Part 3: How to bust out 1,000 new churches without burn out!

Part-3 in a mini-series on our game plan for planting new churches...

There are several models, or "experiences" to planting churches well.  Which one is "best" is simply determined by a particular planter's giftings and the cultural terrain of a particular mission field.  Perhaps you've heard the old saying, "Success comes with the right planter at the right time in the right place with the right resources."  In other words, you can be a talented pastor, but if you're trying to plant a ministry in the wrong setting at the wrong time, your efforts will falter.  In many ways, that's why church plants fail more often than they succeed.

I planted Rejoice! in Northfield, Minnesota as a "storefront," or "conventional" church plant.  My initial salary was covered for the first 3-years by my mother church.   What a blessing that was!  It allowed me to fund-raise 100% for the work of ministry.  It led to Rejoice! being able to cover office and worship rental costs, some staff salaries and the purchase of lots of equipment.

All-in-all, planting a storefront church was wonderful.  A lot of work, but very wonderful.  Still, I don't think I would plant in the same manner today.  Why?

Because I believe its a new day for the church.  The Christian culture is no longer welcomed into the marketplace.  Some lament that, but I say it's giving us new opportunities to break-out-of our religious buildings and begin flooding the streets with the ministry of every-day-disciples conscientiously discipling others.  By not working inside the church building, we now have the opportunity to work outside the building--- demonstrating to nonbelievers what being Christian is really all about (read last week's blog for greater details on that statement).

I also believe the start-up costs for storefront or conventional plants have become so extreme that launching is very difficult.  (Unless, of course, you have a mother church like I did that is strong enough to sponsor you with some dollar-power).  Have you noticed a lot of 50 person congregations that got off to a fast start, then went flat?  With that in mind, I have a strong suggestion for our 800 existing LCMC congregations around the world: start training and launching MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES.  Or, as I would like to call them within the LCMC, "Transformational Communities."

Here are some bullet-point suggestions.  I will deepen these suggestions in future blogs:

-If every existing LCMC congregation were to first study, then train and implement at least one transformational community out of its own congregation and into the marketplace, our goal to plant 1,000 new congregations in the next 10-years would be met in one year!  Still, its not about reaching the goal of 1,000...but the goal of reaching new and more people.

-These Transformational Communities may, or may not be, led by an ordained pastor.  This takes the pressure off our clergy shortage and strengthens our existing churches by training our already mature Christian leaders to be congregational pastors.  In addition, these leaders often have better access to the city on a daily basis than clergy might.

-These Transformational Communities would be low in expense but high in impact.  They would not require the tremendous financial cost of buildings or worship equipment.  They may, or may not, include the expense of a paid lead pastor.  Offerings could lead to some salaries, but could also be seed money for sowing directly into a cities felt need.

-These Transformational Communities would allow every one of our existing congregations to be a major part of the LCMC vision to plant churches that reach the unreached and disciple them to share the gospel with others.  In other words, TC's are more directly focused on a cities felt need, a need that conventional churches just can't meet.

-These Transformational Communities would have their own respective names, reflecting their particular mission to the city.  For example, let's say "First Lutheran Church" of 200 worshippers births a Transformational Community called, "Heart for the Hospital."  This group of 20-30 people are dedicated to bringing the gospel to the local hospital--- working at blessing the medical and support staff, the board of directors and certainly the patients.

-When TC Christians rub elbows with non-Christians with no agenda to "make them" Christian, or "make them" join a particular church, it breaks the curse of non-Christians calling Christians "hypocrites" or "judgmental."  Instead, non-Christians begin getting intrigued by the fact that Christians are simply wanting to bless a city service, like a hospital, with no strings attached.  This new reputation in a city tears-down walls and opens people up to wanting to hear what Jesus has to say.  

-While these Transformational Communities would have their own name, the members would stay as "members" of the mother church.  "Heart for the Hospital" might share in its own kind of worship service and study while serving in the community, yet also participate in "First Lutheran's" Sunday worship service, or other congregational gatherings, etc.

-Depending upon the size of the church, or the size of the city, some Transformational Communities might even be deployed by the mother church to eventually live as their own missional body.  Still, the two are forever bonded as "family"--- supporting each other for the sake of the big picture: bringing the gospel to the city they share.

-Remember, the point of TC's can be at least three-fold: 1). They strengthen our current congregations with a renewed mindset for mission in the city, 2). The ultimate goal is not just to serve others, but to win them to Christ, 3). It creates a new paradigm of what "is" church and how it can be fluid and flexible to reach the unreachable.  

NEXT WEEK: I will share more about what our new LCMC Mission Team is being created to do.