Developing a Regional Church Multiplication Strategy Presenter: Dr. Dan Morgan Associate Professor of Missions Director, Nehemiah Project at SWBTS Fort Worth, TX

Session 1 The Impact of Regional Strategies- Two Case Studies

The Impact of the Status Quo  The Northwest Baptist Convention  Stuck at 450 churches for 20 years  The Willamette Valley  No church plants for a decade  Bluebonnet Association  Struggling financially, no new work in seven years

Association Ministry Capacity  A function of church ministry capacity  Churches older than ten years tend to be stable, but not showing net growth. Often in slow decline.  So, without church planting, associations stagnate  Yet, your stewardship is for each soul in your region – this should generate urgency

Story 1: Bluebonnet Baptist Assoc  Arrived 1999  one 7-yr old anglo plant still on support  Two old hispanic missions – on support  A few churches willing to sponsor  Status Quo growth  Occasional maverick plants and affiliates  Occasional church fight results in a split  What was needed was a strategic plan

Strategic Planting  Three kinds: clone, state-forced, partnership  Clone – not adaptable to new contexts and takes members from existing churches  State-forced – Sometimes breeds resentment in local churches  Partnership – keeps ownership in the hands of the local church by making them partners in the process [J.K.’s preference]

Doing it right – Forming Partnerships  Dr Minton identified three critical issues that would make or break an associational approach  Outside pressure – form a partnership with at least three local churches, so they have a majority and can resist outside pressure  Project control – partnership shares control  Planter accountability – Begins with selection of a trustworthy, capable planter, then works through a covenanted relationship w/ team

The Results  2001 – first Strategic Planning Team – plant failed due to poor planter selection  2002 – Everyday Fellowship – Corey Webb – good assessment – successful plant  2003 – 2006 – four churches per year  Now 18 total, 2 failed, 7 self-supporting, 1 not- supported, rest in phase-down  60% of churches help sponsor, number continues to grow  All plants become partners in new projects

Particulars of J.K.’s Plan  Uses a 2-yr phase down, helps them prepare to go bi-vo if they aren’t going to reach self-support in the two years  Right now there are 7 churches somewhere in the process with four more scheduled for 2007  This is a funded process, so growth is limited by state and assoc. funding ability – this is a limiting factor

Reproducing  I sponsored a seminar in 2004 for ADOMs  Jim Gaitliff attended and picked up on J.K.’s process  He customized it for his setting, then systematized it as a program called PRIME  Now he is training other associations in his system

Story 2: Kauf-Vann & Hunt Assoc  Jim is a long-time Texas pastor who became the associate ADOM for two associations in  No strategy, he was hired to establish one  Attended J.K.’s training  Formalized an approach around four milestones

Jim’s milestones  Right Place – develop list of sites for plants  Windshield surveys, demographic studies, etc  Right Planter – Screened and matched to a site  Recruited from churches, college, seminary  Right Partners – local churches, assoc, state, NAMB, non-local partner church  Right Plan – Planter develops detailed plan, and is trained to implement it

Results  Hunt Association  10 partner churches at start  17 missions funded  Gone from 68 to 86 churches in 30 months  Kauf-Vann Association  7 partner churches to start, now 30 partners, 40% of total churches partner in planting  20 missions funded  Gone from 62 to 81 churches, 3 Hispanic cells, 4 multi-housing cells

Reproduction  Jim is training several Texas associations in his system  Oklahoma and Missouri state staffs have requested versions of PRIME for their states  Jim is training the Hudson Baptist Association in New York State in this process as I speak

Session Wrapup  It is possible to move a stagnant association toward remarkable growth  There are a limited number of problems that must be solved for success  These two leaders have hit on a systematic approach that points the way forward for all of us.  The next session will look in depth at that systematic approach

Session 2 A Systematic Approach to Church Multiplication

Pre-requisites  A leader willing to engage the problem  A compelling message to raise awareness and recruit a few pastors to the task  An association willing to let the staff try and make a difference

Issues to address  The strategy can’t depend on pulling members out of existing churches, nor on a significant increase in the average church’s giving  No one entity can have unbridled control over a church plant project  The system must be able to resist outside pressure that would subvert the process  The planter must be able to implement his vision, but with accountability for results, character, and theology

A Model System  A Process to develop a prioritized list of strategic church planting sites/people groups  A process to develop a pool of qualified planters and match them to strategic sites  A process to form a Strategic Planning Team for each project and initiate that project  A process to preserve and expand the resource base: partners, money, planters  A process to reproduce the process in churches, associations, and state conventions

Finding Sites and People Groups  Who? – make it a major part of someone’s job description; Key: it must be constantly updated and re-prioritized with input from the ADOM  Sites and Groups are the warp and woof of targeting plants, so you need both geo and demo info  Matching projects with planters is a dynamic process that needs active advocacy by the ADOM or strategist

Finding Planters  Seminary, College, Career sources all contribute  Assess for general aptitude and character  Match planter passion with particular projects  This requires trained assessors and coaches  As the pool of assessors grows, assess toward specific contexts and models

Forming the SPT – Who?  State, association always in  Particular churches are asked  A church plant  A never-sponsored-before church  A major funding church  The planter will lead the team

Forming the SPT – How?  The ADOM/strategist matches a project with a planter and invites potential partners to meet  The first meeting is to assess the planter and agree to call.  The second meeting, the planter presents his plan and it is reviewed, then a covenant is formed.  Partners commit funding, and forms the first quarter budget  Planter commits strategy and to be accountable

Expanding the Resource Base  The staff is always on the lookout for potential planters, and partners with church planter training centers  The staff invites new partners with each project. Minor partners often become major partners in a subsequent project  Plants are required to escrow a percentage of receipts for sponsoring church planting – partner the second year  Partner outside assoc. for funding, while funding is growing internally

Session 3 The Strategic Planning Team – Key to success

Principles for Success 1. Covenanted partnership 2. Expanding the pool of sponsors 3. Planter free to implement his strategy 4. Partners fund a quarterly budget based on demonstrated need 5. Partners help assess planter 6. Planter needs a veteran planter coach

The Covenant  Partners commit for the duration of the project  Meeting quarterly to review results  Monthly giving to church plant  The planter is guaranteed the right to implement his strategy  The planter commits to be accountable to team for results, finances, character  State and Assoc. partners adjust their money quarterly as planter’s budget requires  Signed, everyone gets a copy

Initiating the SPT  ADOM or staff asks churches to consider being a partner. Commitment adjusted to fit the church.  Minton has SPT assess planter, Gaitliff has team of assessors do it.  SPT gathers to review strategic plan of planter, commit funds, and to sign a covenant.

Quarterly Meetings  Budget is funded quarter by quarter  Planter is in charge of the meeting  Reviews results of ministry initiatives  Reviews finances  Reviews plan for next quarter and the money it will take to do it  Project growth in people & finances to stay on tract for self-support  State and Assoc. leaders commit funding

Between Meetings  ADOM or strategist is contact person  Planter cultivates relationship with partners – increases buy-in of partner congregations to this project and planting in general  Planter spends to limits of his budget to accomplish stated objectives

Session 4 From addition to multiplication

Model and honor multiplication  Planters who will sponsor other plants  Honor sponsors at annual meeting, etc, especially “grandparents”  Honor dying churches who sponsor a church and then give it their resources once it is established

Break Dependence on Money, Buildings, and Seminary training  All of these are good in themselves, but can’t be turned into a CPM.  Broaden planting to “new work” and include new units that are dependent on a mother church as well as independent  Establish a system to get leaders from the harvest  Recruiting – “calling out the called”  Training – OJT & lay Bible classes

Use World Missions to Fuel Local Missions  IMB short-term missions & journeyman  NAMB short-term & USC-2  Correspond with and host missionaries  Take advantage of cross-cultural skills brought back by journeymen and missionaries

Push the System into the Local Church See Article

You have been given stewardship  Of a region of this earth  Over all the people groups who dwell in it  To establish the Kindgom  Working through local churches  Until He returns