As the Dr.Billy Graham in the preface, "the book is provided with a practical strategy to help any church to fully fulfill its evangelistic purpose."
In fact, any church, regardless of its size, style or program that adopts, you can apply to Total Life strategy of the Church. No need for a period of "transition" since VTI suggests no change in church structure, or in its ecclesiology.
The principles are applied within what the church is, and within the framework that already own.
Training and involvement of believers in the work of evangelization occur gradually. VTI is a revival of evangelism view that the first-century church had and the lighting of the church enthusiasm in the proclamation of the gospel.
It is awakening in every believer the desire to win souls to Christ, but also offer suitable and practical training so that evangelization is not a program but a lifestyle.
The entire Total Life strategy of the Church is based on biblical principles. They are universal and therefore work in any crop.
As we said, the Total Church Life is not a program but a strategy.
To be implemented in the church, the principles of VTI must be first and being lived out in the life of the pastor or leader.
An accurate study of the book, individually or in groups, will be enough for you to assimilate the principles and strategies proposed.
But the ideal would be to join a Total Life Church Seminary, where you can share practical experiences in applying these principles. To participate in 12 hours of a total life of the Church seminar, you will receive a certificate of completion of the course that accredit to teach VTI, as this is a ministry of multipliers. Available multipliers a CD-ROM with the thirteen chapters of the book VTI in PowerPoint.
Since the basic principles of VTI are being experienced and demonstrated in his own life, the next step will promote VTI seminar for church leadership, or a group of 5, 10 or 15 people interested and ready to make commitments on implementation VTI's strategy in the church.
Periodically, can promote the Church's Total Life seminars for small groups or to the whole church.
From this point, the involvement of the church will naturally and gradually in proportion as those involved demonstrate in their lives the principles assimilated into Church of Total Life.
In addition to the Total Life Church text book , we also have the Instructor's Manual with guidelines and many testimonies of how to implement VTI in your church, association or convention.
Total Church Life, for not being a church growth program and why not propose any structural and ecclesiological change, does not require a transition period.
But the pastor must be careful not to run over the process of assimilation of the principles contained in VTI. Therefore, we suggest that the pastor, above all, soak in your own life the principles and VTI strategies.
We must assimilate and live the principles before implementing them. Often the pastor. to return to his church, "tramples" completely the implementation process of VTI strategy because of rainfall
I have participated in many training and excellent meetings, which offer extraordinary tools for church growth. After participating in some very good seminar, meet good quality materials and hear eloquent testimony to the growth that the churches involved in that program are experiencing generally left the meeting excited and full of vibration, having the feeling that, at last, found the ideal formula for the growth of our church.
We started using partially materials and to demonstrate to the church we find the "formula" infallible growth. Often this procedure results in frustration for the pastor and the church.
Total Church Life does not propose changes, as the more structural and ecclesiological changes proposes a program, the more difficult its implementation. But if the pastor or leader assimilate and absorb the principles in your life, you can infect and motivate your leadership, and then the whole church. So is Total Life Church.
In proportion to the principles and VTI strategies are being absorbed by the church, it will be increasingly aware that Jesus is Lord of the church.
It will become more submissive to Jesus, the head, and in obedience to Him, seek to fulfill the Great Commission. As Dr. Darrell Robinson says, "the purpose of a church is to be the body of Christ - full of Christ's life.
It is a full body of Christ, living in a community, radiating the glory of the presence of Jesus dwelling in it.
It is the light of the world and the salt of the earth. The rays of its light penetrate every level obscured by sin of moral and spiritual life of a community.
His pervasive influence spreads by society. A church should be the local body of Christ. " (VTI pg. 43)
Vida Total da Igreja em sua estratégia de envolvimento, ajuda na mobilização de toda a igreja para a ação.
Muita importância é dada ao leigo e oferece muitas ferramentas para o engajamento de todos no Corpo de Cristo. Descobrir os dons e usá-los de forma efetiva para edificação de todo o corpo e para alcançar o perdido é fundamental para se ter uma igreja sadia.
O livro "Seus Maravilhosos Dons", escrito pelo Dr.Darrell Robinson é uma excelente ferramenta que VTI disponibiliza para orientar os crentes nesse propósito.
A formação de grupos pequenos são estimulados, oferecendo instruções em como liderá-los e transformá-los em meio de edificação e também de alcance do perdido.
O livro: Pessoas Compartilhando Jesus é outra excelente ferramenta a disposição das igrejas. É um livro que instrui o crente a compartilhar a sua fé de uma maneira efetiva e não ameaçadora.
O último livro do Dr. Darrell Robinson lançado no Brasil, é Evangelismo Sinérgico, uma excelente ferramenta a disposição das igrejas, que muito ajudará na mobilização dos crentes para a obra da evangelização. Analisa as cinco técnicas de evangelização utilizadas, de forma sinérgica, pela igreja primitiva no livro de Atos. São elas: Proclamação Pública, Ministério de Ação Social, Eventos Atrativos, Saturação Geográfica e Evangelismo Pessoal.
This was the title of the article that Pr.Salovi Bernardo wrote when Pr.Odilon S. Pereira took over the Ministry of Total Church Life in 2002. It's worth checking!
"It opened a new opportunity for the development of a growth strategy for the twenty-first century church, based on the experience of the first century Church.
The Brazilian Baptist Convention dedicated the year 2002 to the emphasis of the Christian Training with the theme, PREPARED TO SERVE and published to support the challenge of Christian Training, Dr. Darrell Robinson of the book "Total Church Life, One Strategy for the 21st century - Inspired by the model of church of the first century. "
That book is, in fact, the course content offered in seminaries of Total Church Life, conducted by Pr. Darrell Robinson in the United States and around the world and now he was willing to perform in Brazil.
Pr. Odilon dos Santos Pereira, was invited by him to coordinate workshops in Brazil, he has started to do very successfully, as shown by the following data: conducted seminars in November 2002: a) Sumaré Camp - SP on Associations Meeting, attended by 70 leaders, b) Seminar held at temple Baptist Church Perdizes São Paulo SP, with 160 participants including with the participation of Mato Grosso pastors, Santa Catarina and Pernambuco and a representative of the Baptist Convention of Angola, c) Conference on the Church's Total Life in the temple of the Fourth Baptist Church of Macaé RJ, for the local church and the region and conference for pastors, d) Second Pilot Plan Baptist Church - Brasilia DF, conferences for the local Church and churches of the region and conference for pastors. Attended these workshops and conferences about 590 people, pastors and laypeople.
They are already being scheduled around 7 Total other Church Life seminars in several Brazilian states to be held with the presence of Dr. Darrell Robinson or by the Brazil team.
The Seminar V.T.I. offers the participant entered a folder with the textbook, instructor guide, notepad, pen and gifts for those who participate fully in the seminar, CD Rom, PowerPoint presentation of lectures, completion certificate and accreditation to teach.
I was able to participate along with my wife Cenyra, Seminar held in Partridges, watching all lectures and getting all the material, moreover, of great quality, thus confirming once again the importance of this strategy which allows any church adopt -la and any pastor develop it in his church, since its tonic is not the change of structure, methodologies, but the attitude and commitment to extol the Saviour, Equipping the Saints and evangelize the Sinner.
I am very excited about the release of this remarkable resource mobilization churches, believers and pastors for a real challenge to promote the growth of the church, beginning with the believer's view of growth in relation to its privilege of serving Christ and, through that service, to promote the salvation of sinners.
I encourage the Secretaries of State Conventions and leaders of associations that make contact with Pr. Odilon and know how they could schedule for the next few years a VTI seminar in your field by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."
Author: Pastor Odilon dos Santos Pereira
Coordinator - Brazil and Portuguese-Speaking Language.
TOTAL CHURCH LIFE IS NOT ONE MORE CHURCH GROW PROGRAM
Total Church Life is not one more church grow program rather it's a Biblically based strategy that will help any church to reach its community for Christ through a contextualized evangelism. It helps a church to be a First Century church in a twenty-first church world.
When the church is focused on a strategy, it keeps its programs and activities spinning around its greatest goal, which is the salvation of the world. TCL strategy is based on three "E" s which sum up the purpose of the church:
Exalt the Savior
Equip the Saints
Evangelize the sinners
The focal point of Total Church Life lies in the spiritual health of the body, the church. The basic verse is Colossians 1.18 "...He is the head of the body; He is the principle, the first born among the dead, for whom there is pre-eminence in everything". The body is healthy when it is completely obedient to the head, Christ.
If the church is healthy, it will reach out to people and naturally will grow. The growth of the church is a result, not a goal.
O Dr. Darrell Robinson is author of several books, among which four have been published in Portuguese: Total Church Life, People Sharing Jesus, Incredibly Gifted and Synergistic Evangelism.
Total Church Life was published after many years implementing these strategic New Testament principles in several churches pastored by Dr. Darrell Robinson in the United States.
All the churches he led grew remarkably, both spiritually, and in number.
Among these are First Baptist Church of Pasadena, Texas. It experienced an extraordinary growth from 600 to 4000 in attendance in eight years. During many years Dr. Darrell Robinson wrote booklets and applied the principles of Total Church Life in his pastorates, until he was faced with the challenge of compiling then all in a book.
Today the ministry of Total Church Life is well stablished throughout the United States. Dr. Darrell Robinson has been lecturing in different parts of the world, and a growing number of churches, pastors and leaders are utilizing the simple and practical strategy. The Brazilian Baptist Convention translated and released Total Church Life the "book of the year" at the Brazilian Baptist Convention in Recife, in 2002. The Convention emphasis that year was "Enabling Christians". The theme was: "Prepared to serve". Therefore, Total Church Life is not theory, it is practical experience put into a book.
A estratégia de Vida Total da Igreja nada mais é do que um retorno ao modelo de igreja do Novo Testamento. Por isso, o subtítulo do livro: "Uma estratégia para o século 21 - Inspirada no modelo de igreja do primeiro século".
Desde 1980, quando o Dr.Darrell Robinson esteve no Brasil pela primeira vez, tenho estado ao seu lado e por várias vezes estive nos Estados Unidos visitando o seu lar e suas igrejas, e tenho constatado o seu profundo amor pelas almas perdidas. Ele não é somente um professor de evangelismo, um teórico do evangelismo, mas um evangelista que tem verdadeira paixão pelas almas perdidas, que não se cala em nenhuma circunstância. Ele vive o que ensina nos Seminários de Vida Total da Igreja.
Tenho aplicado a estratégia de Vida Total da Igreja já por mais de vinte e cinco anos e, por isso, o Dr. Darrell Robinson me convidou para ser o Coordenador do ministério no Brasil. Aceitei com alegria o imenso desafio por entender que VTI é uma ferramenta simples e muito necessária e que muito abençoará as nossas igrejas, pastores e líderes.