Sink or Swim Model of Church Planting

Question: Is there a more excellent way to do church planting? There are three common models of church planting which I will call the Sink or Swim, Mother/Daughter and Supportive Team models.

A brief definition of these models is in order. The Sink or Swim Model of church planting is sending a pastor out to plant a church with little or no financial, ministerial or member support. The Mother/Daughter method is a strong church (typically 300 members or larger) providing financial and ministerial support and a initial group of members (perhaps 100 members for six months or more) to launch a new church. The Supportive Team Model is a group of churches (a section for instance) cooperating together to provide financial and ministerial support and an initial group of members to launch a new church. The goal of the Supportive Team Model is to have at least 100 new converts become a part of the new church before the church planting process is completed (approximately three months). The new church will be ready to become involved in church planting within two years under this method.

The chart above demonstrates the length of time it takes under each of these three methods to become reproductive as a church. A typical pastor with a 40 year ministry is illustrated in each bar.

The bottom bar illustrates the Sink or Swim Model. If each church is growing at ten percent per year, it would take 25 years to grow from ten to 100 people. It would take another twelve years to grow from 100 to 300 people. In the Sink or Swim Model it would take 37 years for a pastor to see the church he planted grow large enough to plant a mother church. This would leave him the last three years of his ministry to plant churches.

The second bar illustrates that a Mother/Daughter church plant would begin with 100 members. It would take twelve years to grow to 300. This pastor would then have 28 years of his ministry to be involved in church planting. This is obviously a better way.

The top bar illustrates the Supportive Team Model. The church planted with 100 new members would be able within two years to assist other churches in the area to plant another church in the same model. The pastor then would have 38 years of his ministry to be involved in church planting. This is the church planting we are modeling with our students at East Africa School of Theology. We believe it is a more excellent way.

Planting Ten Churches in the Next Five Years

The greatest way to impact the world is through healthy local indigenous churches. God has allowed us to be involved in sixteen church plants in our ministry. Recently we have initiated a model at East Africa School of Theology which is beginning to gain traction. Our students are beginning to take the church planting model with them to their districts and sections as they graduate.

The traditional model which I call the “Sink or Swim Model” of church planting sends a young pastor out with his wife and baby to plant a church. He is given little or no financial or ministerial support. He is told, “If it is God’s will for you to plant a church it will succeed. If it fails, we will know it was just your idea.” Many churches has been planted by this method, but many young ministers have also been overwhelmed as well. We believe there is a more excellent way.

The Supportive Team Model of church planting is being used with great success. The model encourages churches to cooperate with the new church plant through sending members and workers to assist the pastor for 6 months to a year and finances to help with start up facilities and equipment. The goal of these church plants is a minimum of 100 new members before the church planting stage is completed (1 week to 3 months). This allows the church to be self supporting almost immediately.

The model further encourages the newly planted church to be missional (on mission) from the beginning. Within the first two years the new church is encouraged to become involved in church planting. This becomes a reality through the Supportive Team Model as this new church can cooperate with other churches in the area in planting another church.

Our goal this year is to raise funds for ten strategic church plants in the next five years using this model. These ten will be in new areas where a section may not already exist. In partnership with the local and national church we will seek to train a pastor, purchase a plot, build a tabernacle and purchase equipment for the church plant. The cost of these strategic church plants is $18,000 each. Many of the churches we have presented the need to are expressing interest in bringing a team and finances to partner with us in these church plants.

Any one interested in getting more information concerning this or becoming involved with us in these church plants can contact us at jeff.nelson@agmd.org.

Kenya Crisis and the Assemblies of God

A TV frame grab taken on January 1, 2008 shows aerial footage of the area where a church was attacked near Eldoret, some 310 km (193 miles) northwest of Nairobi. A mob torched a Kenyan church on Tuesday, killing about 30 villagers cowering inside, as the death toll from ethnic riots triggered by President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election soared to at least 180.
(Kenyan Red Cross via REUTERS TV/Reuters)


By Jeff Nelson, Missionary to Kenya
January 4, 2008
The December 27, 2007 election and its aftermath triggered the worst tribal violence Kenya has seen in its 45 year history since independence. After a close ballet count that more often showed opposition candidate, Raila Odinga leading than incumbent president, Mwai Kibaki, the final count announced that President Kibaki had won by a slim margin. The President orchestrated a swearing in ceremony within hours of the announcement. The opposition candidate rejected the results and his supporters began to riot in the streets.
Within days the fighting has spread to at least five major centers (Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, Naivasha and Eldoret). The fighting has focused on the tribal affiliations of the two leaders: the Kikuyu tribe of President Kibaki and the Luo tribe of candidate Odinga. Estimates are that nearly 200 people have died in the fighting, 150,000 have been displaced from their homes. (http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/ nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=113914) Others have figures of 300 or more now dead.
This violence is hitting very close to home for us. Although we are in the US this year on deputation, our hearts are heavy as we hear of the pain of our beloved adopted homeland. The Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG) church in rural Eldoret was the subject of national news New Years Eve as some 200 had sought refuge in the church. The opposing tribe attacked the church, set it ablaze and killed many with pangas (local word for machetes) trying to flee. A KAG member wrote to me by instant messaging: “they locked children and mothers then old ladies and the torched the church.” Our KAG pastor was injured. All the hospital beds were full so he was not treated immediately. He has since been helped at a private facility in the area. I received the following email from a missionary friend from Europe living in Eldoret. They saw the fire described above from their home on New Years Eve.
Hi Jeff, Just to let you know, that we are safe. It is not nice. And we are deeply touched and feel with people around us. (My husband) has lots of peace. I am more troubled. Children take it quite well. We have only left our compound 2 times since 23rd - to do shopping.
New Years Eve was an evening we never forget. We had to cancel celebration with friends - and could see a big fire from our windows... Thanks for praying for the country of Kenya and the people here and for us also. God bless. And happy new year to you!
East Africa School of Theology (EAST), the Bible school I serve as Academic Dean when I am in country is closed. It is just a few kilometers from the city center. The people inside are concerned for their own safety and the ability to get food as looting has removed food from shelves and transportation has been disrupted. Nairobi, a city of 3 million plus people, is in turmoil. Two of our largest slums; Kibera and Mathari, have been in flames. I received communication from a secretary at EAST. “Here at EAST we are safe, in spite lacking food items, but outside there it’s bad. Please pray harder than before. The denomination leaders have declared prayer and fasting from today for three days, oh my Jeff you can’t believe the killings that are going on. No transport. Torching houses; it’s terrible” Our registrar had left campus for the funeral of one of our students and has not been able to return due to the risk of travel from upcountry.
Our Christian elementary and high schools have not reopened after the Christmas holiday. Rosslyn Academy, in Nairobi, and Rift Valley Academy, about one hour outside Nairobi, both remain closed awaiting calm and safety.
Our missionaries and national brothers and sisters in Kenya are in need of our prayers. Please pray for peace and calm to return to the nation we love so much.
Those who would like to send financial help through the Kenya Assemblies of God can do so through
http://ag.org/top/
follow the links from there
Contributions, Disaster Relief, World Relief
Designate Kenya Relief: AGWM Suffering Church 649230 (60)

To assist the Kenya Assemblies of God, AG World Missions has set up an opportunity to give through its Suffering Church Fund. To donate, go to http://world.ag.org or call toll free 1-866-470-9514.
You can read and see more at the following web site:
http://ag.org/top/ see Kenya AG church burned with people inside (the full link is below)
http://ag.org/top/news/news_article_template.cfm?ArticleID=10179&NamedFormatID=2001Article&SearchDepartment=01-140&SearchStartDate=12/05/2007&SearchMaxRows=3&SearchMaxRecordCount=3336