Why should we emphasize Church Planting in the U.S.?

After all, u Don’t u Don’t we already have enough churches? u Shouldn’t u Shouldn’t we focus on strengthening and filling the existing ones first? u Aren’t u Aren’t there quite a few new churches already being started? Here’s why...

Estimated American Unchurched Population 195 Million George Gallup

The Combined Communicant Membership of Protestant Churches over the Last Ten Years Church Membership u Declined 9.5% While the US Population u Increased 11.4% ASCG Journal of Church Growth u Increased 24,153,000 people u Decreased 4,498,242 people

u Evangelical u Evangelical churches have failed to gain an additional two percent of the population over the past fifty years. u No u No county county in America has a greater percentage of churched persons today than a decade ago. u Half u Half of all churches last year did not add one one new member through “conversion growth”. Barna and ASCG

U.S. Church to Population Ratio u In u In 1900, 1900, there were churches for every 10,000 people. u In u In 1950, 1950, there were churches for every 10,000 people. u In u In 1996, 1996, there were churches for every 10,000 people.

Church Facts u North u North America is the ONLY continent where Christianity is NOT NOT growing. u Church u Church attendance is declining - approximately 10% over the last 7 years.

Church Facts u We u We lose churches per week or per day. u We u We gain churches per week or 3.42 per day. u That’s u That’s a net loss loss of churches per week or 6.85 per day.

Church Facts (continued) The United States is… u the u the largest largest post-Christian nation on earth. u the u the third third largest unchurched unchurched nation.

Church Facts (continued) u Our u Our supposed Christian nation leads the world in every category of violent and domestic crime and social decay. u The u The social indicators mentioned above are the exact same in the church as outside, therefore the church is having no significant effect on American behavior.

Church Facts (continued) u What u What once was the number one sending nation of foreign missionaries is now the thirteenth largest receptor nation.

u We u We have become a society that 50 years ago every denomination would have felt compelled to missionize. Tom Clegg

If these are the facts; as the Church, how are we to respond?

We cannot continue to do business as usual...

Insanity is doing the same old things - the same old way - and expecting different results. Einstein

Most of our visioning is re-visioning a more efficient and effective past.

Let’s face it, here in America we are losing the war!

Radical times require a radical solution!

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” We must begin with God’s response...

On the average, evangelical churches... u …younger u …younger than 3 years old, annually win people to Christ per 100 church members. u u years old, annually win 5people to Christ per 100 church members. u …older u …older than 15 years old, annually win 3 people to Christ per 100 church members. Christianity Today, January 1991 Implication: Church plants are more effective evangelistically.

Megachurches vs. Minichurches (Results from an international survey of 1000 churches) Megachurches u Average u Average size: 2,856 u On u On the average, won people to Christ over 5 years. Minichurches u Average u Average size: 51 u On u On the average, won people to Christ over 5 years. Natural Church Development, pp Implication: Minichurches (some of which were church starts) are 1600% more effectively evangelistically.

The Mission: u To u To continue starting healthy new churches which are passionate about seeing people come to know Christ and sponsoring other new churches.