Church Planting and Survivability

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Church Planting and Survivability

• Ed Stetzer

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• We shared data with 11 denominations and
  networks to survey more than 2,000 new churches
  planted from 2000 to 2005. We were able to
  determine the status of 1,000 of them and phone
  interviewed 500 of them.

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10 Factors for Higher Attendance in Church Plants
Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• The following 10 categories proved to be the best
  predictors for higher worship attendance for a
  church plant.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Location Factor

• Where the church plant began has an impact on its
  ability to grow.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Location Factor

• Church plants that begin in school facilities
  have some obvious benefits, such as visibility,
  access, parking, and classroom/worship space.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Location Factor

• After the first yearchurch plants meeting in
  both schools and movie theaters exhibit higher
  attendance.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Ministry Factor

• Special childrens events such as a fall festival
  or Easter egg hunt help church plants gain and
  sustain attendance.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Ministry Factor

• These church plants also conduct block parties as
  an evangelistic outreach.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Ministry Factor

• They use holidays or other opportunities to
  attract people and to be attractive to those who
  are already attending.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Promotion Factor

• High attendance church plants mail invitations to
  services, programs, and events.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Promotion Factor

• These church plants keep awareness high, which
  keeps their visitors, attendees, and members
  involved and informed.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Training Factor

• Church plants that experience the best attendance
  results provide training for new members and
  communicate clearly the expectation that they
  participate.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Training Factor

• Training is used to help new members
• better understand the Christian faith,
• know the organization and culture of the church,
• and learn how they can identify and use their
  gifts and find a place to serve.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Expectations Factor

• These church plants also require new members to
  sign a church covenant.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Expectations Factor

• They know that its imperative for new members to
  take their commitment to the church seriously as
  soon as theyve committed their lives to Christ.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Financial Factor

• Those who attract more people see financial
  stewardship as an integral part of the Christian
  life and necessary for personal growth.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Financial Factor

• As these churches develop stewards, they also
  develop their church and become self-sufficient.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Staff Factor

• Higher attendance churches have planters whove
  been assessed for their suitability.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Staff Factor

• They also have multiple staff, facilitating
  steady and more sustainable growth.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Staff Factor

• Their planters are full-time, not part- or
  half-time. The indication islimiting staff
  limits potential for numeric growth.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Missions Factor

• Higher attendance church plants look for
  missional opportunities and start at least one
  church within three years of their own plant.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Leadership Factor

• Leadership is taken seriously in higher
  attendance church plants.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Leadership Factor

• Church plants that experience higher attendance
  conduct leadership training, build their
  leadership base, and delegate leadership roles to
  church members.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Achievement Factor

• The church planters expectations are realized to
  a large degree

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Achievement Factor

• The church planter has a vision of what God wants
  to do, and they dont get distracted from the
  accomplishment of that vision.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Achievement Factor

• Because of this focus, they achieve greater
  results and find greater satisfaction.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Conclusion

• Church plantseven effective onesarent all the
  same. Some of those that were surveyed are
  stronger in particular factors than others.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Conclusion

• But the majority of church plants with higher
  than average attendance showed these ten factors
  in common.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Church Plant Survivability
Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• With more than 500 completed interviews, the
  study reveals that 99 percent of church plants
  survive the first year.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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of church plants that survive

• 92 percent the second year,
• 81 percent the third year, and
• 68 percent the fourth year

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Percent Church Plants Survived by Year
Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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Critical Factors

• There are 4 factors that proved to be the best
  predictors for survivability for a church plant.

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• Realistic expectations were a significant
  determining factor of success

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• When the church planters expectations meet the
  reality of the church planting experience, the
  chance of survivability increases by over 400
  percent.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Of those who said their expectations were
  realized, 87 percent of their churches survived
  compared.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Only 61 percent of church plants survived among
  those who did not have their expectations met.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• If the church planter provides leadership
  development training for new church members, the
  odds of survivability increase by over 250
  percent.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Of those church planters who provided leadership
  training to church members, 79 percent of their
  churches survived.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Only 59 percent of church plants survived among
  those who did not provide leadership training.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Those who try to plant a church without the
  support and counsel of others have greater risk
  and less chance of survivability.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• The church planter who meets with a group of
  church planting peers at least monthly increases
  the odds of survivability by 135 percent.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• We found that out of those church planters who
  were part of a peer group, 83 percent of their
  churches survived.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Only 67 percent of church plants among those who
  did not have a peer group survived.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Church plants that have a proactive stewardship
  development plan enable the church to become
  financially self-sufficient.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Of those church plants who have a stewardship
  development plan, 81 percent of churches survived
  whereas.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Only 68 percent of church plants survived among
  those who did not have a stewardship plan.

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.
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• Expectations might not seem like they would make
  such a profound difference in the survivability
  rate, but they had the biggest impact (400).

Source Church Planting and Survivability, Ed
Stetzer, Center for Missional Research.