(The following is some notes from a talk I recently gave about church planting.)
Biblical Rationale for Church Planting
- Matthew 16:18 – “Upon this rock, I will build my church.” The church has a vital role in the redemptive plan of God.
- Matthew 28:18-20 – “The Great Commission.” We are to be a “sent people.” Historically, new churches have been the most successful at “making disciples of all nations.”
- Acts 2:41-47 – New converts are quickly assembled into “congregations” that continually multiply.
Why Plant a Church?
- The fields are ready for harvest
- Only 17.5% of people in the U.S. attend church on any given weekend in 2005 (American Church in Crisis (ACC) by David Olson).
- About 4,000 churches close every year. Approximately the same amount of new churches start each year. However, to keep up with population growth, an additional 3,200 churches need to start every year (ACC).
- The number of unchurched Americans is increasing by a rate of 1 million per year (Church Leader’s Intelligence Report, 4-1-09).
- To reach young people
- 70% of Protestant church-going high-schoolers have stopped attending church by age 23 (Lifeway Research).
- And it’s getting worse… at the current rate, only 4% of American teenagers will end up as Bible believers. (Washington Times)
- 19% of 18 – 22 year olds identify themselves as atheist or agnostic (Barna Group).
- New churches are more effective
- It has been proven over the years and is universally accepted across all denominations that the most-effective way to reach unbelievers is through the planting of new churches.
- Evangelical churches under 10 years old grow at an annual rate of 16.5% compared to 0.6% for churches 10 – 40 years old and -1.1% for churches over 40 years (ACC).
- New churches have 4 times the conversion rate per attendee than established churches (ACC).
Why Support Church Planting?
- The average start-up cost of a new church is $172,000.(Leadership Network)
- The average church plant takes 32 months to become financially independent.
- All church planting in the BGC is church-led and church-supported. Meaning the only way new churches get started is if existing churches support them.
- Established churches that are involved in church planting typically experience spiritual revitalization as a result.
- A study of 160 SBC sponsor churches from 1992 – 2002:
- overall 49% increase in worship attendance
- overall 28% increase in baptisms
Some other stats I included in talking about my specific context:
- Based on location (urban, suburban, large town, small town, rural), small towns have experienced the biggest decline in church attendance -1.3% (ACC).
- 78% of unchurched people think that Christianity is more about organized religion than it is about loving God and people (Lifeway).
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Church planting should not be that expensive. Right now, I engage myself in what we call in the Philippines, “Bayanihan Church Planting” (Corporate Church Planting). I will doing some more post about it later. But certainly it is establishing a church planting team who is also engage in church planting network.
Here’s the link: http://thedisciplers.com/10-reasons-why-we-need-to-have-church-planting-coaching/
Try to follow my church planting post to give you some additional ideas on what we’ve been doing here in the Philippines.
Furthermore, I would quite disagree with some points under “Why Support Church Planting?”
1. I think the amount is “over” exaggerated. What if there’s no funding anymore? Would we stop planting a church? There is a “cheaper” way to plant a church.
Some church planting efforts here only amounted to a couple hundred dollars for the whole year.
Please note that I am not saying that having a good financial support is not needed. It is needed. But I don’t agree that it should be a basis to whether or not we can plant a church. If there is funding the better, but even if the fund is way too low, then we should continue. Getting out there in season or out of season.
2. I believe that once you teach the newly planted church to give tithes, offering, or generous giving (whatever you may call it), they will be independent financially only a few months after its inception. Why? Because since the start of the church, you are already teaching them what it means to give to the church.
3. Is there any other way to be church-led but not church-supported? I think we need to encourage people to work on church planting. Recruiting committed people for this is actually producing future supporters too. Why? Because they themselves understand what it means to plant.
In conclusion:
Well funded church planting is not bad, in fact it is good. But let us be reminded that funding should not be the basis of church planting efforts. It’s not the first question.
Commitment to church planting by ordinary members is one of the most essential factors in church planting. I think, that is where we need to focus on.
Blessings!
Amen. Church planting doesn’t have to cost so much. It is all about priorities and methodology. Choose the right priority (Plant churches) and find a way to do it.
Our first six plants got no denominational, district support. But all of them are thriving churches, growing by conversion and making a difference in their communities.