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Saturation Church Planting and The Great Commission

Assumptions and Principles that Guide Saturation Church planting

1. The Purpose of the Local Church

Since God's mission is to seek and to save those who are lost, to receive the worship of His creation, and to conform those who believe into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, then it goes without saying that the church's mission is:

To be an agency to evangelize the world; Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 1:8
To be a corporate body which worships God in spirit and truth; 1 Cor. 12:13
To be a channel through which God can build a body of believers, which are conformed into the image of His son; 1 Cor. 12:28; 14:12; Eph. 4:11-16

Created on Pentecost, empowered by the Spirit, lead by gifted men; the church is filled with ministry potential. The local church is a ministry center entrusted with the message of the cross to go and make disciples in every nation or ethos (people group).

It is important to note that our mission is to go and make disciples. God has given to the local church gifts, pastors, teachers, etc., to equip the saints for this ministry work. (Eph. 4:12) Making disciples requires leading people to Christ, mentoring and training them, and then releasing these equipped disciples for reproduction. This process requires the establishment of churches. But not any kind of church, they must have a reproducible mind set. So the evangelization of the world starts and ends with the local church. It is the great privilege of the Bride of Christ.

"I begin with the assumption that the local church is God's number one instrument for world evangelization. This means that all other human administrative structures, be they denominational or non-denominational, are para-church by nature and must be required to assist local churches into direct involvement in all domains of Gospel extension. It is the responsibility of the local church to reach the neighborhood in which it is located. It is the responsibility of the local church to see churches planted among the ethnic people in its own country. Any other process that alienates local churches from direct involvement in world evangelization, no matter how logistically difficult this emphasis may be deprives the local church of its very purpose of existence. Additionally, not only is the local church God's number one instrument for world evangelization, it is the church's number one priority. All other activity must render accountability and bend to the primacy of the extension of the Gospel through the local church."

- Dwight Smith

2. Discipling the Nations Requires We Employ Our Best Tool: Church Planting

The key word here is discipling. Since God's command to us is to "go and make disciples" then the best tool we can use to accomplish this purpose is to plant churches. No other method has proven to be as effective as direct church planting, though other methods are valid and useful, especially when used in conjunction with church planting.

Some proponents speak out in favor of church planting:

"The multiplication of new churches is the best evangelistic method under heaven." Peter Wagner
"There is only one way the Great Commission can be fulfilled, and that is by establishing Gospel-preaching congregations in every community on the face of the earth." David Womack
"The church's evangelistic task demands that every barrio, apartment building, and neighborhood have a church faithful to God's Word established in it." Roger Greenway
"Giving opportunity to all men to appropriate salvation can truly by done only by establishing millions of congregations of practicing Christians, ideally one in every small community of men." Donald McGavran
"It seems to me that we should say a church for every people group in the world and at least one for every 1,000 within those groups." Dr. Ralph Winter

Comparing the effectiveness of church planting models:

The "addition" model (one church planter/one church) is slow: In order to saturate a country the size of Slovakia (5 million) it would take 5000 western missionaries if each were to plant one church.
The "hand-off" model (western pastor hands over to a national) seldom works well: In order to saturate a country the size of Slovakia (5 million) it would take 1000 western missionaries, planting one church every year for five years, assuming they handed off the initial church to a national.
The "multiplication" model accelerates the results and works through existing national churches to train other nationals to lead the new churches: If ten western missionaries disciple and train 10 national pastors each year for five years, and then those trained pastors each train 10 pastors over the course of five years, in ten years time the entire country would be saturated with churches and the western missionaries would be off to another country.

The key word here is reproduction. The key method is finding a reproducible model to establish.

3. Saturation Church Planting is a Vision for Discipling a Whole Nation

Some key principals are:

Always begin with "Z" (not "A") - what is a fully discipled nation? what is the end result we are seeking? what will it look like when the task is completed?

A fully discipled nation is one in which there is a local church in every neighborhood, village and community of man (a church for every 1000 people)
Saturation Church Planting is a description of the end goal - not a method or a program in itself
We work incrementally toward the ultimate goal, drawing circles around responsibility that is owned

Look at the big picture, see the nation or people as a whole

Begin with the target, not the methods or instrument. Use "outside-in" thinking, not "inside-out" thinking. Start with the end goal and work backwards. Key words are deliberate, strategic, effective and purposeful.
Learn the context by doing proper research. Ask questions like what will it take to reach the target? Where are new churches needed? Are there pockets of receptivity? Are there any reproducible church planting models taking place? Who are the gifted leaders and/or leaders with a vision for church planting?
Train, envision, equip and empower local church leaders and church planters in the skills necessary to plant churches. Help other expatriates to use their expertise and resources to do the same in other parts of the national church where they are connected.
Work through city or area church networks, whole denominations, fellowships of churches, and national evangelical alliances so that the effect is much greater. Your work will be more strategic and effective. Key words here are networking and facilitating.
Develop unpaid lay leaders. A paradigm that calls for ordained and formally trained leaders will not ever trigger a saturation church planting movement.
In every movement that has worldwide significance in the spread of the Gospel throughout history of the church, lay men and women have had a large and many times leading role. Instead of going to established schools of religious training of his day to find his pastors and leaders, John Wesley said, "Give me twelve men who love Jesus with all their hearts and who do not fear men or devils, and I care not one whit whether they be clergy or laity. With these men I will change the world." And that is just what he did.
- Bob Fitts, Sr.

Another example of a movement and the principals, which made it successful, are the Moravians. In 1722, some Moravian families immigrated out of their homelands in Central Europe and settled on the estate of Count Nicolas Ludwig von Zinzendorf in the German province of Saxony. These Moravians were persecuted followers of John Hus, who had been burned at the stake for his faith. They were seeking a place were they could freely live out the life in Christ that they shared. They established a community of some 600 people called Herrnhut.

In 1731, a missionary movement was born when Zinzendorf attended the coronation of King Christian VI of Denmark. For the first time, he met people from outside of Europe who had never heard the name of Christ. In 1732, the Moravians sent out their first missionary team to St. Thomas in the Caribbean. Then, in rapid order, teams were sent in 1733 to Greenland, 1734 to the North American Indians, 1735 to Surinam, 1736 to South Africa, 1737 to the Arctic, 1740 to Algiers and Sri Lanka, 1742 to China, 1747 to Persia and in 1752 to Ethiopia. By 1792, this community had sent out 300 cross-cultural missionaries, more than all Protestants before them put together.

How did they do this? Here are eight principals, which fueled their effectiveness:

They made no distinction between ãclergyä and ãlaityä.
They did everything together.
They were gripped by an inner imperative that Christ is made known among all the peoples of the earth.
They shared a heritage of sacrifice.
They viewed God's global mission as the responsibility of the whole church.
Business people developed business enterprises to facilitate the sending of more cross-cultural teams.
Worship, not bitterness, was the outcome of their persecuted experience.
They were committed to prayer.

The principals by which the Moravians lived, and out of which they ministered, are principals around which God designed the church. These Moravians served as a powerful example to us, calling forth from us the courage to rethink some of the ways we have approached missions. What would come from a movement of multiplying communities like the 18th century Moravians?

- Antioch Network Manifesto

Break the stained-glass barrier: discard the idea that church buildings are essential

Consider house churches. McGarvran pointed out that house churches enabled the tiny church of the first century to grow mightily. At one stroke they overcame four obstacles to growth which the church met as it liberated new populations:
1. The cost of a church building
2. The obstacles of the Jewish connection to synagogues
3. The problem of introversion
4. The barrier of limited leadership
Buildings are neither right nor wrong, but we see from history that churches can surely function without the aid of specially constructed buildings. In fact, it seems they have grown faster and healthier in some cases without them.
Small churches are God's reproducing models. 94% of all churches in the world are smaller than 350. Consider that 66% of churches in the world are under 150 members and 33% are comprised of less than 50 members.
Someone gave this counsel: unless the Lord specifically tells a congregation to buy, build or rent, just go ahead and plant churches without them.

4. Saturation Church Planting Stands on Four Biblical Pillars

RESEARCH helps us understand the target people. With the right information we can design the most effect strategies for reaching the people and planting churches. Research is in two primary areas:
1. The sociological/anthropological contact
2. Religious/ecclesiological context
Research is a powerful motivator for the national church when they see clearly the situation in which they must plant new churches.
EVANGELISM is the proclamation of the Gospel and the persuasion of the women and men to follow Jesus Christ. Plans must be set in place so that every person in the target circle can hear and understand the Good News and either accept it or reject it. No evangelism is ever done without good follow-up discipleship and church planting or it could be ãhit-and-runä evangelism that may do more harm than good. Remember, evangelism is a process not an event.
DISCIPLESHIP is the equipping ministry of the local church, preparing the believers to walk with God, to share the Gospel and embody the love of Christ with those around them. Discipleship is always done in the context of the local church, or it ignores and bypasses God's primary instrument for His work on earth.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO THE EXPANSION OF THE CHURCH. The pastors and church planters must be equipped, and they must then equip other believers in their congregations. Church planting without leadership development will result in many stillbirths and the stifling of a movement.

5. The Role of the Missionary in Saturation Church Planting

The missionary role is apostolic . As one who is ãsentä by one part of the body of Christ to another place, they cross cultural barriers to be a catalyst for change. They go to make disciples, help them form local churches, envision the national church to take responsibility for the Great Commission in the world into which it has been placed and to reproduce itself into other areas of the world.
The missionary role is facilitative . Their best role is not in direct church planting, but in facilitating and equipping nationals to plant churches. They go not to lead the national church or dominate its leaders, but to ask strategic questions, provide strategic resources and guide from behind the scenes the national church in setting church planting strategies for the nation. Some key ideas in facilitating :
1. Be a causer, not a do-er. Mentor, but not master
2. Influence, not control
3. Work trans-denominationally as much as possible
4. Think and act in terms of multiplication
5. Spend time with the right people
6. Encourage the planting of reproducing churches
7. Build trust/credibility
8. Contextualize materials with nationals doing the work.
9. Train trainers who will take over all of the work.
10. Work to prepare cross-cultural workers and trainers.
11. Give away your job as quickly as possible!

6. Identify and Empower National Visionary Leaders

Look for ãJohn Knoxersä in context of those with a heart for a clear vision of the task ahead. God has already placed into the hearts of these people a vision for discipling and for saturation church planting in their region.
Visionary leaders are already leaders, and they bring others along with them. By working through them, the work moves much faster.
Visionaries are often people of prayer and passion:
1. They are people unafraid to innovate
2. They are people with a plan and a map
3. They are people whom others follow
4. They are people already effective in ministry
5. They are people connected with other visionaries
Watch out for:
1. History of conflict and broken relationships
2. Un-teachable spirit
3. Unhealthy relationships with the opposite sex
4. Pre-occupation with money
5. Manipulation of co-workers
6. Low credibility with key evangelical leaders in the country
The missionary can bring together several visionary leaders to share their visions and to pray together. They will draw others into this gathering.
When the need is expressed, move into the training mode: training to do research, training to plant churches, training for church leaders, etc.
As the visionary leaders begin to own the SCP vision and desire a movement, become their servants, doing such tasks as: training (research, SCP principles, church planting, youth work, church-based Bible schools, etc.); personal encouragement and mentoring; financial help with projects (but carefully staying away from long term involvement which can breed unhealthy dependency); publishing of resource materials; assistance in some specific church plants; partnering in prayer movements; coaching church planting; helping develop national initiatives, etc.

7. National Initiatives are the Tracks on which Saturation Church Planting runs Most Effectively

What is DAWN? DAWN is a vision that suggests a process a process for effectively mobilizing the entire harvest force (the national church plus expatriates in the country) to reach the entire harvest field by filling the national/people/region with churches.
The steps needed to launch a national initiative (DAWN):
1. Gather and envision some national leaders in an initial rally
2. Gather information on the Harvest Field and the Harvest Force
3. Form a national committee for SCP and identify the leader
4. Develop the prophetic message (the vision statement for the nation/people group), and the name for the movement
5. Conduct a National Congress where goals and plans are made
6. Implement the goals and plans (now the work begins)
7. Evaluate and revise as progress is made
Factors that influence the success of a national initiative (DAWN movement):
1. Receptivity of the people
2. Reproducible models for church planting and church growth
3. National church unity, shown in cooperative projects and evangelical alliances
4. National and expatriate para-church cooperation in moving jointly toward national church planting goal
5. A facilitative team available to serve as the generic implementation force for the national committee (behind the scenes)

8. Working Together with the Whole Body of Christ is Powerful

The expatriate harvest force, when linked with the national harvest force, unleashes massive resources on the harvest field.
The need to put aside doctrinal differences and non-essential opinions is imperative for a national initiative to work. The best way the kingdom of God moves forward is in unity. Time spent arguing over points of difference within the evangelical harvest force is time wasted.
Working together avoids needless duplication and saves resources.
The national church can work in unity with ecumenicism. We ask them to pray together, own a goal together and to share some resources together. We cannot expect that different denominations will plant churches together.
Working in unity demonstrates Christ's love to the watching world

- Mark Szymanski