-segregated Sunday school model. It also describes practical follow-up, such as having children take notes and discussing the sermon afterward in family devotions.

Should children join the main meeting in a church plant?
Why is family worship emphasized for children’s discipleship?
How can parents help children engage with preaching?
How should church ministry relate to the discipleship of one’s own children?

How Can I Find Like-minded People for a Bible Study or House Church in a Predominantly Roman Catholic or Protestant Country After Multiple Failed Attempts?

This lesson responds to discouragement after failed Bible studies by encouraging the search for one or two like-minded people who can provide shared credibility and support. It also introduces the idea of finding a regular “fishing pond,” a place where a person can repeatedly connect with others in ways suited to their gifts and strengths.

What should someone do after several failed Bible studies?
Why might it help to find one or two like-minded people first?
How can a small group give credibility to outreach?
What does it mean to find a “fishing pond” for connecting with others?

First student reviews

1 review so far

Kenneth Zeiset Aug 22, 2026

★★★☆☆

Very interesting and true. Children discipleship was meant to be done by the parents, there is a challenge where there is unbelieving parents and children with interest. Local community bible studies can be very discouraging but there is huge strength in having 1 or 2 others who are committed to help with the work.

Building the Church

Course Content

Play Without Quiz Interruptions