Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer

Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer Church Planting & Church Growth (Material from Ed Stetzer book previously entitled Planting New Churches in a Postmodern Age)

Biblical Basis for Church Planting • Paul was personally prepared for his church planting ministry • Paul was an evangelist • Paul was an entrepreneurial leader • Paul was a team player • Paul was a flexible, risk-taking pioneer • Paul care for people • Paul empowered other (equipper) • Sacrificial ministry • Paul was willing to change plans at God’s guidance

Models of Church Plants • Paradigm • Starts churches, raises up leaders from the harvest, moves to new church • Biblical Model • Paul • Historic/Modern Example • Church circuit riders • House church movement • Networks of house churches The Apostolic Harvest Church Planter

Models of Church Plants • Principles: • Planter/Evangelist initiates and leaves leadership in place • Planter moves on with core group to another church plant. • Evangelist may or may not be classically educated. • Churches may provide core for each new congregation. The Apostolic Harvest Church Planter

Models of Church Plants Planter & New Core Planter & New Core Preacher Preacher Preacher The Apostolic Harvest Church Planter Planter Preacher may work with other churches

Models of Church Plants The Founding Evangelist • Planted Evangelist • Entrepreneurial Planter Founding Evangelist

Models of Church Plants • Paradigm • Starts a church as planter & remains as evangelist in new church • Biblical Model • Peter at Jerusalem church • Historic/Modern Example • Charles Spurgeon • Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Church) The Founding Evangelist

Models of Church Plants The Founding Evangelist • Principles: • Planter starts and pastors the church long term. • Evangelist often moves from another location. • Evangelist often classically education. • New church taught to sponsor new church.

Models of Church Plants The Planted Evangelist (type of Founding Evangelist) Planted Evangelist

Models of Church Plants The Planted Evangelist • Principles: • Organization and vision for new church usually external – from an apostolic church planter, mother church, or denominational leadership. • Planted pastor usually has a shepherding heart with administrative ability but not a church planter’s gift mix. • Planted evangelist by definition does no leave but stays long term. • Planted evangelist is usually classically educate and comes from outside the congregation.

Models of Church Plants The Entrepreneurial Planter

Models of Church Plants The Entrepreneurial Planter • Principles: • Enjoy the challenge of starting churches but are often bored by pastoring the same church long term but generally not attracted to the apostolic method because they love pastoring. • Often leaves before the congregation is “formalized” (three years). • Often classically educated and comes from outside the congregation but may avoid education because of boredom. • Planter may sponsor new churches.

Models of Church Plants The Church Planter Team Consensus Decision Method Leader Decision Method

Models of Church Plants • Paradigm • A group of planters relocates into an area to start a church. Often the team has a senior pastor. • Biblical Model • Paul • Historic/Modern Example • Missionaries at Iona • Team church Planter Team

Models of Church Plants • Principles: • A team forms in, or relocates to, a specific area to plant a new church. • Church planting vision often comes from one key member of the team. • Good teams have a gift mix. • Team may amicably split up the mother church into multiple daughter churches or become traditional staff members of the founded church. Planter Team

Models of Church Plants Team Plants

Church Planters • Teams • Individuals • Laypeople • Agencies • Churches Who can plant churches?

Church Planters Church Multiplication

Church Planters Mother Church

Church Planters Church Planter Assessed

Church Planters • S.H.A.P.E. • Spiritual gifts: Gifts of ministry given by the Holy Spirit • Heart of passion: A burden to establish an outreach toward a specific people group, in a particular location, or through a specific type of ministry • Abilities: Entrepreneurial talents useful in planting • Personality type: Analysis of personality type often appearing in church planters • Experiences: Tools for describing experiences to help the planter understand when, where, and how to plant a church Church Planter Assessment Ed Stetzer

Church Planters • Visionizing Capacity • The ability to envision the potential future, persuade other to work toward the dream to bring the vision to reality • Intrinsically Motivated • Approaches ministry as a self-starter with strong work ethic and determined mind to fulfill vision • Creates Ownership of Ministry • Instills in others a sense of personal responsibility for growth and success in ministry and trains leaders to reproduce Ridley’s Assessment Categories

Church Planters • Relates to the Unchurched • Develops rapport and overcomes barriers with the unchurched to influence the toward a personal relationship with God • Spousal Cooperation • Couple agree on ministry priorities, their roles, and integration of ministry and family life • Effectively Builds Relationships • Takes initiative developing relationships toward ministry goals Ridley’s Assessment Categories

Church Planters • Committed to Church Growth • Values congregational development for spiritual, relational, and numerical growth. • Responsiveness to the Community • Ability to adjust ministry to the culture and the needs of the target people. • Utilizes Giftedness of Others • Equips and releases other people to minister on the basis of their spiritual gifts. Ridley’s Assessment Categories

Church Planters • Flexible and Adaptable • Ability to adjust to change and ambiguity, shift priorities when necessary, and handle multiple tasks at the same time. • Builds Group Cohesiveness • One who enables the group to collaborate to accomplish ministry goals while managing divisiveness and disunifying elements. Ridley’s Assessment Categories

Church Planters • Demonstrates Resilience • Ability to sustain oneself emotionally, spiritually, and physically through stresses and failures. • Exercises Faith • Translates personal conviction into personal and ministry decisions and positive actions. Ridley’s Assessment Categories

Church Planters Wrong Reasons to be a Church Planter • A strong desire to preach but no opportunities • Frustrated where you are because you are not able to do what you want • No invitation to be a minister of a church • Out to prove something. • Need to get some experience in ministerial skills

Church Planters Proposed Schedule & Responsibilities • Evangelistic Outreach – 15 hours per week (bivocational – 3 hours) • Sermon & Study Preparation – 10 hours per week (bivocational – 2 hours) • Administration – 10 hours per week (bivocational – 2 hours) • Ministry – 15 hours per week (bivocational – 3 hours)

Church Planters Personal Adjustments • Culture Fatigue • Team Fatigue • Relational Demands • Network of Support • Accountability (Supervisor) • Mentor Assistance

Church Planters Supervisor - Accountability

Church Planters Mentor Meetings

Key Ministers in Church Plant • Evangelist (Pastor) • Worship Leader • Preschool Children’s Minister • Assimilation Coordinator • Evangelism Networker • Spiritual Gift Mobilizer • Welcome coordinator • Financial Organizer

Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer