Church Planting... by the Book

Things tend to go better when we do them by the book.  That is true of tuning a guitar or tuning an engine, planting a pineapple or planting a church.

The Book of Acts is an excellent resource for church planters.  It reveals a remarkably simple and yet extremely effective plan for planting churches that grow and prosper in their mission.  Unfortunately, many faith-based organizations have opted to develop complicated institutional plans that require enormous resources and produce minimal results.

When my family lived in Nigeria in the 1980's almost every little village church understood that an important part of their mission was to plant other churches.  

We attended a little church in the village of Gavva with a big heart and an even bigger vision. The congregation was very poor, but in just a few years it managed to start five other congregations.  What they lacked in monetary resources they more than made up for with enthusiasm and faith.

So what is involved in doing church planting by the book.  Begin by reading the book, the Book of Acts.  And look closely at Paul's church planting plan.  As you follow the plan, you'll see an obvious pattern.

• The Mother Church - The first Christians realized the church was a living organism rather than an institutional organization.  So the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to plant the church in Antioch, and Barnabas invited Paul to join him:  

"So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.” -- Acts 11:26

• Conceived by the Holy Spirit -  Their church planting plan was incarnational.  By that I mean that Paul and Barnabas depended upon the work of the Spirit to permeate their humble human efforts.  Incarnation involves the union of the divine with the earthly, the Holy Spirit and human flesh.  Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born into a human family.  The church was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born among those who gathered for prayer in the upper room. Church planting by the book is incarnational:  

 "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'”  -- Acts 13:2

• Through Fasting and prayer - The work of the early church was fueled by prayer.  Prayer is particularly important to church planting:

"Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off." -- Acts 13:3

• Church Planters are sent by the Mother Church - When the Church in Antioch was ready to send out workers, it didn't reach out to Jerusalem for help.  The Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul," who were members of the Antioch church.

• The Church Planting Team - The Antioch Church Planting Team included more than Barnabas and Paul.  Acts 13:13 speaks of "Paul and his companions." Who were these companions?  A few verses later John Mark is mentioned as one of them.  But as you read through both Acts and Romans, more than 30 other workers are mentioned by name. Paul never worked alone, but usually with a team of 9 to 12 others.

• Lay Leadership - After Paul, Barnabas and the team planted a new congregation, they appointed local lay leaders and moved on.

"Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust." -- Acts 14:23

• Making Disciples - Nothing is written in the Book of Acts about the importance of having a plan of organization or articles of incorporation or even church bylaws. So how did the early church survive?  Church planting in the early church emphasized "Making Disciples" rather than collecting members. As Paul and his team, "
  strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith..."

"The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." -- Acts 13:52

Postscript: When we returned to Nigeria in 2004 we noticed that church planting by local congregations had diminished considerably.  We wanted to know why.  What we learned was telling.  

Several years before our return to Nigeria, Church Headquarters decided to start a church planting program at the national level and called a very able person to oversee the program.  It was done as an honest effort to strengthen the church planting efforts of the denomination.  But it had just the opposite effect.  Local churches began looking more and more to headquarters to lead the charge and that curbed enthusiasm among local congregations to continue that work.

The church is a living organism rather than an institutional organization.  Healthy, lively congregations are rarely established through institutional programs, but are conceived when the Holy Spirit unites with ordinary Christians and transforms them into extraordinary disciples.