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.