Q1: Who can effectively plant churches? (Assessing)
''For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you...'' Titus 1:5
What are some common reasons why church plants and church planters fail?
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The ‘wrong’ church planter.
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Inability to work on a team, having a weak team or conflicted team.
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Inadequate strategy, no plan, or a poor plan.
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What other church planting problems have you observed?
Important questions to ask in assessing or evaluating church planters:
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Is the leader called by God to plant churches? Does their spouse (if they have one) also feel called?
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What type of church is being planted? Do they have the gifts and abilities needed?
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Are they of sufficient spiritual maturity to begin a new church or churches?
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Are their beliefs and vision compatible with the church planting team or the movement?
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These questions represent four major areas to assess: CALL, CHARACTER, COMPETENCIES, & CHEMISTRY .
Discerning if a person is gifted and called to be a church planter is the most critical single decision in church planting. Craig Ott, Seven Fruitful Practices Training Manual
Four Distinct Types of Church Planters have been observed:
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House Church Planter
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Plants church in a home. When does this type of planter need elder qualifications? Will they be a part of a broader network of house churches and receive supervision and training?
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The Pastoral Church Planter
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Plants and then pastors the church for a period of time.
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Strength: can train highly qualified leaders, brings stability.
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Weakness: this type may lead to church addition, but rarely leads to church multiplication.
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The Catalytic Church Planter
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Plants and then pastors the church, but also produces strong daughter churches.
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Strength: multiple churches planted, this becomes a model for other churches, other pastors.
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Weakness: fewer planters are gifted enough to do this; it may produce only one generation of new churches.
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The Apostolic Church Planter
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Does NOT plant and pastor a church, but equips local leaders to plant a number of churches, then moves on to do the same elsewhere.
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Strength: facilitates multiplication and local ownership of ministry.
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Weakness: initial slower progress, lay leadership may be weak, some churches will not survive.
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