Reading: Church Planting Models Part 1

INDEPENDENT PIONEER MODEL 

In this model the church is started in a place not previously evangelized. The church is started by a planter that does not have institutional support (for example, a mother church or denomination). Once the church is planted, the pioneer looks for a new place to plant a church. 

Advantages:

A. The pioneer spirit of the planter is contagious and motivates the group to face challenges.

b. There is a great loyalty to the church planter/founder and people share his enthusiasm as well as his sacrifice.

c. There are many opportunities for leadership and service.

d. The pioneer has a great deal of freedom to make decisions because there is no one in authority over him. 

Disadvantages: 

A. Because there’s no authority over the church planter and no accountability, he lacks advice that could help him prevent making mistakes.

b. The family relationships of the church planter may be strained because he ends up working long hours without external support.

c. Frequently there’s a lack of adequate financial resources.

d. The church planter may become proud and try to maintain control over the members.

e. The lack of support for the church planter can result in discouragement and eventually his abandoning the church plant.

The Mother Daughter Church Model

This is the most commonly-used method to plant churches. A “mother” church sends families and leaders to a new place and provides them with economic resources and support. It’s a very successful model. 

Advantages:

a. The members of the initial group starting the church share the same ministerial philosophy of the mother church.

b. There are enough resources from the mother church for the daughter church to get started.

c. The mother church is forced to develop new leaders.

d. The mother church provides continuous support and supervision to the church planter.

e. They can achieve more in less time because they have the necessary resources.

f. The church plant immediately acquires visibility and stability in the community.

Disadvantages:

a. It takes much planning, preparation and sacrifice.

b. Its possible to depend too much on the mother church.

c. The church plant can try to be too much like the mother church (a ‘clone’) and not develop its own identity and ministry.

d. It can cause difficulties in the mother church due to the loss of the members who are sent to the daughter church.

Colonizing Model

Advantages:

a. This group has a high level of commitment to Christ and to the Great Commission.

b. The members of the colonizing group offer their homes to get things started

Disadvantages:

a. The number of members at the start is very small.

b. The physical distance from the mother church makes it hard to have adequate supervision of the church plant.