Picturing Theology

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P i c t u r i n g T h e o l o g y

Church Planting Models Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

The following questions are designed to help us explore the various options available to the cross-cultural urban church planter in establishing congregations among the poor. Our dialogue today hopefully will isolate some of the critical issues necessary for a church plant team to think through in order to make its selection as to what particular kind of church they ought to plant, given the culture, population, and other factors encountered in its particular mission field.

1. What is the definition of the phrase “church planting models”? Why might it be important to consider various options in planting a church among the poor in the city?

2. How would you characterize the various models (or other) which are available to an urban church plant team? What would you consider to be its strengths and/or weaknesses in regard to planting churches among the poor in the city? a. Founding pastor model - a leader moves into a community with a commitment to lead and shepherd the church that is planted. b. Church split model?! - a new church is formed due to fundamental disagreement over some issue of morality, Bible interpretation, or schism. c. Colonization model - a central assembly commissions an entire group (usually with leadership and members already organized) into an unreached community as a kind of ready-made nucleus of the church which is to be formed. d. Beachhead or Mother Church model - a strong, central congregation determines to become a kind of sending center and nurturing headquarters for new churches planted through its oversight and auspices, in the immediate area and/or beyond. e. Cell Church model - once centralized assembly which considers the heart of its life and ministry to occur in the cells which are connected structurally and pastorally to the central congregation; their participation together constitutes the church.