Strategies for Church Planting
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Church planting needs to be aggressive. In the Rocky Mountain District, we are taking an aggressive approach to church planting in Colorado and Utah. We are thankful to God for the 40,000-plus adherents we have in 151 churches. But when we compare our church numbers with the combined state population of 6.2 million, our penetration level as a district is only 0.65 percent.
We have planted 10 new churches in the last 2 years. Our 10-year goal is to plant 50 A/G churches in Colorado and Utah. We hope to average at least five new churches per year. Why new churches? Statistics prove that new churches reach the lost more effectively than older, established churches.
Churches that have plateaued or declined will continue to receive district support. However, we will ask God for quality church planters, and we will invest our dollars and energy into them and new church projects.
At the close of 1999, there were more A/G churches within the city limits of Salt Lake City (seven), than in the city limits of Denver (five). The harvest is huge. Of the 945 Denver residents that attend an A/G church, another 499,055 residents do not.
District superintendents must be bold in their vision for planting churches in their districts. Superintendents can provide leadership by organizing task forces comprised of experienced church planters. Superintendents can also provide training for their church planters through BootCamps. (For more information on BootCamps.)
Church planting involves diversity. One of the strengths of the Assemblies of God is that not all of its churches are the same. Each church shares the same doctrine, but there is diversity in how each proclaims the gospel. Not all A/G pastors preach the same, and not all worship leaders use the same style of music. Different styles of worship, preaching, and teaching reach different people groups.
Focus on smaller communities. We cannot neglect our smaller towns, especially those with no Pentecostal witness. In Colorado, the district is targeting 23 towns without an A/G church whose populations are at least 1,000. We need church planters with a burden for small communities. We are looking for planters who understand the rural culture. Though most new churches are being started in large cities, it is possible for quality, growing, exciting churches to be planted in smaller areas.
Develop church planters. Pastors of larger churches can mentor the men and women on their staff to become church planters. Experienced, mature pastors can also be church planters.