Church Planting MovementsA Summary

First Reports• David & Jan Watson, India, 1994

• Almost 100 new churches in one year• Thousands of new believers

• 1995 – Southeast Asia

• 1996 – Latin America

A Rising Tide• East Asia, 2000 – 6 months, 360 new

churches, 10,000 baptized believers

• Latin American country, 1990s – from 235 churches to over 4,000 with 30,000 converts awaiting baptism

• Southeast Asian country – 7 years, 920 new churches, 90,000 baptized believers

• Currently IMB is monitoring 30 locations worldwide where some form of CPM is occurring

Definition• A Church Planting Movement is a rapid

multiplication of indigenous churches planting churches that sweeps through a people group or population segment.

Key Concepts• Rapid Reproduction – outstrips population

growth• Multiplication – virtually every church is

engaged in starting other churches• Indigenous – Insiders drive the movement• Churches planting churches – exercising

autonomy and to rapidly to control• People groups – naturally within shared

language and ethnic boundaries, then bridging to other people groups

What They Are NOT• Not just a revival or spiritual awakening

– the people converting were formerly unreached

• Not just mass evangelism – new churches start and multiply themselves

• Not just people movements – CPM results in new churches

• And finally, NOT the Church Growth Movement…

CGM vs. CPMCGM CPM

Bigger is Better Smaller is Better

Focus on Harvest Fields Begin Among Unreached

Pour Resources into Responsive Fields

Shift Quickly to Indigenous Workers

India - Madhya Pradesh• 4,000 new churches in seven years with

over 50,000 believers

• Key was moving away from church buildings to village-based house churches

• Pastoral leaders are being raised up through the house-church system

Asia - Three examples• Mongolia – 60,000 new believers in the

decade of the 90’s

• Cambodia – 60,000 new believers in ten years

• Another Asian nation – 50,000 new believers in five years

Africa - A Century of Effort• From 9 million to 360 million believers

• 1200 new churches per month

• 83 new churches in eight months in Ethiopia

• Kenya revival among Maasai results in 90,000 believers among 600,000 people group

Ten Characteristics in Every Church Planting Movement

• Extraordinary Prayer• Abundant Evangelism• Intentional Planting of

Reproducing Churches

• The Authority of God’s Word

• Local Leadership

• Lay Leadership• House Churches• Churches Planting

Churches• Rapid Reproduction• Healthy Churches

1. Seven Roles for Prayer1. Prayer for Missionaries

2. Prayer for the Lost

3. Prayer modeled by missionaries

4. Prayer for new believers

5. Prayer by new believers

6. Prayer between partners

7. Prayer for more workers

2. Abundant Gospel Sowing“In Church Planting Movements we find

hundreds and thousands of people hearing the gospel every day and out of this abundant sowing a growing harvest begins to take place.”

Should “Responsiveness” be an issue?“True evangelism goes beyond proclamation

to communication. Communication means someone has to hear and understand what is proclaimed. Often times, the subtle shift from proclamation to real communication triggers a response that was previously absent.”

Must understand nuances of language and culture; other aspects of context.

3. Intentional Church Planting• Not just prayer

• Not just abundant evangelism

• Having an objective of new congregations is the key to multiplying new congregations

4. An Authoritative Bible• Teach converts to get doctrine from the

Bible through guided study

• Don’t rely on your own expertise

• Don’t rely on written material

Communicating God’s Word Among Illiterate People

1. Memorization and Recitation

2. Audio-Visual resources

3. Bible Storying

4. Singing Scripture and Theology• EX: The Wesleys working with coal miners

5. Educated Youth

5. Local Leadership“The resources are in the harvest”

“Never do anything by yourself, always bring a brother along with you so you can model and mentor as you go.”

“In a CPM you begin with the ‘torch’ in their hand” – you don’t pass the torch eventually

6. Lay LeadershipPractically – CPMs produce thousands of churches; well

beyond the ability of institutions to produce professional leaders

Theologically – the priesthood of the believerFrom Jesus – his disciples were “unschooled men” who

had been with himFor Retention – Putting laymen to work assimilates them

into the churchFor Relevance – Laymen connect better with laymenFor Economics – Allows CPMs to expand in

underdeveloped countries

To work well, laymen must be life-long learners and churches must stay small enough for a layman to lead

7. House ChurchesCPM churches begin as small groups meeting

in natural settings, such as homes

What they become after rapid reproduction begins is not of great concern. The movement will take on the shape that is appropriate in that culture

8. Churches Planting Churches

Exponential growth only begins to occur when churches start planting other churches

Missionaries consciously follow a pattern of Model, Assist, Watch, Leave

9. Rapid ReproductionRapid is undefined, but in the range of months, not

yearsRapid Reproduction must be part of the core valuesMovement becomes• Out of control• Generating internal momentum• New Christians passionately share their faith• Fields are confirmed to be ripe for harvest• Things foreign and hard to reproduce rapidly

are eliminated

10. Healthy ChurchesExhibiting the Five Purposes of the Church• Fellowship• Discipleship• Ministry• Evangelism/Missions• WorshipIn a balanced, healthy way

Characteristics of Church Planting Seen in Scripture

• Vision Driven• Prayer• Abundant Evangelism• Scriptural Authority• Models for

Multiplication• Preparation for

Persecution• Family and Friends

Evangelism

• Divine Power evident in evangelism

• Person of Peace• House Church

Movement• Rapid Conversion• Multiple Lay Leaders• A Portrait of Multiple

Movements

In Most CPMs• Societal Uncertainty• Insulation/ Isolation• High Cost of

Following Christ• Bold Fearless Faith• Family-based

conversion patterns

• Rapid Assimilation• Heart Language

Worship• Signs & Wonders• OJT Leadership

Training• Missionaries Suffering

How to Obstruct a CPM• Blurred Vision – failing to clarify and revisit• Improving on the Bible – outside sources• Sequentialism – milestones for movement• Unsavory Salt – poor Christian models• The Devil’s Candy – money, ministry, unity• Alien Abduction – foreign-feeling gospel, foreign

funds a necessity, irreproducible foreign elements in church life

• Blaming God for a lack of results