Planting Fast-Growing Churches

Throughout history, people have learned by oral tradition and from the stories of others. For centuries, workers’ skills and crafts were refined primarily by learning from others’ successes and failures.  Today, however, this practice appears to be less common, particularly in Christian ministries like church planting.
It seems like everyone is a church planting expert nowadays.  Many are making pronouncements about what works and what doesn’t; few are doing the work necessary to confirm their assumptions.  Church planting books are being cranked out like romance novels—lots of promises and passion, but little facts on what does and what doesn’t help church plants succeed.
While common sense and intuition are often accurate, sometimes they are not. And while scientific data and the cold, hard facts are often helpful when predicting future performance, they are also fallible. However, common sense that is also backed by scientific research is a valuable resource, and a gift to those whose everyday work can be helped by the insight it provides. This is what Stephen Gray has given us in title.

Testing Common Assumptions
In this book, Gray tests the soundness of many commonly-held church planting strategies and theories by surveying plants from around the country and analyzing the significant differences between those that struggle and those that thrive. The results of this report offer an array of rich findings for church planters, planting coaches and denominational leaders, who should find in it encouragement and helpful information, as well as a few warnings.
    Church planters should be encouraged that many of Gray’s findings support the conventional wisdom about church planting. For example, the study found that church planters who had strong emotional support, personal investment and conceptual freedom were more likely to succeed than those who had weaker support, investment or freedom. The research should also push planters to more and better preparation, as it confirms the effectiveness of the steady plodding by those who allot time to raise their own support and maintain relationships with coaches or other supportive figures.

Warnings to Note
    The findings should also come as a warning to some—cautioning against three particular errors in planting.  When we plant in a hurry, without freedom of vision, or with a poor funding system, we are more likely to fail.
The first error is haste, when the plant launches and consequently struggles because of insufficient planning or resources. These planters may have launched the plant too early, before the time was ripe and the necessary funding, staff or core group members had been gathered.
Birthing a church is like birthing a baby—certain systems must be in place for it to be successful.  A premature baby may not survive if he or she is born too early, and, if they do survive, their development tends to take longer.  So it is with successful church plants; a healthy birth requires the right amount of time for preparation and development.
The second error consists in planting a church with a top-heavy, agenda-driven structure, as the study’s results reveal that leaders who have little conceptual freedom are more likely to struggle. This might be a plant from a large church that is led by a pastor (or denomination, network, etc.) with a very specific, recognizable personality and ministry emphasis.  Although not willing to invest themselves personally, the “overseers” are happy to throw money at the plant—so long as it remains faithful to the likeness of the mother church.  Gray’s study shows that these “clones” tend to have a very poor life expectancy.
The third error deals with finances.  Gray has again reminded us that planting a new church requires much more than just financial investment. Church planters need to pay close attention to this finding: The churches that received more funding for longer periods of time were overall less effective than churches that received less funding for shorter periods of time.  
Granted, money can be a major factor in getting a church off the ground or getting the word out. But, when it comes to building an effective church, in the long run it appears that too much money has the reverse effect.  A significant number of the successful new churches in Gray’s study became mostly self-supporting within the first 6 months of their launch.

Listen and Heed
So where do we go from here?  “Listen, listen, listen!” the Proverbs repeat, reminding our prone-to-wander ears of the rewards of wisdom. When attempting a work as important to the Kingdom as church planting, this advice is essential. Gray’s report is a significant addition to the conversation about church planting strategies and, if the planter is prepared to accept it, a new tool to help church planters plant more and better churches.
It is not often that you get the advice of 112 church plants, with clear results from some that are thriving and some that are struggling.  So, seize the opportunity provided by this unique book.
You will be encouraged as you read this book.  If you haven’t planted a church yet, let this study soak in; you have much to learn, but don’t ever lose the teachable spirit you have right now.  If you are a seasoned church planter, you may be challenged to think a little differently about the types of churches you create.  Either way, consider this an oral history of lessons learned, passed on to you through this book.