Seven Steps for Planting Churches Partner Edition

PARTNERING CHURCH EDITION

General Editors: Tom Cheyney J. David Putman Van Sanders

Seven Steps for Planting Churches

Bible quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible Š The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1062, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from The New King James Version, Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

Scripture quotation(s) marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission.

All other Scripture is from the King James Version. Used with permission.

North American Mission Board, SBC Š 2004, North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Alpharetta, Georgia All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to: Editorial and Design Manager, North American Mission Board, 4200 North Point Pkwy., Alpharetta, GA 30022-4176; or fax (770) 410-6006; or e-mail permissions@namb.net.

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This book is dedicated to the many church planters who are laying it on the line daily.

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Acknowledgements Special thanks to Allan Karr, J.D. Payne, Bill Brown, Dan Morgan, Ian Butain, David Meacham, and Ed Stetzer who shared their wisdom and insights for this book.

To Melanie Hasty who polished off the rough edges.

To Janice Trusty and the Editing and Design Services Team of the North American Mission Board who are always great partners in completing resources such as this.

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Table of Contents Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Step 1: Casting a Vision for Multiplying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Step 2: Identifying the Ministry Focus Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Step 3: Enlisting Planters and Partners While Clarifying Roles . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Step 4: Discover and Commit Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Step 5: Mobilize Sponsoring Congregations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Step 6: Support Birthing Process and Ongoing Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Step 7: Celebrate and Communicate Church Multiplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

State and Canadian Southern Baptist Convention Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

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Foreword

O

ne hundred thousand Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) churches by the year 2020 is no ordinary vision. It is a vision that forces us to think outside the box, while forcing us to our knees. Outside of a movement from God, this vision will never be realized. However, for one moment imagine God’s Spirit moving across North America. Imagine thousands of pastors and laypeople being awakened to plant His church among all unreached people groups in North America. This is our vision: large churches, small churches, traditional churches, nontraditional churches, churches being planted by pastors and laypeople in schools, prisons, office buildings, storefronts, factories, on campuses, et cetera. It is our prayer that Seven Steps for Planting Churches can serve as a simple resource in the hands of scores of ordinary people committed to do an extraordinary work. With this in mind, we see a day when there will be 100,000 healthy churches dotting the landscape of North America. To this end we present this resource to you.

Dennis Mitchell, Director Strategic Readiness Team, Church Planting Group North American Mission Board, SBC

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Introduction: Getting Ready for Parenting Besides God Himself, the greatest resource for church planting is the existing church.

Richard H. Harris

The articulated conviction noted here from the vice president of the Church Planting Group of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), has resulted in this resource. It is to help prepare church leaders for the joys and challenges of birthing a new congregation. The New Testament is relatively quiet on the subject of church reproduction and for good reason. Just like childbearing, reproduction should be natural. For churches new to the parenting process, there are a number of questions that should be addressed before committing to parenting.

Do you understand the basic purpose of the partnering/sponsoring church?

Is the new church flowing from a God-given vision to reduce the unreached population? Is the church ready for (or needing) the changes that partnering entails?

Consider for a moment your image of a church. Is it stained glass windows topped by a towering white steeple keeping watch over a town square? For many, this image is the epitome of what a church looks like.

In a growing number of North American communities, such images of church are fading from memory or never existed. At the same time, the population in most urban areas is growing two or three times faster than the growth rate of Protestant churches. In Rhode Island, only one Southern Baptist church exists for every 131,000 people—the lowest SBC church-to-population ratio in the United States. In Canada, that number increases to nearly 200,000 for every SBC church. At the time of printing, Mississippi has the best church-to-population ratio with one SBC church for every 1,396 people.1 So put away your picture of the church with stained glass and a steeple, and think instead of churches as “redemption centers� that build bridges to their communities. These bridges carry ministries that meet needs and take the 1

Seven Steps for Planting Churches gospel to new people.

They energize Christians to go out and make new disciples. And they look for places that need new churches to meet more needs.

Population-to-church ratio in the United States and Canada by geography

Together with state Southern Baptist conventions, NAMB has made church planting a major priority so that Southern Baptists now lead all denominations in new church starts.

NAMB has envisioned and articulated a goal of doubling the number of SBC churches by the year 2020.

“It’s a God-sized goal,” says Richard Harris.“It will absolutely be a supernatural movement of God when it happens. We believe that’s what He can do and wants to do. And He can use us as well as other evangelical Christians to do it.” To reach that goal of 100,000 SBC churches by 2020, Southern Baptists need to help start 2,500 new churches in 2005. Subsequent years call for adding 100 more new churches to the previous year’s goal, ultimately leading to a goal of 4,000 new church starts in 2020.

“We know statistically that churches 10 years of age or older average 2.5 baptisms per 100 resident members,” says Harris.“However, churches 10 years old or younger average 10.8 baptisms per 100 resident members. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that if you’re going to evangelize North America, church planting is essential.” These new churches may—or may not—look like traditional Southern Baptist churches; buildings complete with stained glass windows, choir lofts, and tall, white steeples. Many new churches meet in homes, schools, coffeehouses, or even shopping centers. But their presence cannot be underestimated, especially when millions of spiritually embattled people are seeking an eternal peace and hope found only in a personal relationship with Jesus.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Even with all the resources, support, and strategies, Harris admits that the degree that this church planting movement impacts North America and Canada is contingent solely on the willingness of followers of Christ to step out in obedience to a clear biblical mandate.

“Healthy Christians should be reproducing other Christians through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit just like healthy churches should be reproducing other churches,” says Harris.“When God shows us a need, He has already met that need if we will get on His agenda. And God’s will is God’s bill when it comes to any task on His agenda.”2 I believe healthy leaders lead healthy churches—and healthy churches multiply themselves. This short book is designed to help you through each step of the church reproduction process. Although most will find reading this book sequentially to be most beneficial, it has been designed to allow you, the reader, to jump to the step that is most relevant for you at the moment. The Appendixes have been designed to provide often-requested resources. At the end of some chapters, starting points and resources for that step are provided.

Note: Throughout the rest of this resource as well as in future resources, the sponsoring church, parenting church, or partnering church will be referred to as the partnering church. The vision and goals of all three aforementioned types of churches (as well as others that may be used but not mentioned here) are often one in the same although they may be referenced differently. This implies no difference on our part in the philosophy, challenges, or regard given to a sponsoring church, parenting church, or partnering church now nor at any time. We are simply streamlining terminology for the sake of clarity in our communication.

Notes 1. OnMission magazine, March-April, 2002.

2. Most of the above text was taken from “Starting Healthy Churches,” OnMission magazine, March-April, 2003.

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Step

Casting a Vision for Multiplying “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18, KJV).

“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained” (Prov. 29:18, NASB).

During the Jesus Movement, the story is told of a small but growing Baptist church that was on fire for the Lord. One of the newer members of the church used his artistic talents to paint a mural behind the frequently used baptistery. Across the painted sky he chose to include the words from Proverbs 29:18,“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”Years later, one of the young men whose life was dramatically changed through the ministry of this once vibrant church returned to worship while on a business trip to that community. When he pulled up to the church, the parking lot that was once filled with cars and motorcycles was now filled with weeds. A paltry collection of vehicles in the lot gave hint that a church was still there. Once inside, a handful of people occupied the once crowded auditorium. The building’s disrepair was evident. The most telling sign was the mural over the baptistery. Whatever the cause—neglect, oversight, or simple apathy—no one in the congregation had seemed to notice that the “W” on the word “Where” had chipped off. Almost prophetically, the mural now read,“Here there is no vision, the people perish.”

If you are like many church leaders, you dream of leading a congregation like the one in the story above during its heyday—but are faced with the reality of a church that is more like the one at the end of the story—a church that has lost it’s vision. This book is designed to help you lead your congregation to catch the vision for multiplication through church planting as a partnering church.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches The vision for church planting flows from the Great Commission Jesus gave to His church. In this commission, Jesus defines the target as “all nations.” From the original Greek, ta eqnh (ta ethne) has been translated most often as “the nations.” Today, we consider nations in terms of geography; however, the term is best understood as people groups. In fact, our English word ethnic comes from the Greek word ethne meaning people.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matt.

28:18-20, KJV).

The number of people groups, when tabulated, are astonishing and are projected to change the demographics of America. More than 85 million people in the United States make up 200 people groups other than Anglo. By 2050, approximately 47 percent of the United States population is projected to be non-Anglo.1 Obedience to the Great Commission requires making disciples among every people group.

Ed Stetzer helps church leaders comprehend this biblical concept with the illustration of a waffle. If viewed horizontally and at eye level, the waffle appears to be flat. However, when one turns the waffle to its side, the surface projections of the waffle become apparent. Many church members (and leaders) view their communities like the horizontal waffle. They do not see the projections of society that make up the varied cultural and social groups. Although the top of the waffle may contain many people, it is unlikely that one church can reach both the surface and the subcultures of a community.

The Great Commission demands that we go into the cultures (nations). Often, the best way to accomplish this task is through church planting. Consider the following question, then read again Christ’s Commission: “Can the Great Commission be fulfilled without the planting of new churches?” It is hard to imagine a scenario that allows for the fulfillment of the Great Commission without planting thousands of new churches.

In His departing words to His disciples, Jesus said,“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the 6

Seven Steps for Planting Churches earth” (Acts 1:8, NASB). Many have viewed this commission to be concentric circles. However, the best rendering of this passage is simultaneous mission work. The word “all” translated is best understood as “all the peoples” of Judea, “all the peoples” of Samaria—and “all the peoples” beyond. The early church accomplished this commission through church planting. And the marching orders given to the original gathering of disciples are still in effect today.

The original impetus for becoming a partnering church may come from one of many directions. There have been situations where a church planter came to me in need of a partner. At other times, I have gone to churches as a church planting missionary and asked the pastor to pray about becoming a partnering church. But when it comes down to casting the vision for church planting—the most powerful motivation will be your ability to say,“I know that this is what God wants us to do.” That is where the vision becomes a nonnegotiable aspect of the church planting process.

Receiving the Vision Receiving God’s picture of what can be (the vision) is a lot like receiving His blessings. Often, they are unexpected. Many times we feel they are undeserved.

But most of the time, the Lord’s blessings flow from obedience. The church leader whose eyes are open to the needs of his community will be receptive to reaching people groups that are going unreached by his and other churches.

Jesus said,“Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (John 4:35, NASB). Vision will seldom come to those whose eyes are upon themselves and not upon the fields of souls.

A vision from God is also not dependent upon the resources that are already in place. God will often use what a church already has—just think of Moses—did God use that shepherd’s staff or what! In the Leadership Challenge, the authors write,“Visions are statements of destination . . . they are therefore future-oriented and are made real over different spans of time.”2 The challenge many partner churches make is to overestimate what can be accomplished in one year, and underestimate what can happen over five years. As a Great Commission activity, leading out to start a new church is an activity that the Lord Jesus Himself assures us of His presence (“I am with you. . . .”) and His power. (Matt. 28:20 and Acts 1:8). Only disobedience—such as impatience—can hinder His plan.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches The vision for the new work sometimes originates with the planter. Most church planters look for a place they want to go to and where they are invited. The vision sometimes starts in the mind of the church planter strategist or director of missions. I have worked with churches where the vision came to the pastor of the partnering church. Another time, the vision arose from an associational strategy planning process. If the vision is from God, the partnering church, church planter, and other partners should all have a clear sense of God’s bestowal of the vision.

What is important is that the church plant itself flows out of a clear vision from God.3

Impediments to Vision The potential impediments to vision are as varied as a list of sins. That said, some of the common impediments to vision are listed.

Vision Hijacking: This term has been used to describe the process whereby members who join a new church following the launch impose their plan and ideas upon the church, thus, hijacking the original vision.4 The same dynamics can take place when members of a partnering church superimpose their church’s vision on the new work. If the vision came to the partner church and is different from the planter’s vision, then they may have called the wrong planter.

Take a moment and contemplate the implications of an airline hijacking. The negative consequences are similar when a vision from a source other than God is superimposed upon a new work. Not only does the new work not arrive at its God-ordained destination, the spiritual vitality of the members is jeopardized, and resources are wasted. Vision hijacking is most likely to occur when the original vision is unclear.

Apathy and Neglect: The vision for partnering a new congregation can be clouded by apathy and neglect. These two sins often creep in so slowly that they go unnoticed. As a young church planter, I served a church in which a broken mirror in the men’s bathroom illustrated how apathy can sneak up on a church.

The morning the mirror broke one of the members said,“We need to get this fixed right away.” Another said,“Curtis (the church handyman) is good at this.”

Everyone agreed that it would be wise to have Curtis replace the mirror.

However, Curtis was on vacation. After Curtis returned, the broken mirror was mentioned a few more times, but since Curtis seldom used the church 8

Seven Steps for Planting Churches bathroom, he never actually saw the broken mirror. By now, all the men who used the bathroom had gotten used to the broken mirror. The next summer, a visitor came to me after the service and said,“I thought you might want to know that there’s a broken mirror in your bathroom. You may want to hurry and get it fixed before someone gets hurt.” Ouch!

In a similar way, one can go through life oblivious to the changes in one’s community that might necessitate a new church. We may overlook people groups in places such as apartment complexes, retirement centers, new subdivisions and communities that our church does not or cannot reach. Most ominous is the very real possibility of overlooking the Great Commission.

The Fear of Failure In a survey of church leaders in one state Baptist convention, the fear of failure was the most often voiced reason for not starting new work. No leader wants to invest time and resources into a project that fails. Many leaders have heard the statistic that states two-thirds of all church starts fail. However, in the state I served as a church planting missionary, four out of five succeeded. The key to success is planning. And the partnering church makes the difference. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven® Church points out that one of the reasons new churches fail is that “they are started with uneducated enthusiasm.”

Many failures are related to a lack of support, a lack of planning, and a lack of leadership. If the partnering church provides more than mere partnership in name only, this fear can generally be averted. As author Bill Tinsley says, those who never fail in church planting are the ones who never attempt to start churches.5 I would change this to,“The only churches that always fail in church planting are those who never try.”

It is true that nobody likes to fail. No leader wants to invest time and resources into a project that fails. Both Genesis 26:15-22 and Matthew 13:3-8 remind us that not everything we dig, seed, or sow will be successful.

The Cost of Partnership Another concern raised by potential partnering churches is the cost of partnering. Few parents would dream of basing their decision to have children upon the potential cost. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it costs the average family $170,460 to raise each child between the ages of 0 to 17 years.6 And that is before college expenses kick in! Despite the cost, people 9

Seven Steps for Planting Churches continue to have children. Churches need to accept the reality of the cost issues, and focus on God’s provision. The following passages serve as a reminder of God’s economics.

• Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (KJV) • Matthew 25:14, Parable of the Talents. Investing in the kingdom will please the King.

• Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (KJV) • 2 Corinthians 9:6, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” (KJV) • Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (KJV) The liability factor: New work partnership entails benefits and liabilities. Unless clearly stated otherwise, the mission falls under the umbrella of the mother church. If the mission meets in the facilities of the mother church, generally little needs to be done as long as the church abides by the policies of the mother church. If meeting in another facility, questions of insurance, child protection, tax-exempt status, and finances will need to be clearly dealt with.

Waiting for More Growth J. Paul Getty, once the richest man in the world, was asked after installing a pay phone in his mansion,“How much is enough?” His classic answer,“Just a little more,” describes the attitude of many leaders when asked,“How large should a church be before partnering to start a new church?”7 I have worked with successful partners that averaged fewer than 30 in attendance. Others, running over 1,000 in membership, have declined the challenge to partner a new work on the basis,“We’re just not big enough yet.”

Many established churches share their facilities with immigrants and ethnic groups in an effort to share their faith and give a hand to a new congregation.

By planting a church within a church, congregations have become churches without borders.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Rodney Webb, of NAMB’s Church Multiplication Team says,“A large percentage of ethnic work is started in another church’s building. Partnering churches don’t need to be big—they just need to be willing.”8

Casting the Vision The greatest help for casting your vision may come from those who have recently and successfully parented new churches. For example, consider the words of one partnering church pastor in an e-mail sent to the church planting missionary who encouraged him to lead out in partnering a new church.

Thank the Lord, our church is doing better than ever with income since we started the mission. The attendance is up, and we have gained several new members—as well as more baptisms than last year. And finances, wow!

We can always use more, but we are really receiving above budget in recent months. 9 Casting the vision means keeping the vision before the people. Effective leaders weave the vision for the new work into their messages, their church programs, through the Sunday School and small-group ministries and other forms of church communication.

I once fished using the same lure and cast hour after hour. Pastor Jim Williams, who combines fishing for men with his passion for fishing for fish, showed me the importance of changing lures and approaches when fishing. The effective leader will discover and use appropriate times and methods to cast and communicate the vision for church planting.

Starting Points for Casting a Vision for Multiplying ❑ Have I actively sought a vision from God for partnering with a new work? ❑ Is apathy, neglect, sin, or other impediments to parenting keeping the leadership from hearing and seeing the opportunities for involvement as a partner church? ❑ Have I considered the fears and objections that may arise? ❑ Have I talked to others whose churches have successfully partnered a new work? ❑ Have I cast the vision for our involvement in a 30-second, 3-minute and 30-minute presentation?

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Cooperative Relationships 1. The local Baptist association: http://www.sbc.net/stateconvassoc.asp Check your state first. A list of local associations is provided under each state convention listing.

2. The area church planting missionary www.namb.net/root/beonmission/missionaries.

3. The Baptist state convention http://www.sbc.net/stateconvassoc.asp.

4. Additional congregations that may wish to partner in the new congregation.

Additional Resources 1. Seven Steps for Planting Churches, Planter Edition. Available from the North American Mission Board, Readiness Team. Contact: CPGresources@namb.net.

2.“Time-Share Your Church,” OnMission magazine, September-October 2000. http://www.onmission.com/webzine/sept_oct00/time_share.htm.

3. Visit: www.ChurchPlantingVillage.net.

Notes 1. “Sharing Christ Across Cultures,” OnMission magazine, March-April, 2001.

2. James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner, Tom Peters, Leader Challenge (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996), p. 100.

3. Seven Steps for Planting Churches, Planter Edition (NAMB, Alpharetta, Ga.: 203), p. 11.

4. Ed Stetzer, Planting Churches in a Postmodern Age (Nashville: Holman, 2003), p. 179.

5. See Bill Tinsley, Breaking the Mold (Dallas: Creative Church Consultations, 1996), p. 95.1.

6. “The Cost of Raising Children,” http://moneycentral.msn.com/articles/family/kids/tlkidscost.asp.

Accessed February 3, 2004.

7. http://www.luthersem.edu/stewardship/daabase.asp?filter+illustration. Accessed February 3, 2004.

8. “Time-Share Your Church,” OnMission magazine, September-October, 2000.

9. This e-mail was sent to author from Jack Gallagher, pastor of the Prosperity Avenue Baptist Church, Tulare, Calif. It was written six months after their church had launched a new work in the same

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Step

Identifying the Ministry Focus Group “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it” (1 Cor. 9:19-23, NASB).

I’ve heard it said that if you don’t know what you’re aiming at, you’ll hit it every time. This is analogous to the saying,“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will do.” As a partnering church, the vision for parenting becomes your road map, and reducing the unchurched population through making disciples (in both your church and the new church) becomes the aim of your partnering church’s involvement.

In chapter one, I referenced the waffle. This second of the seven steps to partnering with a new church is akin to pinpointing the surface projections of the waffle that will be targeted by the church plant. Some churches will be responsible for identifying the area of the community in which the new church will be planted. For others, the ministry focus group will have already been identified, and the sponsor/parenting church’s role identified as one of support and resourcing.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Identifying the ministry focus group is much more than targeting a particular people for a new church plant. Identifying the ministry focus group is the process of developing a portrait of people who will reveal their spiritual aspirations, their real and felt needs, their values, their lifestyles and the way they look at their world. It is the skillful application what can best be described as cultural exegesis.

The partnering church’s involvement will enable the planter to apply God’s truth to the surface projections of the waffle with confidence and relevance.

Aubrey Malphurs lists five things that church partners and planters can do in order to develop this community portrait.

1. Build relationships with non-Christians.

2. Listen to the culture.

3. Read what (community) people are reading.

4. Collect and interpret demographic and psychographic data.

5. Develop and implement a community survey.1 For additional help, visit: demographics@namb.net.

Many planters will be tempted to skip the labor-intensive survey. Not only should the planter be strongly discouraged from sidestepping the survey process, he should be accountable that he will do it! The partnering church should, when possible, play a supportive role by availing both people and resources to assist the planter in this survey process. Perhaps it would be better for the partner church to identify the focus group then find a planter that fits the people. There is no easy way to accurately gather community information.

Up-to-date demographics and psychographic profiles are beneficial, but the best way to understand the community into which the gospel seed is to be planted is to visit with as many people as possible. A reasonable goal before the launch would be 10 percent of the homes in the ministry focus group visited.

To ensure the usefulness of this information, several carefully chosen questions should be asked. These might include: • Why do you think many people don’t attend church these days?

• What do you believe are the greatest needs in this community?

• What kind of music are you most likely to listen to?

• What kinds of ministries should a new church offer this community?

• What would you identify as the most important, unresolved issue in our world today?

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches • If a close friend invited you to church, would you consider accepting the invitation?

• Would you be open to receiving information about a new church or home Bible study in your neighborhood?2 The survey information will help the planter and partner church understand the opportunities and challenges they face. Understanding the focus group can help prevent one of the greatest dangers a new church faces—that of alienating their target group by the use of inappropriate methods. For some sponsoring congregations, helping the members understand that the new church will be using means and methods different from those employed by the sponsoring church is confusing. Why not do it the same way? Communicating the results of the survey—or better, having members help with the survey—will assist the sponsoring church members understand the missiological approach to church planting being used.

In a survey taken in preparation for a church start in Frazier Park, Calif., the survey team rated each home visit on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being hostile (i.e., door slammed in face) and 5 being opening, as in,“We’ve been waiting for you to start a church here.” Although such ratings were subjective, the results were telling. First, through the survey we discovered two “persons of peace”—families who were willing to host a home Bible study. Secondly, the team discovered pockets of the community that were significantly more responsive to a church plant than others. During the survey, community members also provided helpful insights into the community.

In another survey in Ventura, Calif., the church planter was questioning whether the word “Baptist” should be included in the name. A survey of the community in which the question,“What comes to mind when you think of the word “Baptist” resulted in hypocritical, legalistic, and uncompassionate as the top three answers. Needless to say, the planter opted not to use “Baptist” in the name of the new church. The same question, when asked in Frazier Park, resulted in a totally different result. Most respondents were neutral to the term or believed that Baptists were a “good group” of people. There, the planter and the sponsor opted to include Baptist in the name of the new church.

Surveys are also important to establishing the spiritual condition of the community. For many church plants in North America the objective of the new work will be reconnecting the “opt outs”—those who have a strong religious memory. People living in areas with a high number of opt outs will require a 15

Seven Steps for Planting Churches different approach than those in areas of radically unchurched people. In his excellent book The Unchurched Next Door, Thom Rainer addresses this issue in detail.3 His “Rainer Scale” identifies the faith stages of the unchurched on a scale of 1 to 5 and is a helpful tool during this step. Included in his book are several approaches to reaching people within each faith stage.

Missional Thinking In the New Testament, the first churches were planted among God-fearers.

These were men and women who embraced a worldview and culture similar to that of the church planter. However, by the time Paul got to Athens, the ministry focus group had changed. His target group was then a pluralistic populace that embraced a totally different worldview to that of the predominantly Jewish focus group of Acts 2. Both groups needed the gospel. Yet, the approach used to reach these groups differed radically.

In Acts 2:16, Peter basically is able to say,“Open your Bible to the book of Joel.”

However, by the time he arrived in Acts 17, Paul, knowing that the Scriptures held no special authority in the hearts of his hearers, employed a radically different tactic. There, he first explored the city, studied its inhabitants, and because of this, he was able to draw a mental portrait of the people living in Athens.

Because the apostle spent time learning the culture, when he finally engaged the Athenians in evangelistic conversation, he was able to speak the Word of Truth from an informed position of greater affinity. Ian Buntain notes that the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who heard Paul were not required to jump through the “hoops” of Christian culture (or to Christian cultural icons) to become fully engaged in the spiritual discovery process. They did not have to know when to sit or when to stand; they were not required to “turn to” obscure passages in a book. Paul began with their area of expertise—even to the point of quoting some of their own poets (see Acts 17:28).4 What becomes clear is that in places like the Jerusalem of Acts 2, where there is a well-seeded, pre-evangelized culture, the gospel can be communicated with relative ease, and the primary question that the church planter must answer is: “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). In such communities, the newly informed believers can then be quickly grafted onto the new church. However, in most of the urban centers of America, Canada, and many cultural groups 16

Seven Steps for Planting Churches where the “soil of souls” is an unseeded, unevangelized culture, we will most likely be required to answer the question,“What is this babbler trying to say” (Acts 17:18, NIV)?

If a planter finds himself in Athens-like Canada, or one of the increasingly pluralistic urban centers of America, he may be frustrated in his attempts to launch a church through what has become the traditional method of preview services followed by a launch-large public service.5 In pre-Christian Athens (Canada or America), the planter may discover a ministry focus group that requires a continuing conversation before its members can come to belief. The results that can then be expected in this kind of context are,“Some of them sneered, . . . others said,‘We want to hear you again on this subject. . . .’ [and] “A few men became followers . . . and believed.” (Acts 17:32-34, NIV).

Demographics Two of the most common tools used to identify and understand the ministry focus group are demographic and psychographic studies. Be forewarned that these tools can mislead if used incorrectly. In Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age, Ed Stetzer warns of the “Fallacy of Average.”6 This problem arises when the demographic study covers an area that includes people groups outside of the ministry focus group. For example, one church planter in California was excited when the demographic study showed the average age of his ministry focus group was 34 years—the exact age he was targeting. However, it turned out that almost no-one 30-39 years old lived in his focus area. The average stemmed from a large number of “busters” and their young children and a high number of couples over 60. The same fallacy of average can occur with other demographic statistics.

This problem of “fallacy of average” can be greatly minimized by clarifying the area to be studied. The most commonly requested demographic study areas are ZIP codes. However, these also result in a high fallacy of average. Many communities of 50,000 residents are covered by one ZIP code. A better approach is to use “census tracts.” Demographics can also be requested using street boundaries, driving times and “micro-grids.”

When requesting demographic and lifestyle reports, remember the old computer adage—garbage in—garbage out. Generally, the only way to receive useful information is to have firsthand knowledge of the area for which you are requesting demographic information.

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Starting Points for Identifying Ministry Focus Group ❑ Ensure that the vision for church planting partnership is focused. ❑ Gather demographic and psychographic data from your state or Canadian Baptist convention or NAMB. ❑ Consult and initiate partnership with associational director of missions or (in Canada) area church planting catalyst. ❑ Enlist workers to help with the community survey and execute survey. Use as an opportunity to promote vision casting. ❑ Assist the church planting team in establishing a budget and calendar for the survey work. ❑ Provide clerical help in the gathering and analysis of the survey data. ❑ Help the planter to use gathered data to create a “portrait” of his community and then how to use that portrait to develop a ministry strategy that will lead to relevance. ❑ Give prayerful consideration to sending out members who share the vision and fit the ministry focus group profile to join the new work. This is especially helpful if the partnering church is in close proximity to the new work ministry focus group.

Cooperative Relationships 1. State Baptist convention church planting leaders 2. Associational directors of missions 3. Readiness Team, Church Planting Group, NAMB 4. Research Team, NAMB

Additional Resources 1. Contact your state or Canadian Baptist convention for available demographic resources.

2. Logan, Robert E., and Steven L. Ogne. The Church Planter’s Toolkit: A Self-Study Resource Kit for Church Planters and Those Who Supervise Them.

Alto Loma, California: ChurchSmart Resources, 1991. See 3-14 to 316 for resources.

3. Canada online resources: www.statcan.ca/.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches 4. United States online resources www.census.gov.

5. Most communities in the United States and Canada will post demographic information on community web pages.

6. Psychographic/Lifestyle Research: Probe 2 (available through NAMB).

Notes 1. Aubrey Malphurs, Planting and Growing Churches for the 21st Century: A Comprehensive Guide for New Churches and Those Desiring Renewal, 2nd. ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), pp. 175-77.

2. Adapted from Ian Buntain’s doctoral thesis on cultural exegesis. These questions are closely related to those used by Rich Warren in his original community survey work. Note that Seven Steps for Planting Churches assisted Saddleback Community Church’s survey.

3. Thom Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003).

4. From a paper presented to the North American Mission Board by Ian Buntain.

5. Buntain notes: “These are sometimes called ‘Preview Services’ and although they are commonly used in Canada and the United States by those who espouse Rick Warren’s Purpose-Driver Church” model, Warren specifically warns against using events to drive one’s ministry (see Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Church, p. 79).

6. Ed Stetzer, Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2003), p. 179.

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3

Step

Enlisting Planters and Partners While Clarifying Roles “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4: 9-12, NKJV).

A student of mine works for United Parcel Service (UPS). His job is loading the brown trucks—a grueling task that involves much lifting.

A prerequisite to employment is the ability to lift 70 pounds by one’s self, or 150 pounds with a partner. Now, in grade school I learned that 70 and 70 totaled 140, not 150. Can it be that UPS understands the scriptural truth behind Ecclesiastes 4:9 better than many church leaders?

Bob Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board, notes,“The essence of successful partnership is synergy—the theory that the outcome of the whole is far greater than the sum of the parts. Two people working together can accomplish more than the total of what each does individually.

So partnering is the effective leveraging of assets, abilities, and strengths.”1 However, to effectively leverage assets and create synergy, each participant must be working toward the same vision. The resources for this step will help the various partners achieve the “good reward for their labor” as seen in the above Scripture.

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Steps to Developing Partnerships According to Dennis Mitchell of NAMB’s Church Planting Group, as of July 2 2001, only 5.2 percent of Southern Baptist churches are partnering new works.

More churches want to be involved but are not familiar with the processes for involvement. A survey of pastors and staff from 38 churches in California revealed that not one had received training in college, seminary, or through their continuing leadership development that would have prepared them to lead their individual congregations to birth a new work.3 It is not surprising that many partnering church leaders feel unclear about their role. This step is designed to help bring the partnering churches’ role into focus.

It should be noted that not every point will be relevant for every situation, so feel free to skim through those that are not pertinent to your situation.

Multiple Church Planting Partners Engaging multiple partnering churches for a church plant is a task that should not be ignored. For starters, requesting partnerships is biblical. Paul, in his letter to the church at Rome, boldly asks the church to partner with him in starting a new work in Spain (Rom. 15:24). In an attempt to strengthen the work in Jerusalem, Paul drew up a strategy of multiple ministry partners. On his missionary journeys, Paul sought out the best members of the church to join him in the missionary task of church planting. Paul’s ministry followed a pattern: form a team to go, as you are going tell people about Jesus, and as they believe organize them into local churches. Paul’s ministry is replete with examples of establishing partnerships to accomplish these goals.

An obvious benefit of multiple church planting partners is that they can share the load. When our Lord said to His followers, Come, you who are weak and heavy laden—take my yoke upon you (see Matt. 11:28), He was saying, join Me (notice, the yoke is His, not ours) and together we’ll carry the load. An example would be a church plant I worked with in the West. The primary partner provided housing and financial support for the church planter. Other partnering churches provided supplementary financial support, ongoing prayer support, help with visitation and evangelism, and a one-time welcome gift for the church planter and his family, which brings us to another benefit of multiple partnerships, an opportunity for entry level church planting involvement.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Sixty percent of churches average fewer than 100 adults in worship.4 Where I am in the Midwest, it is not unusual to find churches that are much smaller. A congregation of 25 to 50 could be considered robust in the context of many communities. For some of these smaller congregations, taking on the role as a primary partner of a new work would be intimidating at best, and a disaster at worst. For these congregations, becoming a copartner or partnering church can be a great entry point into Great Commission mission work. Clarifying the role these partners play will help ensure a positive experience for them and the new work and promote continued involvement as a partnering church. Consider the following account.

The director of missions (DOM) asked the pastor of a small, rural congregation to consider helping with a new language church being planted in a neighboring community. As the pastor was readying his torrent of excuses, the DOM explained that what he really needed was for a church to adopt the church planter and his family by providing food and cleaning supplies for their new apartment. He went on to share his dream of the planter and his wife walking into their new apartment and finding the pantry filled, refrigerator full and cleaning cabinets stocked. After a few moments, the pastor said,“You mean, like an old fashioned pounding?”5 The church went on to accept the assignment, with the anticipated results. Later, the pastor came back to the DOM and said, “Our church would like to do this again. Next time you have a church that is starting, we would like to do even more.”

What churches do you know of that could be entry level partners?

POWER in partnership Michael Ebert writes,“Can we share Christ by ourselves? Sure. Can God bring someone to Himself without any help from us at all? Without a doubt! But joining arms with fellow believers in the effort to reach people for Christ brings all kinds of advantages that, on our own, we don’t have.” In short, partnership gives us more power for sharing Christ. Using POWER as an acronym, Elbert makes a strong case for partnerships!6 Perseverance. The strength gained in teaming with other Christians also gives us endurance. Alone, our fear, lack of experience or desire to be comfortable might cause us to give up when things get tough, but the partnership of other Christians will help us press on.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Opportunity. Sometimes on my own I don’t see all the open doors available to me for telling others about Christ. Other Christians and my church can open my eyes to dozens of faith-sharing opportunities I didn’t even know existed.

Worldwide impact. Partnerships can take me beyond my normal sphere of influence. Missionaries are the best example of this partnership. My partners were introduced to Christ by a Southern Baptist pastor while Dad served in the navy in Yokohama, Japan, during the Vietnam War. If it hadn’t been for the faithful prayers and offerings of Southern Baptists in churches back in the United States, that pastor might never have made it to Japan. Through prayer, financial support, and by helping to educate others, we can support believers who are ministering in places we’ll never see and impacting people we’ll never meet.

Encouragement. Isolation breeds discouragement, but a partnership forged to accomplish a worthy goal energizes and helps build momentum. After the Vietnam War, studies showed that prisoners held in complete isolation were more likely to break down under interrogation and give information to the enemy. But prisoners who could interact—even if only by tapping Morse code on the walls—held up to the rigors of captivity much better. Just as interaction with allies strengthened prisoners of war, fellowship with other believers gives us strength for our mission.

Resources. Christians partnering together can support each other with money, ideas, communication, materials, our time. In that effort, I once volunteered for a few days at a new mission church just outside of Atlanta. The building needed a lot of work and materials to ready it for the worship services scheduled to begin in a few weeks. The people living in the surrounding neighborhood didn’t have the economic means to keep the mission operating. But the financial partnership of a church in another Atlanta suburb and the time given by volunteers made the renovation possible.

God has created us as interdependent beings and we are more productive and effective when we band together (Heb. 10:24-25). Ebert concludes his thoughts on partnerships with this story.

Our pastor drove this point home one Sunday not long ago when he handed each of us in the congregation a piece of string about 16 inches long. “On your own,” he said, “you can put a hook at the end of your string and catch a few fish.”

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Then he instructed some of us to tie our strings to the strings of those sitting to our right and left. Others were instructed to tie their strings to those in the rows in front of them. After sorting out some tangled string, our congregation had joined to form a huge net spanning the entire worship center.

“Just think how many more fish we can catch together,” our pastor noted.7 An added word of caution is that partnerships only function effectively when there is consistent communication and team planning. The greater the number of partners, the more communication and planning must be done as there are more lines of communication to keep open. The fewer number of partners needed to effectively plant the church, the better. The primary reason to add more partners than necessary to effectively plant the church would be if part of the vision is to develop other churches into the Church Planting Process (CPP).

Enlisting the Right Church Planter If your partnering strategy included finding a church planter, some on the search team may be tempted to call the first willing soul. Bad idea. A denominational leader in Canada once told me that any church planter with a Southern accent is a death sentence to success. My personal experiences in Minnesota provided ample support, although not complete agreement, to his statement. Steve Melton, state missions director for the Minnesota-Wisconsin Southern Baptist Convention has said,“Our greatest need is for indigenous church planters. Ones who won’t leave the first time it hits 30 below zero.”

Where can a mission-minded church discover the right church planter?

Current Membership There may be someone in your church who God has burdened with an area in need of a church. At Trinity Baptist Church, Wamego, Kan., retirees Gail and Barbara Dexter felt a growing sense that they needed to be involved in reaching people outside the church. When they mentioned the area they were burdened for they discovered the area they wanted to help was already targeted for a new church by the association. The couple went on to plant Emmanuel Southern Baptist Church in Manhattan, Kan., with Trinity Baptist serving as the partnering congregation.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches As the church leadership begins to cast a vision of participating in a church planting movement do not be surprised to have laymen step forward. In the Second Great Awakening the Methodists grew in the South by 300 percent utilizing circuit riding clergymen. That is great growth. During the same period, Baptists grew by 400 percent through the ministries of laymen serving as farmer-preachers.8 A godly layman who is already established in a community has tremendous advantages over someone moving into the area. Besides calling out laymen from your church God may also burden one of the church staff members to lead a daughter congregation. The booklet Discovery Tools is an invaluable resource in helping potential church planting leaders discover their church planting potential.

Information on obtaining this free resource is included at the end of this step.

Associations and State Baptist Conventions: Over the years, some of the best planters I have worked with were referred by associational directors of missions.

After the local church, the local association is a great place to look for church planters. State conventions and many local associations have personnel assigned church planting responsibilities. The people are aware of individual church planters seeking partnership and ministry opportunities. A list of state Baptist conventions is included at the end of this book.

North American Mission Board: The Church Planting Group coordinates the resources and training of church planting networks throughout North America.

Churches can visit www.ChurchPlantingVillage.net or call the home office in Alpharetta, Ga. Southern Baptist Colleges and Seminaries: The state conventions and NAMB have partnered with seven Southern Baptist Convention seminaries in North America and Canada, creating the Nehemiah Project. Each seminary has a Nehemiah Project director who oversees the identification, recruitment, development, and deployment of church planting interns in North America. These interns usually qualify for Nehemiah Project funding when appointed to an approved Nehemiah church plant location. Campus directors also maintain information on many students who feel called to church planting but do not fulfill all the requirements of the Nehemiah program.

Several colleges and non-Southern Baptist seminaries are also involved in the Nehemiah Partnership. These students have taken church planting courses developed by NAMB. Many of these students have participated in the Church Planter Assessment process. Some may qualify for appointment as US/C2 church planting missionaries.

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Is the Planter a Match?

When identifying a church planter and potential team members, the question must be asked,“Do they fit the community we are attempting to reach?� In a church in Kansas City, the planting team and community were a classic mismatch, and the church plant never got off the ground. In retrospect, a change in location of only a few of miles and the planting team and community would have been a much greater match.

Appendix 9 is a tool to assist in determining the compatibility of a church planter, core group, leadership team and the ministry focus, which is the community. All too often churches are planted with classic mismatches between the church planting team and the community. The objective is not necessarily to have a perfect match. It is to avoid so many areas of difference that the new church is stillborn.

The MCN: Connecting with Other Churches With the help of many partners in the field, the Church Planting Group has developed a resource to undergird the Multiplying Church Network (MCN).

One potential outcome of the MCN is for churches to partner together in planting new churches. The MCN process presents an enjoyable, easy to follow plan that encourages the natural development of partnerships through relationships that already exist among the churches. Additional information about MCN is included in Step 5.

Do not be surprised if other churches in your local association are also looking for opportunities to help in a church planting effort. Just like the church potluck, it is amazing what can happen when everyone brings a little something to the table.

Clarifying the Roles Understanding the Roles of the Parties Involved: The best way to ensure a great experience for the church planter and the partnering church is to have a written covenant stating the responsibilities and expectations of each party.

First, Build the Relationship. After the church has determined with whom God would have them partner, the partnering church and the church planter need to cultivate relationships. Depending on the church planting timeline many things 27

Seven Steps for Planting Churches can be done to strengthen the relationship. Some church planters know their deployment locations six months or more prior to relocation. In such a case, the planter may be able to visit the partnership church on several occasions prior to deployment.

One church planter appointed to a New England state utilized a missions team from one of his partnering churches to complete a week of critical survey work several months prior to he and his wife arriving on the field. The planter worked with the partnering church during that week and developed close relationships with them during the weeklong experience.

Another useful tool in developing a close relationship between partner and church planter is the Internet. Frequent newsletters, mission reports, digital photos, and Web sites can help build partner/planter cohesion.

Next, spell out the roles and expectations.

The Church Planter Needs to Know . . .

The length of the partnership. The partnering church’s partnership needs to be more than one year to enable all of the partners to share the excitement of growth. Church planting is exactly that, planting. No seed immediately springs forth and bears fruit. In many North American locations, the church planter will not have credibility in the community until he has been there at least a year.

Northerners and Westerners all take pride in their cold or heat. It is common for a church planter to be asked,“How long are you going to be here?� To plant their lives in a community, the church planter needs to have the sense of stability multiple year partnerships provide. However, there must be a phasing out of support to help the young church develop into a healthy self-supporting body.

The faithfulness of the prayer support. A church planter arrived unannounced and late to a partnering church for Wednesday night prayer. He sat in the back of the auditorium only to find no mention in the weekly prayer list or in the prayers themselves concerning his family or the church plant.

Disappointment is an understatement. Specific and fervent prayer is the most important contribution the partnering church can make. The planter must know that his partnership churches are interceding in his behalf.

The level of missions team support. If the church plant is near the partnering church, frequent support of musicians, workers, and other needed personnel might be appropriate. Many plants in new work areas rely on partnerships with 28

Seven Steps for Planting Churches churches hundreds of miles away. The church planter needs to be able to plan his strategy knowing that the partnership church will provide a certain amount of missions team support. He cannot adequately plan Backyard Bible Clubs, Sports Camps, Servanthood Evangelism activities, survey work, or the myriad of other labor intensive activities unless he has a dependable labor pool. The plant and the partnering church will be blessed by the mission trips.

The amount of financial commitment. Without the Annie Armstrong OfferingÂŽ, the Cooperative Program dollars, NAMB assistance, the state convention, and local association involvement the church planter would be experiencing greater difficulty in his efforts. But, as stated earlier, that is not enough to reach North America. The church planter plans his strategy bathed in prayer expecting great things from God while operating within a financial reality.

The Partnering Church Needs to Know . . .

The church planter is a person of doctrinal integrity. Church planters who receive Cooperative Program support have an ethical responsibility to operate within the doctrinal parameters affirmed by the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention. The North American Mission Board’s interview process examines the doctrinal beliefs of each applicant. Additional issues need to be discussed.

The church planter is a person of moral integrity. Prior to NAMB’s approval, the church planter applicants are screened for anything that would bring embarrassment to the name of Christ and His church. After approval and appointment the church planter intern is expected to maintain that reputation!

Developing the Covenant There are many ways to approach the development of a partnering covenant.

One is to simply copy what others have done. The appeal to this approach is that it takes only a few minutes and it does not require much, if any, personal contact between the partnering church and the church planter. Such documents can be filed away, only to see the light of day when a problem arises and a finger needs to be pointed. In the past 15 years, I have seen several partnering church agreements where the form had been photocopied so many times that it was almost illegible and correction fluid had been used to change the names.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Another approach is the fill-in-the-blank form that allows some personalization and contextualization. Such a form is included in Appendix 2 and additional samples are available through www.ChurchPlantingVillage.net. Again, this type of form is appealing due to its simplicity and uniformity. Unlike the correction fluid approach, the fill-in-the-blank approach to developing a covenant generally requires someone from both groups to work to develop a working document.

My experience with such forms is that they usually look like a team of lawyers developed them, and they fail to effectively communicate the spirit and heart of the covenant. Such forms may be useful in more traditional church planting partnerships where cross-cultural and philosophical differences are minimal.

Due to the shortcomings of the first two approaches, some have begun to use what the Partnering Covenant Template found in Appendix 2. By asking the new work team and the partnering church leadership to answer a series of questions, using a scale of 1 to 5, it is possible to ascertain the areas of agreement and those of potential conflict. This has shown itself to be especially useful in language church starts where linguistic and cultural barriers to communication can become an issue.

After the partnering church and the church planter review the results of the completed templates, a covenant can be developed that reflects the actual issues that the partnering covenant needs to address. Using a template form addresses the time issue, as it provides a starting point for the covenant’s development, while resulting in a document that communicates the heart and spirit of the agreement. Another advantage is that the time spent developing the covenant promotes the partnering relationship between the church and mission leaders during the early phase of development. As with each approach, this one has some liabilities. The primary disadvantage to this process is that it takes more time and creative effort than the previous approaches. An originally unforeseen liability to using the template approach is that it can manifest differences in philosophy or ideology that might not have otherwise arisen. A case in point was a partnering situation that was stillborn following a philosophical disagreement between the partnering church pastor and the church planter on the role of the pastor. In reality, it was likely for the good that these two did not enter into a partnership. In spite of such liabilities, the time spent on covenant development will usually be time well spent.

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Starting Points for Enlisting Planters and Partners While Clarifying Roles ❑ Put together a Missions Partnership Team/Committee. ❑ Identify partnering churches—including entry level partners. ❑ Survey membership for interested individuals. ❑ Contact local, state, and SBC entities. ❑ Start or participate in a Multiplying Church Network (MCN). ❑ Begin determining the responsibilities and expectations of all parties. ❑ Develop the Planter/Partner Covenant.

Cooperative Relationships 1. Multiplying Church Networks (MCNs). See Step 5 for more details.

2. State Convention Church Planting Department and local association director of missions. See www.sbcnet.net for a directory of associations.

3. NAMB, Church Planting Group. See www.namb.net for a directory of services and personnel.

4. Seminary Nehemiah Project directors www.namb.net/nehemiah .

Additional Resources 1. To help build good fences for relationships, two resources are included in Appendix 2. The first is designed to help develop a contextualized partnering church covenant between planter and partners. The second is a more traditional covenant template.

2. NAMB’s Church Planting Web site: www.namb.net/cp.

3. NAMB’s Church Planting Group Partnership Network Web site: www.partnership.net.

4. The Prep Process for Church Planting: People Strategy: Designing the Church Planting Plan, and People Sending: Discipling and Deploying a Core Group.

5. NAMB’s Discovery Tools, Does God Want Me to Be Involved in Church Planting?

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Notes 1. Bob Recorrd on partnering, OnMission magazine, March-April, 1999.

2. “Introducing MCNs to Denominational Workers and Pastoral Leadership” PowerPoint presentation, NAMB, July 30, 2001.

3. North American Mission Board, Church Planter Management System, version 4.2, A Manual for Partnering Churches, p. 3. Now on www.ChurchPlanting Village.net. Partnering Church icon.

4. Church Planting and Evangelism Today, winter 2004, p.7.

5. The first time my wife and I were invited to participate in a pounding, my first thought was this was some severe form of church discipline. I soon discovered that poundings were traditional means of ministry among members and community members that dated back to the days when members would help one another by sharing a pound of butter, a pound of bacon, a pound of salt, et cetera with those in need.

6. Michael Ebert is director of Research and Public Affairs for the President’s Office of the North American Mission Board. These thoughts were originally published in OnMission magazine, March-April, 1999.

7. Ibid.

8. Earle E. Caorms. An Endless Line of Splendor (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1986), p. 98.

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4

Step

Discover and Commit Resources “You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone…And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:15,19, NASB).

STOP THE PRESSES

Research at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary bears out what most of us have known for years: The greatest need church planters perceive is the one for resources!1 Now, before coming to a premature conclusion that church planters are vain or lacking in faith, put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Would you subject yourself (and your family) to the same challenges the planter will face? When was the last time your faith was tested to the degree the church planter is subjecting himself? Could you live on the package being committed to the church planter—especially in light of the day and age in which we live? Would you or your staff be willing to devote the time, effort, and sacrifice you are asking of the church planter and his family?

Moving beyond the planter and his family, consider the people strategy being proposed to start the new church. Would a reasonably competent church planter be able to succeed with the plan being set forth? Or does the strategy depend disproportionately upon the miraculous? Have the resources needed for a successful start been identified? Once identified, have these resourced been committed?

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Like the other steps, this one has a solid biblical basis. In Philippians 4:15 Paul commends the church at Philippi for its partnership in ministry of giving of resources. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul reminds the congregation “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:6-8). So, ask yourself, are the resources being planned for this new work being given cheerfully?

The church that best embodies committing resources was the church at Antioch. At Antioch, patterns were established concerning the reaching of Gentiles with the gospel and the commissioning and sending of church planting missionaries, Paul and Barnabas. George Thomasson writes: “The Holy Spirit called for the commissioning of Barnabas and Paul.

They were sent out from the Antioch church to pursue God’s plan for their lives (Acts 13:1-2). Imagine how unselfish it was to release these two men to start other churches . . . the church at Antioch became a partner church with nine new congregations that Barnabas and Paul planted on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4-14,28).”2 The church at Antioch became a first-century missionary headquarters by becoming a training base for church planters as well as a resource center through prayer support, encouragement, and gifts to churches in need. Merrill C. Tenney says that the church at Antioch was the home of great Christian preaching and compassion for the poor, and the headquarters of evangelistic missions. From this city the missionary fire spread across the Roman Empire.3 “From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:26-27, NIV).

In addition to the giving of resources, this passage demonstrates Paul’s conviction that, as a steward of the resources the church provided, he would report back to them an accounting of what God had done. The partnering church should not hesitate to request the planter to provide an accounting of the resources received.

In the book Partners with God: Bible Truths About Giving, the authors write: Paul knew the success and provisions for his mission efforts came from God. However, he also knew that God used the church at 34

Seven Steps for Planting Churches Philippi to share in his ministry through their grace-giving. This kind of giving is not a requirement but rather an expression of concern for the lost. The Philippian church stands as a glowing example to our churches today in the area of mission giving. The challenge to reach the lost is still before us.4 The book of Acts reminds us that it has always taken resources to get the job done. Churches today need to step forward to discover and commit resources as part of their biblical missionary and stewardship responsibilities.

Understand Why People Give According to Aubrey Malphurs,“there are several important, practical financial principles that will help church planters in their efforts to raise funds. Three of them are negative and focus on what distracts or even alienates some potential contributors. The last two are positive and aid in knowing what attracts potential givers.”5 These factors are condensed below.

• Givers don’t like to pay the bills. Paying the electricity bill or the mortgage, though necessary, isn’t very glamorous. Outside contributors may be willing to help in other areas such as facilities where ministry takes place, Bibles, sound equipment, and lighting.

• Givers don’t respond well to guilt or negativism. While they may give once or even twice, intelligent people resent this kind of approach and will not give long-term to ministries that use this tactic.

• Givers don’t respond well to needs. For many, the appeal to need is comparable to investing in businesses that are in the red. Most people like to hear good news, not constant negative reports that conclude with a strong appeal based on present needs.

• Givers respond to visions. The key to giving is a dynamic vision.

Consequently, in the early stages of starting a church, visionary church planters must spend a significant amount of time cultivating and communicating a dynamic vision.

The last point listed is critical. Church planters need to think big and cast big visions because they have a big God who wants to accomplish big things through them. Most knowledgeable givers understand this and want to give to ministries that desire to have a significant impact for the Savior.

As the partnering church leader, you may have to help the planter communicate the vision. If the vision isn’t from God, the vision isn’t worth communicating.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Similarly, if the vision is from God, it should be communicated with passion and clarity.

Steps to Discovering Resources Partner churches need to play a key role in providing resources for their new congregations. Ed Stetzer notes that the needs of the new church will be directly related to the methodology needed to impact the ministry focus group. That is why committing resources before clarifying the vision and identifying the ministry focus group is ill advised.

It should also be understood that resources include more than just financial assistance. Providing names of persons who could help financially or through their contacts with materials and equipment, personal and volunteers; and directed and specific prayer support are all ways the partnering church can help. This step may also involve the enlistment of additional partnering churches, the local Baptist association, state/provincial convention, and others.

Another resource is the new church plant itself. A saying among those working with church planters is,“the resources are in the harvest.” The core group of the new church should be committed to supporting the church. Core members, regardless of economic status, should be committed to the tithe and beyond. In a traditional church plant, a core group of 20 families would provide the full support needed for one full-time staff, or a part-time staff and rent.

Notice anything missing to this point? Hopefully, you are thinking,“What about prayer and the Holy Spirit?” It is much easier to secure and commit resources when the conviction is shared that the project flows from the heart and the will of God. That is why Step 1 is foundational. The process of understanding the Great Commission (will of God) and receiving a vision from God (direction) are products of prayer and obedience to the Holy Spirit’s leading. These, in turn, become keys to securing the resources needed and the courage to take the bold steps of faith required of a sending-partnering church.

Resources for the Church Plant and the Partnering Congregation Preparatory Resources • Multiplying Church Network (MCN). The MCN is designed for church leaders who are committed to kingdom impact through church multi36

Seven Steps for Planting Churches plication. The MCN involves meeting with other kingdom-minded leaders regularly for the task of prayer, accountability, and developing environments for church planting. There is a kit of materials available through your local association or NAMB to help.

• Calling Out the Called. A tool designed to help members discover their kingdom calling. The flagship event for calling out the called is the Discovering Church Planting event.

• Discovery Tools. Help your members understand their spiritual gifts— including church planting. This self-administered assessment is an ideal tool for identifying church members with an aptitude for church planting. It also is useful for helping members understand their “SHAPE” for ministry.

• Mentor Training. A one-day seminar designed to equip those who will be mentoring church planters. Ideal for pastors and staff who will also serve in this capacity. Sometimes held in conjunction with Basic Training for Church Planters.

Church Planter Resources • Church Planting Village (CPV). CPV is a premier resource for churches and their partners. The CPV Web site is a comprehensive tool. The site also includes more than 700 resources for the church planter and partnering church, including sample constitutions and bylaws, sermons, and how-to manuals.

• Basic Training for Church Planters is an intensive seminar for church planters and team members. This training covers 15 areas essential to the successful launch of any new church, including prayer, vision, values, evangelism, leadership development, and legal issues.

Through prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit partner churches will pledge their support and undergird the planting of new churches. The partner church should focus and coordinate its efforts through its On Mission Team or New Work Team. Some churches will use their Missions Development Council.

The three key components in this work are: (1) determining the specific resources needed, (2) discovering the resources available, and (3) committing and managing the resources.

Determining the Resources Needed Church Planting Proposal: Work with the church planter to prepare an effective church planting proposal that presents the specific need to start a new church in a particular area. Produce a video showing the community, the focus group(s) 37

Seven Steps for Planting Churches and the potential for the new church. “The proposal should also be very clear regarding the overall vision and strategy that will be employed. If the potential donors know what group is being targeted, what strategy will be employed, what specific activities are being planned and what the anticipated results are, they will become more excited about this project.�6 More help with this is at www.ChurchPlantingVillage.net.

Preliminary Budget: Prepare a budget for the first 12 to 18 months of the project.

Include cost details about missions pastor/staff support, publicity, program ministries, administration/operation, Cooperative Program giving, new church plants, and building utilities. (See sample in Appendix 6).

Discover the Resources Available The Promises of God. The Lord Himself is our ultimate resource for church planting. Claim His promises for provision and blessings for your new church.

Prayer teams and prayer networks can be used in this effort.

The Core Group. The core group members should provide as much of the financial resources as they can. Their commitment to the vision and their giving will set the pace for the growth and health of the new church.

Partner Church(es). This church should provide financial resources through their budget and perhaps through special offerings and designated gifts. They should help to enlist other partnering churches and interested individuals.

Sometimes churches and individuals are more open to giving once they have been involved in the project as volunteers.

Denominational Support: Local associations and state conventions often have resources and other assistance available for church planting projects. NAMB has a variety of resources including training and equipping materials and strategies as well as financial resources in partnership with state Baptist conventions and associations. Usually, denominational financial support is set up on a phase-down schedule. As the new church grows the outside support should be less. It is important to remember that the goal is for the new church to be self-supporting and not become dependent on outside resources. The new church will be more likely to partner new churches itself once it no longer needs outside resources.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Bivocational Planting/Mission Service Corp: Many are rediscovering that Paul’s strategy of tentmaking (using an existing vocation to make a living while starting a church) allows for better acceptance by the ministry focus group. We must face the twofold realities that many unchurched people don’t trust vocational preachers and many planters are deployed without adequate funding. The author was a tentmaker for many years—working in health care while serving as a church planter. This career allowed for acceptance by the community and adequate resources to support my family while planting a church.

Other Resources: Financial resources may be available from special mission funds and various foundations.

Commit and Manage Resources and Starting Points for This Step After determining the needs and discovering resources the partner church will commit the resources according to the new plant’s vision and strategic plans.

The partner church will also exercise good Christian stewardship by managing the resources with the new church and its leaders. Good partnership covenant agreements will help to ensure good reporting and accountability. From the very beginning the new church should use wise financial management policies and teach Christian stewardship.

Partnership Covenant Agreements: Early in the process (before the planter hits the field), development of the partnering covenant is critical and should clearly outline the expectations and responsibilities for the partner churches and the new church. This should include all of the promised resources and their source.

On occasion, those involved in providing denominational support are also parties in these agreements.

Resource Management Team: The new church should have a team in place that will “oversee the ministries of the church to ensure that the new plant of the church is accomplished and to maximize the use of personal and fiscal resources in the local church to build the kingdom of God.”7 The partnering church leader should act as a mentor, encouraging the new work pastor to use the preaching and teaching ministry to biblically equip members to be good stewards in every way. The challenge of local and global missions, including Southern Baptist mission offerings, should be presented. Financial and administrative issues should be clarified in the mission covenant, and the 39

Seven Steps for Planting Churches assistance from the partner or association given as needed as the new church establishes financial and bookkeeping procedures as well as procedures for receipts and other legal and insurance issues.

These and other materials can be found at www.ChurchPlantingVillage.net: • “Ten Ways To Finance a New Church and Dealing With Finances at Church” by George Thomasson • “Ten Things You Can Do To Help Your Church Planter” • “Financing Your Church Plant Vision” by Tom Cheyney

Notes 1. J.D. Payne, “From the Trenches: Church Planters Speak on the Five Most Critical Issues in Church Planting Today,” an unpublished research document reviewed by the author on October 1, 2003, page 1.

2. George Thomasson, The Church Blueprint: Practical Helps for Building the Body (Columbus, Ga.: Brentwood Press, 2002), p. 14.

3. See Merrill C. Tenney, New Testament Survey (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1961), p. 253.

4. Bobby Eklund, and Terry Austin, Partners with God: Bible Truths About Giving (Nashville: Convention Press, 1994), p. 90.

5. Aubrey Malphurs, Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century, 2nd. ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), pp. 53-54.

6. Daniel R. Sanchez, Ebbie C. Smith, and Curtis E. Watke, Starting Reproducing Congregations (Cumming, Ga.: Church Starting Network, 2001), p. 152.

7. Thomasson, p. 128.

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5

Step

Mobilize Sponsoring Congregations “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, ‘They who had no news of him shall see, who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard shall understand.’

“For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while” (Rom. 15:20-24, NASB).

Richard H. Harris of the Church Planting Group, wrote,“The person in the pew wants a church where he or she can participate and be engaged. . . .

The day of ‘I say it, you do it, and don’t ask questions’ was for another generation and is gone.” He goes on to share the following principle learned from years of experience: “involvement breeds commitment. People care about what they have helped birth, nurture, develop, implement, and participate in the results. We care about that which we have a personal investment in and ownership.”1 Mobilization—whether it be money, teams, or resources—is about people.

It is about putting feet to our faith and provision to our promises.

In Romans 15:24, we read how Paul prepared the church in Rome for mission mobilization. The term mobilization has taken on a new meaning

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches for a whole new generation of Americans following the events of September 11, 2001. For those residing in the United States, nearly everyone can attest to having been impacted by friends or family members who have been mobilized —meaning they have been called up to fulfill a military service obligation. In a similar way, mobilization is the process of fulfilling the parenting/sponsoring commitment. It is at this point that some congregations experience action amnesia.

Action amnesia is the term I use when churches or individuals renege on previous commitments. My former supervisor, Phil Langley, likes to say,“The problem with every great idea is that they always digress into hard work.”2 Hard work is a pretty good description of what it takes to effectively mobilize members of the sponsoring congregations. Mobilization is where the rubber meets the road. It’s not uncommon for the sponsoring church to get all excited about the prospect of being a part of a church plant, but when it comes time to send out members or secure commitments, action amnesia kicks in—or as Phil would say,“the great idea . . . digressed into hard work.”

Many church planters have experienced the setback of never receiving resources they believed to be forthcoming. In many of these cases, a church pastor or leader suggested the church would be able to provide a resource. The planter takes the suggestion at face value, and is disappointed when he discovers that the promised resources were never budgeted approved or requisitioned. Jesus’ instructions were clear,“let your statement be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.” (Matt 5:37).

A similar exhortation is found in James 5:17. It may be worth your time to call your church planter during this step and ask,“In order to ensure that we are on the same page, what resources are you expecting from the partnering church?”

Hopefully, you will find that both of you are on the same page. Just as it is important to ensure good communication with the church planter, it is critical during this step to communicate with the membership, Missions Committee, and others involved in the church planting partnership.

During the mobilization phase, it may be appropriate to conduct one or more of these types of events: • New Work Baby Shower: Encourage the church planting team to provide the partnering congregations with a list of items that are needed before or immediately following the public launch. These items can range from inexpensive (folding chairs, $10 each, boxes of pens $5) to more elaborate items, such as sound equipment, song books, video 42

Seven Steps for Planting Churches projectors, and Lord’s Supper sets. These events should be planned and coordinated with all of the partnering churches, and can be a great means of developing ownership among the membership.

• Mission Prayer Cards: Mobilize prayer through the printing and distribution of Mission Prayer Cards. Most members are familiar with the picture post card size prayer commitment cards used by international missionaries. Consider printing cards with the planter and family’s picture and prayer needs, and distribute to all members and prayer partners.

• Covenant Service: Celebrate the signing of the partnering covenant as a special service.

• Commissioning Service: Host a commissioning service for the new work team, recognizing God’s unique call upon their lives and the contribution of the local membership.

• Develop a boiler-room ministry. Enlist members of the partner congregation to pray for the new church each week during its services. This may be an opportunity to create a new small group in the partnering church.

• Host a core-group dinner just before the launch. Many planters and planting team leaders are exhausted just before the launch. Consider hosting a “no work on their part required” dinner for the workers.

Multiplying Church Networks A tool developed by NAMB to assist in the mobilization of sponsoring congregations is the Multiplying Church Network (MCN). The MCN process provides an ongoing (often weekly) opportunity for church leaders to network with other church leaders to discuss ongoing issues as they relate to the multiplication and reproduction process. The following will provide an overview of the MCN process, plus several ideas to make the mobilization process less taxing.

The MCN is the component of the church planting process that is designed for existing churches. It was true in the past that the local church was often overlooked in many church planting strategies. The MCN brings together church and associational leaders in small groups to help them effectively achieve the Great Commission task of reducing the unchurched population through their church planting partnerships.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Until recently, church planting focused almost exclusively on the church planter, overlooking the partnering role of the local churches. One result of this oversight is that only 4.8 percent of our Southern Baptist churches are currently sponsoring new work. The MCN brings Besides God Himself, together those who are involved in the the greatest resource church planting process regularly for the purpose of prayer, sharing, for church planting is sharpening, planning, and learning the existing church. how to effectively mobilize their congregations to multiply themselves in starting healthy, growing, and reproducing churches. MCNs can take place anywhere. Some existing MCNs meet in coffeehouses, association buildings, churches, and homes. Many meet immediately following the weekly pastors fellowship meeting or on Wednesday nights following midweek services.

Who can be a part of an MCN? Associational missionaries, sponsoring church pastors, ministers of missions, lay mission leaders, church planting missionaries, Church Leadership Development leaders—just about anyone with a heart for church multiplication. In areas without Church Planting Networks, such as in rural areas or pioneer settings, the MCN may also involve church planters.

Why be a part of a MCN? It is nice to know you are not alone. Being connected with others involved in church multiplication allows for the cross-pollination of ideas, sharing of resources and accountability. Some participants may be just beginning to explore the possibility of partnering. For them, learning from others who are sponsoring new work can be a great blessing. Pastor Phillip Davis shares this testimony: One of the challenges of church planting churches is that pastors often feel that, “If I plant a new congregation I’m going to lose something.”

The fact is that when you plant a new church you are going to be affected—and should be—that’s part of it. Luke 6:38, NIV) says, “Give and it will be given unto you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. . . .” If you really believe the Scripture, then when you give away people or resources to start a new church, it shall be given unto you.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches We believe the Great Commission cannot be fulfilled without the planting of new churches. MCN participants gain the tools and know how needed to lead their churches to become on-mission partners with God in the Great Commission.

Kingdom Values At the heart of mobilization and the MCN process are kingdom values. These values are the driving force behind the MCN strategy. Each value is also a mobilization step for the partnering church.

1. Praying (Acts 1:14, 1 Thess. 5:17; Jas. 5:16) Prayer = Power. This simple equation derived from the book of Acts is the guiding element of the MCN process. Imagine if you will—a prayer bath!

Prayer for one another and for multiplication takes place at every level of the process. Prayer will not be used as a starter, stuffer, or stopper. Prayer will be both frank, spontaneous, directed, and solicited. We will be grateful to God! We will praise His name. We will acknowledge His grace and His leadership. We will seek His face and we will stand in awe of His mercy and goodness. We will recognize His power in our lives and give honor and glory for His excellence.

We will ask God to lead us, to shape us, to change us, and to inspire us. Through prayer we will ask our Father to make us sensitive to the physical, emotional, spiritual, and other needs of one another through this workshop. We will stop to pray whenever we feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit through any of us. We will be free to pray with eyes open or to bow our hearts and heads before God. We will strive to never substitute action for prayer; rather we will seek to act as a result of prayer.

Action Point: Has prayer (and fasting) been mobilized?

2. Evangelistic Church Planting (Acts 14:21-26) The objective is planting churches that value the reduction of the unchurched population. The redistribution of saints has become commonplace in many communities. Kingdom growth is limited or nonexistent in such situations.

As the MCN discovers through prayer where God is at work, we can expect evangelistic church planting to result. In seeking wisdom in this process, it is imperative to remember,“ . . . and he that winneth souls is wise” (Prov. 11:30).

Action Point: Is our partnership mobilized in such a way as to win souls for Jesus?

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches 3. “Koinonia” Sharing (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; Rom. 12:15) One of the strongest elements in a spiritual community is fellowship.

Developing a spirit of koinonia leads us to be open, caring, and to have a high spiritual regard for others. Fellowship helps us to be intentional and creative in our relationships. Sharing time allows participants to communicate needs and concerns regarding our family, our responsibilities, and the new work.

Action Point: Is regular and heartfelt sharing and communication taking place?

4. Sharpening (Prov. 27:17) Learning is a lifelong endeavor. We will seek to sharpen our skills and understanding through assigned topics, sharing, and prayer each time we meet.

We will endeavor to provide an environment conducive to learning new skills and biblical truths as we move from the status quo into a new realm of multiplication in an ever-changing world.

Action Point: Has the congregation been adequately educated as it relates to our parenting role?

5. Interdependence (Eph. 4:11-12) It is no coincidence that the New Testament contains dozens of “one another” passages.“Doing together what we cannot do by ourselves” is at the heart of our convictions. We seek to build upon the rich heritage of cooperation Southern Baptists enjoy. MCNs will model interdependence through development of strategic partnerships among multiple churches. We will seek to bring those with pastoral, teaching, evangelistic, apostolic, and prophetic gifts together to promote church multiplication.

Action Point: Have all of the available resources been mobilized? Are there other persons, congregations, or groups that can be involved?

6. Celebrating (Luke 15:23; 2 Cor. 13:11) A spirit of celebration is born out of kinship and our joy in sensing what God is doing in our lives individually and collectively. It is awesome to experience the leadership of God as He brings us together for the purpose of building up His kingdom. We will celebrate learning. We will celebrate His presence! We will celebrate sharing and fellowship.

Action Point: Have we celebrated the joy of giving and sending?

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches 7. Harvest and Deploy Resources (Matt. 9:38; Phil. 4:19) The resources are in the harvest. When churches act on faith, God provides.

Church multiplication movements are unlikely in an environment of self-sufficiency or a welfare mentality. Our existing churches and the new believers who are reached through evangelistic church planting are the most likely sources of money and people for church planting.

Starting Points for Mobilizing Sponsoring Congregations ❑ Analyze needs and then discuss them with the planter and planting team and sponsoring leadership. ❑ Implement the spiritual resources of the harvest—prayer, fasting, and unwavering faith—that God calls His church to employ. ❑ Host a “Calling out the Called” event. ❑ Ensure that the partnering covenant adequately covers issues concerning resources. ❑ Following prayer and fasting, determine other resources that may still need to be mobilized (money, people, covenants, other partners).

Additional Resources Each Baptist association received an MCN Kit in 2003. The kit includes a video overview of the MCN strategy, materials for starting an MCN, ideas for group discussions and a CD-ROM of resources. Additional MCN materials can be requested from the North American Mission Board by calling (770) 410-6248.

For more information about MCNs, check out OnMission magazine, March-April 2003 http://www.onmission.com/webzine/mar_apr03/assisting.htm.

Answer the Call: Mobilizing God’s People in North America. North American Mission Board, 2003. To order, call toll-free at (866) 407-NAMB and ask for product no. 220633010847

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches

Notes 1.“Planter Update,” Issue 4, no. 135, January 21, 2004.

2. Phil Langley, Sermon preached at First Southern Baptist Church, Shafter, Calif., October 7, 2001.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches

6

Step

Support Birthing Process and Ongoing Evaluation “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men� (1 Cor. 3:1-3, NASB)?

Paul understood that churches were not birthed fully mature, as Christians do not start out fully mature. Like people, they go through developmental phases. Partnering churches that are aware of these phases will be able to provide the needed support and ongoing evaluation resulting in the new church moving from milk to meat.

When Paul and Barnabas completed their first missionary journey, they returned to Antioch to report what the Lord had done through their efforts.

These missionaries enjoyed a special relationship with their sending church that involved stewardship responsibilities and accountability.

Given this relationship between sender and missionary (planter), partnership is always more than sending money. Ralph Moore in his book Starting a New Church writes that the sponsoring church gives more than money and a baton of leadership. It also provides the new church credibility and a spiritual heritage.1

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Church planter Keith Draper shared with a group of church leaders at the Connections 2002 conference that “too many churches are on the pill when God said ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’” Not only do churches need to reproduce, the reproduction needs to be fruitful. To accomplish this, we need to be informed and prepared to support each phase of the birthing and development process of the new congregation.

Southern Baptists have traditionally acknowledged a natural or biotic process of church development through the use of nurturing terms. Examples of this include the use of the term birth to describe the first service of a new church, mother to describe the sponsoring church, and marriage to describe the merger of two churches. We tend to describe churches with developmental terms such as young, old, and—at times—dead.

As in human development, there are steps that can be taken during the incubation and early stages of the new church’s life to help ensure church health throughout the congregation’s lifecycle.2 Just as prenatal classes help prepare couples for the joys and challenges of parenting, well equipped pastors and leaders can prepare a church for the joys and challenges of new work partnership. Remember, not every action point will be relevant for your church planting situation.

Conception Phil Langley, director of New Church Extension for the California Southern Baptist Convention, observes that there are two kinds of conceptions: planned and unplanned. His observation is that many church splits arise from churches that are pregnant and should be planning to reproduce and don’t.

In a planned conception, the partnering church is active in several areas, as seen in the following chart.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches

Church Planting Team

Partnering Church Action Points

CONCEPTION PHASE Planned Conception: • Clarify the vision—share the vision until it is a shared vision.

• Identify your ministry focus group.

• Identify the church planting team members. Initiate frequent contact with the partnering church.

• Work with sponsors in developing a covenant.

• Continue to recruit additional team members.

• Use the Discovery Tools to help planting team understand their roles.

Unplanned Conception: • Seek counsel from associational or state leaders.

• Identify who the new church will be able to effectively reach.

• Confess and repent of actions that might have contributed to the split.

• Seek God’s help in the building of the new church and His vision for the work.

• Consider enlisting partnering church(es) to help.

• Use the Discovery Tools to help the planting team members understand their roles.

• Actively seek or adopt the vision for the church plant. (Step 1) • Put together a Missions Committee (and Planter Search Committee if needed).

• Learn as much as possible about the ministry focus group (Step 2) • Identify possible fears or objections that will be raised that might thwart the vision God is giving. (Step 1) • Begin developing the partnering covenant with the church planting team. (Step 3) • Identify and remove reproductive barriers.

• Seek to create a positive environment for reproduction among the membership.

• Identify potential members who feel called to work with the church planting team.

• Initiate contact with associational or state church planting leaders.

• Develop partnering prayer network.

• Commission the planting team.

• Commit to a support package.

• Pray for the seeds of this new work to fall upon good soil.

• Leaders commit to involvement in a Multiplying Church Network (MCN).

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches

Prenatal The prenatal phase follows conception. During the prenatal period, the partnering church assumes the role of a pediatrician. Again, the chart identifies some of the roles for the church planter and the partnering church

Church Planting Team

Partnering Church Action Points

PRENATAL PHASE • Begin core group development—continue recruiting members throughout this phase.

• Work with the church planter in finding a strategic location.

• Identify core values.

• Budget preparation and securing resources.

• Development of written vision, purpose and mission statements.

• Meet at least monthly with the church planter.

• Develop and put into action a new work prayer network.

• Join or develop a Multiplying Church Network.

• Secure resources.

• Attend Mentor Training if you will be the church planter’s mentor.

• Identity and secure a strategic meeting place.

• Attend Basic Training for Church Planters.

• Join or develop a church planting network.

• Plan preview services.

• Secure tax identification number(s).

• Set up bank account.

• Identify core group members’ gifts and roles in the new work.

• Conduct preview services.

• Deploy members who feel called to work with the church planting team.

• Promote prayer for the new work.

• Help with administrative and logistical questions.

• Host a baby shower for the new work.

• Offer to help with and evaluate preview services.

• Organize publicity for the first public service.

• Take time to meet with the associational missionary or church planting missionary.

• Begin financial support of the new work through core group tithes and offerings.

• Consider beginning financial support during this period.

• Begin cooperative mission giving.

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Birth The third phase, the birth, is the time of the first public service and the period immediately following. The focus should be on celebration and worship. This phase truly tests the ability to assimilate the skills developed during the prenatal period.

Church Planting Team

Partnering Church Action Points

BIRTH PHASE • Conduct one last preview service.

• Consider hosting a prayer retreat or vigil just before the first service.

• First public worship. A time of joy and celebration.

• Begin modeling stewardship through support of worldwide missions.

• Celebrate with the mission church following the first public worship.

• Encourage concentrated prayer for the birth.

• Provide encouragement and assistance with immediate follow-up.

• Host a dedication service for the new church.

• Send prayer partners birth announcements.

• Continue prayer support with an emphasis on prayer for the viability of the new work.

• Complete the first monthly report.

• Begin monthly review of reports with the church planter.

• Review the first service with associational missionary and partnering church leaders.

• Contact the denominational leadership with an update.

• Immediate follow-up begins.

• Make adjustments as needed.

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Infancy The next phase is infancy. The focus shifts from anticipation and expectation to implementation and growth. This phase is a time of either rapid growth or fragile dependence for the new work. The partnering church will need to respond appropriately to either condition. During infancy the new work is developing the structure, leadership, and programs envisioned in the strategy plan.

Church Planting Team

Partnering Church Action Points

INFANCY PHASE • Rapid growth should be taking place.

• Providing positive reinforcement and modeling for the new work.

• A time of teething pains. Do not be afraid to discuss problems and concerns with the partnering church leaders.

• Remember that seemingly small hurdles may appear to be huge barriers for the new church.

• Maintain weekly contact with your prayer team.

• Revisit the strategy plan frequently.

• Determine which of the immerging personality characteristics of the church are positive and which may be detrimental. Make corrections as needed.

• Ensure leadership reproduction is taking place.

• Enjoy discovering your unique identity.

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• Continue to have regular contact with the church planter and its leadership.

• Avoid comparing the new work to other new churches. This is counterproductive.

• Provide weekly photos of the new work to the congregation.

• Pray for the healthy development of the new work and for its immerging leaders.

• Provide leadership development opportunities for the new work.

Seven Steps for Planting Churches

Childhood The fifth phase is childhood. During childhood the new work will likely make some dumb mistakes. It is important for the partnering church to remember that “children” rebound quickly from dumb mistakes whereas the members of the partnering church may be tempted to remember the mistake.

Church Planting Team

Partnering Church Action Points

CHILDHOOD • Easily distracted from the goals and objectives set during the prenatal period.

• Revisit the goals and objectives of the new work with the church planter each time you meet.

• Avoid the tendency to mindlessly copy what other new churches are doing.

• Encourage grace when (not if) the new work makes a mistake.

• A time of high energy. Make sure the team is not suffering from burn out.

• Evaluate the role of prayer during this phase. It is easily overlooked.

• Conduct a planning retreat with the leadership team.

• Mistakes will be made. Short memory of mistakes.

• Observe and celebrate milestones.

• Lead out in short-term missions projects.

• Communicate to the congregation the milestones that are achieved.

• Ask questions rather than give answers.

• Begin praying about partnering with another new work. (This is similar to family choosing to have more than one child).

• Support and encourage the new church’s early attempts at independence.

• Consider a special celebration service with the new work to observe a completed milestone.

• Don’t become so active that you forget to have contact with the partnering church.

• Have fun.

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Adolescence The adolescence phase can be approached with anticipation or dread. A common complaint voiced by partnering church leaders is that the mission begins making decisions without consulting them first. Adequate preparation in the earlier phases can ensure a smooth transition into and out of adolescence.

Church Planting Team

Partnering Church Action Points

ADOLESCENCE • A time of self-awareness. The church has a clear identity.

• Provide increased autonomy and prepare to let go.

• Recognize a tendency towards rebellion against the established churches and tradition.

• Decrease support and encourage new ideas.

• Prepare for self-support.

• Meet with associational leadership regarding membership and constituting.

• Seek to communicate to the congregation the value of interdependence over independence.

• Model increased dependence upon God for the churches’ needs.

• Schedule a constituting service.

• Don’t avoid contact with the church planter.

• Revisit the partnering covenant with the new church leaders.

• Provide information regarding constituting and incorporating.

• Discuss reproduction values with the new church leadership.

• Highlight the accomplishments of the new work publicly and encourage prayer for the work as they prepare for autonomy.

• Work with the new work and associational leadership in planning a constituting service.

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Maturity The final phase is maturity. During this phase, the partnering church will let go of the new work as a partnering church and assume the role as a sister church.

Following this phase, both congregations should be involved in reproduction.

Church Planting Team

Partnering Church Action Points

MATURITY • Conduct the constituting service.

• Help plan and participate in the constituting service celebration.

• Evaluate the church planting process just completed.

• Evaluate the partnering process just completed.

• Develop and engage in a process for reproduction.

• Plan for additional partnering opportunities.

• Become a partnering church for another new work.

• Celebrate.

Additional Resources www.ChurchPlantingVillage.net, click on Partnering Church.

Notes 1. See Ralph Moore, Starting New Churches (Regal: Ventura, CA, 2003) 133.

2. There are a variety of opinions as to the number of phases a new church goes through. Bill Tinsley identifies four stages of new church development (Breaking the Mold, 39-52), Dick Scoggins, in his article “Seven Phases of Church Planting: Phase and Activity List” (EMQ, April 1997, 161-165), identifies seven phases of church planting that are quite different from those I have identified. Bob Logan recognizes five phases in the lifecycle of the church (Church Planter’s Toolkit, 1~6). My health care background combined with my theological understanding is the foremost influence for the phases I present.

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7

Step

Celebrate and Communicate Church Multiplication “Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.

And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

“Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near’” (Luke 10:1-11, NASB).

When growing up, our family undertook a major road trip every four years. Our travels would often take us from one end of the country to the other. At times we ventured into Canada and Mexico as well. I always

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches enjoyed those trips because, unlike those infamous marathon drives (think the movie Family Vacation), my parents enjoyed frequent stops along the way to celebrate the journey. My love for learning, experiencing new places, and diversity most likely developed from those wonderful trips. The partnership role should be one that is seen as a journey—with many stops and opportunities to learn, grow, and celebrate.

Ed Stetzer writes,“Christians without joy are an antievangelism strategy.”1 Personally, I think that statement deserves a little meditation time. To determine if this is true in your context, consider the percentage of members who know the story of how your church (the partnering congregation) came into existence.

People love to celebrate the birth of a child. But what kind of parent only celebrates the child’s birth and overlooks other mileposts such as the child’s first steps, first words, first date, and birthdays. My personal experience has been that some of the partnering churches I have worked with have forgotten that church reproduction is filled with opportunities to celebrate mileposts in the life of the church plant.

Paul wrote,“rejoice in the Lord always, again, I say rejoice.” The very fact that he wrote these words also implies that he felt it was important to communicate the importance of this truth. Church reproduction is a cause to rejoice. In 1 Timothy 3:9 Paul rejoices over the joy he has over the church he helped plant in Thessolonica and shares his joy with the church.

Christian Schwartz, in Natural Church Development, notes that reproduction in a healthy church will take place at many levels. At the membership level, disciplining should result in new members. In leadership, workers should reproduce new workers. At the small-group level, new small groups should result. And at the church level, reproduction should result in new churches. He concludes by noting that if the church is healthy, that eventually it will.2 Steve Sjogren advocates the church leader begin talking (and planning) for reproduction even before the launch. He voices that if you don’t begin a new church within three years, then you probably won’t plant other churches.3 Each level and phase of reproduction is an opportunity for celebration and communication. Just as the angels of heaven rejoice over a sinner born-again, the church should celebrate the birth of a new church, its first birthday, major milepost achieved, and the addition of souls into God’s kingdom.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches During a mission trip in an impoverished Third World country, I noticed how happy many of the people were. Despite having little food and almost no money or creature comforts these people had unmistakable joy. Every week my host family had cause to celebrate. This experience reminded me that happiness and the resulting attitude of celebration and thankfulness flow out of relationship.

Take a moment to consider the meaning of the word celebrate.

• To observe (a day or an event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing.

• To perform (a religious ceremony).

• To extol or praise.

• To make widely known.

All four definitions describe the attitude the church and members should embody as they carry out its missional role.

Here are 10 things the partnering church should celebrate—in no particular order. Consider which “dictionary” definition each event best fits. Feel free to add your own ideas to this list.

1. Celebrate every new birth in the life of the church. Consider some way of announcing the new developments experienced by the new church. (Consider having the same attitude as a grandpartner or grandparent—that should make this step easy!)

2. Observe each anniversary during the partnering period. Often this will be three to five years—so plan a birthday party.

3. Remember the church planter’s birthday in a meaningful way. For bonus points—remember the planter’s kids birthday.

4. Plan a church fellowship meal or banquet when a goal (such as fundraising or completion of the community survey) has been reached.

5. Celebrate the season—especially those with Christian significance— with the new church.

6. Ask for time at an associational meeting to share a “partnering testimony.”

7. Baptisms are always a great time to celebrate.

8. Have a joint Lord’s Supper celebration.

9. Mark the completion of the partnering commitment with a festivity.

10. Host a Missions Celebration Conference in your church.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches In closing this step on celebration and communication, read (and hear) the heartfelt answers provided by six Southern Baptist church planting missionaries to the following two questions that reflect the importance of this final step. It is my prayer your church will soon be writing your own success stories.

Q

How can laypeople most effectively help you and your efforts

Q

Describe some of your most rewarding success stories.

Linda Bergquist (San Francisco): There are four things, but the most important is prayer. The soil here is rocky. People could do region-by-region virtual prayerwalks on computers. Next, people could come here and be part of the teams that start churches of all kinds.

The Bridge (a church Linda helped plan) is still growing. It’s the first successful English-speaking church plant by the Southern Baptist Convention here in 34 years.

Frank Cornelius (Colorado): New congregations face the challenge of a lack of trained leaders to be teachers, worship leaders, committee members, and church officers. We know we cannot import the people to fill these positions. What would be helpful is to have laypeople who are experienced in church leadership to come and stay one to six months and help train leaders in new congregations.

One success that Cornelius has seen is the chapel ministry in a local truck stop. God has used that ministry to provide worship and fellowship for drivers.

Several have had life-changing experiences there. It has provided an opportunity to make a difference, not only locally, but literally across the nation.

Kathryn Durocher (Georgia): Laypeople can pray that more church planters will be sent to Georgia. We need more laborers. We also need more churches willing to partner new churches. Please pray for the partnering churches as well.

For three years, my husband, Steven, and I lived in a high-rise apartment in downtown Atlanta. We lived there with the intent of starting a ministry from the inside. There are more than 700 residents living in the upscale building. When we moved, we were able to leave the ministry with a woman from within the ministry. She became a leader though she had never led a Bible study. She willingly took over the responsibility and has been successful. The study has doubled in size.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Robert Goette (Chicago): Take the time to pray for and understand the challenges of the second generation of immigrants (not from a European background) who are very Americanized in their thinking and values, and yet are not embraced by Americans of European descent because of the shade of their skin.

Recently, one of the church planters and I were enjoying God’s divine humor. He came to know Christ after being caught selling drugs. After a few years of trials and appeals, he had to interrupt his seminary studies to go to prison. Now he’s out and planting a church in Chicago that happens to be attracting a disproportionate number of lawyers, district attorneys, and FBI agents.

Dennis E. Hampton (Nebraska): Prayer. Legitimate intercession. Some might come here (in very small groups or as a vacationing family) to prayerwalk in new targeted areas and un-entered counties. One exciting success would be the Home Fellowship begun in Knox County. A couple accepted Christ two years prior at a rodeo chapel service, but there had been no follow-up. A young man I was mentoring and I began the new Home Fellowship. The first week there were 14 present; the second week, 18; the third week, about 24. This small farmhouse had no more space in the living room to accommodate people. We agreed to pray for a week and then share God’s leading with each other. When I walked into the house I was surprised to see a wall knocked out of the bedroom that adjoined the living room. In amazement I asked,“What have you done?” His reply was quiet and profound,“After praying for several days, it became apparent to me that reaching people for Jesus is much more important than having a fourth wall on the bedroom—so I knocked it out. Don’t you agree?” I did agree and in the months that followed I saw almost that entire group come to Christ.

We saw two more Home Fellowships and a rural Sunday School begun from that group alone—all within the next 18 months.

Frank Miller (Pennsylvania): Pray specifically for our ministry. Volunteer yourself to go where needed on vacation or in retirement and assist the church starting efforts being carried out. Continue as a church to be faithful contributors to the cooperative program and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering®. Find out what the needs are and commit to doing what you and your church can to meet those needs.

In 1998 one of our African-American pastors told me that he was considering a new church start. We worked with him as he went through the 63

Seven Steps for Planting Churches various steps. He anticipated beginning with 20 to 30 people. My wife and I went to the first service and could hardly get in for the crush of people. In the following months, the membership increased to about 250 people. Many have been become Christians.4

Where do we go from here?

I don’t know of any parents who waited to have their second child until after their first one had graduated from college. As unnatural as this would be among married couples—it is also not the natural plan for the local church—the bride of Christ.

Consider partnering another congregation before the existing commitment undergoes closure. Make church planting an ongoing activity of your church.

Consider jointly partnering with your new work in a third-generation church plant. The harvest is surely plentiful enough.

Starting Points to Celebrate and Communicate Church Multiplication • Identify opportunities to celebrate your church’s missional role.

• Evaluate how well reproduction is occurring at every level in your church.

• Develop plans for starting additional churches.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Additional Resources To learn more about the Acts 1:8 Challenge, call NAMB’s Church Planting Group at (770) 410-6204.

To host an On Mission Celebration or World Mission Conference or for information, call toll-free (888) 634-2462.

Notes 1. Ed Stetzer, Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age,(Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2003) p.

139.

2. See Christian Schwartz, Natural Church Development, 3rd ed., (Carol Stream, Ill.: ChurchSmart Resources, 1998).

3. See Steve Sjogren, Community of Kindness, (Regal: Ventura, Calif.: 2003), p. 124.

4. OnMission magazine, July-August, 1999.

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Appendix 1: Partnering Covenant Template Instructions: Please respond to each of the questions using a 1 to 5 scale, with 1 being the mission and 5 being the partnering church.

Examples: The person completing this form feels the selection of the church planter is the mission’s responsibility only. He or she would circle 1.

1. (Sample) The selection of the church planter

1

2

3

4

5

However, if the person completing this form feels the selection of the church planter is the responsibility of the sponsoring church, with some input from the mission congregation, he or she would circle 4.

1. (Sample) The selection of the church planter Please complete the following 1. The selection of the church planter, if applicable.

2. Which group should decide on supervision issues for the church planter?

3. Which group should select the meeting place and times?

4. To which group are the mission church members accountable?

5. Which group is responsible for the financial needs of the new work?

6. Which group is responsible for handling the money of the new work?

7. Which group will determine polity (how things are done) for the new work, such as baptisms, Lord’s Supper, receiving members?

8. Which group will take care of tax and legal issues?

9. Which group will determine the name of the new work?

10. Which group will take care of the Annual Church Profile?

11. Which group is responsible for the development of goals and action plans for the new work?

12. Which group will be responsible for the selection of leaders and workers for the new work?

13. Should the church planter be considered a staff member of the new work or of the sponsoring church?

14. Who should determine when the new work should constitute as a church?

15. Which group will be responsible for sending in Cooperative Program and associational monthly giving?

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

4 4 4

5 5 5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: _______________ 67

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Sponsoring Church Work Sheet To assist in development of your Partnering Covenant, please have the pastor, minister of missions, or Missions Committee chairperson complete this work sheet and share it with the director of missions or church planting missionary.

1. Does the sponsoring church have a Missions Committee? ❑ Yes ❑ No If yes, what is the role of the committee in relationship to the new work?

2. Who will the church planter report to in the partnering church?

Name ____________________ Title _________________________________ Phone __________________ E-mail _________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________ 3. How long will this partnering covenant be in effect? ❑ One Year

❑ One Year, renewable annually

❑ Three Years

❑ Five Years

❑ Two Years

❑ Other (Specify) ______________________

4. Can the sponsoring church provide liability insurance for the new work? ❑ Yes ❑ No If yes, what is the name of your insurance company? _____________________________________________ 5. What is the projected financial support, if any, the partnering church is prepared to provide per month during the first year? $__________________ Is this amount negotiable following the first year? ❑ Yes

❑ No

6. What other benefits (such as use of a copier, phones, office, etc.) can the sponsoring church provide the new work?

7. What does the sponsoring church expect of the church planter and the new work that is not addressed above?

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Appendix 2: Suggested Covenant Guidelines for a Southern Baptist Church Plant Purpose: To clarify the roles of all participants in the planting of a new church under the leadership and sponsorship of: (church name and address) ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ and assisted by the partners listed on the signature page of the “Church Plant Covenant Agreement.”

Objective: To establish a successful strategic partnership to facilitate the planting of a healthy, multiplying church with evangelistic passion, to be known as ________________________________________________ Baptist Church, incorporating mutual participation, trust, and ownership. The general objectives that we will mutually agree and strive to accomplish are: 1. Establish mutually acceptable guidelines to which all participating entities will adopt.

2. Commit to working relationships relative to ministry, support of missions, doctrinal beliefs, and accountability.

3. Participate in monthly (or quarterly) meetings for prayer, encouragement, and evaluation of progress on strategy and accomplishment of goals.

Responsibilities of Partners During the Covenant Agreement Sponsor church(es): • Enlist a prayer team for the church planting effort.

• Assist in developing a strategic plan to plant the church.

• Enlist and deploy volunteers to regularly assist with the church plant.

• Assist in the selection, supervision, mentoring, and accountability of planter/team members.

• Participate in the financial support for the planter (and team members when applicable), including assistance with salary, housing, and benefits.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches • Provide a process for facilitating: membership, discipline, ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, accounting, insurance, and other legal requirements.

• Assist planter in submitting monthly reports and providing copies to all partners in the covenant.

• Assist planter in implementing doctrinal teaching and practice in agreement with the current “Baptist Faith and Message.”

• Guide the church plant to financial support of missions through the Cooperative Program and other local, state, national, and international missions entities.

• Assist in providing and/or securing and maintaining meeting facilities/location for the church plant.

Association and/or State Convention • Mobilize prayer support for the church planting effort.

• Assist in enlisting, assessing, and evaluating the church planting process, training, and mentoring of church planter/team members.

• Assist in developing a strategic plan for the church plant and daughter churches.

• Assist with financial support and provide accountability for doctrine and mission support.

• Provide personal and event evangelism training for the church planter and church plant leaders.

• Assist planter in submitting monthly reports and provide copies to all partners in the covenant.

Church Planter and/or Church Plant • Cooperate with the sponsor church leadership in developing a strategic plan for the church plant.

• Commit to enthusiastically fulfilling all the functions of the new church (i.e., worship, evangelism, missions, ministry, discipleship, fellowship, etc.)

• Participate in the training and coaching/mentoring provided by the sponsor church, association, and/or state convention.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches • Commit to planting a Southern Baptist church as defined by a balance of: A. Doctrine = Affirmation of Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) doctrinal teachings and beliefs as expressed in the current “Baptist Faith and Message.” Most churches will use Baptist in the church name. If Baptist is not used in the name, there must be a stated affiliation with the SBC in all the founding documents of the church (constitution and bylaws, articles of incorporation, etc.).

B. Participate in Acts 1:8 Kingdom Missions = participate in mission causes through the Cooperative Program. (It is suggested that a minimum of 10% of undesignated receipts be given.), as well as extending missions involvement through associational, state, national, and international missions offerings.

• Incorporate an intentional plan to multiply/reproduce yourself annually by starting new Bible study units, ministries, and church plants.

• Submit a monthly report to the sponsor church and copy all covenant participants.

• Participate in personal and event evangelism training provided by the association and/or state convention.

• Submit the Annual Church Profile (ACP) at the appropriate time.

• Demonstrate a working knowledge of Baptist distinctives including the doctrine and cooperative missions of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The undersigned parties enter into a covenant relationship, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to plant a new church. All agree the final authority and responsibility for the actions and activities of this new church plant rests primarily with the sponsor church and the church plant congregation.

The covenant agreement is a commitment of all the undersigned participants to provide support to the church plant for up to a maximum of _____ years from the date of approval indicated below. If a participant is committing to a shorter time of support, this will be reflected in a brief statement in an attached addendum.

By the approval of the _____________________________________________ Baptist Church (sponsor) by official church action on_______________(date), a commitment was made to sponsor _________________________________ church plant according to the guidelines and time frame specified in this

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Church Plant Covenant Agreement. The signatures below represent a commitment of all participants to this Covenant Agreement and guidelines for the above mentioned church plant.

Sponsor Church Representative

Date

Church Planter/Pastor

Date

Associational Director of Missions or Representative

Date

Baptist State Convention Representative

Date

Termination of This Covenant Agreement A. Conditions in which any covenant partner can terminate participation in the agreement: 1. The church plant clearly departs from the doctrinal stance expressed in the current SBC “Baptist Faith and Message.�

2. The church plant ceases to fulfill the commitment to participate in giving to Acts 1:8 kingdom missions according to the agreed upon percentages.

3. Should the church plant constitute as a church without the agreement of all covenant partners, a partner may cease funding support and participation in the partnership within 90 days.

4. The church plant significantly fails to live within the guidelines.

5. Moral or ethical failure on the part of the new church pastor.

B. Cooperating entities may terminate this relationship for other reasons after consultation of all parties and an agreed upon time frame for termination.

C. The inconveniences associated with multiple congregations in one facility, cultural differences, differing worship styles, or different models of outreach and ministry shall not be sufficient reason for termination of the relationship.

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Appendix 3: Sample Partnering Initiation Checklist (First 50 days**) ORDER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

ACTIVITY/TASK

DATE DONE CONSULTATIVE BODIES

Assign duties for practice Sunday to core group members.

Conduct practice Sunday.

Conduct launch Sunday.

Implement strategy for first 100 days.

(Share highlights on launch Sunday.)

Conduct a prayerwalk each month.

Develop relational groups (Sunday School/small groups) to reproduce themselves (sign up on Launch Sunday).

Communicate need for outreach through vision-casting weekly.

Adopt an outreach plan Design limited/customized organizational structure (teams, policies, pragmatics).

Develop dynamic, relevant worship (adjust as the congregation develops).

Organize fellowships monthly (small and large groups).

Refine budget and stewardship training (adjust monthly and prioritize spending).

Begin newcomer assimilation process.

Identify 2-3 priorities based on community needs and congregational gifts and implement.

(Use “Redemptive Ministry Planning” guide.)

Develop and adopt a two-year strategy plan.

(Use “Planning for the First Two Years” guide.)

Send 2-3 direct mail pieces (special day, message series, events).

Enlist, train, and deploy new leaders.

(Each leader should have an apprentice to multiply the leadership base). *NOTE: Ensure that balance is achieved in worship, evangelism, discipleship, ministry, and fellowship.

* Preach one or more messages and guide Bible studies on each of these topics to cast the vision for the new church. Visuals, such as handouts, banners, give-aways, et cetera. will help. **Adapted from The Church Blueprint: Practical Helps for Building the Body by George Thomasson, Brentwood Christian Press, Columbus, 2002, p. 32. Used by permission.

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Planning Calendar _______________________________________________ Month:

Year: What

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

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Who

When

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Appendix 4: Church Planting Rational Early Church Example In all church planting endeavors, it is important to remember that God is the one who builds His church. Inspired of the Spirit, Paul said,“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6, KJV).

The Holy Spirit does not always follow the same pattern or process in beginning a congregation. The most important consideration for people should be their sensitivity and response to the Spirit’s leadership. Paul and his church planting team had planned to go north into Bithynia,“but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (Acts 16:7, NIV). So they traveled west and planted the first church in Macedonia.

People discover God’s direction through prayer. All church planting efforts should be bathed in prayer. The instruction of James 1:5 to those who lack wisdom is that they should ask of God in order to receive it.

Paul’s pattern of witnessing and establishing churches was to preach as he traveled to many cities. Later, he went back to see how the believers were doing (see Acts 15:36). Southern Baptists have followed various patterns in planting hundreds of congregations. Some flourish, others falter. God expects us to use the knowledge that experience and research bring.

Five Reasons for Planting 1. Planting churches is biblical. Jesus instructed His followers in the Great Commission (see Matt. 28:19-20) that they were to make other disciples and baptize and teach them as He had taught. How is this to be accomplished today? God’s strategy for carrying out the Commission is the church—the people of God who confess Christ as Savior.“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18, KJV). In New Testament days, Paul and his fellow workers set the church planting example by establishing churches in Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, and other places.

2. Planting churches is a typical Baptist action. The number of Southern Baptist churches grew from 4,126 in 1885 to 43,024 in 2003. Starting churches in all kinds of places with all kinds of people has made this possible.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches 3. Planting churches is practical. Denominations that report a net increase in total membership also report an increase in new congregations. The average Southern Baptist church baptizes one person for every 27 resident members. Based on the most recent study, the ratio for the average Southern Baptist mission congregation is one person for every eight members.

4. Planting churches is rewarding. Most partnering churches experience a new sense of mission and fulfillment in reaching others with the gospel. Church members and leaders experience spiritual growth and develop a growing sensitivity and commitment to reaching the unsaved.

5. New churches usually stimulate the growth of existing churches. The only Baptist church in a city of 6,000 partnered in starting a new congregation. The congregation baptized 55 people during its first year. The partnering church also experienced growth by reaching a record number of new people. New congregations do not just trade members; they reduce the number of unchurched people.

The Need for New Congregations 1. More than 230 million people in North America are unchurched.

Planting churches can accelerate the rate of winning people to Christ.

2. Planting churches is the most effective way to reach unchurched people. Over 60 percent of adults who join new congregations were not active in church immediately before joining.

3. New congregations grow faster than established congregations.

They reach about two-and-one-half times more people per member than older churches.

4. New congregations are the best stewardship of our mission dollars.

New congregations reach and baptize far more people per dollar.

5. Sometimes, people perceive traditions of older churches to be barriers to participation. Some people may be more likely to attend and participate in a new church that does not have traditions.

6. Mission congregations are needed in places where spiritual vacuums result from churches moving away.

7. Racial and ethnic groups need churches that recognize their background, language, and cultural needs.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches 8. Pockets of people may be missed by churches. Some people groups, because of lifestyle, socioeconomic status, or other reasons, may not respond to existing churches. A new church can use approaches related to the immediate needs of these groups.

9. Communities with large numbers of unchurched people need evangelical congregations.

10. Housing patterns may be a hindrance to reaching people. A new congregation may be needed within a housing development, multihousing unit, or high-rise.

11. New communities and newly developed areas need new congregations.

12. New congregations enlist additional people to work in kingdom business, providing opportunities for expanded Christian service and growth.

13. Multiplying congregations means multiplying Christian workers, missionaries, baptisms, witnessing church members, Bible study groups, mission support, and spiritual growth.

14. Planting congregations opens new doors for people to enter the church.

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Appendix 5: Six Church Planting Approaches 1. Program-based church planting is the planting of a church that will minister to people and grow through a variety of church programs. These programs will consist of some combination of evangelism, discipleship, youth, children’s, men’s, women’s, music, missions and social ministries.

2. Purpose-based church planting is the planting of a church that will focus on the five purposes of a church as identified by Rick Warren.

The five purposes are outreach, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and service.

3. Seeker-based church planting is the planting of a church that intentionally targets specific seeker populations and positions itself to respond to the target population’s needs.

4. Ministry-based church planting is the planting of a church that will go into the community, impact people’s lives and draw them towards the gospel.

5. Relational-based church planting is relatively new and attempts to solve the riddle of reaching and congregationalizing postmoderns.

Relation-based churches are nothing more than networks of single cell churches. These churches are fluid and spread along relational lines through people networks.

6. Affinity-based church planting involves the planting of a church among a specific people or cultural group. The culture can be defined ethnically, by language, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle preferences, or other distinguishing characteristics.

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Appendix 6: Budget Worksheet Monthly

Annual

Missions: Church Planting Association Other Salaries: Pastor Other Staff Staff Benefits: Insurance Housing Automobile Annuity Building Fund: Rent Utilities Advertising Education: Sunday School Discipleship Children’s Ministries Youth Ministries Women’s Ministries Men’s Ministries Music Ministry

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Appendix 7: MCN Scheduling Options A note to facilitators: Flexibility is at the heart of the MCN process. We expect that many of you will appreciate having scheduling options to help guide you through the start-up process. Negotiate with your MCN the scheduling option that best meets your needs.

1. Monthly MCN Meeting. Time 2 – 2-1/2 hours The meeting begins with a time of welcome and fellowship to reconnect the group members. During the sharing and update time, each member shares key happenings in his life or ministry. In time, the focus ideally moves from superficial issues to those that affect our emotional, family, and spiritual life.

The update time provides members an opportunity to inform the group of the status of new and proposed works. The prayer time focuses on the issues shared and the partnership issues related to the new works themselves. During the sharpening time the facilitator will present materials provided in the MCN facilitator’s manual. During the solutions time, implementation planning or specific new work issues are discussed. It is suggested that the facilitator put into writing follow-up plans and assignments.

In this format, a church or associational conference room will often work best.

Consider celebrating with a meal following the meeting. Participants should be encouraged to share several things that are happening in their lives and ministry. Plan for a minimum of 40 minutes of prayer.

Sample Monthly Schedule: Welcome and Fellowship: 10 - 20 minutes Sharing and Update Time: 35-40 minutes Prayer Time: 40 minutes Sharpening (lesson and learning activity): 20 - 30 minutes Solutions (implementation planning): 10 – 15 minutes Wrap-up: 5 minutes

2. Biweekly 1-1/2 – 2 hours Meeting every first and third or second and fourth week has the advantage of allowing additional time for skill building and discussion. The meeting place should be one that encourages attendance. Evenings work well for this schedule.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Since the group meets frequently, there is generally no need for a wrap-up time; otherwise, the meeting components are the same as the monthly plan.

Sample Biweekly Schedule: Welcome and Fellowship: 10 minutes Sharing and Update Time: 25-30 minutes Prayer Time: 25-30 minutes Sharpening (lesson and learning activity): 20 - 30 minutes Solutions (implementation planning): 10 – 20 minutes

3. Weekly 1 – 1-1/2 hour This schedule has the benefit of high accountability and regularity. Attendees generally make this a part of their weekly routine. Scheduling such a meeting following an already planned event such as a weekly pastor’s fellowship or Wednesday evening services often works well. Holding the MCN at a location such as a local book store or coffeeshop has worked well for some clusters.

Sample Weekly Schedule: Sharing and Update Time: 20 – 30 minutes Prayer Time: 20-30 minutes Sharpening and Solutions: 20-30 minutes

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Schools /Colleges Store Front Theater Sponsor Church Other Church House Apartment Warehouse

Business/Office Hotels Community Centers Portable building Lodges Restaurants Tents Other Sites

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Liability issues

Set up/tear down weekly

Appearance

Accessibility

Space to grow

Signage

Parking

Room is provided to compare multiple sites.

Cost

Instructions: Place a + or – in the box for each trait.

Proximity to Target Group

Facility Needs Work Sheet

Adequate Ed. Space

Appendix 8: Facility Needs Work Sheet

Seven Steps for Planting Churches

Facility Work Sheet Instructions

Liability issues

Set up/tear down weekly

Appearance

Accessibility

Space to grow

Proximity to Target Group

Signage

Room is provided to compare multiple sites

Cost

Instructions: Place a + or – in the box for each trait

Parking

Facility Needs Worksheet

Adequate Ed. Space

The Facility Needs Work Sheet is a tool to evaluate potential meeting places.

For each trait, place a plus sign (+) if the trait is positive. For example, if a local school has good parking, place a plus in the grid. If the trait is a negative, place a minus sign (–). For example, if a local movie theater costs $700 per week to rent, that amount may be a negative.

Schools Mapel School Jefferson High Chavez Jr. High

In the above scenario, it appears that what Chavez Junior High offers would be the best meeting place. The two negatives for this location would be a lack of signage (for example, the school does not allow signs to be set up except while the school is being rented) and the church would have to setup and tear down each week.

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❑ Churched/Saved ❑ Unch/Unsvd ❑ Traditional ❑ Nontraditional ❑ Liturgical ❑ Formal ❑ Informal ❑ Experiential ❑ World Religion ❑ Sect/Cult

❑ Unskilled ❑ Amateur ❑ Sophisticated ❑ Professional

❑ GI Generation ❑ Builder ❑ Boomer ❑ GenX ❑ Millennial ❑ Mosaic

❑ Dominant ❑ Influence ❑ Steadiness ❑ Compliant ❑ Extroverted ❑ Introverted ❑ Judging ❑ Perceptive

❑ Visual ❑ Auditory ❑ Kinesthetic ❑ Experiential ❑ Oral ❑ Literary

✎❑ Lower Income ❑ Middle Income ❑ Upper Income ❑ Hi School Dipl. ❑ Some College ❑ College Degree ❑ Post Grad ❑ Likes Power ❑ Dislikes Power ❑ High Trust of others ❑ Low Trust

Church Background ❑ Churched/Saved ❑ Unch/Unsvd ❑ Traditional ❑ Nontraditional ❑ Liturgical ❑ Formal ❑ Informal ❑ Experiential ❑ World Religion ❑ Sect/Cult

Music Skill Level ❑ Unskilled ❑ Amateur ❑ Sophisticated ❑ Professional

Generation* ❑ GI Generation ❑ Builder ❑ Boomer ❑ GenX ❑ Millennial ❑ Mosaic

Personality ❑ Dominant ❑ Influence ❑ Steadiness ❑ Compliant ❑ Extroverted ❑ Introverted ❑ Judging ❑ Perceptive

Communication Style

❑ Visual ❑ Auditory ❑ Kinesthetic ❑ Experiential ❑ Oral ❑ Literary

Check all that apply

Socioeconomic Issues

❑ Lower Income ❑ Middle Income ❑ Upper Income ❑ Hi. School Dipl. ❑ Some College ❑ College Degree ❑ Post Grad. ❑ Likes Power ❑ Dislikes Power ❑ High Trust of others ❑ Low Trust

Group

Developed from the tool—Groups Impacting and Factors Determining Worship Styles

Appendix 9: Planter-Core Community Match Work Sheet

Church Planter or Pastor

Leadership Team

84 ❑ Rigid ❑ Low ❑ Moderate ❑ High ❑ Eclectic

❑ Rigid ❑ Low ❑ Moderate ❑ High ❑ Eclectic

Cultural Adaptability

85

❑ Rigid ❑ Low ❑ Moderate ❑ High ❑ Eclectic

❑ Rigid ❑ Low ❑ Moderate ❑ High ❑ Eclectic

Cultural Adaptability

*Note: Designation names and dates for generational groups and bracket years vary depending on different sources consulted: GI Generation (1914-1930) • GenX (1964-1981 • Builder (1930-1946) • Millennial (1981-1998) • Boomer (1946-1963) • Mosaic (1998- )

❑ Churched/Saved ❑ Unch/Unsvd ❑ Traditional ❑ Nontraditional ❑ Liturgical ❑ Formal ❑ Informal ❑ Experiential ❑ World Religion ❑ Sect/Cult

❑ Unskilled ❑ Amateur ❑ Sophisticated ❑ Professional

❑ GI Generation ❑ Builder ❑ Boomer ❑ GenX ❑ Millennial ❑ Mosaic

❑ Dominant ❑ Influence ❑ Steadiness ❑ Compliant ❑ Extroverted ❑ Introverted ❑ Judging ❑ Perceptive

❑ Visual ❑ Auditory ❑ Kinesthetic ❑ Experiential ❑ Oral ❑ Literary

❑ Lower Income ❑ Middle Income ❑ Upper Income ❑ Hi. School Dipl. ❑ Some College ❑ College Degree ❑ Post Grad. ❑ Likes Power ❑ Dislikes Power ❑ High Trust of others ❑ Low Trust

Church Background ❑ Churched/Saved ❑ Unch/Unsvd ❑ Traditional ❑ Nontraditional ❑ Liturgical ❑ Formal ❑ Informal ❑ Experiential ❑ World Religion ❑ Sect/Cult

Music Skill Level ❑ Unskilled ❑ Amateur ❑ Sophisticated ❑ Professional

Generation* ❑ GI Generation ❑ Builder ❑ Boomer ❑ GenX ❑ Millennial ❑ Mosaic

Personality ❑ Dominant ❑ Influence ❑ Steadiness ❑ Compliant ❑ Extroverted ❑ Introverted ❑ Judging ❑ Perceptive

Communication Style

❑ Visual ❑ Auditory ❑ Kinesthetic ❑ Experiential ❑ Oral ❑ Literary

Check all that apply

Socioeconomic Issues

❑ Lower Income ❑ Middle Income ❑ Upper Income ❑ Hi. School Dipl. ❑ Some College ❑ College Degree ❑ Post Grad. ❑ Likes Power ❑ Dislikes Power ❑ High Trust of others ❑ Low Trust

Group

Developed from the tool—Groups Impacting and Factors Determining Worship Styles

Appendix 9 (conti.) : Planter-Core Community Match Work Sheet

Core Group

Ministry Focus Group

Auditory, Oral

Auditory, Oral

Auditory, Oral

Visual, Literary

Lower Middle, High School Grad., Bible College

Lower Middle, Not High School—High School Grad.

Upper Middle, College Grad. and Postgrad,

Communication Style

Lower Middle, High School Grad., Bible College

Check all that apply

Group Socioeconomic Issues

Pastor

Leadership

Core Group

Ministry Focus Group

86 Extrovert

Extrovert

Personality

Younger Boomer, Older GenX

Builder

Builder

Builder

Generation

Sophisticated

Unskilled.

Unskilled

Unskilled

Skill Level

Classic Community Mismatch

Unchurched Saved, Unchurched Unsaved, NonTraditional

Churched Saved and Unsaved, Traditional

Churched, Saved, Traditional

Churched, Saved, Traditional

Church Background

Eclectic

Low

Low

Low

Cultural Adaptability

87

Auditory

Auditory

Auditory and Kinesthetic

Visual, Auditory

College Grad.

Some College, College Grad.

Some College, College Grad., Postgraduate

Communication Style

Postgraduate

Check all that apply

Group Socioeconomic Issues

Pastor

Leadership

Core Group

Ministry Focus Group

Extroverts

Extrovert, Influencer

Extrovert, Director

Personality

Mixed Xers and Younger Boomers

Younger Boomers and Mixed Xers

Organizational GenX

Organizational GenX

Generation

Sophisticated

Skilled and Sophisticated

Skilled

Amateur

Skill Level

Higher Degree of Match

Unchurched Saved, Unchurched Unsaved, Nontraditional

Unchurched Saved, Unchurched unsaved, Nontraditional

Unchurched, Saved, Nontraditional

Churched, Saved, Nontraditional

Church Background

Moderate

Moderate

High

Moderate

Cultural Adaptability

Seven Steps for Planting Churches

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State and Canadian Southern Baptist Convention Directory Alabama Baptist State Convention P.O. Box 11870 • Montgomery, AL 36111-0870 • (334) 288-2460 or (800) 264-1225 www.alsbom.org Alaska Baptist Convention 1750 O’Malley Road • Anchorage, AK 99507 • (907) 344-9627 http://www.alaskabaptistconvention.com/ Arizona Southern Baptist Convention 2240 N Hayden Road, Suite 100 • Scottsdale, AZ 85257-2480 (480) 945-0880 or (800) 687-2431 www.azsobaptist.org Arkansas Baptist State Convention P.O. Box 552 • Little Rock,AR 72203-0552 • (501) 376-4791 or (800) 838-2272 (in Arkansas) www.absc.org California Southern Baptist Convention 678 E .Shaw Avenue • Fresno, CA 93710-7704 • (559) 229-9533 www.csbc.com Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon) 100 Convention Way • Cochrane, AB T4C 2G2 Canada (403) 932-5688 or (800) 442-CCSB www.ccsb.ca Colorado Baptist General Convention 7393 South Alton Way • Englewood, CO 80112-2302 • (303) 771-2480 or (888) 771-2480 www.cbgc.org Dakota Southern Baptist Fellowship (North and South Dakota) P.O. Box 6028 • Bismarck, ND 58506-6028 • (701) 255-3765 www.dsbf.org

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches District of Columbia Baptist Convention 1628 16th Street, NW • Washington, DC 20009-3099 • (202) 265-1526 www.dcbaptist.org Florida Baptist Convention 1230 Hendricks Avenue • Jacksonville, FL 32207-8696 (904) 396-2351 or (800) 226-8584 www.flbaptist.org Georgia Baptist Convention 2930 Flowers Road S • Atlanta, GA 30341-5512 • (770) 455-0404 www.gabaptist.org Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention 2042 Vancouver Drive • Honolulu, HI 96822-2491 • (808) 946-9581 www.hpbaptist.net Illinois Baptist State Association P.O. Box 19247 • Springfield, IL 62794-9247 • (217) 786-2600 www.ibsa.org State Convention of Baptists in Indiana P.O. Box 24189 • Indianapolis, IN 46224-0189 • (317) 241-9317 www.scbi.org Baptist Convention of Iowa 2400 86th Street, Suite 27 • Des Moines, IA 50322-4300 • (515) 278-1566 www.bcisbc.com Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists 5410 W Seventh Street • Topeka, KS 66606-2398 • (785) 228-6800 or (800) 984-9092 www.kncsb.org Kentucky Baptist Convention P.O. Box 43433 • Louisville, KY 40253-0433 • (502) 245-4101 or (800) 266-6477 (Kentucky only) www.kybaptist.org Louisiana Baptist Convention P.O. Box 311 • Alexandria, LA 71309-0311 • (318) 448-3402 or (800) 622-6549 www.lbc.org

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Baptist Convention of Maryland/ Delaware 10255 Old Columbia Road • Columbia, MD 21046-1716 • (410) 290-5290 or (800) 466-5290 www.bcmd.org Baptist State Convention of Michigan 8420 Runyan Lake Road • Fenton, MI 48430 • (810) 714-1907 www.bscm.org Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention 519 Sixteenth Street, SE • Rochester, MN 55904-5234 • (507) 282-3636 www.mwbc.org Mississippi Baptist Convention Board P.O. Box 530 • Jackson, MS 39205-0530 • (601) 968-3800 or (800) 748-1651 www.mbcb.org Missouri Baptist Convention 400 E . High Street • Jefferson City, MO 65101-3253 • (573) 635-7931 or (800) 736-6227 www.mobaptist.org Montana Southern Baptist Convention P.O. Box 99 • Billings, MT 59103-0099 • (406) 252-7537 www.mtsbc.org Nevada Baptist Convention 406 California Avenue • Reno, NV 89509-1520 • (775) 786-0406 or (877) 428-3753 www.nbcsbc.org Baptist Convention of New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) 87 Lincoln Street • Northboro, MA 01532-1742 • (508) 393-6013 www.bcne.net The Baptist Convention of New Mexico P.O. Box 94485 • Albuquerque, NM 87199-485 • (505) 924-2300 www.bcnm.com Baptist Convention of New York (North Jersey and New York) 6538 Baptist Way • East Syracuse, NY 13057-1072 • (315) 433-1001 www.bcnysbc.org

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Baptist State Convention of North Carolina P.O. Box 1107 • Cary, NC 27512-1107 • (919) 467-5100 or (800) 395-5102 (North Carolina only) www.bscnc.org Northwest Baptist Convention (Oregon and Washington) 3200 N.E. 109th Avenue • Vancouver, WA 98682-7749 • (360) 882-2100 www.nwbaptist.org State Convention of Baptists in Ohio 1680 E. Broad Street • Columbus, OH 43203-2095 • (614) 827-1777 www.scbo.org Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma 3800 N. May Avenue • Oklahoma City, OK 73112-6506 • (405) 942-3800 www.bgco.org Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania/South Jersey 4620 Fritchey Street • Harrisburg, PA 17109-2895 • (717) 652-5856 www.bcpsj.org South Carolina Baptist Convention 190 Stoneridge Drive • Columbia, SC 29210-8239 • (803) 765-0030 or (800) 723-7242 www.scbaptist.org Tennessee Baptist Convention P.O. Box 728 • Brentwood, TN 37024-0728 • (615) 373-2255 or (800)-558-2090 www.tnbaptist.org The Baptist General Convention of Texas 333 N Washington • Dallas, TX 75246-1798 • (214) 828-5100 www.bgct.org Southern Baptists of Texas Convention P.O. Box 168585 • Irving, TX 75016-8585 • (972) 953-0878 www.sbtexas.com Utah/Idaho Southern Baptist Convention P.O. Box 1347 • Draper, UT 84020-1347 • (801) 572-5350 www.uisbc.org

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Baptist General Association of Virginia P.O. Box 8568 • Richmond, VA 23226-0568 • (804) 915-5000 www.vbmb.org Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia 4101 Cox Road, Suite 100 • Glen Allen, VA 23060-3320 • (804) 270-1848 www.sbcv.org West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists One Mission Way • Scott Depot, WV 25560-9406 • (304) 757-0944 www.wvbaptists.org Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention P.O. Box 4779 • Casper, WY 82604-0779 • (307) 472-4087 http://www.wyomingsbc.org/

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Glossary of Terms Basic Training for Church Planters (BT): BT is an intensive three-day training event to help church planting teams begin to design and put together the ingredients needed to begin a new work. Time spent with a mentor and other church planting teams is a significant component of this training. A follow-up training, Basic Training II, is also available.

Church Multiplication System (CMS): The CMS is the umbrella under which the various church planting resources available to churches, associations, church planters, and their teams are provided.

Church Planter Assessment: Trained assessors evaluate potential church planters and their spouses in 13 to 16 skill areas related to church planting. The tool takes into consideration only past and present behavioral characteristics, and is an ideal tool for evaluating church planting potential.

Church Planter’s Network (CPN): The CPN is a gathering of planters, spouses, mentors, and possible key lay leaders, for the purpose of prayer, networking, and group learning. Generally, meeting monthly, the CPN is a support network for church planters.

Church Planting Missionaries/Strategists (CPM): CPMs are apostolic missionaries working with church planters, partnering churches, associations, and states to develop strategies, secure resources and enlist church planters and sponsors for multiple church starts each year. CPMs can be assigned geographically or among certain ethnicities. To qualify, CPMs must have church planting experience and meet the appointment criteria of NAMB. Mentor Training: Mentors are trained leaders who work alongside church planters in the area of coaching and mentoring during the critical first two years of the church plant. Ten hours of training provide for mentors who precede their participation in Basic Training Mission Development Council (MDC): The MDC is the associational council responsible for the mission activities of the association. The MDC will coordinate with local church, associational and state leaders to provide a productive environment for church planting.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Multiplying Church Network (MCN): MCNs are clusters of church leaders representing various churches that meet regularly for the purpose of praying for, learning how to, planning for, and leading their respective congregations to reproduce themselves in starting healthy, growing, and reproducing congregations.

Nehemiah Partnership: A strategy for college and non-SBC seminary students to train church planters.

Nehemiah Project: A cooperative intern strategy with SBC seminaries to intentionally prepare and equip church planters to plant healthy, reproducing churches.

New Church Start Team: This team consists of pastor, spouse, core group, and other team members who will be actually planting the new church.

New Work Team: The associational leaders, mentor, CPM, MCN members, and others directly working with the church planting and providing support, resources, and leadership for the new work team.

On Mission Team: State and NAMB team that provides training and resourcing for both the church planter and new work team members.

State Director of Mission (SDOM): The SDOM is responsible for coordinating training and allocating State and NAMB resources to churches and associations.

Probe 2: A tool designed to assist church planters and church planter strategists to identify and understand the people groups and population segments living in a city or community in order to evangelize every unreached group with a culturally appropriate church planting strategy.

The Village: This is the interactive church planter Web site community designed for interaction of planter with planters. To connect with the growing resources on The Village simply go to www.ChurchPlantingVillage.net and search the various libraries within the site.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches (Parenting Church Edition) Bibliography The Classics (Pre-1996) Allen, Roland. Missionary Methods, St. Paul’s or Ours? Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmands Publishing Company, 1962. ________. The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church and the Causes Which Hinder It. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmands Publishing Company, 1962.

Brock, Charles. Indigenous Church Planting. Nashville, Broadman Press, 1981.

Cairns, Earle E. An Endless Line of Splendor. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1986.

Chaney, Charles L. Church Planting in America at the end of the Twentieth Century. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1982.

Drucker, Peter F. Managing the Non-Profit Organization. New York, Harper Collins, 1990.

Faircloth, Samuel D. Church Planting for Reproduction. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1991.

Hesselgrave, David J. Planting Churches Cross-Culturally: A Guide for Home and Foreign Missions. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980.

Lewis, Larry L. The Church Planter’s Handbook. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1993.

Logan, Robert E. Beyond Church Growth. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1989.

Logan, Robert E., and Steven L. Ogne. Church Planter’s Toolkit. Pasadena, Calif.: Charles E. Fuller Institute for Evangelism and Church Growth, 1991.

Malphurs, Aubrey. Planting Growing Churches for the 21 Century: A Comprehensive Guide for New Churches and Those Desiring Renewal. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Nevius, John L. Planting and Development of Missionary Churches. Nutley, N.J., Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1958.

Redford, Jack. Planting New Churches. Nashville, Broadman Press, 1978.

Ridley, Charles R. How to Select Church Planters. Pasadena, Fuller Evangelistic Association, 1988.

Starr, Timothy. Church Planting: Always in Season. Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches of Canada, 1978.

Strobel, Lee. Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry & Mary. Grand Rapdis, Zondervan Publishing House, 1993.

Tidsworth, Floyd Jr. Planting and Growing Missions. Durham, N.C.: Moore Publishing Company, 1979.

Wagner, C. Peter. Church Planting For a Greater Harvest. Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 1990.

Warren, Rick. The Purpose-Driven Church. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.

Contemporary (1996-Present) Anderson, Leith. Dying for a Change. Bethany House Publishers, 1998.

Bisagno, John. Successful Church Fund-Raising: Capital Campaigns You Can Do Yourself. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2002.

Downs, Tim. Finding Common Ground: How to Communicate with Those Outside the Christian Community…While We Still Can. Chicago: Moody Press, 1999.

Hesselgrave, David J. Planting Churches Cross-Culturally: North America and Beyond. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 2000.

James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner, Tom Peters. Leadership Challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996.

Malphurs, Aubrey, Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2nd Edition 1998.

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Seven Steps for Planting Churches Moore, Ralph. Starting a New Church: The Church Planter’s Guide to Success.

Ventura, Calif.: Regal Books, 2003.

Murray, Stuart. Church Planting: Laying Foundations. North American ed.

Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001.

Rainer, Thom. The Unchurched Next Door. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. ________. The Book of Church Growth. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998. ________. Effective Evangelistic Churches. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996.

Sanchez, Daniel R., Ebbie Smith, and Curtis E. Watke. Starting Reproducing Churches. Fort Worth: Church Starting Network, 2001.

Schaller, Lyle. What Have We Learned? Abingdon Press. 2001.

Schwarz, Christian A. Natural Church Development. Emmelsbull, Germany: C & P Publishing, 3rd ed., 1998.

Seven Steps for Planting Churches, Planter Edition. Alpharetta: North American Mission Board, 2003.

Sjogren, Steve, and Lewin, Bob. Community of Kindness. Ventura, Regal Books, 2003.

Stetzer, Ed. Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2003.

Thomasson, George. The Church Blueprint. Atlanta: blueprint@bellsouth.net, 2002.

Rainer, Thom. The Book of Church Growth. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998.

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