Church Planting

What is Church Multiplication?

Church multiplication is the process of churches planting churches. Church multiplication is church planting according to the Law of Reproduction, which calls us to multiply ourselves. As each new church is begun it is intentionally designedto plantother churches as well, leading to a process of multiplication rather than addition. The leaders and members of each new church understand that church multiplication is the heart of Jesus' command that we are to “Go, and make disciples of all the nations …”

Why Is Church Multiplication Important?

The Churchhas been commissioned by Jesus Christ to serve three key functions:

To make reproducing, spiritually maturing disciples (Matthew 28:18-20).
To be the community of worship and fellowship for all disciples (Acts 2:41-47).
To engage in spiritual warfare(Acts 19:11-20; Ephesians 1:15-23; 6:10-20).

These three functions are vital to fulfillment of God's will in the earth, which is the extension of His kingdom. God extends His kingdom by making disciples. As the church multiplies through the making of reproducing, maturing disciples, these three functions will be done in a natural and effective way.

Who Should Do Church?

There are several models of church planting that work with varying degrees of success depending on the situation, resources, and target group. The models we speak of here do not refer to the method of church planting but to the question of who does the planting. The models most often used are:

A church planting team - a church planter puts together a team of individuals to plant the church. The team is usually made up people with different skills and gifts.
An evangelist - a gifted evangelist starts the church through evangelistic meetings or programs.
An apostle - a gifted apostle plants the church using a variety of methods including evangelism, disciple-making, and small cell groups.
Another church – (also known as a mother church) an established church reproduces itself in an area that is largely unchurched. In this model, the whole church is involved in planting the new church.

A Church Planting Movement

A true church planting movement is most successful and enduring when it is the result of local churches multiplying themselves by planting other healthy, reproducing local churches. This is often referred to as "mothering" or "daughtering" a church. The "mother" church is better equipped to plant another church because it can provide people, resources, prayer support, and experience. The mother church will undoubtedly use a church planting team, evangelist, or apostle, but ultimately, it is the church that reproduces itself.

When Should A Church Begin to Multiply Itself?

Church multiplication should be emphasized from the very beginning of each new church's existence to insure that it is done as easily and naturally as any other function and ministry of the church. Church multiplication (or reproduction) should be as much a part of church life as corporate prayer, worship, baptizing new believers, partaking of communion, giving, and preaching the Word of God. The new church plant must know from its conception that it is expected to reproduce itself. Plans should be made as soon as possible to do this. Money could be set aside. The vision for the new church should be cast through effective preaching and teaching. Prayer could be made for the target group and geographic area of the new church plant. A team could begin training for the new work even as they are planting the mother church. All of these steps will help the new church plant develop a heart to reproduce itself.

Where Should A Church Multiply Itself?

In Mark 16:15 (the Great Call), Jesus told His disciples to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature", showing that the field of church planting is the entire world.

In Matthew 28:18-20 (the Great Commission), Jesus commanded the church to "Go and make disciples of all the nations…” signifying that churches should be planting churches among every people group in the earth.

In Acts 1:8 (the Great Commitment), He declared, "… you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem , and in all Judea and Samaria , and to the end of the earth."

Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the World

The church should reproduce itself among:

Their own people in their own community - Jerusalem.
Their own people in other geographic areas - Judea.
People of different cultural, racial or ethnic origins in their own community - Samaria.
People of different cultural, racial or ethnic origins in other geographic areas - the ends of the earth.

A healthy, spiritually mature local church will strive to multiply itself in each of these four areas either directly by sending church planting teams or missionaries, or indirectly by supporting church planting teams or missionaries.