The Road to Parenting a Church

Why start new churches? The harvest is plentiful: Jesus w ent through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Matthew 9:35-38

Why start new churches? The harvest is plentiful –We need lots of new churches –Subtract seating capacity of all existing churches vs total population =unchurched –We need to count people who are still un- reached, rather than church buildings

Why start new churches? The harvest is diverse: Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

Why start new churches? The harvest is diverse –Cultural diversity requires a diversity of congregations –It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. Rick Warren

Why start new churches? The harvest is ready: Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. John 4:35

Why start new churches? Church planting is the work of Jesus –Matthew 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. –It is a privilege to partner together with Jesus in building his church.

Why Parent? Church planting is the most effective means of evangelism under heaven. - C. Peter Wagner The best church planting occurs when a sponsor/mother church is actively involved in the planting of new churches. - Ed Stetzer, Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age

What is NCBCs Role? Recognizing the strategic value of planting new churches and the effectiveness of the parenting model, NCBC partners with parenting churches to better equip and strengthen their efforts. To that end...

What is CPWs Role? We will work with parenting churches to: Train leaders in the parenting process Help to define the target group Help recruit and assess potential candidates Provide church planter training, supervision and coaching, and resourcing

Begin the Parenting Journey The Five Stages of the Parenting Process

Idea & Dreaming Stage This is where the foundation for motivation begins. We recognize that it is Christ who builds his church and we encourage church leaders to seek him and begin to share his passion for multiplying congregations. continued...

Idea & Dreaming Stage At this stage be prepared to... Understand the biblical foundation for parenting new churches Look at an overview of the church parenting process See the harvest and cultivate compassion for the lost Mobilize an intersession team Look to Jesus for direction

Communicating & Casting the Vision Begin refining ideas and dreams into tangible vision that will be communicated with your church leadership. No one person plants a church and no one person produces a daughter church; recognize that it will take a team to do this and everyone must have a clear idea where they are going and be committed to the vision. continued...

Communicating & Casting the Vision At this stage be prepared to... With your leadership, develop a written vision for parenting new churches Cultivate compassion for the lost among leadership Become aware of other church planting materials and networks continued...

Communicating & Casting the Vision At this stage be prepared to... Understand the values of healthy churches - know what DNA you want to reproduce Identify fears related to parenting a new church Count the cost of parenting a new church Understand the lifecycle concept for new church development

Planning & Reconnaissance Begin to bring the congregation at large on board; gain congregational buy in through dialogue and promoting ownership. Carefully plan for the specific stages in parenting a church and avoid the three biggest mistakes. continued...

Planning & Reconnaissance At this stage be prepared to... Identify opinion leaders in your congregation Evaluate the sphere of influence and its strength for each opinion leader Carefully plan a dialogue process with key opinion leaders to listen and discern their values Gain the support of the opinion leaders Be sure your intercessors are mobilized Increase congregational ownership to the parenting vision continued...

Planning & Reconnaissance Clearly identify the role of the parent church during each phase of the lifecycle Avoid the three biggest mistakes... 1.Moving ahead with plans before the congregation has ownership 2.Poor church planter selection and lack of a clear church planting proposal 3.Inability to release control of the new church

Development This is where the vision and plans go into action. Clearly detail the role of the parent church, the methods that will be used and the financial commitment of the parent church. Lay the ground work for target community selection and planter selection. continued...

Development At this stage be prepared to... Develop creative ways to keep the vision alive Understand the variety of ways to parent a new church and identify the best method(s) for your congregation Determine the parent churchs financial commitment to the project and identify other possible sources of funding for the new church. continued...

Development Be prepared to select target community.. Understand the need for a diversity of churches to reach a diversity of people Complete demographics research and community assessment Select appropriate target communities Clearly describe the ministry focus group and its needs continued...

Development Be prepared to select church planter... Understand the profile of a good church planter Learn to screen candidates effectively Determine an objective assessment process Understand the importance of matching the church planter with the target community

Birth & Release of New Church While it feels like the beginning and there may be a lot of momentum, recognize that as the parenting church you are approaching the culmination process and it will soon be time to release the new church. continued...

Birth & Release of New Church At this stage be prepared to... Develop a specific strategy and timetable to launch the new church Be flexible! Dont try to control Understand the importance of freeing the church planter to gather people Determine ways parent church can give to the new church continued...

Birth & Release of New Church At this stage be prepared to... Commission the church planter and/or church planting team Understand the importance of releasing the new church Identify recovery issues for the parent church Describe your continuing relationship with the new church Determine future involvement in church planting

To further explore the road to Parenting a Church, contact: To further explore the road to Parenting a Church, contact: Contact Paul Root at

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