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 such
as 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 gifts
People 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 in
every one of them. The elements which Garrison listed in Church Planting Movements were:
1. Prayer
2. Abundant gospel sowing
3. Intentional church planting
4. Building on Scriptural authority
5. Reliance on local leadership
6. Strong lay leadership
7. Use of cell or house churches
8. Churches planting churches
9. Expectations of rapid reproduction
10. 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!"
If you are new to the church planting ministry, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and
discouraged, and you might worry that you wont be able to achieve your heartfelt goal of
planting a church. But dont give up! Many church planting strategies exist to initiate church
planting ministries, however the best strategy for one church or area might not be the most
effective for another. There are many variables that have to be taken into account when planting
churches, like demographics, budget, time constraint, location, etc. Because you want to make
sure that the strategy you use is best for your situation, weve compiled some church planting
strategies, starting with these varied approaches.

1. Start Church Planting With Fellow Christians
Starting a church with Christians seems logical. After all, the church is a group of Christ
followers and if you are in agreement that the Great Commission can be carried out through
church planting, then youll have a lot of support as you work together to plant a church. Church
planting with Christians primarily takes two forms: large group or small group.
2. Plant a Church with Your Small Group
Build church planting ministries from a small group of Christians by finding a handful of like-
minded Christians and meet regularly. The freshness of this approach enables the group to grow
in faith seeing Gods work and provision, encouraging others to join. Add a missional focus from
the beginning, like reaching out and changing your community, and this strategy can lead to
church planting networks for a city or region.
3. Plant a Church by Serving a Community
Starting a church with non-Christians is a great way to evangelize a community and share your
faith on an intimate level with unbelievers. After all, Jesus started his movement with
unbelieving strangers. Starting a church with non-Christians is a typical scenario for an
evangelist or church planter in a cross-cultural missions context where Christians dont exist.
This strategy relies heavily on building new relationships and meeting needs in the community.
4. Start a New Church Plant With the Help of Social Media
Social media is a relationship juggernaut reaching out to people via the internet is continually
growing in popularity and therefore using it as part of a church planting strategy is useful. A
church planter can create an online persona for their church using the churchs name, tagline, and
mission. Make sure to prominently display the churchs location, so that those who are interested
in visiting have no trouble getting directions. Once the church has an online presence, ask friends
to promote the church in their networks. Share news and events that the church is involved with.
Leaders in the church who are experts in particular areas, such as marriage and family or
childrens ministry, can share their insights and encouragement using social media. The benefits
of social media in promoting a new church plant are only limited by creativity!
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 the
support 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. The
established church asks for people to join the new venture, continuing in their support for several
years. 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 Ministries follows 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 with
our worldwide church planting networks. For more info, contact Every Nation Ministries!

Pauls Church Planting Strategy: The Case of Macedonia
9
And 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 the
following day to Neapolis,
12
and 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.
14
One who heard us was a woman
named 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 faithful
to 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:
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 how
decisions 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 (see last weeks post).
2. Look for leading cities
v.12: They went to a leading city of Macedonia, 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 the
church 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 for people 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 peace
was 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 respect then share strategy
here (i.e., relational evangelism). They sowed widely. Lydia happened to respond and show
that 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.
Win respect then share Christ is simply not a biblical strategy for evangelism.
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 down
and 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 to the 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"
(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 only
proclaimed 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 assigned
to 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 people
witnessing 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.
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 a
small 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 is the 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
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
Results 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 Spirit
said: 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
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." This
apostolic 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 like
Apollos, for their "watering" and "nurturing."
2. Church Planting is based on the Growth Pattern of the New Testament
Churches: 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 in
Anthioch (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.
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