Church planting can be a fulfilling endeavor that brings growth, blessing, and an increase of God’s kingdom to new communities. 

But church planting can also be one of the most challenging works that any church leader will face.  

If you're serious about planting a church, you must invest in complete knowledge that will allow the seeds you plant to bear fruit.

Look no further. This article will guide you with the practical insights you should know before planting a church.

What is Church Planting?

Before you take further action, it's essential to understand what church planting is in the first place. 

An excellent place to start is taking notes from How to Start a Church: The Complete, Step-by-Step Guide. The information from our guide will give you the background knowledge that is critical in church planting.

Yes, planting a church shares similarities with starting a church or a ministry, but they serve different purposes and require distinct expertise to succeed. This simple thought is something most church leaders often overlook.

In simplest terms, church planting refers to the practice of starting a new church from an existing church. Moreover, planting a church means that church planters do this evangelistic work in new locations where there are no organized groups of believers yet, just like what Paul the Apostle demonstrated in his missions.

"They preached the Gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed eldersfor them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."

Acts 14: 21-23

From Paul's activities, there are three main takeaways about church planting that those desiring to plant a church must remember:

• Church planting requires going into territories where your church has no influence yet.
• In these identified territories, church planters will evangelize people into becoming believers in the Gospel.
• Church planting is not a one-time event, for it requires church planters to establish systems that will make the planted church eventually grow, too.

With these insights in mind, church planters must remember the ultimate goal of planting a church—the people you have organized into a group of believers will worship the Lord. Hopefully, they will also plant the seeds of faith in other communities.

What Should You Know First Before Church Planting?

Now, church planting may excite you, and you may view it as something feasible for your church. First things first, however, here is a practical guide to help you reflect on the essential matters you must consider before planting begins:

1. Is God's calling present in your desire for church planting?

Church planting is for the Lord, not for personal glory. The desire to plant a church may be there. However, this desire must always come from God first and no one else. God will reveal the invitation to you through prayer and the people you work with at church.

On the other hand, planting a church because you think that you are capable is a dangerous path to tread, and sadly, many church leaders still fall into the trap of “church planting competitions” or “the church numbers game.”

That's why the best way to check if you're ready for church planting is this: God has placed the desire in your heart and revealed in your prayers His calling for you to plant more churches. 

2. Have you examined yourself lately?

Church planting will exhaust your entire being. This is not just a spiritual journey that you will undertake, and expect God to reward you soon. You will experience significant challenges that may make you doubt your faith and abilities.

A self-check of your physical, emotional, and mental health is essential before undertaking the commitment. You wouldn't want to be the leader who quickly succumbs to the stressors in the process.

Aside from this, it’s also helpful to consider your family, for this challenge will affect them too. Some reflection questions may include the following:

• If you're married, how will your spouse support you in church planting? 
• If your spouse has a job, what will be the arrangements for church planting and family life?
• If you have children, what's the best setup for their studies, family, and the church?

As you can see, church planting is not just as easy as going out of the church and expecting your personal life to follow smoothly. So, always check on yourself first before considering planting a church.

3. What are the key details about the identified area for church planting?

A key part of the church planting process is knowing the pertinent details that will help you not only put up the buildings of a planted church but also how to organize the group of believers. 

In terms of the physical presence of the church, you need to consider the following details:

• Is the area environmentally safe for the church buildings to be established?
• Will the church be easily accessible to the people?
• What are the governing laws that you need to adhere to when building the church's premises?  

Additionally, consider the people whom you will be most likely serving by reviewing these factors:

• Socio-economic variables like the number of families, male to female ratio, and people's livelihood.
• Cultural practices, as seen in the people's dominant language, religious beliefs, and way of life.
• Longing for spiritual direction may be evident in the absence of a church to serve the people.

You increase your chances of successfully planting a church by knowing more about where you want to extend God's grace. 

The present times call for church leaders to examine more details in-depth, particularly if you’re planting a church in 2022. 

4. Who are the people who will help you?

You can't plant a church alone; you need the support of other church members. You'll often have to request the services of people outside your church.

Like starting a church from scratch, you must empower members who'll take charge of core activities like evangelism, kids ministry, and monitoring finances. On top of it all, you also have to invite church volunteers to help you out.

Having a dedicated group of people to support the church planting process will benefit everyone else. 

5. How will you fund the church planting process?

This question is deep in the heart of most church planters. While it may be easier to evade this question for fear of rejection from benefactors and church members, funding must be addressed before moving forward. 

Let's face it—you can't plant a church without a reliable source of funds in the long run. And the only solution you have for this dilemma is to determine how and where you will obtain all the resources for church planting.

For instance, you discerned that the planted church needs a new building, so you may have to find ways to generate funds for a new church building. The same principle also applies to how you should fund other activities in the church planting process. Be sure to discuss these matters with your core group of church planters.

Fundraising is a priority for church planting. Our free church resource, The Church Fundraising Toolkit, can help your church run successful fundraisers for church planting.

6. How will you equip yourself in the long run?

Always remember this: church planting is a marathon, not a sprint. The fruits of the seeds you plant will not immediately blossom. It takes time. That’s why you have to equip yourself. 

Having great ideas and good intentions for church planting is not enough. You need continuous training on fundraising, community building, and leadership. Connecting with a mentor and other pastors who have planted churches will lessen your learning curve.

Always bear in mind that you can never plant a church alone. The right training and people will fortify your mindset in the long run.

Ultimately, equipping yourself in the long term means building key habits of successful church planters to ensure the success of God’s call.

Time to Plant!

Church planting can be a fulfilling experience for church leaders if they do it right. The best way to begin the church planting process is by investing in accurate information and serious reflection about church planting.

In the end, planting a church boils down to glorifying God and helping people love God through the planted church. The seeds you sow will surely bear fruit if you stay true to God's calling, just like when His followers planted the seeds of our faith.

Whether it's fundraising, developing systems, or encouraging people to volunteer, Tithe.ly is here to help you plant more churches.