By Laila Maline
Are you thinking about starting a new church but don’t know where to begin? You’re in the right place! This guide will help you understand how to start a church and what tools you might need along the way.
Hearing the call to start a new church is an exciting journey, but figuring out where to begin can be tough. Starting a new church is a big job and can sometimes feel overwhelming.
If you feel called to start a church, we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll explain the basics of church planting, including how to get started, what the main tasks are, and four common mistakes to avoid.
Let’s get ready to plant your church!
What is Church Planting?
Church planting is about starting a new church in a specific place, similar to planting a seed that will grow into a big tree. The goal is to create a new group of people who come together to worship, grow in their faith, and help others.
Sometimes, church planting means opening new locations or branches of an already existing church. This helps the church reach more people and give them more chances to learn about its teachings.
Church planting is based on the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), where Jesus tells his followers to go and make disciples of all nations. The main goal is to spread the Gospel and build groups of believers who can support and encourage each other.
The process involves getting spiritually ready, planning carefully, and connecting with the community. Knowing the community’s background, culture, and needs helps the church reach and serve the local people better. Developing leaders within the new church is also important for its growth and sustainability.
In short, church planting is about creating a lively faith community that can grow, flourish, and positively affect the surrounding area.
How to Plant a Church – 6 Essential Steps
Starting a church is a big task that needs careful planning and several steps. Here are some steps to begin church planting.
1. Establish the “why”
When you decide to start a new church, the first question people will ask is: Why? With many churches already around, you need a strong reason for starting a new one. This reason should be a big part of how you talk to the community and your worship group.
Think about these questions:
- What will your church do differently?
- What special needs will your church meet?
- What part of the Gospel is most important to you?
Your reason should show a real desire to spread the Gospel and meet the spiritual needs of the community. A clear “why” will help guide every decision and keep the team focused on the mission, especially during tough times. This step involves praying and asking for God’s guidance to make sure you’re following His will.
Knowing your “why” isn’t just about understanding the spiritual reasons. It’s also about clearly sharing them with potential members and supporters. Your “why” should connect deeply with people, attracting those who share your vision.
A well-defined “why” sets the foundation for the next steps, making sure that all efforts are aligned with the church’s ultimate purpose and mission.
2. Write your mission statement
A mission statement is a short description of what your church wants to do and where it wants to go. It helps keep you on track while starting your new church. This statement should show what you believe in, what’s important to you, and what you aim to achieve.
If you’re starting a branch of an existing church, you might already have a mission statement. Now is a good time to decide if you need to change it. Your mission statement should cover:
- Who you are: Explain your denomination or religious beliefs.
- Who you’ll serve: Identify the community you want to reach.
- How you’ll serve God: Describe how you plan to worship and do ministry.
Think about involving your church leaders in writing or updating the mission statement to make sure it reflects everyone’s vision. For more help, look at guides on writing mission statements for nonprofits.
A clear and strong mission statement will guide your work and attract people who share your vision and values.
3. Find an easy way to collect donations
Financial support is very important for keeping a new church running and helping it grow. Setting up simple and safe ways to collect donations is key. You can use online giving platforms, mobile apps, and traditional methods like offering envelopes to make it easy for people to give.
Being open and honest about how donations are handled is significant to build trust with donors. Regularly update the congregation on how the money is being used and the positive changes it is making. Having a finance team or committee can help manage the funds well and make sure resources are used wisely.
4. Cultivate Your Community
A church without a community isn’t complete. The people who help you start a church are very important. They will support you, bring others to the church, volunteer for programs, and contribute financially.
Here are three ways to take care of this new community:
- Invite them to share their vision: Hold meetings to listen to their ideas and feedback. This helps everyone feel like they belong and makes sure the church meets their needs. You’ll likely get new ideas and feel more excited after these meetings.
- Give them real responsibility: If someone wants to start an afterschool program, let them lead it. Giving people responsibilities shows you trust and appreciate them, helping them feel more connected and valued.
- Take prayer requests immediately: Praying for and with your members builds spiritual closeness and shows that their concerns matter. Regular prayer creates a supportive and welcoming community.
Additionally, consider developing small groups or Bible studies to deepen connections. Host fellowship events like potlucks or community service projects to strengthen relationships. Creating an environment where people feel seen, heard, and valued will help retain members and attract new ones, contributing to the church’s growth and vitality.
5. Look for a space
Finding the right place for your church gatherings is important. If you’re not ready to invest in a permanent building, you still need a spot for services and to connect with members. Look for a location that fits your budget, is easy to reach, and can hold your current crowd with some extra space for growth.
Consider renting community centers, school auditoriums, or even meeting in homes. Make sure the place meets legal requirements and has the necessary facilities for worship and fellowship. The environment should be welcoming and comfortable, and accessible for people with disabilities.
Negotiating flexible lease terms can provide the freedom to grow as your congregation gets bigger. Short-term leases with extension options offer flexibility without long-term commitment. Engaging with the local community can also help identify potential spaces and build helpful partnerships.
Bonus: Best Church Websites to Inspire Your Own
6. Get Ready to Launch
With your helpful community, clear goals, and new place, you’re ready to start! Make a plan for your start, create a social media profile, including telling people about it, getting things in place, and organizing what happens on the day. Create and schedule posts on social media for your launch. Share the agenda for the launch with your community. Put together a team to set up and welcome guests. Let everyone know about you via local ads, and personal invitations.
Ask for help if you need it. For example, Pioneers Church asked people to donate money and got more than $47,900 from 44 donations to pay for starting costs. This kind of help can be really important when you’re getting started.
On the big day, make it welcoming. Plan a service that means something and share what your church wants to do. Use cards to keep in touch with new people and newsletters to tell everyone what’s happening. After you’ve started, keep everyone involved with events and keeping in touch. Think about how well the start went and ask people for ideas to make things even better. You’ve started the church – now look after it so it grows strong. With prayer and hard work, your church can get bigger and really help people.
4 Key Duties of a Church Planter
What is a Church Planter and What are Their Duties?
Church planters are dedicated people who take on the mission of spreading God’s message by starting a new church. This might involve opening a new location for an existing church or beginning a brand-new congregation. They are the main drivers and leaders in this process. Here are some important things they need to do.
1. Cultivating goodwill
A church planter needs to make friends in the community. This means getting to know local leaders, joining community events, and becoming friends with the people who live there. By showing real care for everyone’s happiness, the church can become a part of the community and grow.
Working together with local groups and businesses can also make the church more respected and helpful. These partnerships can lead to projects everyone does together and give more help to the community.
2. Maintaining financial transparency
It’s important for churches to be clear about their finances to build trust with members and donors. Make sure all money matters are recorded accurately and shared openly. Keep everyone updated on how money is used. Consider doing checks every year to review finances and share reports with members.
Using good money management helps avoid mistakes and ensures funds help the church’s goals. Teaching members about money and how to use it well encourages giving and careful spending.
3. Ensuring Government and Tax Compliance
It’s important for a church to follow government rules and tax laws to stay legal and financially stable. As a church starter, your first job is to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) using Form SS-4. This number is needed to open bank accounts, hire staff, and handle money matters.
You’ll also need to decide if you want to apply for official 501(c)(3) status. While some churches automatically get this status if they meet certain rules, applying for it formally can bring extra benefits like grants and more trust from donors. This step can wait, but it’s good to think about for the church’s future.
Doing yearly financial reports is another big task. Filling out Form 990 is a must to show where the church’s money goes. This keeps things clear and follows tax laws, which helps with trust from the IRS and your church members.
Keeping up with legal changes is super important too. Talking with legal and money advisors can help you figure out tricky rules. Updating your policies and how you do things regularly keeps you following the rules and lowers chances of legal problems.
Following these rules and tax laws helps your church build a strong base. This makes your community trust you more and helps your church grow well.
4. Answering questions and addressing concerns
As a church leader, it’s important to answer questions and talk with people in your church and the community. Even though volunteers might help, you are the main person who speaks for your church. You need to be clear, honest, and know a lot about what your church does, believes, and what’s happening. On your church website, add an AI chatbot to answer all the questions and take feedback easily.
You can make regular meetings or feedback sessions, like town halls, where people can talk and feel heard. Sending out updates through newsletters, social media, and church bulletins keeps everyone in the loop and helps avoid misunderstandings.
When people have concerns, handle them with kindness and honesty. Listen carefully, understand their problems, and respond in a way that shows Christ’s love and wisdom. Training your leaders in good communication and how to solve conflicts can also help a lot.
4 Mistakes to Avoid While Planting Your Church
1. Not centering outreach
Making sure your church reaches out to people is really important. If you don’t, not many new people might join. Always focus on telling others about your faith and getting involved in your community to help your church grow. Create activities that help people and show them kindness like Jesus did.
Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in all the planning and forget why you’re there: to help others. Remember, the goal is to make a positive difference. By keeping outreach at the center, your church stays true to its mission.
The Darden family, who started Calvary Highlands Ranch, showed this by making outreach a big part of their fundraising. They cared about connecting with their community and sharing their beliefs.
Try different ways to reach out, like visiting homes, using social media, and hosting events. Keep checking to see what works best and change things if you need to. Outreach is always about helping others and should always be growing and changing to meet people’s needs.
2. Worrying too much about success
It’s important to focus on more than just numbers when starting a church. Attendance and fundraising are necessary, but they shouldn’t be your main focus. True success comes from being faithful to God’s call and helping your congregation grow spiritually. Trust God’s timing and stick to your mission, even if you don’t see big results right away.
What does success mean for your church? It’s not just about filling seats or raising money. Instead, it’s about seeing how people’s lives are changed, how your members grow closer to God, and how your church positively affects your community. Are you creating a caring place where people can strengthen their faith?
Don’t get too caught up in attendance and money that you forget what really matters. While these things can help your church, they shouldn’t be more important than helping people grow spiritually and building a supportive community. Celebrate small wins and focus on how your ministry can make a lasting difference.
When you prioritize spiritual growth over just getting bigger, your church becomes stronger and more able to handle challenges. True success in starting a church is shown in changed lives and in how your church makes a positive impact on your community, not just in numbers or finances.
3. Rushing through the process
Starting a church is like planting a garden. It needs careful planning and patience. Rushing can lead to mistakes and feeling exhausted. Just like it took 7 days for God to create our world, building a church also takes time. Trust the process, even if it gets bumpy.
Talk to experienced church builders for guidance and check your plans regularly to stay flexible. When things don’t go as planned, see them as chances to learn and keep believing in your vision. Patience and persistence are key to making a strong foundation for your church.
Bonus: Cost-effective Church Growth Ideas
4. Refraining from showing gratitude
Gratitude is really important for making our church a positive and supportive place. It’s good to say thank you often to volunteers, donors, and everyone who helps our church grow. We should celebrate when we reach goals or do something special, making sure everyone knows they’re valued. We can have events to thank volunteers, like parties or notes to say thanks. When we all show gratitude to each other, it makes our church feel like a strong and supportive community.
Conclusion
Church planting is a tough but fulfilling journey that needs dedication, vision, and faith. With the right set of ideas and use of marketing tools, you can reach out to a mass number of people. Understand why you’re doing it, write a clear mission statement, get financial support, build a community, find a good place, and get ready to start. These steps will help you build a strong foundation for a successful church.
As a church planter, focus on being friendly, keeping finances clear, following the rules, and listening to concerns. Avoid mistakes like ignoring outreach, worrying too much about success, rushing, and forgetting to say thank you. Simplified has helped multiple churches plan and grow faster with church marketing features.
