SUMMARY: Starting a new church

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Book Summary - Starting a new church: the church planter's guide to success
by Ralph Moore


Starting a New Church: The Church Planter's Guide to Success
by Ralph Moore
Regal Books, ©Copyright 2002
Book Summary by Jim Dernocoeur

This book offers a step-by-step approach to starting-up a new church, based on the author’s experiences in Hawaii.

He says new, start-up churches can reach more groups in need than regular churches. They're more flexible and can be more targeted. But the book also emphasizes the important role of a parent church in launching new ones.

You'll find a discusion on how to think about a church plant, the design of the church, a plan for planting it, and then how to multiply churches. The author often quotes Rick Warren's, The Purpose Driven Church.

One thing I liked about the book is that each chapter ends with a checklist of action steps. I believe this book will be very helpful to anyone starting a new church, giving him good advice and encouragement.

Notes

I. Hope Chapel Movement numbers 200 congregations, which started from 12 people in Manhattan Beach, CA, in 1971. This book is for churches, ministers, etc., who want to plant (start-up) new churches. Starting new churches is a better strategy (generally) for gaining new Christians than relying on existing churches. New churches can reach new generations easier than trying to transform traditional, established churches. New churches add more primary leaders to the Christian community than older congregations do.

II. Leader must be flexible, an original thinker. Needs to build a dedicated team. Should stick with new church until right leadership can take over.

III. New church must be your vision from God. Do your research. Think and plan. Keep a journal. Author started series of successful churches in Hawaii. Look for needs when deciding where to plant a church. Innovative thinking is needed to reach inner cities, where need is great.

IV. Hope Church board functions as part of the new board in new church for 12 months. Parent church help is critical. Develop your value statement. What do you stand for? What goals does God have? They are big! Be able to describe your church in three minutes and why it is different. Write a statement of purpose and a mission statement. List 1 to 5-year goal for your church.

V. Successful church planters are team builders. Gather a group of tight, honest friends. Get backing, approval of parent church. Develop your care team.

VI. Prepare an operational budget and an opportunity budget. Lavish money on opportunities; keep reign on operations. Make your budget simple. Parent church usually front-end loads financial support. New congregation should stand on its own in 6 months. Create an 18-month timeline—6 months before to 1 year into new church. A bi-vocational pastor may be a good way to start. Homegrown, lay clergy can start, then be formally schooled. Write a rationale for either a full-time or bi-vocational pastor.

VII. Location should allow for flexibility and growth. Don’t let buildings restrict your thinking. No big capital outlays. Think temporary to start. Ministry is more important than buildings. Spend on technology rather than rent. Idea: Start office in a real estate office with empty desks. Have ample parking space for your new church. Write pros and cons of seven top locations.

VIII. Adapt to the style of where you are going. Go an extra mile for your landlord. Make friends with his employees. Be careful to put your time into spiritual priorities! Put a prayer team into action. What six spiritual needs does your church meet in the area?

IX. Build in greatness to attract people. Spark enthusiasm. Define your mission. Identify targets. Ministry style grows out of mission. Don’t be afraid to be different. Shoot for 200 people or more on opening day. Select most cost effective way to reach your target. Rick Warren started Saddleback using direct mail. Get expertise from marketing books—people. Best results from newspaper ads in the church or religious paper/section. Publish information on the Internet. Discuss all forms of media, promotions and new innovative ideas with professionals.

X. Develop a flexible plan for the new church. Find the mix of services and meetings and small groups that work best. Develop leaders who work within your vision but have their passions too. Work through cells, congregations and celebrations (size of people groups). Create momentum and encourage new leaderships (missions). Use Rick Warren’s concentric circles moving people from “the community to the core.” Be aggressive in moving first timers toward the center of the church. Succession management must be created at all levels/groups. All groups should grow and spin off new groups.

XI. Worship service must be meaningful and deliver your vision. Service should release faith in people’s hearts. Should also encourage fellowship outside and inside the church.

XII. Preaching Plan should teach people to live their faith. Preaching should be supported with action. Testimonials reach people at a deep level. Promote your upcoming services. New believers should be water baptized publicly. Book gives ideas for Communion, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Baby Dedications.

XIII. Can start with outside financial help but must be independent ASAP. Be generous right way. Budget is a calendar with price tags. Group leaders plan and budget their own portions. Teach tithing. Hold financial management sermons. Select church leaders from tithers.

XIV. Membership can be held together by knowing certain Biblical truths. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 Your vision should get people to act freely within it. Long-term objectives should guide short-term goals.

List 5 commitments that define a healthy membership. 1.) Do you love Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as the Lord of your life and all creation? 2.) Do you respect your church leaders and their vision? 3.) Are you willing to spend time with the church family? 4.) Do you believe in your church enough to stand with it financially? 5.) Are you willing to serve God without restraint? And go where God leads you? Faithfulness in small things–leads to big things. Keep your membership contact simple.

XV. For a healthy start: Stick to your strategy. Project personal stability. Be flexible, adaptable. Quality of a church is how you treat the weakest member. Must add small groups to meet needs of expanding membership. Make people feel welcome, give them a job. Add services rather than expand number of buildings. Build moral. Be committed.

XVI. Minefields—you are conducting spiritual warfare. Build a prayer team; always keep a positive attitude. Satan’s attacks will be turned to good. Only involve people in ministry who have been in the church for six months. Don’t join large churches for joint functions. Small churches evangelize—big churches organize. Protect your personal time and family. Don’t over commit. Stay fit mentally and physically.

XVII. Multiply your ministry and your congregation. Become an orchard not a tree. Cross cultural boundaries. Making disciples is your most important mission. Mentoring is a top priority in building leaders. Look for people who are visionaries, innovative, read a lot, and are tough-minded.

I pray that your efforts be multiplied beyond your lifetime.