what do you plant a new church

8/11/2019 What Do You Plant a New Church

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What do you plant a new church? Where do you start?

Here's the strategy used in planting Gateway Christian Church in Walnut, California.

Step 1: Develop relationships with the unchurched community

Organize activities where churched people can interact with the unchurched (events suchas day hikes and picnics)

Encourage the churched people to build significant relationships with the unchurched.

Train them how to do that.Step 2: Organize large gatherings where the unchurched can remain anonymous

Large gatherings allow the unchurched to check out Christianity. They can see what

Christians do and come to understand what Christians believe. For many unchurched,initial anonymity is important.

Step 3: Set up small groups

Real life change often happens in small groups. Organize groups for Christians and for

those still seeking. Structure Sunday school classes to feel like small groups.

Step 4: Discover giftsPeople who have received Christ need to discover their God-given talents, spiritual gifts

and passions.Step 5: Put the gifts of fully-devoted followers to use

Empower and "commission" people into serving the Lord in a ministry or area that is in

line with what they have discovered about themselves in the "gift" step. [choosing an

avenue of service]

What's it take to launch a church planting movement?

It takes Ten Universal Elements says David Garrison. After surveying church planting

movements around the world, Garrison concluded that the same 10 elements were present inevery one of them. The elements which Garrison listed inChurch Planting Movementswere:

1. Prayer2. Abundant gospel sowing3. Intentional church planting

4. Building on Scriptural authority

5. Reliance on local leadership

6. Strong lay leadership7. Use of cell or house churches

8. Churches planting churches

9.

Expectations of rapid reproduction10.Making church health a priority

In responding to Garrison's list, Doug Lucas says, "I suppose some of those are common sense.For example, healthy churches grow faster than unhealthy churches... Duh! But the truth is, we

seldom think proactively about all 10 items comprehensively. And maybe that's part of what

helps a church to grow -- thinking about doing it all right in concert, so all 10 cylinders hit in

stride at the same time!"
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5. Launch a Church Plant From An Existing Church

Launching from an existing church has been successful in creating church planting ministries.

After all, the early church started church planting networks. Starting a new church using thesupport of an existing church is one of the more popular church planting strategies. An

established church provides resources and vision for a new church or series of churches. Theestablished church asks for people to join the new venture, continuing in their support for severalyears. Significant advertising and networking promotes the church and major funds are raised to

sustain the new church for several years. A community is targeted, a launch date is set, and

opening day often has hundreds of attendees.

6. Dont Forget to Pray!

Are you willing to ask God for every move thats needed as you develop your new church plant?After all, it is His church you are establishing. Use prayer as your main strategy piece. Ask God,

Lord, what do you want me to do today? God, what is the next step? If God has called you,

he will certainly provide. Church planting strategies come and go but God never changes.Include him in your church planting ministries and hell order your steps.

Interested in Equipping Yourself for a Church Planting Ministry?

Every Nation Ministriesfollows the Great Commission and those of us who are involved with

reaching the world for Christ are excited the plans God has for His church! If you are interested

in becoming a church planter or would like to support a new church plant, Every Nation

Ministries can provide training with our School of Church Planting and extensive support withour worldwidechurch planting networks.For more info, contact Every Nation Ministries!

Pauls Church Planting Strategy: The Case of Macedonia

9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him

and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us.10

And when Paul had seen the vision,

immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the

gospel to them.11

So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and thefollowing day to Neapolis,

12and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of

Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.13

And on the Sabbath day

we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we

sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14One who heard us was a womannamed Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God.

The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.15

And after she was

baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithfulto the Lord, come to my house and stay. And she prevailed upon us. (Acts 16:9-15 ESV)

What an incredibly insightful passage into the details of the church planting strategy of Paul!Here are 5 things we can learn from how Paul started this new work of the gospel:
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1. Confirm visions in community

v.9-10: Macedonian vision. The traveling band immediately sought to go to Macedonia,

concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. This gives us insight into howdecisions were likely made and how this band of brothers sensed God calling them. In this

instance, God gave a vision and the team decided together that it was from God.

Application:Yes, God speaks and guides us in ministry. But these should be confirmed in the

context of community (seelast weeks post).

2. Look for leading cities

v.12: They went to a leading city ofMacedonia, namely, Philippi. Why did they go to a

leading city and why did Luke feel compelled to note that? This seems like an insight into thechurch planting strategy of Paul: Go to a leading city where there is the greatest chance of

meeting persons of peace (e.g. Lydia) and where they can have the greatest influence. Is this not

why Luke mentions that Philippi is a leading city?

Tweet this:Dont wait forpeople to like you before you start demonstrating and declaring the

gospel to them. @VergeNations

Application:Where are the leading cities in your context? Where are the leading places of

influence in your context? Go there and look for people of peace.

3. Find persons of peace

v.12-13: They went to places where persons of peace might go. In this case the person of peacewas Lydia. They found her at the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer.

Persons of peace tend to go to places where God might be known.

Application: Where might you find persons of peace in your context? Go there, look for them,

and then follow up with them.

4. Find persons of peace through sharing the gospel, not through winning

respect

v.13: They immediately spoke about the gospel. There is no win respectthenshare strategy

here (i.e., relational evangelism). They sowed widely. Lydia happened to respond and showthat God was working in her. So they followed up with her.

Application: Win respect then share Christ is simply not a biblical strategy for evangelism.

Winrespect then share Christ is simply not a biblical strategy for evangelism.
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Dont wait for people to like you before you start demonstrating and declaring the gospel to them. You

will find persons of peace through declaring the gospel.

5. Focus where God is working

v.14: One among others heard and responded. They spoke to multiple women, and we sat downand spoke to the women who had come together. God was already working in Lydia and the

conversation drew her out as a person of peace.

Tweet this:You will find persons of peace through declaring the gospel. @VergeNations

Application: Focus your efforts where God is already working. Sow widely, then focus on the

responsive people. Dont forsake someone who is responsive to the gospel for someone else who

you think is more influential.

Tweet this:Dont forsake someone who is responsive tothe gospel for someone you think is

more influential. @VergeNations

In our culture Church planting is not so popular idea. In the last 10 years there are

some missionaries who are involved in curch planting but for most people Church

Planting it doest sound a biblical idea. Church Planting is a biblical mandate that

has its rots in the essesce and mission of the trinity, has its basis in the life of the

apostolic church, and is a challenge for today church to spread the gospel and win our

generation for Christ.

There are some biblical reasons why we soulld plant new churches.

I.Trinity and Church Planting. We are to plant new churches because:

1. Church Planing and God

a]. Church Planing is based on the Biblical Mission of God:

"'Mission' is not a word for everything the church does. 'Mission' describes rather

everything the church is sent into the world to do," says John Stott in defining the

mission of God.Our God is a Og of mission. The Bible describes God's mission as a

"mission of sending." "When the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son" (Gal.

4:4-6). God's revelation in Christ shows us that God Himself is a searching and saving

God; He wants men to be reconciled to Himself. The Bible clearly states that God

wants all people to be saved. Paul writes to Timothy, "This is good and pleases God

our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth"
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(1Ti 2:3-4). Peter writes, He [the Lord] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to

perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2Pe 3:9).

These passages make it clear that God wants every man, woman, and child to hear and

understand the gospel and have the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord

and Savior. If God wants all people to be saved, shouldn't this be our desire as well?As a result of this church planting is the best way to gather people that are saved by

faith in Jesus. We can not gather together all people in one church, thats why we

need all kind of churches to reach all kind of people. Church planting is Gods idea.

After Christ's ascension, the Father and the Son sent the Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

Now the Son sends the Church as He Himself was sent by the Father, as we read in

John 20:21. "As the Father has sent Me, even so send I you."

Our understanding of mission must be based on the understanding of the mission of

God in Christ. Jesus was sent "to seek and to save" (Luke 19:10). He not onlyproclaimed the Gospel but also made disciples who would follow Him and be in

fellowship with Him. And this is the mission of the Church: not only to proclaim the

Gospel but to bring people into its fold.

b]. Church planting is based on God's Initiative

God causes the Church to grow, both numerically and spiritually. In the I Corinthians

3:5-8, Paul clearly brings out the truth that it is God who gives growth to the church

and that He uses people as His instruments for the fulfillment of His plan. "What then

is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assignedto each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who

plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who

plants and he who waters are equal, and each shall receive his wages according to his

labor."

It is only God who gives the growth to the Church. He uses missionaries as His

instruments to fulfill His purpose. This is clear in the expansion of the Early Church in

the Book of Acts. We read in Acts 2:47, that "The Lord added to the church daily

those who were being saved." This shows the activity of God in planting and building

His Church. Those on the forefront of the mission field are privileged peoplewitnessing God's active involvement in saving people and adding them to His Church,

and thus building His universal Church.

2. Church Planting is based on the Teachings of Jesus

a]. Church Planting and Parables.


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Jesus used the illustration of a harvest field to emphasize the urgency of winning

responsive people and bringing them into the fold of the Church. He instructed His

disciples to pray for more laborers to be sent to the harvest field (Matt. 9:37). When

the harvest is ready, the grain should be cut, bound into sheaves and carried to the

store house. In the same way when a group of people respond to the Gospel they have

to be taught, baptized and brought into the fellowship of the local church.

Our Lord's parables of the "lost sheep" and "lost coin" teach that it is not enough to

search for the lost sheep or the lost coin; it is necessary that they be found and brought

into the house or the fold. The task of evangelism is complete only when people are

brought into the fold of the church (Luke 15:1-10).

1. The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mt 13:31-32)

In this parable there is great growth. From a small beginning ("the smallest of all your

seeds") it grew to become the largest of garden plants. The message is clear: from asmall beginning the kingdom of God would grow into a "large plant". The strong

roots produce big fruits.

2. The Parable of Yeast (Mt 13:33-33) The silent power!

In this parable a small lump of yeast penetrated the large lump of dough. The message

seems to be the same as that of the mustard seed, but with the added emphasis on the

transformation that occurs as the yeast permeates the dough. From a small beginning

the kingdom of God will continue penetrating until it covers all of the earth.

In the parable of the Great Banquet, when the invited people would not come, the

master commanded the servants to "go out in the highways and byways and compel

people to come in" (Luke 14:23). It is not enough to invite people; it is important to

see that they partake in the feast. When one group of people does not respond to the

Gospel invitation, another group must be sought which does respond and can be

brought to the spiritual feast. Thus the Lord's teachings are clear on the need for

bringing people into the Christian fold and for planting churches.

b]. Church Planting and Great Commission

I believe that Gods primary instrument for worldwide evangelism isthe local church,

and church planting, based on the principles of multiplication, is the most effective

method for fulfilling the Great Commission. The principles of church planting are

based on the Lord's Great Commission as we read in Matt. 28:19, 20: "Go therefore

and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the

Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded


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you..." The most accurate translation of the Greek word, poreuomai is as you are

going. This implies that, going is assumed. Jesus will use His sovereign authority

to cause the church to go to the nations. What did Jesus mean when He

commissioned the disciples to go and make disciples of all nations? Evangelism

Resul ts in Church Planting! The goal of evangelism is not only to make our church

bigger, but also to plant new churches!

There are four important words found in the Great Commission. They are "go," "make

disciples," "baptize" and "teach". It is generally assumed that the word "go" is an

imperative verb and constitutes the last command of Christ. In the Greek only one

word is used for "make disciples" and it should be translated "disciple" with reference

to the nations. The act of making disciples was not confined to Israel or to Jerusalem,

but was to extend to "all nations - i.e. - all people groups."

The Great Commission commands believers to bring men and women to Christ and to

make them responsible and reproducing members of the local church. This is how to"make disciples of all nations." The evangelistic task is incomplete unless it relates

new believers to the local worship group. The Church planting ministry reflects the

believers' faithfulness and obedience to the Great Commission of their Lord.

3. Church Planting is based on the Work of the Holy Spirit:

The Christian mission of church planting is not a human enterprise, but it is a divine

operation, directed and controlled by the Holy Spirit. The clearest example is found in

the Acts 13, where the direction and control of the Holy Spirit is demonstrated in the

Church at Antioch. "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spiritsaid:set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them...

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia ... to Cyprus" (Acts

13:2-4). These missionaries (Apostles) as a first church planting team were sent out by

the Holy Spirit. Later on in their missionary journey, the Holy Spirit used them to

"make disciples" and to "plant churches" in different towns (Acts 13:52; 14:22). The

direction and control of the Holy Spirit is clearly seen in the ministry of the evangelist

Philip (Acts 8). The Holy Spirit was actively involved in the selection and sending of

men and in using them for planting churches.

II. Church Planting and the New Testament Church

1. Church Plnating is based on the Apostolic Gift and Function:

For the purpose of building the Church, the Holy Spirit has given gifts to its members.

We read in I Cor. 12:28 : "And God has appointed in the Church first apostles, second

prophets, third teachers..." Thus we see the Holy Spirit has given the gift of


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apostleship to people in the Church. Their primary function is to go as missionaries

and proclaim the Gospel and plant churches on new ground. Peter and Paul are good

examples.

In I Corinthians 3:6, Paul clearly brings out his apostolic function of planting

churches. He says: "I planted, Apollos watered. but God gave the growth." Thisapostolic gift is something unique for the function of starting new churches. Paul was

leading a church planting team, visiting different towns and establishing churches.

After planting churches, he appointed local leaders and moved on to new places. Thus

the apostolic function was not to retain the responsibilities for and authority over the

churches, but to deliver them to other missionaries and local leaders and move on to

plant new churches. Even today the Lord calls and separates certain people, giving

them the apostolic gift for planting churches on new soil.

As stated earlier, the apostolic function is to continue planting churches on new

ground and handing over the planted churches to local leaders and missionaries likeApollos, for their "watering" and "nurturing."

2. Church Planting is based on the Growth Pattern of the New TestamentChurches:The Book of Acts relates how the Early Church grew and expanded and

was multiplied in different places. The New Testament report is well-documented

with numerical figures. The first church in Jerusalem began with 120 disciples (Acts

1:15). On the Day of Pentecost 3,000 people were added to the church in Jerusalem

(2:41, 42). Soon the membership of the Jerusalem church was 5,000 (4:4). Again,

"multitudes of men and women were added" (5:14), and "the number of the disciples

multiplied greatly" (6:1, 7).

New congregations were planted in every pagan center of the then-known world in

less than four decades. Regarding the growth pattern of the Early Church we read, "So

the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built

up... so, the churches were strengthened in the faith and they increased in numbers

daily." (9:31; 16:5; 21:20).

From the above account of the pattern of the growth of the Early Church it is clear

that the church should grow in numbers by adding new believers to existing church

and by planting new churches with new believers. For example the church inAnthioch (Acts 13) sent apostle Pau and Barnabas to plant new churches. 10 chapters

out of 27 in Acts are about realy going and planting new churches. The book of Acts

is an outstanding testimony about the early church planting program and in the same

way an encouragement for us to do the same. We should not be satisfied with our

existing churches; the churches should grow, as is demonstrated by the Early Church.


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The growth pattern of the New Testament churches is both quantitative and

qualitative. Vergil Gerber said: "In the New Testament, evangelistic effectiveness is a

quality that is constantly measured in quantitative terms. Just as faith without works is

dead, so spiritual growth in the New Testament is frequently expressed in terms of

quantities. This is possible because quality and quantity are two aspects of the same

reality."

Conclusion:

Planting new churches is our duty. Is the main responsability of the every local

church to be fruitful. The fruit of the believer is another believer. The fruit of the

pastor is another pastor. The fruit of the church is another new born church.

Multiplication thats the key for eraching today people. For this we need to preach adn

teach the WORD of God tha will accomplish what God desire and chieve the purpose

for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). That is the biblical principle found in Mark 4: the

the parable of the Sower, Parable of the seed and in 1 Cor 3:5-8.

God will grow and build his church but our responsability is to plant new churches

and water them.

- Nick Lica

what do you plant a new church

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