How to Become a Sending Church
Micah Caswell
Baptists have a biblical conviction that churches plant churches rather than denominations planting churches. In the New Testament, we see churches like the Antioch church (Acts 13:1-3) and the Derbe church (Acts 14:21-23) sending out church planters. Therefore, the Denton Baptist Association, the Texas Baptists, and the Southern Baptists of Texas don’t plant churches. Rather, those ministries are designed to help local churches to plant churches.
However, that raises the question, “How do local churches plant other local churches?” The way churches plant churches is to call out the called, coach, care, commission, and contribute. By God’s grace, every church can become a sending church because every church can take these five steps.
Calling out the called is about encouraging and equipping people when God calls them to ministry. Pastors, do you have a general plan when someone in your church says, “Hey Pastor, I think God might be calling me to ministry?” In those moments, encourage them by validating what you are observing and demystifying ministry. In those moments, equip them by giving them opportunities to serve, mentor them for character and competence, and entrust them with leadership. Church planters need your discernment.
Coaching helps a planter get out of the box that’s trapping their thinking, so they gain the confidence to build tailored solutions. Even without all the answers, you can ask the right solution-focused questions to move them forward. Church planters need your wisdom.
Care is about lovingly meeting spiritual and tangible needs. Sending churches take time to regularly meet with a planter, ask about their needs, and care for their souls. Church planters need your love.
Commissioning is about setting apart people for blessing. The early church would set aside those being sent out, lay hands on them, and pray prayers of blessing over them. If you are a pastor, elder, or deacon who has been commissioned, then you know the impact of a commissioning moment. Sending churches set a date, determine how to practically bless, and then develop a plan to make the moment great as they pray over the planter, his family, and the core team. Church planters need your blessing.
Contributing is about financially supporting the church plant. Most church plants need to raise between $150,000 and $250,000 per year. However, denominational partners will only be able to provide $20,000 to $30,000 per year. Therefore, they need churches to contribute financially. Sending churches should talk with their planters about their needs and then commit to contribute. Even a few hundred dollars every month can have a significant impact. Church planters need your support.
Each of these steps can scale to your church’s size and resources. Therefore, every church can get in the game and participate in church planting. Email me if you want to explore how your church can become a sending church (micah@dentonbaptist.org).