Working Together, Planting Healthy, Reproducing Churches

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Working Together, Planting Healthy, Reproducing
Churches

• Reproducing disciples
• Reproducing leaders
• Reproducing congregations

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The Biblical pattern of working together

• 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but
  God made it grow.  7 So neither he who plants nor
  he who waters is anything, but only God, who
  makes things grow.  9 For we are Gods fellow
  workers you are Gods field, Gods building.
  1 Cor 36-9 NIV

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The Biblical pattern of working together

• 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers
  in Christ Jesus.  4 They risked their lives for
  me. Not only I but all the churches of the
  Gentiles are grateful to them.
  Rom 163-4 NIV

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The Road to Parenting a Church
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Why start new churches?

• The harvest is plentiful Matthew 935-38
• Jesus went 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."

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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
• Seeing churches, not people who are still
  un-reached.

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Why start new churches?

• The harvest is diverse Matthew 2818-20
• 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."

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Why start new churches?

• The harvest is diverse
• Cultural diversity requires a diversity of
  churches
• It takes all kinds of churches to reach all
  kinds of people. Rick Warren

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Why start new churches?

• The harvest is ready John 435
• 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.

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Why start new churches?

• Church planting is the work of Jesus
• Matthew 1618 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 work with Jesus in building
  his church.

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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

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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 . . .

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What is NCBCs Role?

• We will work with parenting churches to
• Train leaders in the parenting process
• Help identify and assess potential sites and
  candidates
• Assist with project funding
• Provide church planter training, supervision and
  coaching

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Begin the Parenting Journey

• The Five Stages of the Parenting Process

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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 . . .

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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

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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Planning Reconnaissance

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

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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

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Working Together, Planting Healthy, Reproducing
Churches

• Materials and information regarding the
  parenting process were compiled from Churches
  Planting Churches by Robert E. Logan and Steven
  L. Ogne (Church Smart Resources).