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So You Want to Start a New Church?
So you want to start a new church? What do you know about church planting? You need to know that at least 30 percent of new churches don't last more than four years, and more than 50 percent do not survive past seven years. You need to know that those who have planted churches say that the work is more difficult, more demanding, and more taxing than they ever imagined.
For those who plant within a denomination (like our American Baptist Churches USA), you need to know that there is no denominational loyalty to build upon as there was in past generations. There are almost 4,000 new churches started every year. Getting the attention of people is more difficult than ever. A new church must work hard to get heard when voices from car dealers, pharmaceutical companies, cable companies and more are also vying for attention (using larger budgets). And there is skepticism in our culture of all institutions, including the church, which must be overcome.
If you have no experience with church planting, you need to get yourself prepared prepared to do the work. It may be that you need to think "outside the box" for planting a new church—not planting a traditional church but planting a missional church that operates on an entirely different set of mission/vision/values. Read "What is New Church?," "What is a Missional Church Plant" and "Six Essential Characteristics of the Missional Church" in our resources section.
When you are ready to begin the journey, please contact us. We are ready to walk with you.
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