From Bill Easum
The longer I consult, the more I realize the importance of starting new churches. Studies show that if a denomination wishes to reach more people, the number of new churches it begins each year must equal at least 3% of the denomination's existing churches. Based on this formula, mainline denominations are failing to plant enough churches to offset their decline.
This failure is the result of two things:
1. evangelism is no longer the primary mission of the church
2. most new church starts are based on out-of-date methods
Radical new methods of church planting are proving to be highly successful. Denominations following these methods find that the cost of starting new churches is no longer the primary obstacle. Now the primary obstacle is finding enough pastors with the right skills and gifts.
The new successful method of planting new churches has seven basics.
One
New church starts meet in rented facilities instead of purchasing land. Land is purchased years later. This method is preferred for several reasons:
1. More initial money is put into people resources. The planting pastor needs to raise some $50,000 by himself or herself before starting. Often all of this money is spent on advertising in the first month of going public.
2. Buildings and property make architectural and psychological statements. In early development of a congregation, the statement is usually "small and struggling". By putting off the purchase until the church has 300 to 400 in worship, the church already knows that it is not a small church and the building and property reflect that reality. It also keeps the church building from becoming an idol that drains people's time, energy, and money.
3. This model does not place a heavy financial responsibility on the denomination, and the denomination is not struck with property if the church dissolves.
4. The congregation is more likely to feel the new church is its own vision and goal.
5. This model teaches self-reliance, not self-dependency, and strikes a balance between dependency and interdependency.
Two
A target audience is selected instead of shooting a generic shotgun and hoping to reach some people. Demographic studies help in this selection, which is almost always either unchurched Baby Boomers or Baby Busters. This choice can be narrowed down even more by focusing on a few of the lifestyles represented in the target area.
Three
The worship style is indigenous to the target audience and cultured context of the area. People in most areas of the country hear the gospel best through casual, non-religious worship that features video, soft rock, or country/western, couched in praise and/or post-praise, secular music. In this service, there is very little liturgy, but solid theology.
Four
These new methods require a flat structure, small groups, and relational evangelism.
Five
The most important aspect of these methods is the strategy for discipling people. This strategy involves reaching the unchurched, nurturing, converting, and growing those who respond to the Gospel, and then sending them out into the world for evangelism, mission, and social justice. It is no longer enough to simply assimilate new people into the life of the institutional church.
Invite ----> Grow ----> Send
Six
Select the planting team of five to seven highly committed people who have the appropriate skills and who are compatible with the model and target audience. This team either receives no denominational subsidy, or the subsidy is limited to no more than two years. This also makes it more likely that the founding pastor is entrepreneurial. Studies show that the longer the subsidy, the weaker the congregation.
The original team determines the core values of the church instead of the charter members. This way, people know what kind of church they are joining. We know from studies that adults like to become part of something that is going where they want to go. If you start enough churches, you will have an inclusive variety of churches. There is no virtue in waiting to draw up the core values.
The core group becomes the pastoral team of the church. They meet for bible study, fellowship, prayer, and planning for the beginning of the congregation. They become the leadership and the organizational foundation from which the area will be reached.
This group is trained to invite their networks to join a small group instead of a "church". This core group grows into more groups through personal contacts and networking.
Seven
Involvement in ministry and commitment to Christ is to be the goal, not membership in a church. It is not unusual for worship attendance to outnumber membership. People have to go through some form of formal training as well as be involved in hands-on ministry before they can join.
Most mainline denominations refuse to try these new models, but maybe your denominational leader is different. Why not show her/him this article? You never know what God might accomplish.
The Church Planting Team
According to Forbes Magazine, new businesses starting with partners were four times more likely to succeed than those who started with solo entrepreneurs.
A suggested planting team consists of the following members:
- Team leader (Pastor): Full-time, paid. A magnetic personality, networker, entrepreneur, who attracts a diversity of people.
- Worship leader: Full-time, paid. Recruiter of various types of indigenous music. The primary responsibility is to recruit unchurched people who just happen to like singing, playing an instrument, being involved with drama, running the sound system, or generating computer graphics.
- Children's Minister: Part-time (10 hrs/week), unpaid. The ministry involves recruiting, training, and planning.
- Shepherd: Part-time (10 hrs/week), unpaid. Relational person who provides care for people that are hurting, and starts support and recovery groups.
- Organizer: Unpaid. CEO type who designs the ministry systems.
- Recruiter: Unpaid. Helps create fishing pool events in which relationships are built within the community.
- Financial: Unpaid. Person who designs and maintains the financial systems to support new ministries.
Selecting the original Team and Worship Leaders are the most crucial steps in church planting.
From Bill Easum
A planting pastor needs to have all of the DNA in place before even gathering a launch and/or core team. DNA includes mission, vision, values, constitution, charter, articles of incorporation or whatever you think you will need. Then, and only then, cast your vision and invite a team to join you who resonate with those values. Those who gather a crowd and then try to settle the DNA are seldom as effective as those who do this basic work first.
Jim Griffin says, Friends, please print out this comment from Bill and paste it on your foreheads!