Multiplying Churches
The Local Church is the only HOPE For the world!
The creation of new bodies of believers is implicitly understood as a normal expression of New Testament Missiology.
Percent of US Population Attending Church Source: The American Church in Crisis, David T. Olson
Churches Opened and Closed Each Year 1990-2000 2000-2005 Current Churches Opened 3,660 Churches Closed Net Gain Percentage Growth Population Growth Churches Needed Sources: The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olson and Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers by Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird
Churches Opened and Closed Each Year 1990-2000 2000-2005 Current Churches Opened 3,660 Churches Closed 3,200 Net Gain Percentage Growth Population Growth Churches Needed Sources: The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olson and Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers by Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird
Churches Opened and Closed Each Year 1990-2000 2000-2005 Current Churches Opened 3,660 Churches Closed 3,200 Net Gain 460 Percentage Growth Population Growth Churches Needed Sources: The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olson and Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers by Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird
Churches Opened and Closed Each Year 1990-2000 2000-2005 Current Churches Opened 3,660 Churches Closed 3,200 Net Gain 460 Percentage Growth 0.15% Population Growth Churches Needed Sources: The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olson and Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers by Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird
Churches Opened and Closed Each Year 1990-2000 2000-2005 Current Churches Opened 3,660 Churches Closed 3,200 Net Gain 460 Percentage Growth 0.15% Population Growth 1.21% Churches Needed Sources: The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olson and Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers by Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird
Churches Opened and Closed Each Year 1990-2000 2000-2005 Current Churches Opened 3,660 Churches Closed 3,200 Net Gain 460 Percentage Growth 0.15% Population Growth 1.21% Churches Needed 3,880 Sources: The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olson and Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers by Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird
Churches Opened and Closed Each Year 1990-2000 2000-2005 Current Churches Opened 3,660 4,009 Churches Closed 3,200 3,707 Net Gain 460 302 Percentage Growth 0.15% 0.09% Population Growth 1.21% 0.98% Churches Needed 3,880 3,205 Sources: The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olson and Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers by Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird
Churches Opened and Closed Each Year 1990-2000 2000-2005 Current Churches Opened 3,660 4,009 4,000 Churches Closed 3,200 3,707 3,500 Net Gain 460 302 500 Percentage Growth 0.15% 0.09% 0.15% Population Growth 1.21% 0.98% 0.98% Churches Needed 3,880 3,205 3,131 Sources: The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olson and Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers by Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird
Growth Rates for Evangelical Churches by Age Source: The American Church in Crisis, David T. Olson
Why do you think the Church is in this present crisis?
Why multiply rather than just plant? Because Jesus goal was not a single healthy church, but a movement.
Church multiplication (planting) is an effective evangelistic methodology. Church multiplication necessitates an outward focus. Church multiplication is the natural result of a growing, healthy church. Jesus had no desire for one healthy church, but his vision was a movement of churches
What are barriers to multiplying churches?
Two Barriers to Church Multiplication 1.Fear of loss. Loss of Members Money Mud (parts of the community) Momentum It is NOT a resource issue, it is an issue of the heart!
The Heart of the Matter It is not the size of the church that matters, but the size of the church s HEART that makes all the difference!
2. Corporate selfishness-it is all about us. Church Multiplication is a spiritual decision of a local church to put the needs of a desperate world before selfpreservation.
How can we keep up? Churches plant churches not Denominations or Conferences. Why? 1. Don t have the resources 2. Don t have the right leadership pipeline 3. Don t have the contextual relationships.
Denominations Conferences Churches
Big Question: HOW? Three typical ways: Hive off Internships Intentional small group development Permission Giving.
Now What? Pray for God s spirit and presence Cast vision for a movement Identify those God may be calling Study your community Schedule training Promote missional communities - (TKP) Pick your twelve.
What it takes to start a movement. Want to Vision Knowledge Passion Desire 25
What it takes to start a movement. Want to Vision Knowledge Passion Desire Resources How to Personnel Training Finances 26
What it takes to start a movement. Want to Vision Knowledge Passion Desire Resources How to Personnel Training Finances Get to Interdependence Climate Strategy Harmony 27
3. The right climate A positive and prevailing attitude, held by a majority of pastors and lay leaders that church multiplication is our goal.
What it takes to start a movement. Frustration Want to Vision Knowledge Passion Desire Resources How to Personnel Training Finances Futility Get to Interdependence Strategy Harmony Climate Fruitlessness Effective Church Planting Movement 29
Movements are never clean, safe, or predictable. They must be dangerous to be effective. They are always unsafe, messy and risky.
Where are you in the Circles?