Church Planting Update
>> With 88% of reports in, 121 new commitments to Christ, 24 baptisms reported by Louisiana Church Plants in January.
>> We added 2 new churches last month, bringing us to 9 for 2016. At least 3 more starting in April! Great start! Pray for Passion Church in Jennings, Planter Ryan Temple & Faith Church in Franklinton, Planter Larry Lucas.
Keep up with Church Planting among Louisiana Baptist by joining our Facebook Group.
Pic of recent small group gathering with January start, Christ Church Abbeville, planter Scott Guillory.
The Impact of OFF-CAMPUS Church Multiplication
A multiplication mindset is essential to church & kingdom growth. Our churches grow through on-campus multiplication of leaders, groups, & ministries. The kingdom grows through off-campus multiplication of ministries, churches, & campuses. Most of us pastors & churches tend to operate by addition thinking or by “protect against subtraction” thinking most of the time. Multiplication is more audacious, risky, & forces our minds to think big. And if tried, it tends to help us add people & protect against subtraction. Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird in their great book Viral Churches point out a study by Jeffrey Farmer of 309 churches that sponsored a new church(es) that showed that worship attendance increased 22% and giving increased 48% for the five years after sponsorship of a church plant.
Out of curiosity, I did a little research on Louisiana churches that have made the biggest commitment to OFF-CAMPUS multiplication since 2010, either through financially supporting a church plant in a big way, sending leaders to help start a new church, or launching an additional campus. There were 24 very obvious choices. Further research on sponsor churches in Louisiana will be ongoing. These 24 churches range from 120 to 4,000 in attendance, with annual receipts from $90,000 to $5 million annually. Here’s what we found:
>> 92% (22/24) increased in attendance WHILE sponsoring a new church.
>> 83% (20/24) increased baptisms WHILE sponsoring a new church.
>> 88% (21/24) increased undesignated receipts WHILE sponsoring a new church.
Five of these churches had MORE THAN DOUBLED while aggressively focusing outward on church multiplication. As a matter of fact, the smaller the church, the more dramatic impact that multiplication had on their numbers.
There were 9 churches that had started & carried additional Multi-site campuses since 2010. Out of those 9:
>> 9/9 reported increase in attendance within 3 years.
>> 8/9 reported increase in baptisms within 3 years.
>> 8/9 reported increase in undesignated receipts within 3 years.
Now, there are so many factors that play into a baptist churches growth, including pastoral transitions, economic factors in the community, etc. But interesting to see that most of the time, when churches give away themselves, they tend to grow.
A Multiplication Mindset is our solution for growing the Kingdom, revitalizing churches, reaching the world. I’m passionate about church planting, but I can say the greatest need is not more new churches, but more mother churches. Bob Roberts, in his book The Multiplying Church said it like this,
“The future of faith in America (and anywhere in the world, for that matter) is not tied to planting more churches, but in raising up of mother congregations of every tribe, tongue, denomination, and network that are reproducing like rabbits.”
And for some, turning to multiplication will be the key to turning around & revitalizing. Ralph Moore in his great book How To Multiply Your Church says,
“I believe a stalled congregation can nearly always grow its way back to momentum by preparing for and launching a new church. The process is invigorating.”
How can you begin to think MULTIPLICATION instead of ADDITION? Sponsoring a new church, mentoring a potential leader, looking at potential ministry to a population segment that is underserved in your area.
And if we are going to reach our world for Christ, we can’t just add, we must multiply. In my area, we found that only 3.3% attend worship at a SBC Church on any given weekend, & only 7% attend an evangelical church of any kind. If we wanted to double these figures to 6.6%, tracking with population growth over the next 10 years, we would have to add over 16,000 worshippers! Sounds daunting, but the potential for lives & communities changed makes it worth the effort! Let’s get to multiplying!
Check out these resources to help you get started on your church multiplication journey:
Outcome Didn’t Matter, Faithfulness Did
Throughout the scriptures, we see God calling his followers to live a life of sentness. Stability, social comfort, relational control, safety, success, respect, or clarity were not expected. People had to go purely out of obedience, a personal sense of calling, in faith, and simply because they loved God. Outcome didn’t matter; faithfulness did.
~ TK Primer
Making our 3rd trek with a small group through the Tangible Kingdom Primer. Great guide to living a sent life.
“In every apple there is an orchard” #churchplanting
Got another Basic Training event, now called Greenhouse in this week on the I-12 corridor in Walker. Seventeen church planting & revitalization projects represented from across South Louisiana. Excited about the potential for each of these works. We had to rush through the last few hours due to pending dangerous weather arriving, but it was indeed a great couple of days of collaboration.
Our next Greenhouse Training event will be April 7-8 in Grand Isle. All of our trainings are free, but you’ll probably need a fishing license for this one :). Register & info HERE. Contact me – lane.corley@louisianabaptists.org – about bringing this training to your church or your region.
Devo: Overcoming Faith Needs Patience and Attentiveness
Growing up in rural Louisiana, I heard lots of talk around the coffee pot at church or barber shop or anywhere else that people gathered about duck hunting & fishing. One story that stuck with me was about how the indians hunted ducks on Catahoula Lake.
When ducks would fill the lake, the indians would take hollowed gourds & float them out toward the ducks. When the gourds got near the ducks, of course they would fly off. The next day, the indians would float the gourds again, with the same result. The next day they’d do it again. Next day, again. Everyday, until the time came that the ducks grew comfortable that there was no danger & they quit flying away. Then one day, the Indians would take the hollowed gourds & put them on their heads & then swim out to the ducks. Not thinking they were in any danger, the ducks would not fly off & the indians would carefully begin to snatch ducks under the water, snap their necks & tie them to their belts.
You probably don’t need me to make any application here. But I’ve thought about this story often from both sides.
The Indians
The Indians patience won them a great prize. Proverbs 16:32 – “Patience is better than power…” They probably were able to harvest far more ducks than I or anyone else has with a powerful shotgun. Why? They devised a plan & faithfully carried it out. Someone said, “It’s not what you do today, it’s what you do everyday that counts.” Some things only happen by deliberate, daily action. What needs my attention every day to overcome? What habits can I form that will gain me a great harvest? Overcoming an addiction, growing a church, seeing a loved one saved, growing spiritually. All this takes great patience & habitual attention.
The Ducks
The Ducks grew complacent & comfortable with possible danger. Proverbs 1:32 – “the complacency of fools will destroy them.” The Message paraphrase of that verse says it like this, “Carelessness kills, complacency is murder.” What am I growing complacent about that could possibly destroy me? Habits? Entertainment? Relationships? What am I growing less concerned about that could prove dangerous to me, my marriage, my family?
Stalled in your faith? Add Patience & Slay Complacency.
Why Do Most Churches Stay Small?
Largely because most pastors don’t know how to build systems, structures, and processes that are not contingent upon them. Most pastors can care for people, but don’t build systems of care. Most pastors can develop leaders individually, but lack the skill to implement a process of leadership development. When a pastor can’t build systems and structures that support ministry, the only people who are cared for or empowered to lead are those who are “near” the pastor or those very close to the pastor. This limits the size of the church to the size of the pastor.”
– Darrin Patrick
Shared by Ed Stetzer on Episode 23 of the Newchurches.com Podcast
Great Weekend for Missions Conferences!
Lots of good networking, collaborating, learning, & challenging going on this weekend across Louisiana around Missions & Evangelism:
>> Collegiate Evangelism Conference
at Calvary in Alexandria. Pray for Michael Wood, Pastor of First Baptist West Monroe & others who will challenge 500+ college students about evangelism & devotion Near & Far. Thanks to Mark Robinson & all our awesome Louisiana BCM Directors who pull off this great event each year. I’ll be facilitating a breakout called Discover Church Planting on Saturday.
>> Crescent City Conference
on engaging Muslims through Church Planting & Evangelism in North America at Iglesia Bautista Horeb in Gretna. Pray for speakers Dr. Mike Edens & Dr. Page Brooks from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary & Dr. Aslam Masih from the North American Mission Board. Thanks Ryan Melson, David Rodriguez & others for organizing.
>> Voyage Youth Missions Conference
at Tall Timbers. Pray for John King, Missions Pastor at Temple Baptist in Ruston & others who will challenge 150+ teenagers about missions. And they’ll all be on mission in Alexandria/Pineville on Saturday. Thanks to Jess Archer & Janie Wise for their work with Voyage & M-Jam.
Somebody should definitely come out of this weekend with a desire to plant a church! Praying…
From 15 to 175! Another Successful Revitalization
Another huge turn around on a property gifted to a healthy church from a church struggling to stay alive. Fellowship Church on Airline, planter/pastor Todd Blount, was gifted Immanuel Baptist Church on Airline Dr. in Gonzalez. Immanuel last reported 15 in worship. Fellowship has had between 130 & 175 since moving onto the property. Fellowship plans to construct a new building on the property later this year with the help of the Mission Builder Program (https://louisianabaptists.org/missionbuilder).
This makes at least NINE huge turn arounds in Louisiana through church mergers or gifting of properties in the last few years. At least three more in the works this year.
- Is your church struggling to maintain healthy systems? Would merging or gifting your property be a good option for your community?
- Is your church ready to multiply? Are you in a place where you could merge or take on an additional campus?
A few resources to help with these conversations:
2016 Church Planting Scoreboard
Yea, I love whiteboards… First scoreboard update for Louisiana Baptists Church Planting in 2016.
A few Observations:
- 73% of church starts since 2014 have been in south Louisiana, where 70% of Louisiana’s population & 35% of Southern Baptist churches are.
- 2/3 of church plants have been non-Anglo, so hopefully we’re making progress toward our “every people group” objectives from the President’s 2020 Commission a few years ago.
- This year, we should eclipse 10,000 new commitments to Christ since 2010 in our church plants years 1-3.
- Salvations & baptisms were down last year which may reflect more churches in first year cultivation stage or more in south Louisiana’s harder to reach areas.
- Currently 78 projects receiving Cooperative Program funding across Louisiana.
- Grateful for planters, partners, generous churches, & the prospect of 1,000+ new people coming into the kingdom this year through our efforts to plant new churches.
Check out these resources to help you get started on your church planting journey:
- 10 Biblical & Practical Ways to Get Involved in Church Planting
- Every Church Can Encourage Church Planting and Multiplication
- Every Church Can Be a Church Planting Partner
- Your Church Can Be a Parent to a New Church or Campus
Connect with other church planters in Louisiana by joining our Facebook Group – Louisiana Church Multiplication Network.
Your Church as a Greenhouse
I enjoy gardening. Even though I’m not very good at it. Why? I don’t always have the time to do what’s necessary to grow and multiply plants to their fullest extent. The best gardeners know how and put in the time to create the right conditions for growth and multiplication. The very best gardeners will start with a greenhouse to nurse the plants in early stages before they are ever put in the ground. A greenhouse is a tool where you can create the perfect conditions for multiplication & growth of plants at all different stages and with various needs.
I enjoy gardening in part because of the many parallels it has to church planting and ministry. I’ve began to see church as a greenhouse – a tool to create the right conditions for multiplication & growth OF DISCIPLES. Here are five truths I’m learning on church as a GREENHOUSE:
1. Disciples must be nurtured.
Like plants, like a garden, like a greenhouse, disciples need time and attention. One of the greatest books on discipleship has in its title a reminder we constantly need – Disciples Are Made, Not Born. While we are not completely responsible for the growth of a disciple, part of our commission from Jesus requires time and attention and energy and prayer, etc., etc., etc. One of the greatest disciple makers, the apostle Paul, said it like this in Colossians 1:28-29,
“We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.”
If we’re going to make disciples, we must expect to give much time and attention to people from sharing the gospel, teaching basic truths, responding to questions, correcting, forgiving, etc., etc.
2. A Disciple’s needs change over time.
A greenhouse or a garden is organized based on maturity and needs of the plants. Expectation are based upon time and stage of growth. Just like this, as churches, we need to provide a variety of opportunities for growth for people at different stages of maturity. And we need to teach our leaders what you can expect from people as they grow. The best tool I’ve seen that helps with this is Jim Putman’s great book Real Life Discipleship and the Real Life Discipleship Training Manual. Putman guides readers to understand where people are spiritually based upon what they say, and then how to respond and what to provide for them at that stage. (See my post Things Spiritual Infants Say for a run down).
3. Disciples will eventually need to be sent out from the greenhouse to multiply themselves.
The Greenhouse is not the final destination for a plant, nor is the Sunday worship service the climax of maturity for the disciple. Just like plants are meant to be outside, producing fruit and multiplying, disciples should be trained, equipped, and released into this world for maximum fruitfulness and to multiply the gospel in their sphere of influence.
4. Not all disciples will respond to the conditions you create.
A hard reality to face for the gardener, and much harder for the disciple maker is the truth that some plants and some people just won’t respond to the conditions you create. It hurts when a disciple doesn’t respond to God’s word. It hurts when a disciple leaves your church, but maybe they needed conditions you couldn’t provide at the time. Jesus even said that perhaps only 25% of disciples would become fruitful (Matthew 13). It’s important to remember that we’re responsible for our faithfulness, not everyones response.
5. The church is the perfect tool to create the conditions for multiplication & growth of Disciples.
The church, with all its imperfections, does provide a perfect environment for growth of disciples. A church offers opportunities to learn from those walking with God for years, opportunities to get involved and serve in various capacities, opportunities to have relationship wins and losses. These and other conditions help us grow. A lack of desire to learn, serve, love, and forgive REVEALS a lot about where we are spiritually and our potential for fruitfulness, maturity, and multiplication.
Does your church function as a Greenhouse? How are plants maturing? Are you providing opportunities for people at different stages of growth? Are you training your leaders to know what to expect as people grow? Are you moving people out to multiply in their world? Are you spending time with people that just refuse to grow & may need different conditions or to be let go?
Greenhouse: Basic Training for Church Multiplication
I’m humbled & excited to be involved with training church planters in Louisiana & our latest training is now called Greenhouse: Basic for Multiplying Disciples, Leaders, Groups, & Churches. Next one is right around the corner, Feb 22-23 at Wholly Ground Coffee House & Concert Venue. It’s free. You can join us & work on your GREENHOUSE. Register Here.
Lane Corley 