Church Planting as an Evangelistic Strategy (original) (raw)

Reflections on the State of Church Planting in the US

Journal of the Evangelical Missiological Society, 2022

Ever since C. Peter Wagner declared church planting as the greatest strategy for the spread the gospel around the world (1990), church planters have taken up the banner of what is no doubt one of the most obvious results of making disciples in the book of Acts. Indeed, Tim Keller writes, “The continual planting of new congregations is the most crucial strategy for the growth of the body of Christ” (2012). Pick up any church planting text these days and you’ll hear similar remarks. In fact, Ed Stezter and Daniel Im go so as far as to say, “We are most like Christ when we join him in the mission of reaching the unchurched by planting new churches” (2011, 26).

Finding the Church Planting Model for Our Church: How Existing Churches Can Be Part of the Church Planting Movement

Great Commission Research Journal, 2019

Church planting has become an effective method for revitalizing denominations. In many cases, however, church planting is limited to one or two charismatic leaders or a large church's multi-site movement. This article attempts to present a roadmap to categorize the models of church planting. After understanding pathways for church planting, it suggests a method that enables existing churches to be part of this exciting movement of God.

Two Church Planting Paradigms

2013

Ted Esler serves as Senior Vice President of Pioneers–USA where he focuses on the mobilization, support and preparation of missionaries. He began his career in the computer industry before moving to Sarajevo, Bosnia, as a church planter during the 1990s. He has a BS in Computer Science, an MTS in Theology, and a PhD in Intercultural Studies. Ted serves as a board member for a couple of ministry organizations and a foundation. He is involved with a house church network in Orlando, FL. Over the past two decades, with the publishing of David Garrison’s book Church Planting Movements, (Garrison 2004) many missionaries have shifted the focus of their strategies toward church planting movement (CPM) principles. In some agencies a disagreement has arisen, with proponents of CPM on the one side, and proponents of the “traditional model” on the other. As I have watched this debate unfold it has been rather onesided. Because the CPM Model is fairly defined the antagonists have had a rather ea...

Lectures, discussion, and workshop activities will allow participants to formulate vision, values, mission, and strategy that can find immediate application in the field. Church planting methodology (Seven Seasons of Church Planting) will be surveyed from pre-birth to reproduction. Some topics to...

The Church Planting Seminar is designed to equip church planters (before and after first public worship), coaches and supervisors with the principles and strategies needed for starting and developing healthy, growing, reproducing churches. In this intensive and comprehensive learning experience, planters and coaches will learn, in hands-on ways, how to develop a biblical vision for ministry, philosophy of ministry and church development. A specialized track designed for more experienced church planters, coaches and supervisors will be offered at the same time (running concurrently) as the "Basic Training" track.

Planting Missional Church

An introduction to the missional church planting methods of the New Testament and their sundry applications in the 21st century. The course will focus on the missional nature of the church with attention to the importance of cultural exegesis and contextual strategies for ecclesial structures and leadership. Special attention will be given to the importance of missiology in catalyzing reproducing churches. Students will analyze and evaluate contemporary church planting models with a view toward a nascent articulation of a personal church planting philosophy developed in a community of learners.

The Acts Way: Returning to the Original Plan A of Church Planting

Great Commission Research Journal, 2020

This article examines the question: Is there a way to plant gospel-centered churches faster? Building off of Donald McGavran's homogeneous unit theory, this article explores the biblical basis, the varied methodologies, and the successful implementation of a micro-church planting strategy in the Colorado Rockies. It evaluates the validity of micro-church planting alongside our current methods of church planting. The article calls for consideration to return to the Acts model of church planting through disciple-making that will help the Church go deep and reach wide.

After 15 Years of Planting Simple House Churches

JAMS (Journal of Adventist Mission), 2024

Source -- https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/jams/vol19/iss2/5/ This article will highlight five areas of learning: (1) the conventional church attendance crisis, (2) church history, (3) Simple House Church planting, (4) the future of "church," and (5) the rise of Disciple-Making Movements. It is intended to be descriptive. It is my story. In many ways, thanks to the input of many Simple Church planters, it is our collective Simple Church story of the past 15 years. In hopes of adequately sharing what is currently taking place, this article will include a blend of statistical data, observations from personal experience, analysis of social trends, and a brief summary of my understanding of God's prophetic end-time vision to which all nations, tribes, languages, and people are invited. There are still many questions along with the realization that we have made mistakes along the way. However, we have found some answers to the mounting challenges facing Westernized churches. As you read, there will likely be things you find helpful, insightful, disturbing, challenging, and some that may even make you angry. My goal has been to take a candid look at what is developing among God's end-time people. The closing thoughts of this article will attempt to synthesize our experience, providing a look at possible next steps.