God is calling churches to radically rethink their passion and strategies for harvesting the unchurched – for penetrating lostness. There is a movement to use improved multiple methods, equipment, and increased number of laborers to work the fields for high-yield church planting results. Churches are being challenged to move from being gardeners to farmers - from church builders to kingdom engineers.
There is no one model for church planting. There are multiple means for starting churches. We are seeing house church movements, intentional multiple starts processes that instill Church planting DNA into the new churches, reclaiming declining churches for new church beginnings, and still some traditional church plants. The style of worship varies as well depending on the context. There are churches for the boomers and busters, the X’ers, the cowboys, the bikers, the skaters, the hip-hop, and the homeless. Excitement is building in the churches that are starting new churches. With these new starts comes a revival within the “mother churches".
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History of the Church Planting Leadership Community
Leadership Network has observed this church planting phenomena and identified the churches that are on the edge of this movement. Since 1984, the DNA of Leadership Network (Leadership Network) has been the diffusion of innovation in the Church. Of the estimated 350,000 churches in North America, a small number are recognized as “islands of health and strength,” and exhibit significant influence on the other churches by introducing innovative and breakthrough ideas. These innovators and early adopters are the client base for Leadership Network.
Leadership Network has identified at least four characteristics of these churches that are having a significant impact on the church planting movement:
- The churches have started new churches within the past 5 years.
- Church Planting is a priority of the church with a goal to start multiple congregations
- They have a kingdom-mindset
- They are innovators in church planting.
Leadership Communities are based on our successful prototype “cohorts” of Church Planters and Teaching Churches. A small group of innovative participants were chosen to collaborate in a peer-learning environment, and be accountable for executing an aggressive ministry expansion plan.
After three years, the Church Planting cohort of fifteen churches has produced 321 new church plants involving over 31,000 people. Over the same 36 months, the Teaching Church cohort has held 228 events serving nearly 250,000 people.
Over a four-year period, at least five different Leadership Communities will be formed. Each Leadership Community will meet four times over a period of 18 months, followed by an optional annual alumni briefing. Over the life of the program, 48-60 churches and 12-15 para-church organizations that are planting churches will participate in Church Planting Leadership Communities.
Goals of the Church Planting Leadership Community
The ultimate goal and outcome of this Leadership Community is to accelerate the learning, knowledge and application of innovative approaches to church planting. Specific outcomes include the following:
- A significant increase in the number of new church starts/plants
- A shift of the church finances from internally focused toward church planting
- An intentional strategy and process for church planting
- Development of a process for identifying and training church planters
- Development of collaborative relationships and networks with innovative church leaders
- Discovery of essential tools and resources for high-yield church planting
- The emergence of “teaching and legacy building churches”
Churches will be invited to apply for entrance into the Church Planting Leadership Community and will be approved for participation based on the following selection criteria:
- Churches must be currently engaged in church planting as a strategy—not merely a tactic
- Churches must anticipate and be committed to significant advancement of their approach during the eighteen month period
- Churches must sign an agreement with Leadership Network to fully participate in the 18-month Leadership Community. Full participation includes attendance at all four gatherings
- Churches must agree to bring a team of at least three individuals to each gathering. In addition to the three ongoing team members, churches may bring up to two additional team members to participate. The participation of these additional team members may rotate depending on the challenges and issues scheduled for specific gatherings during the 18-month learning cycle
Each Leadership Community will be limited to 12-15 churches. Careful attention will be given to achieving the “right mix” that will maximize participant benefits.
Margaret Slusher - Leadership Community Director