Ideas from GCA Church Planting Conference – Day 2

church-planting-manual.jpgHere are the sessions I attended today: Developing a Purpose & Mission, Determining Value & Styles (both taught from the infamous 600+ page GCA Church Planting Manual, so I won't quote these) and Redeemer's Global Cities Strategy.  Some ideas from today:

"Church plants are 250% more likely to succeed if they have a good leadership development plan." -Ed Stetzer (from his new research to be released in the book Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around and Yours Can Too May 2007)  Of course people also enjoyed his quote, "There is more evidence from scripture for me to go out and get a concubine than to start a denomination." 

Ed suggested church planters to view the free resources at Namb.net/cmr 

 "European cities and the business class are vastly unreached by the Christian church."  – Al Barth Redeemer Church Planting Center.  Al went on to say that it is more strategic for a church planter to go after the educated and the business class, which in the long run allows you to reach the poor and have a greater impact on a city.   Al also said, "One of the most common false notions a church planter has (even if they verbally disagree) is that 'If we build a church that worships God, people will come.  It is rare today to succeed based purely on an attractional ministry model." (Ed Stetzer also stated this model only works in a few contexts and that often mailers don't work anymore.  Who does direct mail?  Does it still work for you?)

Al Barth also stated that Redeemer is looking for men to be involved in these church plants that…

1. Understand the Gospel (read Keller, Lovelace, C.Jack Miller to understand there view of the gospel expressed.) 

2. Transformed lives from the Gospel

3. are able to clearly Articulate the Gospel

4. and can Apply the Gospel surgically.