Why Plant A Daughter Church?
Why should churches plant churches? Multiplication. What's the point?
God blesses churches that utilize the most biblical and most effective strategy of evangelism. Here are three Great Commission evangelism axioms:
- The most Biblical method of evangelism is church planting.
- The most effective method of evangelism is church planting.
- The most effective way to plant churches is daughter church planting.
Let's take a closer look at each of those.
1. The most Biblical method of evangelism is church planting.
There are many great evangelistic strategies in the world. But the most biblical strategy--the one that was practiced by the apostles in obedience to the Great Commission--is church planting. As they went from town to town, they didn't start Christian camps, or orphanages, or hospitals, or campus ministries, or evangelistic associations. They led people to Jesus and planted churches.
Thank God for a variety of Christian ministries. But at DCPI we believe the central focus of the church is winning people to Christ and discipling them into maturity in Him. The most biblical method of doing that is church planting.
2. The most effective method of evangelism is church planting.
Research has shown that when compared with other outreach strategies, church planting is the most effective method of reaching people for Christ. Dollar for dollar, hour for hour, the most effective way to invest our resources for the Great Commission, is in church planting.
3. The most effective way to plant churches is daughter church planting.
Where do babies come from? Most young children ask this question and their parents do their best to give them correct information (without too much detail)! And though it is possible to conceive a child in a test tube, God's original design is still the best.
Where do baby churches come from? While it is possible for a mission agency or denomination to "give birth" to a church, God's design is for churches to give birth to churches.
Healthy organisms reproduce. According to Christian Schwartz, in his excellent book Natural Church Development, "Hardly anything demonstrates the health of a congregation as much as the willingness--and ability!--to give birth to new congregations. The opposite is true as well. Hardly anything is a more clear indication of illness than structures which by design hinder church multiplication, or at best permit it as an absolute exception."¹
Denominations are much more limited in their ability to start churches compared to the individual churches within an association. For example, an association of 300 churches might envision starting 15 churches in three years time. But if 100 local churches in that association decide to reproduce, they can start 100 churches in the same amount of time!
God blesses churches and their leaders when they use the most biblical, most effective method of evangelism! The Lord expresses His blessing and pleasure in His promise to those who give. Certainly this is a promise to claim for churches that give birth to daughter congregations.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Luke 6:38).
Churches Planting Churches: The Mother-Daughter Concept Training
The Dynamic Daughter Church Planting Handbook: A must have for every Pastor with a vision to be a church planting church!
¹Christian Schwartz, Natural Church Developement (Carol Stream, IL: ChurchSmart Resources, 1996) p. 69.