Planter and Sending Models (Models Series 1 of 5)

In this article we begin the transition from the more conceptual realm of things like Vision, Mission, Philosophy and Purpose, Values and Styles to the more practical realm of developing church planting Models.

We're using the word Models to describe ministry approaches and strategies. In this lesson we are answering the question, "What will be our ministry approaches and strategies to church planting and renewal?" In this article we're exploring four types of models: planter models, sending models, parenting models and ministry models.

Let's look first at planter models. There are two questions that every church planter should deliberately seek to answer. One, do I plan to leave or stay after my church is planted or established? Two, do I plan to be solo or have a paid leadership team at the beginning? In 1 Corinthians 3:6 Paul writes, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth." Paul clearly understood that church planting is God's work, but he also recognized how God chose to use him and Apollos in different ways in planting and growing the church at Corinth.

Now, some church planters are called and gifted to be starters, others are called and gifted to be builders. Church planters who only stay with the church they've planted until the church is established or indigenous have the advantage of planting other churches in their lifetime and broadening the impact of their ministry that way. The church planters who stay with the church they've planted long-term, sometimes even decades, normally have the advantage of having a deeper long-term impact on their immediate community.

Neither type of church planter is necessarily better than the other. They're just different sets of gifts and callings. We call the starter the catalytic planter and the builder the founding planter. One of the decisions you need to make at this stage is how you are answering the question do you plan to leave or stay after your church is planted or established. Are you going to be a catalytic planter, planning to leave once the church is established, or a founding planter, planning to stay with the church long-term?

The next category of planter model is determining whether you are going to be solo or team. Another important question worthy of exploration is whether you think you may have the gifts, calling and resources to plant a church on your own as a solo planter, or if you think your gifts, calling and resources are such that you should only plant a church in close partnership with other paid leaders, a team planter. The financial model for both the solo and team planter can range all the way from part-time, bi-vocational tentmaker to full time with full financial support. The same is true of members of the team accompanying the team church planter.

Building on the determination of your planter model and taking the next steps for how that model will be implemented practically requires you to determine your anticipated sending model. Church planters normally use one of four sending models by which they are sent out to plant a new church. The solo model is where the planter is sent out alone, and no core group exists in the ministry focus area.

The team model is where the planter is sent out with a leadership team, and again there is normally no core group in the ministry focus area.

The core model is where the planter is sent out with a core group, or to a core group already existing in the ministry focus area.

Then there are hybrid models that combine team and core where the planter is sent out with a leadership team and a core group, or with a leadership team to a core group already existing in the ministry focus area.

Even if you have the gifts, calling and resources to begin the church planting process alone, in other words before you develop a core group and a leadership team, you will eventually need a leadership team and a core group of families who are committed to help you plant this new church. The key question is when do you need to have a core group and a leadership team. Of course the answer is always as soon as possible.