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Why church planting?

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People in Church

Church Planting is the most effective strategy to expand the Kingdom of God.

God wants His people to be filled with meaning, purpose and assurance.  He has been unfolding His plans throughout the ages, and all of those plans, both past, present, and future, are wrapped up in the person and work of Jesus.  Jesus birth, death, and resurrection created the pathway for all people to be reconciled to God and to be given new life.  

 

New churches provide easy access for those who are investigating what it means to have a relationship with Jesus.  Because of the nature of new churches, they easily foster spiritual growth and the development of new leaders. We also believe that new churches can provide tons of encouragement to existing churches as they see the influence of Jesus grow as they partner with new churches in nearby communities and around the world. 

Theological Foundations

Church planting was the primary model of expanding the Kingdom of God in the first century. Paul and the early church leaders planted churches in key cities like Derby, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth and Ephesus.  Church planting was the primary model of expanding the Kingdom of God in the first century. Paul and the early church leaders planted churches in key cities like Derby, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth and Ephesus.  

"I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." - Matthew 16:18

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.  Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins.  If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.  No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." - Matthew 9:16-17

"Go and make disciples of all nations…" Matthew 28:18-20

"I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." - Matthew 16:18

Practical Considerations

  • Many mainline and established churches are plateaued and declining---studies show that 80-85 percent of churches in America are on the down-side of their growth cycle.

  • Healthy churches will be reproducing churches---newly planted churches are far more likely to plant churches because church planting is part of their experience and DNA.

  • Unique Benefits to New Churches

  • Studies show that new churches grow faster than established churches 

  • New churches evangelize more effectively than established churches because the barriers to join are so much lower

  • New churches are more open to change and therefore are easily adapted to a rapidly changing culture.

  • New churches develop new leaders by necessity. Since we don’t have an established leadership, we need to build a new leadership team, often from those in the church who have never been in leadership before.

Preparation: 12 - 18 months

Though this period appears like waiting, we are hard at work behind the scenes. Developing the necessary financial and prayer support, putting our affairs in order to relocate from Sanford, NC to Fountain Inn, SC in fall of 2026, and finally immersing ourselves into our new community. We hope to enjoy our new home and cultivate a core group of 15-20 people who express interest in investing 3-5 years into our church planting process, all while praying for those who need the gospel in the area. We will establish a weekly Sunday fellowship where we will build relationships and develop a vision and strategy to reach the local community.

After meeting weekly for some time, we hope to identify who our "Launch Team". These will be singles and families who are fully invested in the process. We'll also begin a  more intensive Sunday Night Leadership Training. This will rotate every four weeks with a Prayer Night being the first Sunday of the month, Training and Bible Study on the second, Community Gathering Event on the third, and Training and Bible Study on the fourth. During this time, we'll be observing our Launch Team carefully, discerning spiritual gifts and practical abilities. All along, we'll continue networking and building relationships to expand our spheres of influence. Finally, we'll find and secure a location for offices, small groups, and worship.

Gathering and Moving Forward: 12 - 18 months

After much prayer and discernment, we believe we'll be ready to launch when a few needs have been met. 

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1. Launch Team is trained and committed to giving time, talents, and financial resources

2. All responsibilities are delegated according to giftedness, passion, and needs for the ministry

3. Core Group of at least 50 over and above Launch Team, who are committed to worshipping together

4. Contact with at least 200 people who have shown some interest in joining our community

5. Worship Team, Children's Ministry Team, and Facilities Teams trained and ready to go

Ready to Launch!

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