1. Evangelism Through Church Planting By Dr. John Mark Terry

2. Evangelism Through Church Planting Any experienced gardener will say youve got plant tomatoes in order to grow tomatoes. The same holds true with churches. To grow a church or a denomination, you have to plant new churches. Most pastors do not think of church planting as an evangelistic method. Yet, Peter Wagner has said that church planting is the single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven. 1 The revitalization of individual churches and the Southern Baptist Convention depends on church planting.

3. Evangelism Through Church Planting New churches are needed for at least six reasons. 1. New churches win more people to Christ than do older churches. The Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention reports that new Anglo churches baptize thirteen persons per one hundred members, while older churches baptize three persons per one hundred members.2 A similar survey among all denominations in the Santa Clarita Valley of sixteen per one hundred members, but older churches baptized only four persons per one hundred members. 3

4. Evangelism Through Church Planting New churches are needed for at least six reasons. 2 New churches grow more rapidly than older churches. Why is this so? New churches are more flexible and open to change. Older churches tend to become closed social groups that do not welcome new members. In new churches, the friendship networks have not yet solidified. New organizations are by nature more volatile than older organizations. New organizations are more likely to grow or die.

5. Evangelism Through Church Planting New churches are needed for at least six reasons. 3. New churches are needed to replace those that die. Churches, like people, go through a life cycle of birth, growth, maturity, decline, and death. Many churches of all denominations die each year. These churches must be replaced, or Christianity will decline dramatically.

6. Evangelism Through Church Planting New churches are needed for at least six reasons. 4. New churches are needed to reach new communities. You can find new housing areas in any metropolitan area. These new communities need new churches.

7. Evangelism Through Church Planting New churches are needed for at least six reasons. 5. New churches are needed to reach new generations. It is difficult for older churches to change their worship style and programming to reach the baby boomers and baby busters. New churches, however, can provide appealing, innovative ministries to reach these unchurched generations.

8. Evangelism Through Church Planting New churches are needed for at least six reasons. 6. New churches are needed to reach cultural and language groups. Of course, every church should welcome and seek to reach all types of people. Still, the fact remains that many will not attend a traditional Anglo church. To reach cultural/language groups, we must plant churches where they can hear the gospel in their heart language, and worship in a way that is culturally appropriate.

9. Evangelism Through Church Planting Common Questions If there are so many reasons for planting new churches, why doesnt everyone do it? Skeptics often raise these three questions in regard to church planting: Isnt church planting really expensive? Arent there enough churches already? Wouldnt a new church offend the existing churches? These are important questions and deserve good answers.

10. Evangelism Through Church Planting Common Questions Indeed, some types of church planting are expensive. If the new church must begin with a full-time seminary-trained pastor and a nice brick building, then church planting is an expensive proposition. However, there are methods of church planting that are not expensive. If you begin with rented quarters and a bivocational pastor or volunteer church planter, the expense is minimized.

11. Evangelism Through Church Planting Common Questions Some areas may have too many churches, but these are few. A carefully survey would probably reveal many unchurched people in most communities. New churches are needed to reach these people.

12. Evangelism Through Church Planting Common Questions It is true that sometimes existing churches object to a new church in their area. They see a new congregation as a criticism of their ministry, or they may fear the loss of members. If the church planter visits the pastors of neighboring churches, the planter can assure them that no sheep will be stolen, and inform them that neighboring churches often grow when a new church is begun.

13. Evangelism Through Church Planting Church-planting Models Church planters employ many different models as they begin new congregations. The circumstances dictate which approach is best. One of the most common models is the core group approach. In this method, a group of members from the mother church leaves to form the nucleus of the new church.

14. Evangelism Through Church Planting Church-planting Models Another popular model in recent years is the satellite church. In this approach, the new congregations are semi-autonomous. They meet weekly on their own, but they maintain an organic relationship with the mother church. They function like annexes or branches of the mother church. The pastor of the mother church supervises the pastors or leaders of the satellite congregations. Some of them may become autonomous churches, while others may never do so.

15. Evangelism Through Church Planting Church-planting Models There are lots of ways to plant churches. The main thing is to use some method. Churches that are interested in planting daughter churches can receive help from many sources, including the associational director of missions, the missions department of the state Baptist Convention, and the Home Mission Board. It is essential that we plant more churches. It is like growing tomatoes. The more you plant, the more you will harvest. 1 C. Peter Wagner, Church Planting for a Greater Harvest (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1990), 11. 2 Charles L. Chaney, Extension Speaks, Missions, vol.66, no.1 (January-February 1995), 12. 3 Wagner, 32-33. Resource: A free copy of Guide for Planting Congregations (item 370-144F/3M1-92) is available by calling the Home Mission Board of Southern Baptist Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, 1-800-634-2462. _______ John Mark Terry is associate professor of evangelism and missions, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.

16. Evangelism Through Church Planting Church-planting Models There are lots of ways to plant churches. The main thing is to use some method. Churches that are interested in planting daughter churches can receive help from many sources, including the associational director of missions, the missions department of the state Baptist Convention, and the Home Mission Board. It is essential that we plant more churches. It is like growing tomatoes. The more you plant, the more you will harvest.

17. Evangelism Through Church Planting FOOTNOTES 1 C. Peter Wagner, Church Planting for a Greater Harvest (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1990), 11. 2 Charles L. Chaney, Extension Speaks, Missions, vol.66, no.1 (January-February 1995), 12. 3 Wagner, 32-33. Resource: A free copy of Guide for Planting Congregations (item 370-144F/3M1-92) is available by calling the Home Mission Board of Southern Baptist Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, 1-800-634-2462. _______ John Mark Terry is associate professor of evangelism and missions, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.