Parachut Drop

From Jim Griffith

One of the most telling issues in a "Parachute Drop:" cultural affinity. As I understand Harry's situation, he's moving from Ohio to South Carolina. This means that Harry will want to focus on either the "locals" or "transplants," but not both.

If targeting "locals," you will need to have displayed an ability to reach those in a different cultural setting,
otherwise known as the cross-cultural gift.

FYI: Rock Hill is nothing other than a suburb of Charlotte and is packed with professional families who'd rather drive the interstate to work and live in a smaller city, but still enjoy suburban living and the values that accompany it. "Parachute Drops" rarely work in a large suburban area with new and fast growth. In these types of areas, it's the "Pop-Up" church model that is able to bear initial and progressively increasing fruit.

Steven has highlighted another major difficulty in a "Parachute Drop:" the absence of pre-existing relationships. In these types of plants, it's actually church planting by "stealth." The planter, and family, parachute in under the cover of night; no one knows they've arrived and they know no one. As a result, there's NO ONE with whom to team and because the local area pastors don't know the planter, they admittedly have the right to be cautious about "loaning" members from their congregation.

Knocking on doors in these types of communities proves futile, since most are Dual Income With Kids (DIWKS, pronounced "Dukes"). Advertising attracts dysfunctional people primarily and now the planter spends considerable time dealing with people who have spent a lifetime hopping from group to group. (Don't be fooled in thinking this is the "first time" they've ever done this.)

I wouldn't wish a parachute drop on my worst enemy---let alone a committed brother in Christ! I don't find much comfort in the fact that the Lord has led you. I've performed 36 autopsies on failed church plants and every planter began their story with, "I know the Lord led me." There are other divine factors that confirm the Lord's calling and direction, so tread soberly.

I find that these types of plants are rooted in much of the disinformation coming from Church Planting
Conferences that encourage finding the "fastest growing city/county" and other such misleading advice. This type of plant is mostly romanticized and rarely accomplished by a planter who acts alone---