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Why Plant Churches?
Why plant Churches? Andy gives some Biblical reasons why we are actively planting Churches in the UK...
It is Biblical
The most important reason to plant new churches is to play our part in fulfilling the great commission of Matt 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Firstly Jesus has given us authority to go – we have His mandate to go which implies breaking new ground, mobility to intentionally pursue lost people.
Making disciples and baptising them is about incorporating converts into God’s family – The Church and specifically local expressions of New Testament Church life. If we are to teach people all that Jesus commanded, then converts need to be added to Churches that are modelled after the value we see in Scripture.
The answer is as clear as a simple reading of the New Testament. Jesus gave the Great Commission just before He ascended into heaven…. The Apostles obeyed His command by going from town to town leading people to faith in Christ and planting churches. The book of Acts is primarily the account of the planting of churches in obedience to the command of Christ to make disciples. (Paul Becker and Mark Williams, The Dynamic Daughter Church Planting Handbook)
Paul planted Churches on his missionary journeys. He did not ride in town, hold a crusade and ride out again. He planted Churches on apostolic foundations and saw that elders were appointed.
The book of Acts is the story of a lot of churches being planted.
i) Acts 8:5-12 Philip plants a church in Samaria.
ii) Acts 9:1-2,19 a church is planted in Damascus.
iii) Acts 9:31 By now there were churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria – a partial fulfillment of Acts 1:8
iv) Acts 9:32-35 A church was planted in Lydda.
v)Acts 10:24-48 Peter established a Gentile church in Caesarea.
vi) Acts 11:19-26 The persecuted believers planted churches in Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch.
vii) Acts 13:2 - 14:28 Paul’s first missionary journey - the biggest single church planting venture up to that point.
viii) Acts 15:40 - 18:23 Paul’s second missionary journey - all to do with church planting and strengthening existing churches.
ix) Acts 18:24 - 21:25 Paul’s third missionary journey - again he planted new churches and strengthened established ones.
It works…
New Churches Grow faster
In a summary of 6 research papers into Church planting by the Lewis Centre for Church Leadership (http://www.sermonconnect.com/media/media/getmedia.php?id=200804180904087...) shows that new churches grow faster than more established ones.
Interestingly their research notes: Newer churches do not grow faster just because they start small and thus show a higher rate of growth. Newer churches in all size categories show greater growth than established churches of comparable sizes. Newer churches do not grow faster just because they are planted in suburban areas where the population is increasing. Churches are more likely to grow in areas of population growth. However, in all locations—from rural and open country to downtown and urban— newer churches grow faster than established churches.
New Churches are more effective at evangelism
Older churches usually have a variety of activities. Many of them are good. The problem is that evangelism sometimes becomes a low priority. When planting a church, evangelism is the main thing that’s done. Consequently, people come to Christ and the church grows.
Aubrey Malphurs “Planting Growing Churches” cites a study that found that Churches under the age of 3 years win an average of 10 people per year for every 100 members, churches between 3-15 years win 5 converts per 100 members and over 15 years the average drops to 3 converts per 100 members.
New Churches grow and release leaders quicker
Church plants train and release new leadership far quicker than established Churches.
People change and grow quicker
Some other reasons…
Newer churches have a greater expectation for life change and growth
New Churches release a lot more people into their gifting.
Some leaders are more gifted at starting new churches and handing them on than growing them
Need
In the UK population of 60 Million people, currently 10% attend a church regularly. 6% of non-Churchgoers would be open to an invite, would go with a friend, or would go if they had a difficult personal circumstance. The average UK church size is 84 and most congregations plateau or decline after 15 years. http://www.tearfund.org/webdocs/Website/News/TAM%20Final%20Version%208.5...
If we are to effectively re-evangelise this nation we need to be planting a lot of churches!
In 2001 John Kpikpi prophecied daring us to believe God for 1000 Churches and Churches of 1000. That is a church for very 60,000 people. At the time of writing we have just over 200 churches – one for every 300,000 people with vast urban and rural areas of our nation without a Newfrontiers church.
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