Church planting is the New Testament pattern

DOVE Family Core Teaching video coming soon

Cells in our body multiply; churches multiply. Anything that is healthy and has life will reproduce and multiply. A healthy small group will grow and multiply into two groups. A healthy local church will reproduce and plant other churches.

Church planting is the New Testament pattern.

The New Testament church was a church-planting movement.

  • The Jerusalem church was planted in Acts 2:37-47.
  • The Samaritan church was born in Acts 8:1-25.
  • The Damascus church came to life in Acts 9:20-22.
  • Acts 9:31 reports churches throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.
  • Paul ran a church-planting school in the lecture hall of Tyrannus in Acts 19:9.
  • Healthy reproduction is seen in John 17:4.

Advantages and benefits of church planting

Church planting develops new leadership. It provides the opportunity for new and young leaders to stretch their wings and fly.

Church planting prevents church splits. Is it possible that one of the reasons churches split is because the next generation of leaders is not released and sent out to establish their own churches? Healthy parents will release their children to get their own place, while insecure spiritual leaders frustrate developing leaders by not releasing them.

Church planting is efficient. There is no more practical or cost-effective way of bringing unbelievers to Christ in a given geographic area than planting new churches.

Church planting stimulates existing churches. It has been seen statistically that when a new church comes into a community, it causes other churches to grow as well.

Church planting acknowledges that not all churches are supposed to be megachurches. God has a plan and purpose for every form of church. Some churches are ideally intended to grow—perhaps to two hundred members or so (addition)—then start planting more churches (multiplication).

Church planting reaches Christians who are currently not involved in any church. New churches provide an entry point for people.

Church planting provides more options for the unchurched. As long as there are unsaved people in our communities who are not being reached, there is a need for new churches.

The Great Commission cannot be fulfilled without church planting! Conversions alone will not fulfill the Great Commission.

Questions to ask to prepare for church planting

The purpose of these questions is to help formulate what God is saying to you about church planting, formulate your team, and define your vision, process, and destination. There are no wrong answers, and you may not have clarity on some points. That is OK. Just answer with your best impression from what God is depositing in your spirit.

Who is with you to church plant?

  • Who will do it with you? Is your immediate family on board?
  • Have you put the desire out there and had people respond?
  • Are those who responded qualified?
  • Are those who responded to your vision qualified to you?
  • Do you want a large team (30+), a medium team (10-20), a small team (2-10)?
  • Do you believe that you can work with those who respond?
  • Do you know your personality type, gift mix, and leadership style?
  • Do you know the personality type, gift mix, and leadership style of those coming with you?
  • Do you know your strengths and weaknesses?

What type of church will you plant?

  • Will you start a house church that grows into a community church, then a megachurch?
  • Will you start a house church that grows to a community church, then send out more house churches?
  • Will you start a house church that grows and sends out more house churches?
  • Will you start a small group that will become a house church?
  • Will you start a small group that will multiply small groups to become a community church?

What is your time frame?

  • How much time per week do you have to commit to starting a church?
  • How much time does each person on your team have to give?
  • What is your timeline for starting (i.e., how many weeks/months/years)?
  • What date do you want to launch?
  • How quickly do you generally move to action in other major areas of your life?
  • Do you know how long you plan to lead the new ministry?

Where will you focus?

  • What town/city/region?
  • Is there a reason for choosing this town/city/region?
  • Do you know the street address you will first start?
  • Do you know the demographics of this area?
  • In your opinion, how are churches generally perceived by the majority of the public in this area? (Positive or negative?)
  • Where do people in this region gather already?
  • What are they gathering around?
  • How much time per week do they generally spend doing these activities?
  • How far do people in the area generally travel to go shopping?
  • Do you have spiritual direction from God concerning this area?
  • Do you have personal history with this area?
  • Do you clearly understand what people generally value and how they spend their time in this region?

What is motivating you?

  • Are you responding to an observed need or opportunity?
  • Are you responding from a personal ministry call or direction?

Plan to start?

  • Will you start with a parachurch ministry that will then launch a church (such as a youth ministry, school, or ongoing crusade)?
  • Concerning outreach:
    • Will you do door-to-door outreach?
    • Will you use a “son of peace” model?
    • Will you host public events to attract people?
  • How will the public find out about the church?
  • How will you train leaders?
  • What will be the financial engine that sustains your personal living expenses?
  • Does this engine exist, or must it still be started?
  • Is the expected income enough, or will it need to be supplemented?
  • What expenses do you foresee the new church plant having?
  • Who will the new church focus on reaching first?
    • Children? Adults? Families? Students? Whoever is an “open door”?
  • Imagine the new church functioning.
    • What are people doing?
    • What are they experiencing while involved with the church?
    • What are you doing in that picture?

Answer Your Call to Leadership

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