Models for Multiplication

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Guest post by Dr. Steve Ogne

There are a large variety of models and methods for planting or parenting new churches. Today we are going to compare and contrast five primary methods of church planting that are popular today.

Hive Off – This is when you send a portion of the congregation to a nearby location to plant a very similar congregation in order to reach more people. This assumes your church is healthy and growing.

Pioneering – This is when you send a small team to reach a different population, generation or people group. This will require a different approach to the ministry than the parent church.

Multi Planting – There are at least 3 approaches to multi planting…

• Multi-Site – the same church meeting in multiple locations in order to reach more people.

• Multi-Venue – the same church meeting in multiple venues at or near the same sight with different environments and worship styles in order to reach more people.

• Multi-Congregation – the same church meeting in different congregations defined by culture ethnicity or generation in order to reach more people.

Most multi planting models have a plan for shared resources, administration and preaching. Choosing this method is a long term commitment. You are never done; it is never over.

Restart – This is the process of partnering with a dying congregation to birth a new ministry in the same or different location using the legacy and assets of the dying church.

International Partnerships – This is when an existing congregation partners with a missionary in another country or culture to provide funding and staff, or short term teams to see the new church started.