The Phases of
Church Planting
By Mike
Ruhl
One of our strategic partners in the training of
church planters in the United States
is Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI) in Oceanside, California.
This mission movement has a vision of seeing one million new Christian churches
planted globally. Recently, our friends at DCPI recognized the Center for United States Missions and
the Lutheran Church
- Missouri Synod for leading all
Christian denominations in the United
States in the training of congregations to "daughter"
(sponsor, plant) new mission congregations.
While receiving training and certification in Church Planting Essentials - yet another
excellent and emerging training track on "how to plant a new church" - a vision
was cast regarding the Four Phases of
Church Planting. Each phase has critical "landmarks", which signal progress
and transition.
Phase 1: GOD
TO YOU
Here God communicates His vision for the new church
plant to the church planter. This phase involves deep conviction, prayer, immersion
in the Word, collaborative feedback, and confirmation from ministry peers.
Phase 2: YOU TO THE TEAM
Here the church planter is guided by the Holy
Spirit in gathering a missionary planting team - much like the missionary
planting team sent out from the church at Antioch
in the book of Acts.
Phase 3: TEAM TO THE CHURCH
Here the missionary planting team prepares the
missionary disciples of the new church for active engagement of people and
culture in the mission field. This will involve strategic planning and
training, all aimed at releasing the saints to effective networking and
witnessing in the marketplace.
Phase 4:
CHURCH TO THE WORLD
Here the new church plant identifies people groups,
which are "culturally close" and "culturally distant" - and strategizes how to
reach those people groups with the Good News of Jesus Christ in their Jerusalem (local), Judea (regional), Samaria (cross-cultural), and Ends of the
Earth (global). This process often will include "daughter church planting", the
sending of missionary teams, and indigenous church planters.
These phases originally came out of the "organic"
laboratory of North American church planting and are detailed in The New Dynamic Church Planting Handbook by
Paul Becker, Jim Carpenter, and Mark Williams (Dynamic Church Planting
International, 2003).
This vision of church planting reminds us again
that (1) lost people matter to God, (2) church planting is one of the most
effective methods under heaven for reaching lost people, and (3) the Holy
Spirit has called our church body (LCMS) to plant 2,000 new churches in the United States
by 2017.
Pray for the multiplication and sending of church
planters into all regions of the United States. Jesus declared, "The
harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the
harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Luke 10:2)."
While all baptized Christians and professional
church workers have been called and sent by Christ into the mission field,
surely church planters are among the most strategic.
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Questions for Reflection
- Who are the people groups that are "culturally close" to you?
- What strategies does your congregation have for reaching the people groups "culturally close" to you?
- Who are the people group that are "culturally distant" from you?
- What strategies does your congregation have for reaching them?
- Is your congregation more invested in far off missions or those right outside your door? How do you know?
- What would it take for your church to plant a daughter church?
- What will you do to help advance the outreach of your church leading to a church plant?
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Links
Resource: NEW Dynamic Church Planting Handbook by Paul Becker, Jim Carpenter, and Mark Williams
This handbook is referenced in the article above. It is available from our strategic partner, Dynamic Church Planting International.
Book: Launch: Starting a New Church from Scratch by Nelson Searcy & Kerrick Thomas
Searcy and Thomas help planters think through the launching of a new church and the important steps and issues that must be addressed.
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News from the Center
DON'T MISS THESE HIGH IMPACT SUMMER SEMINARS! LAST DAY TO REGISTER IS MONDAY, JUNE 23!!!
Basic Mission Planter Training- July 21-25,
2008 -- Register -- Pay
Advanced Mission Planter Training- July
21-24, 2008 -- Register -- Pay
Mission Coach Certification Training- July
21-22, 2008 -- Register -- Pay
Behavioral Interview Training - July 23-24, 2008 -- Register -- Pay
Daughter Church Planting Seminar - Learn more about the process of Daughter Church Planting and how to host a seminar in your area
New on Our Site!.
Certified Mission Coaches - The Center for U.S. Missions
trains and certifies missional coaches. An explanation of what is required to be
a certified missional coach and contact information for coaches certified
through the C4USM training process.
Ablaze! Covenant Congregation Church Planting - The A!CCCP Introduction is a three hour presentation in
PowerPoint format for congregations that have attended the introduction hosted
by their district. It is a resource to be used in the local congregation. This
resource includes a case for church planting, an introduction to The One
Plan and a introduction to a church planting process.
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