Ten Strategies For Starting Churches

When it comes to planting churches that reap a harvest of souls, God can use many kinds of seeds to do the job!

Is there a "right" way to start churches?  Actually, there are many "right" ways to plant churches!  God is consistent in His message, but also very creative in His methods.  Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we are seeing many effective methods work here in our country and around the world. Let's take a look at ten strategies we can use for starting churches across the Evangelical Church.

1. "Pioneer"  

A church planter and his family move to an area with no connections. "Starting from scratch," they network with people, developing a team of people that form a church. (Our church in Orlando, FL began this way led by Bob Perkins and his family.)

2. "Mother/Daughter" 

An existing church invests people, money and sometimes staff to begin a new church in a nearby area. (Our church in Labish Center, Oregon recently planted a church this way.  Faith Church in Billings, MT will daughter a church in the fall of 2000.)

3. "Partnership"  

Two or more churches in an area invest people, money and time to help a church begin. (Our ChristLife Church in the Twin Cities began with support from our Calvary and WayCross churches along with resources from our Conference.)

4."Multiple Congregations"

 An existing church starts another congregation within its own building, allowing one facility to "house" several different congregations.  (Our New Community Church in Atlanta recently helped a Hispanic  congregation start in the facility it rents.)

5. "Restart"  

A dying church is "restarted" with a new pastor and sometimes a new name.  The church may meet in the same facilities or relocate, but becomes a whole new church.  (Our church in Milwaukee, WI and others were "restarted" this way.)

6. "Team"  

A team of two or more church planting families with complementary gifts and skills move to a new area to plant a church.  (The North Central and Western Conferences are making plans to begin churches this way in the Fargo, ND area.)

7. "Bible Study /Sunday School"  

A Bible study or children's ministry in an area may grow to the point where they sense God's call to become a church and a pastor is sent to lead them.

8. "Advertising /Grand Opening"  

A church planter may saturate an area with phone calls, mailings or door-to-door brochures inviting people to a "grand opening" service.  Sometimes the saturation comes from an evangelistic crusade. From that initial crowd a congregation forms.

9. "Farming"   

A planter or a team of people contact the same number of homes regularly (such as the same 500+ homes each month).  Repeated contacts with responsive people allow a group of people to become the initial launch team of the church. Sometimes invitations are given to "informational seminars" that present Biblical principles about parenting, stress, marriage and other "felt need" issues.

10. "Circuit" 

One leader may oversee several cells or churches until leadership for those groups is developed.  This is often done in other parts of the world, especially in cell churches.

Sometimes churches are planted with a combination of these methods...reaching lost people is what matters, not which method!

There are MANY ways for us to plant churches...there is no one "right" way to do it.  It is up to each Conference and local church to pray for the Lord to show them what method(s) will work for them in their circumstances.

One of our goals in planting new churches across the Evangelical Church is this: "to have right planter in the right place doing the right of plant with the right people."  Our Assessment Centers are helping us learn how to discern these issues...and the Holy Spirit will show us the right strategies to start and restart churches!

One life-transforming message...
   Many planting methods...
      New churches planted...
         A huge harvest of souls!

--Tim Roehl