European Church Planting Network

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The ECPN Leadership Community began in 2007 with the stated goal of seeing 500 new churches planted by the end of 2011.

As the process comes to an end, this goal has been significantly exceeded, with 1,137 new churches having been planted across Eastern and Western Europe.

ECPN defined a church plant by the following criteria:

1) Having a leader and leadership team appointed by the sending church
2) Sending church assigns a coaching leader for oversight of the plant team
3) Having a clear, independent vision
4) Having launched discipleship and mission in their target area
5) Having begun gathering regularly in an established location

The Teams 

It was both inspiring and empowering to be part of this journey. ECPN helped us to clarify our mission, to establish challenging goals and strengthen our resources…It was a privilege to be part of this central European think tank.
Marcus Hausner, Vineyard D.A.C.H, Germany

ECPN was divided into two Leadership Communities, containing teams from 16 influential churches across Europe. 

Leadership Community 1
AAVM in Arhus, Denmark; senior leader Keld Dahlmann
HTB, London, UK; executive pastor Miles Toulmin
International Christian Fellowship (ICF), Zurich, Switzerland; senior leader ND Strupler
IMI Kirken, Stavanger, Norway; senior leader Martin Cave
St Andrew’s Chorleywood, UK; senior leader Andrew Williams
St Thomas Crookes, Sheffield, UK; senior leader Mick Woodhead
St Thomas’ Church Philadelphia, Sheffield, UK; senior leader Paul Maconochie
The Message Trust, Manchester, UK; executive director Matt Wilson

Leadership Community 2
Bible League Bulgaria, Bulgaria; senior leader Nikolay Ivanov
EJW, Germany; senior leader Reinhold Krebs
Good News and New Earth Baptists, Belarus; senior leader Dima Lazouta
Great Commission Europe (GCE), Kiev, Ukrainel; senior leader Joseph Dunn
Kirkernes Integrations Tjeneste (KIT), Demark; senior leader Hans Henrik Lund
Lativian Baptist Union, Latvia; senior leader Peteris Eisans
The Antioch Movement, Ukraine, senior leader Chad Smith
Vineyard DACH, Germany; senior leader Marcus Hausner

An additional 10 teams also participated in the ECPN process, but discontinued at various stages. They include: TOM UK (UK), Zolder 50 (the Netherlands), Norkirken Bergen (Norway), EFS (Sweden), Normisjon Storsalen (Norway), CAI (Germany), C-Movement (Switzerland), Cell Group Network (Finland) and Foursquare Church (Albania).

Case Studies 
Through the ECPN Leadership Community, participating teams were given the opportunity to share their experience of church planting, aiming to highlight effective practice through their stories and examples.

The following concept papers focus on various models and contexts for church planting, reflective of the participating teams:

• Global Expansion: Local Churches in Europe Becoming International Church Planting Movements
• European Snapshots: Models of Multi-Site Church in Europe
• Good to Great Church Planting: Accelerating Growth and Effectiveness in Church Planting
• Methods of Missional Engagement in Europe
• Supporting Church Planting in Migrant Communities
• Mid-Sized Mission – The Use of Mid-Size Groups as a Vital Strategic Component of Church Planting
• Church Planting within Historical Reformation Churches in Europe
• Preparing to Plant: Calling, Equipping and Enabling Church Planters in Europe
• After the Wall Came Down: Church Planting in Post‐Communist Countries

For more about ECPN, the results and teams, please contact Nicola James at nicola@nicolajamescommunications.com.