Church Planting

1

• Church Planting
• Partnerships
• with the
• Texas District

2

• As long as there are any unchurched people
  living in the territory of a Christian
  congregation, that congregation should
• seek to win them for Christ,
• Luke 1421-23

3

• For this purpose a Christian congregation should
  seek to grow in membership, Acts 241 44. If a
  congregation which is located in a territory of
  many unchurched people does not grow in
  membership, this does not speak well for it nor
  for its pastor much less so, of course, if it
  even loses in membership.

4

• John H.C. Fritz, Pastoral Theology A Handbook of
  Scriptural Principles Written Especially for
  Pastors of the Lutheran Church, Concordia
  Publishing House, 1945, p. 284.

5
In 1990, 52 million people attended a Christian
church each weekend.
6
By 2006, however, 52 million people still
attended a Christian church each weekend.
7
Meanwhile, by 2006 52 million more people were
living in the United States.
8
This is the Future Trajectory of the American
Church if nothing changes.
9
Dallas/Ft. Worth Metro Area 2000 Percentage of
the Population Attending a Christian Church on
Any Given Weekend
10
Austin Metro Area 2000 Christian Church
Attendance on Any Given Weekend
11
Houston Metro Area 2000 Percentage of the
Population Attending a Christian Church on Any
Given Weekend
12
San Antonio Metro Area 2000 Percentage of the
Population Attending a Christian Church on Any
Given Weekend
13
Why new churches?

• Our Growing Texas population
• 2008 data from U.S. Census bureau shows 4 of the
  biggest population gaining areas are in Texas
  (DFW, Houston, Austin, San Antonio)

14
Reframing our thinking

• "Church parenting is costly, but that cost is an
  investment, not a losschurch parenting is an
  investment in the Kingdom. Churches that parent
  other churches do not lose. Phil Stevenson, The
  Ripple Church

15
New Church plants will never happen if

• We believe the pool of future members is limited
  to those Lutherans living or moving into an area
• Our Pastors don't believe it is vital
• We allow excuses like these below to become
  normative
• we're too smallwe don't have ...
• once we get our new Family Life Center paid for
• ...or once we get past some issues of
  disagreement then we will think about it.

16
How Your Mission and MinistryFacilitator Can
Help

• Invite Paul, Lou Area A MMF_________ or Area C
  MMF____________ to come to your congregation or
  Circuit Pastors' Conference to share
• "The Case for Church Planting" by coming along
  side missional pastors and leaders to share the
  vision of church planting by congregations or
  partnerships of congregations

17
How Your Mission and MinistryFacilitator Can
Help

• Help potential planting congregations or
  partnerships study the demographics of potential
  targeted communities using tools from
  MissionInsite
• Help potential planting congregations ask the
  right questions

18
Once you are moving toward planting

• Work with the planting congregation or partners
  in designing a Mission Plan
• Pray for and with the planting congregation and
  partners
• Connect planting congregation or partners to
  appropriate resources (print, media, real people
  and mission starts) which will be helpful
• Help congregation locate appropriate planter.
  (Dr. Hirsch involved)

19
Church Planter Assessment Process

• Contact Dr. John Hirsch
• Gallop Church Planter Assessment Inventory
• Birkman
• Behavioral Interview
• Assessment Report to potential planter and host
  organization

20
Once you are moving toward planting

• Meet regularly with leaders as they revise and
  finalize their Mission Plan
• Sign-off on the Mission Plan (Right Person, Right
  Place, Right Plan)
• Walk with the planting group as they apply for
  funding with the Texas.
• Function as advocate to the Board of Mission
  Administration

21
Once Mission Plan is approved

• Meet regularly with Mission Planter and
  leadership core
• Help connect Mission Planter to a mentor/coach
• Monitor growth, (spiritual health, numerical
  growth, community impact) as appropriate
• Help facilitate charter process when and if time
  is right

22
Once Mission Plan is approved

• Help new Mission begin thinking about when they
  will be ready to plant!
• Continue to work with planting congregation or
  partnership on their own spiritual vitality as
  well as help them plan for their next opportunity
  to plant!

23
Texas District Will Provide

• Cost for screening potential mission planters
• Cost for training mission planter
• ½ cost for mentor/coach (ca. 5,000)
• Assistance of Mission and Ministry Facilitator
• MissionInsite (demographic report) for target area

24
Texas District Will Provide

• Finances
• Plan A (usually for Anglo start)
• Interest free
• Up to 200,000 repayable funds
• Repay over 20 years
• Plan B (usually for International/Ethnic start)
• Up to 100,000
• Interest free
• Repay ½ over 20 years

25
Next Steps

• Contact your MMF
• Recruit Prayer Partners
• Begin work on the Mission Plan
• Begin looking for a Mission Planter
• Submit your plan to the Texas District Board for
  Mission Administration