Five step church planting strategy

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What do you plant a new church? Where do you start?

Here's the strategy used in planting Gateway Christian Church in Walnut, California.

Step 1: Develop relationships with the unchurched community
Organize activities where churched people can interact with the unchurched (events such as day hikes and picnics)
Encourage the churched people to build significant relationships with the unchurched. Train them how to do that.
Step 2: Organize large gatherings where the unchurched can remain anonymous
Large gatherings allow the unchurched to check out Christianity. They can see what Christians do and come to understand what Christians believe. For many unchurched, initial anonymity is important.
Step 3: Set up small groups
Real life change often happens in small groups. Organize groups for Christians and for those still seeking. Structure Sunday school classes to feel like small groups.
Step 4: Discover gifts
People who have received Christ need to discover their God-given talents, spiritual gifts and passions.
Step 5: Put the gifts of fully-devoted followers to use
Empower and "commission" people into serving the Lord in a ministry or area that is in line with what they have discovered about themselves in the "gift" step. [ choosing an avenue of service ]

What's it take to launch a church planting movement?
It takes Ten Universal Elements says David Garrison. After surveying church planting movements around the world, Garrison concluded that the same 10 elements were present in every one of them. The elements which Garrison listed in Church Planting Movements were:

Prayer
Abundant gospel sowing
Intentional church planting
Building on Scriptural authority
Reliance on local leadership
Strong lay leadership
Use of cell or house churches
Churches planting churches
Expectations of rapid reproduction
Making church health a priority

In responding to Garrison's list, Doug Lucas says, "I suppose some of those are common sense. For example, healthy churches grow faster than unhealthy churches... Duh! But the truth is, we seldom think proactively about all 10 items comprehensively. And maybe that's part of what helps a church to grow -- thinking about doing it all right in concert, so all 10 cylinders hit in stride at the same time!"

Resources for planting a church
     "'O Lord, there is plenty of money, seemingly, for the great churches out in this part of the city. I would that Thou wouldst give me some money to make a place for the Church of the Nazarene.'

     "Immediately, as though a voice from heaven, there were uttered in my very consciousness the words, 'I have given myself to you.'

      "I said, Thank God, that is enough! I would rather have Thee than all else, and with Thee we have all things.'"

     --Phineas F. Bresee, founder, Church of the Nazarene

SNU missions course materials and syllabi

Cultural Anthropology Introduction to Missions Linguistics Mexican Field Studies Missions Strategies Modern Missionary Movement (History of Missions) Nazarene Missions Church Growth and Christian Missions Theology of Missions Traditional Religions World Religions

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Howard Culbertson, Southern Nazarene University, 6729 NW 39th, Bethany, OK 73008 | Phone: 405-491-6693 - Fax: 405-491-6658
Copyright © 2002 - Last Updated: July 27, 2012 | URL: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/5_steps.htm

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