A Tricky Step in the Seven-Step Church Planting Model

July 28, 2009 – 10:55 am

part 2: urban ministry focus

In a recorded lecture in the class Urban Mission and Ministry from the Institute of Theological Studies, Roger Greenway outlines a seven-step urban church planting model commonly used by missionaries.

• Step 1: Contacts–The church planter must make a wide circle of contacts through door-to-door visitation, radio/TV advertisements, mailers, phone calls, flyers, websites, etc.
• Step 2: Classes–From those contacts you begin to develop classes (home Bible studies, literacy classes, ESL, etc.)
• Step 3: Commitments/Conversions–Through these classes you will begin to have people convert to Christ and/or renew their commitment to Jesus Christ and His body, the church.
• Step 4: Congregation–A group of believers is produced that begins to enjoy many of the functions of a church. This is a time when leadership must be trained and developed and the beginnings of body life should be forming.
• Step 5: Church–Once a church has qualified leadership and is able to fully function as a church, it should formally be established.
• Step 6: Communication–The church must begin to spread the Gospel throughout its community and seek to plant more churches in the city.
• Step 7: Community–Churches must seek to minister to the needs of their people and their community.

Though difficulties may occur at any of the seven steps, the third step, commitments/conversions, is a crucial step in transitioning from classes to a congregation and may pose the greatest challenge to missionaries.

Several factors likely contribute to this difficulty, but a primary issue is the distinction between classes and congregations.

Classes, or Bible studies, allow people to come with a relatively low-commitment level, a self-centered mindset, and no agreement on doctrine. Bible studies are typically informal, with the only commitment being to come on a regular basis.

Individuals may come for selfish reasons–to share their own ideas or to increase their own understanding–and do not need to have any care for the other members of the study. If the classes are literacy, language, or other similar classes, then the motivation for coming is even more likely to be self-centered.

Since Bible studies are typically open to anyone, there is no doctrinal requirement for membership and thus no unifying beliefs among the “members.” In fact, the studies may be composed of many unsaved individuals who would obviously not be ready to form a church.

Congregations, on the other hand, require a high-level of commitment, a mutual concern for each other, and a unifying set of beliefs. Therefore, in order to move from classes to congregations, the church planter must first seek commitments/conversions from those who are attending the classes.

Since conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit, the church planter must faithfully preach the gospel and pray for the Lord to save people. The issue of commitment most likely will come as part of a discipleship process in helping believers who are coming to see the need for a church.

Only when converted individuals are committed to a church will a congregation be able to be formed.

- Ben Edwards, our resident urban guy

These module classes provide excellent opportunities for exposure to church planting/missions issues and allow you to interact with fellow church planters/missionaries who are also taking the courses. Read the ITS introduction for more information.