CHURCH
PLANTING
BASICS
Why plant Churches?
13 Reasons to Plant a Church
It’s Biblical
Spirit of Prophecy supports it
Most effective form of evangelism
Churches have life cycles
Saves the Denomination
Stimulates growth in the Mother church
Leadership Opportunities
Reaches Present Generation
Adventist Presence
Mobility of society
Ethnic Populations
Finances
Someone planted your church!
Which of these 13 reasons was new to you?
Medical Ministry p. 315
“Upon all who
believe God has
places the
burden of
raising up
churches.”
3 types of church plant
starts:
1. Cold
2. Warm
3. Hot
What is the difference?
COLD PLANT
Acts 8:4-7
PHILIP
*Was adopted by a mother
church--- Acts 8:15
WARM PLANT
Acts 13:1-3
PAUL
The most effective church planting occurs when a
sponsor/mother church is actively involved! Each year
the attendance of a new church is 2x higher than those
without the participation of a sponsoring mother
church.
Ed Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches p.79-80
Role of Mother Church
•Encouragement
•Coaching
•Financial Assistance
•Core Team
•Facilities
•Accountability
•Love/Unity
•Prayer
Why should you never plant without
a mother church or sponsoring
church?
HOT PLANT
?
If you are disguising a church
split by calling it a church plant
than you can expect God’s
judgment and not his blessing!
FREEPORT CHURCH STORY
1) CREATE THE CLIMATE
Already established
churches DO NOT
naturally move toward
church planting
True or False?
Churches DO NOT naturally move
toward church planting
• LOSS of Fellowship
• LOSS of Finances
• LOSS of Ministry
Leaders
• LACK of Kingdom
Focus
• LACK of Health
Despite obstacles, most churches can
be LED toward birthing daughter
congregations.
How can you
help prepare
your church to
plant?
Nehemiah 2:17-20
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sound the Alarm
Cast God’s Vision
Show the Benefits
Answer objections
Can you present the above to your church?
What would you say, how would you say it, and when?
Sound the Alarm!
Southeaster European Union
Year
Churches
1999
212
2000
206
2001
208
2003
208
2004
209
2005
209
2006
218
2007
218
2008
215
2009
211
Studies Show that if a
denomination wishes to
reach more people the
number of new churches it
begins must equal at least
3% of the denominations
existing churches.
•Ed Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches p. 5
6 Churches per year should be
your minimum goal.
Cast God’s Vision
•I saw jets of light
shining from cities and
villages, and from high
places and low places of
the earth. God’s word
was obeyed, and as a
result
there
were
memorials for Him in
every city and village.
His truth was proclaimed
throughout the world
Test 7, p. 105
Show the benefits
Church Age/Salvation Ratio
10+ years old 85:1
4-7 years old 7:1
3- years old 3:1
*Starting a House Church, Larry Kreider and Floyd McClung p. 31
“The single most
effective evangelism
methodology under
heaven is planting
new churches.”
Peter Wagner, Church Planting for a
greater Harvest p. 11
THE DENTON
STORY
Answer Objections
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
We first need to build up the church we have
Planting will harm the mother church
We will loose our loving fellowship
We already have too many churches
Can’t afford it
•How would you answer these objections?
•What other objections might arise?
Nehemiah 2:18
“Then I told them of the
hand of my God which
was good upon me; as
also the king's words
that he had spoken unto
me. And they said, Let
us rise up and build. So
they strengthened their
hands for this good
work.
2. Pick Your Planter
SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT
DECISION!
“Everything
rises
and falls
on leadership.”
John Maxwell
MUSLIM OUTREACH
CHURCH PLANT
“Success is
inspirational but
failure is
educational.”
Is this statement true or
false? Why?
Luke 6:12
•And it came to pass in
those days, that he went
out into a mountain to pray,
and continued all night in
prayer to God. 13 And
when it was day, he called
unto him his disciples: and
of them he chose twelve,
whom also he named
apostles;
Matthew 9:37
•Then saith he unto
his disciples, The
harvest
truly
is
plenteous, but the
labourers are few;
38 Pray ye therefore
the Lord of the
harvest, that he will
send forth labourers
into his harvest.
Where do you find a planter?
•Pastor
•Member
•Seminary Student
•Harvest
The most successful church planters share
13 behavioral characteristics
Visionizing capacity
Intrinsically motivated
Creates ownership of ministry
One who relates to the unchurched
Spousal Cooperation
Effectively builds relationships
Committed to Church Growth
Responsiveness to the community
One who uses the giftedness of others
Flexible and adaptable
Builds group cohesiveness
Demonstrates resilience
Exercises faith
Ed Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches p.82-83
In every group of three people there is always
someone who is a little nuts. Look around you
and if everyone else looks normal you might
be a church planter!
Assessment NADEI.org
•35% succeed without
•83% succeed with
Self Assessment
•Spiritual Gifts
•Heart Passion
•Abilities
•Personality
•Experience
3). Building your team
Summary:
1). You have created the
climate (Conception).
2) Picked a leader
3) Start building your team!
(Prenatal Phase).
Determine the type of plant
•Hiving Off
•Colonization
•Partnership
•Multiple services
•Which do you prefer?
Win Parent Churches Approval
•Write a Letter
–Appreciation
–Vision
–Permission
•Make a board appointment
–Personally communicate your God given vision
*Remember if created the climate this will be much healthier
*Remember you will also need Conference approval
Recruit Your Team
•Where to look for your core team?
–Mother Church
–Sister church
–Conference
–Spirit led contacts
–Members living in target area
Hint: majority of your team should reflect the age,
gender, race and culture you are trying to reach!
• Acts 16:1-3—Timothy
Building a Core Group
1. Shared passion/vision.
2. Individuals who put
mission first.
3. Individuals who are a
magnet to others.
4. Individuals who match
the demographic to be
reached.
Prioritize the above list …
Team Meetings
•Start 6-9 months before Launch Date
•Meet every Sabbath afternoon
•Purpose
–Prayer
–Vision Casting
–Discussion/Reporting
•Assigning Ministries(SHAPE)
–Church Planter, Worship Leader, Assimilation
Coordinator, Evangelism Networker, Children’s
ministry coordinator.
Incubate 6-9 months as a core
group of leaders.
-Create Community
(Get to know one another)
-Prayer & Fasting
-Study of Acts & ReKindling a Lost
Passion by Russell Burrill
-Establish core values
-Develop Strategic Plan
(including target demographic
and evangelistic methods)
-Ministry assignments
-Practice worship
4). Choose your location
•Path of Growth (Cities)
•Homogenous
•New Developments!
•Rent do not buy! (5 years)
–3x annual tithe + saving
•Rent space you half fill
–80% rule
•Ideas: Store fronts, Churches, Day Care
5). Funding Your Church Plant
•Core Team
•Mother church
•Business People
•Conference
•Harvest (Coins in the fish)
NADEI.ORG
6. Attracting a Crowd
•Direct Mail
–Multiple mail outs (10, 5, 1)
–Mass letter identifying with needs of focus group
•Telemarketing
–Tell Start (automatic call system)
•Personally/letter Invite former SDAs
•Small Groups
–Core team Divides
–Invites
–Ministry
•Broadcasting—T.V. Radio
•Public Service Announcements
•Evangelistic Series
•Movie Theater Slides
•Facebook, E-mail announcements
•Word of Mouth
•Creative Local Paper Advertisement
–Crossroads is coming
–Crossroads is coming with logo
–Crossroads is coming with logo and time
–Crossroads is coming with logo and time and that it is
a great new church!
•Hand out flyers around church
•Bumper Stickers
•Business Card Invitations
–Challenge members give away 12 each month
•Door Hangers
–Cheaper than mail outs
75% of people who are in the
church today are there because a
family member or friend invited
them.
90% of people will say yes to
attending church if they are invited
by a friend.
7). Your First Service
•Start on time
•Friendly and Accepting Atmosphere
– 3 minutes comfort
– 10 minutes return
– Gift Bag
•Visual
•Vibrant Worship
•Seeker Sensitive
•Biblical, Practical, Christ-centered
•Fellowship Meal
•Response Cards
8). Keeping Your Crowd
•Response Cards
•Sunday
–Call all phone numbers “thank you”
–Send out letters
•Tuesday
–Mail invitational cards
•Thursday
–Planter calls and invites each family
Evangelism Coordinator oversees this
Assimilation
•New Members need 6-9 friends
•Identify their gifts
•At least one ministry
•Small Group Involvement
•Give Regularly
•Refers to church as “mine.”
•New Members Class
Overseen by Assimilation Coordinator
Natural Church Development
•Most Important Research—Christian Swartz
•Healthy Churches Grow!
1. Empowering Leaders
2. Gift Oriented Ministries
3. Passionate Spirituality
4. Functional Structures
5. Inspiring Worships
6. Holistic Small Groups
7. Need Oriented Evangelism
8. Loving Relationships
10). Keeping Your Core Team
•Celebrate Often
•Continue Meeting Monthly
•Cast and Re-Cast Vision
•Expect desertions
–“Escape Clause” Concept
11). Coaching
•Difficult for church planters!
–If not willing to invest in leadership won’t make it!
•Meet regularly with Pastor-Coach
•Friend, Confidant, Advocate, Intercessor
•5 Rs
– Relate “How are you?”
– Reflect “what can we celebrate?”
– Refocus “What do you want to accomplish?”
– Resources “what resources do you need?”
– Reflect “what working, what is not working?”
Our Message!
#4 Step to
Planting:
Healthy Core
Group
#5 Step to Plant:
Incubation
Incubate 6-9 months as a core
group of leaders.
In-home meeting
1x a week
Note: You wait to
worship on Sabbath
mornings UNTIL you
have incubated!
#6 Step to Plant:
COACH
Requirements:
1. Every Lay Planter is assigned a coach.
Equipping Lay Planters for
Excellence in Ministry
• Definition of coach:
--A full-time minister
employed by the
Conference.
Equipping Lay Planters for
Excellence in Ministry
Qualifications of a coach…
- Proven soul-winner
- Excellent listener
- Empowering
(will not take over the plant).
- Familiar with the techniques of
coaching and self-discovery.
- Willing to commit
(this is voluntary!)
Requirements:
1. Personal Coaching Relationship.
Lay Planter and Coach will meet on a
monthly basis for a coaching
appointment. Lunch or supper is
recommended and will be reimbursed
(up to $20.00) by the church planting
department.
Content of Coaching Meeting:
--Ask Questions…
Examples:
“What successes/victories have
you experienced recently?”
“What can you celebrate?”
“What challenges are you
currently encountering that we
can pray about?”
Content of Coaching Meeting:
--Ask Questions
--Listen
--Encourage
--Accountability
--Resource
--Prayer
Requirements:
2. Coach meets with church plant group on
a monthly basis.
--Only 1x quarter on Sabbath morning.
Options include: board meeting, business
meeting, social, youth outing, etc.
--Coach conducts baptisms and ordinations.
Purpose: A relationship is built with the coach.
The coach can resource the lay planter more
intelligently.
Requirements:
3. Coach holds a one week (two weekend)
reaping evangelist meeting with the plant
on an annual basis.
-- The coach has a relationship with the group
so they will be well prepared and supportive
of the meeting.
-- This provides an affordable evangelistic
endeavor on a regular basis for the church.
Added benefits of a coach
Coach encourages planter and plant to:
-- move toward company and then church
status.
-- stay focused on the mission of the church
through regular evangelistic endeavors.
-- be realistic regarding facility needs and
requests.
-- keep a positive relationship with the
Conference.
Contact Information:
Tom Evans
tevans@txsda.org
817-307-4026