Church Planting

10 WAYS TO HELP A CHURCH PLANT

• 1) Pray intentionally for church planters and their teams.

  Prayer is the primary work of God’s people. You and your church can partner in this vital work by encouraging a new plant through prayer. Would your congregation consider “adopting” a local church planter and pray regularly and intentionally for that leader’s church?

• 2) Invite planters to share their vision with your board and church.

  Who are the planters in your vicinity? Consider this option as a great way to encourage church planters and cast vision among your people.

• 3) Pick a planting couple and support them financially.

  Salaries are rarely stable in church planting. Sacrificial, generous giving from churches and individuals, over and above their regular offerings, is a welcome demonstration of Christian unity.

• 4) Bless a church plant with a one-time gift.

  A new church always has equipment needs. Contact a local church planter and ask how your congregation can help.

• 5) Send a planting couple to dinner or on an overnight retreat.

  Planting is difficult, lonely work. A gift like this can really encourage a planting couple—and result in a lasting friendship with them.

• 6) Encourage your congregation to hold a “baby shower” for a plant.

  Give the plant startup gifts, such as office supplies, sound and video equipment, etc. Ask planters to put together a “registry” of items they need if this is something your church would like to do.

• 7) Plan to put church planting as a line item into your next budget.

  Where your treasure is, your heart will be. One of the best ways to encourage church planting is to promote it in your church, share inspiring stories from planters, and start budgeting for it.

• 8) Send team members from your church to participate in a church plant.

  God owns everything, and we are managers. Please consider sending leaders God has called from your church to plant a new congregation.

• 9) Use your church facility to host church–planting teams, services, or training.

  Invite a church plant to your facility for team meetings, events, or services if space is available. Consider hosting a church-planting training event at your church.

• 10) Develop and deploy a planter and team from your church to start a new work.

  Take a faith–filled risk and plant a church! This process begins when you identify and train leaders with the purpose of sending them out to start a new congregation. Think of the Antioch church sending Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13. And don’t wait until you feel “ready”–you’ll never feel quite ready for such a significant undertaking.